Tag: travel

The peaceful Switzerland

Cows gaze lazily at the high mountains surrounding them while taking full advantage of the sunshine. Soon it will be time to go indoors, when the snow starts falling from the sky. For the moment, there is snow only at the mountain summits. Down below, in the valleys, clusters of houses outline several villages and cities along the rivers and by the lakes. One couldn’t imagine that for centuries this region was the stage of fierce battles.

The Helvetians were a Celtic tribe that had settled here when Romans expanded their Empire throughout Europe. They couldn’t escape it, but they were granted enough autonomy to govern the different provinces of this land and manage the most important commercial routes that crossed the territory. This was a great experience for them, from which the Helvetians learned much. After the fall of the Roman Empire, they were invaded by the Germans, from the north, and by the French, from the west. In the meantime, the Helvetians, now converted to Christianity, agreed to fight in the German army in exchange for money and land. Yes, they had really learned how to make business.

Yet, their leanings would continue. Now part of the Holy Roman Empire, the former Helvetians were in charge of different pieces of land and, like in the Roman Empire, they enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy. However, this time, they came to the conclusion that they should work together to keep peace and economically prosper. A confederation began to take shape and Schwyz inspired them to become “die Schweizer” (the Swiss). To the first three “orte” (pieces of land), five more joined them in the 14th century. Ah, but men are greedy and selfish and internal battles for power were waged…

The next centuries were full of wars, inside the “Land of the Swiss” and outside. Fighting each other, fighting the invaders, and also serving as mercenaries in foreign armies were daily business. Finally, in the 17th century, Switzerland became an independent country de facto, kept out from other people’s wars, and dedicated themselves to agriculture, trade, bank activities, and watchmaking… until a French person named Napoleon and his troops invaded the Swiss Land and everything collapsed. The Old Confederation was dead…

… long live the New Confederation (after Napoleon had been expelled, of course). All the learnings were applied then. The “orte” became “canton”, each Canton became almost fully independent, and later the Confederation turned into a Federation. The Swiss people decided to focus on making money and not war, living in peace and harmony. In the meantime, they adopted the direct democracy political system, which means individuals decide by vote (via referendum or initiatives) the rules of the country. Oh, Switzerland looks like a very advanced country… except in what women are concerned.

It took 103 years of fighting, and a fear of “looking bad” internationally, for women to be granted the right to vote. It all started in 1868, when women in Zurich proposed to be granted the right to vote. They failed, of course, but they didn’t give up. An organisation was created and the fight turned national. Due to the direct democracy system, many petitions were presented to the Parliament. They were first ignored and then rejected over and over again by men (those who could actually vote), as men viewed women as not able to understand politics and whose place was at home taking care of the children.

At some point, Swiss men were on the verge of being humiliated internationally as almost all European countries had already allowed women to vote. In the meantime, Swiss women kept pushing and presenting initiatives while peacefully protesting on the streets. After much internal and external pressure, men finally approved the right for women to vote in 1971, even though in some Cantons this would only become official 20 years later…

Ah, the peaceful Switzerland, with the placid lakes and the serene Alpine mountains, perfect for sanatoriums specialised in healing the body and the mind. A land where nothing much happens and people are focused on their farms and their business affairs…

 
Read more about Switzerland:

  • The History of Switzerland
  • Political system
  • Women’s suffrage in Switzerland: 100 years of struggle
  • The long road to women’s suffrage in Switzerland

    •  

    Tourism

    Since the beginning of human settlements people have travelled from settlement to settlement for trade purposes. While doing business, these people would share new cultures, new languages, new views of the world. These merchants lived for travel and would always be on the move. Then, during Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, people started to travel for pleasure. They would go on a “circle”, meaning they would go somewhere and back again. However, these “tours” were only for a selected few.

    Somewhere during the Middle Ages, the Grand Tour began to take shape. Members of the upper class got into the habit of travelling through Europe to educate themselves about painting, sculpture and ancient architecture. Each group of people would decide the length of time and the itinerary, often hiring a guide to accompany them. Paris and Italian cities like Venice, Florence, and Rome, were usually part of the trip. Switzerland, especially Geneva, was included in some of the most daring and intrepid journeys.

    In the 19th century, due to the development of railways, the price of travel decreased and accessibility increased. This meant that people from the middle class were also able to afford to travel, making the business around tourism to flourish. The tourism industry was born and mass tourism followed. In fact, the travel agencies’ tours are a modern version of the Grand Tour, adapted to a large number of people and very limited in time. Nowadays, you would probably have to do several of these tours to make one old Grand Tour.

    Today, many people are keen to distinguish between “tourists” and “travellers”. “Travellers” are those you want to meet people from different countries, who want to immerse themselves in the culture and learn about it. “Tourists” are those who just go and see what is presented to them. In reality, people who did the Grand Tour wanted to learn about art and ancient culture, but they did not wish to immerse themselves in the culture. They were known for criticising the “natives” and would only get along with their countrymen. Pretty much like tourists nowadays.

    So, tourism has been around for a long time. It has evolved and now the possibilities are endless. People go touring for all kinds of purposes all over the world. There are pre-defined tours, but you can also plan your own voyage. Different budgets will provide you different trips to different destinations. For the same destination, you can choose different means of transportation, hotels, services. And, if you can afford it (in terms of money and time), you can replay a Grand Tour of your own making.