Before choosing a destination
Switzerland’s location, capital, languages and currency
A first snapshot of Switzerland: its location in Western Europe, its capital, and the languages and currency to know when planning.
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Switzerland is in Western Europe and is landlocked. To start planning, it helps to know three key facts: Bern is the capital, the languages listed for the country, and the Swiss franc is its currency.
Finding it on the map
Switzerland is a country in Western Europe and is landlocked. This gives you a general sense of where the country is, but it is not enough to choose an area or work out travel times: the information available here does not detail routes or connections. Check specific journeys once you have planned your itinerary.
Bern and the languages
The capital is Bern. The country’s listing names French, Swiss German, Italian and Romansh. These are useful points of reference for understanding the country’s linguistic diversity; on their own, however, they do not tell you which language you will encounter in each town. Check local information for each stop.
The currency as a practical reference
The listed currency is the Swiss franc, with the code CHF and the symbol Fr. This is a useful reference for planning your budget, not an indication of prices or accepted payment methods. Check those details before travelling, especially for the purchases or services you have in mind.
What to check
This guide provides stable context, not operational information. Before finalising your plans, check transport, services and any travel requirements that apply to you separately: the available information does not provide current details on these matters.
Research references
Practical details that may change should be checked with the relevant official sources before travelling. Geographic data is credited under CC BY 4.0; country data under ODbL 1.0; and Wikidata under CC0 1.0. These references do not provide current information about transport, services or travel requirements.
References consulted during editorial review. Times, requirements and advisories may change: always confirm with the official source.
- Suiza WikidataCC0 1.0 Wikidata · Q39
- Suiza WikidataCC0 1.0 Wikidata · Q35445772
- Suiza WikidataCC0 1.0 Wikidata · Q99316809
- Switzerland World Countries — mledozeODbL 1.0 World countries dataset by mledoze and contributors · ODbL 1.0
- Bern GeoNamesDatos geográficos bajo CC BY 4.0; requiere atribución a GeoNames. Fuente: GeoNames
- Bern GeoNamesDatos geográficos bajo CC BY 4.0; requiere atribución a GeoNames. Fuente: GeoNames
- Bern, Bern-Mittelland administrative district, Bernese Mittelland administrative region, Bern, Switzerland OpenStreetMapODbL 1.0; atribución y obligación de compartir bases derivadas. Fuente: OpenStreetMap
- Bern, Switzerland OpenStreetMapODbL 1.0; atribución y obligación de compartir bases derivadas. Fuente: OpenStreetMap
- Switzerland World Bank Open DataCC BY 4.0 World Bank
- El turismo en Suiza o el advenimiento de un modelo de excelencia (siglos XIX y XX) CrossrefMetadatos públicos; derechos específicos por campo cuando correspondan Crossref
- «Suiza en la aventura de La Mancha»: patrimonio y turismo cultural en los años del desarrollismo español CrossrefMetadatos públicos; derechos específicos por campo cuando correspondan Crossref
- Bern Belp Airport OpenFlightsODbL 1.0 (base de datos) / DbCL 1.0 (contenidos) Bern Belp Airport · OpenFlights · ODbL 1.0
- Bern WikidataCC0 1.0 Wikidata · Q70
