SWITZERLAND

If you ask non-European foreigners to place the Alps, there is a certain probability that they will tell you "in Switzerland". Because for some reason — perhaps due to their loud advertisements promoting tourism, or various Swiss brands associated with the mountain world — Switzerland and the Alps are almost the same thing in many people's minds.

However, there is not too much to blame for this identification, considering that, of all the countries that have a slice of the Alps, Switzerland is, according to many, the state that has made the wisest, most respectful use of the territory and of local cultures. And when hiking in Switzerland, you can tell.

Just hike uphill a little bit and look down into the valley to notice how the villages and cities of Switzerland are neatly cohesive, surrounded by pastures and woods. Roads and new buildings are kept to a minimum, so that overall the Swiss Alpine landscape has an air of semi-perfection.