Switzerland is a small country in the middle of Europe that is BIG on adventure. It doesn’t have a beach because it’s surrounded by land, but it has some of the blue-est lakes and tallest mountains you’ve ever seen!

1. A Land of Many Tongues

In Switzerland, kids don’t just learn one way to say hello—they have four! Depending on which part of the country you visit, you might hear:

• Hallo (German)
• Salut (French)
• Ciao (Italian)
• Allegra (Romansh)

2. The Chocolate Mountain

Have you ever eaten a Toblerone chocolate bar? Look closely at the logo! It’s shaped like the Matterhorn, a giant triangle-shaped mountain. It is so famous that people travel from all over the world just to take a picture of it.

3. Super-Steep Trains and Secret Tunnels

• The Mountain Goat Train: The Pilatus railway is the steepest in the world. It’s so steep it feels like you’re riding a roller coaster up a cliff!
• The Deep Secret: Switzerland has the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which is the longest and deepest train tunnel on Earth. It goes right through the bottom of the giant Alps mountains!

4. Massive Water Power

In the city of Geneva, there is a water fountain called the Jet d’Eau. It shoots water 140 meters (460 feet) straight into the sky! That is taller than a 40-story building. If the wind blows the wrong way, you might get a surprise shower!

5. Swiss Cheese & Happy Cows

Swiss cows are like celebrities. They spend their summers high up in the green mountain meadows eating flowers and grass. To make sure they don’t get lost in the clouds or fog, they wear giant, heavy cowbells that go clink-clank so the farmers can find them! All that happy milk makes the best chocolate and “holy” cheese in the world.

6. The Square Flag

Almost every country has a rectangle flag, but not Switzerland! Their flag is a perfect red square with a white cross in the middle. It’s easy to spot and very famous!

Did You Know?

The “Top of Europe”: There is a train station called Jungfraujoch that is so high up it has an “Ice Palace” carved inside a glacier. You can walk through tunnels made of solid blue ice!

The Great Swiss Scavenger Hunt! 

Can you find all the answers in the story above? Check the box when you do!

• [ ] Find the Mountain: What is the name of the triangle-shaped mountain that is on the chocolate bar logo? ____________________
• [ ] Count the Languages: How many official languages are spoken in Switzerland? ____________________
• [ ] Spot the Shape: Most flags are rectangles. What shape is the Swiss flag? ____________________
• [ ] Hear the Sound: What do cows wear around their necks so they don’t get lost? ____________________
• [ ] Measure the Water: How many feet high does the giant water fountain in Geneva shoot up? ____________________

More Awesome Swiss Secrets 

The “Top of Europe” Ice Palace

High up in the mountains at a place called Jungfraujoch, there is a train station that sits inside a giant glacier!

Because it is so high up, it stays frozen all year round. Artists have carved an entire Ice Palace into the glacier. You can walk through hallways made of solid, sparkling blue ice and see sculptures of penguins and bears carved right out of the frozen walls!

The Giant “Clock” Country

Switzerland is famous for making the best watches and clocks in the world. In the city of Bern (the capital), there is a giant clock tower called the Zytglogge. Every hour, tiny mechanical figures like bears and a golden rooster come out and perform a little show for everyone watching below!

Swiss “Holy” Cheese

Have you ever wondered why Swiss cheese has holes? It’s not because mice ate it! When the cheese is being made, tiny bubbles of gas get trapped inside. When those bubbles pop, they leave behind “eyes” (that’s what the cheese-makers call the holes).

Activity Idea: Design Your Own Swiss Cowbell!

Doing Good Together: In some Swiss villages, the cows are decorated with flowers and giant bells for a parade when they come down from the mountains. Task: Draw a large bell on a piece of paper and decorate it with things that represent your community (like your school colors or local flowers). This shows how we celebrate the hard workers in our world—including the animals!