http://youtu.be/YJVdnMAGIt8

Nothing?

Less crime - as a woman I can walk home at night safely, the wages is great, if you try to speak the language the swiss like that and they help you. Cumulus Card, Super Card + much more.

The people, the landscapes, clean air, the local food (biological produced), Swiss diary, malakov, fondue and raclette, wallis and the Berber oberland, the lakes, the cities, fendant, it's health care (though slightly expensive) the direct democracy. Yep - you could say I'm happy here! 

The outdoors, and it's all very close.

Nature... landscape... mountains... I learn to appreciate lakes (i grow up by the beach that's why)

cheese and chocolates are my waterloos... LOL...

Mountain views, convenience/comfort, cheese fondue and proximity to the rest of Europe. 

No traffic jams. Compared to Moscow

the mountains, the lake, clean city, safety, going outside and do some sport, friendly people, new friends, language learning, the sun, cheese (thats a problem ... while looking on the scale)

Love it <3

the expatriates.

Switzerland would be very, very different without all the things foreigners brought / bring to this country.

That's what we call a win-win relationship

How nice to have a positive post about Switzerland as opposed to the usual ex-pat rant of "how boring is Switzerland post".  But the answer to the question is........

People like Izzie, Tom R (and all the others including ME, hahahaha!!) who are sure to jump in and tell tales about what a wonderful, happy, blessed life we all have in this beautiful country that we are so proud to call "home" 

PS to Izzie:  Looking beautiful in your new profile pic btw xx

Well said! :)

I like the fact you still see young kids helping the elderly, giving up there seats on trains, helping them with there shopping. The way they say thanks when cars stop at Zebra crossing, the fact that even when drunk, they apologise for bumping into you. That if you forget your phone or bag somewhere, it will still be there when you return . The fact that 8am in the morning after street parade, the streets are all cleaned.

Theres still a lot of respect here in Switzerland, even in the big cities, theres all that as well as the beautiful countryside. I love it here :) 

I remember one of the first times I took a train: It was late by about ten minutes. But the tannoy announcement went to great length to explain that the delay had occurred in Italy, not in Switzerland.

How can you not love this place?

In Switzerland because you can find most anything you want to do.

Switerland is clean and virtually no polution with Beautiful mountains and Lakes. Oh including the cities :)

People are polite

Food is High quality but also pricy.

Trains and public transport is impecable.

Very safe place to live.

TOP quality of life.

International airports easily reachable, cheap flights, good connections, and very good and easy public transport network.

Proper parks, nice lakes, and my favorite neighboor, the Jet d'eau !

Really good public transports, good landscape and sporting opportunities, quite safe for everyone, good standards of living, fantastic cheeses, nice lakes and ski resorts.

I mostly agree to what other people said although I would suggest that some of you do some research about the 'good' quality of the air. I don't talk about the whole country but the air is certainly far from pure/clean in the lemanic region.

Switzerland is great now, but it was even better 40 years ago - far fewer or even virtually non-existent building works everywhere. Then it was really paradise. Can you young guys believe it, but when I first started working in CH there were 12 CHFs to the Pound-Sterling! Ah, those were the days!

Let me add.  Today I had to do 4 of the most mind-numbing bureaucratic tasks you can do:

1) Drive to Geneva and get a Russian tourist visa

2) Drive back to Lausanne and get an eye exam

3) Submit papers to renew my B permit

4) Apply for a driver's license.

Yet somehow I accomplished all these things in four hours total!  And I actually have the driver's license in my hand.  I can't imagine how long that would've taken me in most countries. 

Coming from the UK, the thing I noticed most was the much higher level of respect here.

People put their empty bottles in bins, not in bushes, and generlly keep places tidy. Bus stops don't get smashed within 12 hours of being installed. Even graffiti is mostly kept out of sight round the back of buildings instead of across the front window. People actually buy tickets for the buses and trains. And people only use one parking space per car, unless it has a French plate, which seems to make them exempt from this rule ;)

There's always one who does the opposite of all that, of course...

Swiss people in general are very nice and international people open minded and really very advanced in all the ways comparing to the developed country in the world...., no crime, very polite honest, and if you speak other lunguages they respect you not degrade you....., food is good, great for kids...and a lot more. God Bless Switzerland!

Love this thread, love CH and agree with the posts so far....
As a hiker and mountain girl, I'd add that the toilets, even in the remotest places, are always impeccable :-)

With all the s*&% talk that goes on in Bern between the politicians from Ticino/German CH/French CH, it's great to see it remain in tact and work out its differences to make an efficient, clean, and beautiful country. Most countries end up breaking apart because of political differences (mine included, if we're talking about the past) and I find it admirable how their true democracy holds things together.

Also chocolate, duh. :)

The serenity to live in a clean, organized and respectful environment.

Being on holidays every week-end thanks to the mountains, the lakes,...

The honesty of most of the people that makes possible to sell flowers/arts in the street with just a small box to put the money.

How easy are most of the administrative procedures.

Being almost in the center of Europe and go to Italy, France, Germany or Austria for the week-end.

Being able to enjoy ski in winter and swim in the lake in summer.

Being in a country where kids go alone to school without troubles, where pedestrian can cross the street without get insulted or killed (ex-parisian...).

And some others small things... automatic traffic lights, BBQ allowed almost everywhere, chocolate, outdoor activities, cheese, multicultural people, spätzli...

Their inventions: the Red Cross, direct democracy, milk chocolate.  Not necessarily in this order of importance  :)

Their neutrality since 1500.  You have to appreciate a people that, when the other European countries were messing with the globe conquering colonies, was more than happy of staying in its lands and minding its own business.

Their capacity of becoming one of the richest countries in the world having literally no natural resources to exploit.

The importance and love they attach to nature.

Their attachment to traditions and their monetary stability.  Swiss coins haven't changed since 1879.  Car license plates bear the same sequence number since 1932.

And in some cantons (Appenzell Innerrhoden and Glarus) electors still vote by Landsgemeinde, like they did 700 years ago -- by raising their hands in the main square of the town...

The Swiss minded their business by sending mercenaries to many European countries.

Maybe the small and poor country would not have survived without those mercenaries who were highly appreciated by the other European countriesAn explanation why Switzerland could stay neutral and was not attacked by their neighbours?:

Swiss mercenaries were notable for their service in foreign armies, especially the armies of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from the Later Middle Ages into the Age of the European Enlightenment. Their service as mercenaries was at its peak during the Renaissance, when their proven battlefield capabilities made them sought-after mercenary troops.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_mercenaries

Its great for its insensitive administartion especially immigrant office. It is great for irrational exploitation of expats be it money, be it accomodation. There no regularity. Unfortunately, I have to say it is great for looting people in many ways.

So cheers for swiss.

Do I understand from this that is men in uniforms (albeit silly ones if you go to the Vativan) that attract your attention?

A Friday Fatboy Fondue for lunch.... this makes the Confederation Helvetique great.

Hi Paul,

Do i understand you right that your question is if I think that mercenaries make Switzerlandgreat?

If so: no!

I just wanted to add some information regarding the comment about the Swiss people “not messing with the globe conquering colonies and being more than happy of staying in its lands and minding its own business”

Rena

Well I just read the title of the thread and added up 2+2 and got the answer = 5

The glocals' community makes Switzerland great

Its caring attitude towards the environment makes it great....

Wait. I'm confused. I thought this place was boring and unsafe. Are you sure we're talking about the same Geneva? 

The proximity to France? Only joking!!!

Zonker... C'mon, you know as much as anyone else that GE is NOT 'Switzerland'... Just look at the place... OMG!  :o))  JT.

BTW, the youtube clip was taken at the Edinburgh military tattoo... Ahh, Bonnie wee Scotland!  :o)  JT.