Welcome to Switzerland

Switzerland, in the heart of Europe, is famous for its beautiful mountains and lakes, delicious cheese and chocolate. It's a rich and well-organized country, known for being neutral and having four official languages. As an exchange student you will have a unique chance to discover so much more about our country!


Swiss mentality

Politeness is very important to us. Therefore, we use many phrases, such as “pardon”, “thank you”, “you’re welcome” automatically and frequently. We even greet unknown people, especially on the countryside.

We are also very punctual people. When you agree to meet someone at 4 pm, you will be expected to be at the meeting point at 4 pm sharp. Trains and trams are punctual 99% of the time, whenever a train will arrive later than scheduled, the people will be informed.

The Swiss are probably not the easiest people to get to know. We may seem rather cold and quiet and will not jump up to hug you when we meet you for the first time. However, when a person calls you their “friend”, this means a lot and usually is genuine.

Recycling and cleanliness: Most people separate their trash, as a lot of things can be recycled! You will probably also notice the cleanness of our roads and public buildings. Switzerland is one of the cleanest countries in the world.

No food waste: It is an important topic in many families in Switzerland. It´s a way, we care about our planet and try to make a difference in our everyday lives, for example we try not to throw away food.


Speaking about food...

We love our cheese and chocolate– that’s true! But we eat a lot of other things, too… Breakfast in Switzerland tends to be a cold meal such as cereals (Birchermüesli) or bread, butter and jam with coffee or tea. Meat is more and more often replaced by vegetarian meals. We try to eat seasonal and organic products.

Some traditional dishes are Fondue, Raclette, Älplermagronen (you should definitely ask your host family about this one!), Rösti or Polenta (especially in Ticino).

The Swiss don’t only like eating together, but they also love preparing food together as a family. Therefore we encourage you to assist your host family in the kitchen. On top of that you could show them some of your favorite meals from your country.