26 Quotes About Switzerland

My dear Tristan, to be an artist at all is like living in Switzerland during a world war. To be an artist in Zurich, in 1917, implies a degree of self-absorption that would have glazed over the eyes of Narcissus.

In a country where peace prevails in every corner, everything looks prettier, calmer and wiser!

Some countries where these saints once ruled no longer exist today. Also, some saints were born in faraway nations but became patrons of Germanic lands. Additionally included are sections of prayers for the peoples of the countries represented. I enjoyed creating this collection. I traveled back and forth in time to distant lands while learning about heroic virtue. Both the cultures and saints of these nations are truly inspiring.

Swiss law since 1937 permits assisted suicide by anyone for altruistic reasons, although it has become the accepted practice that first there must be a doctor’s agreement and only lethal drugs can be used, taken orally – no injections. Reporting the “terminal suicide” to the police is normal procedure – nothing secretive. The Swiss do not rule out visitors provided they meet the time-honored criteria – a dying, competent, adult, and a local doctor after examination agrees they are terminal.

Elk have not been seen in Switzerland for many a year. In the interests of scientific accuracy, please strike the idea of elk from your mind. If you must, think of ibexes instead, a fierce and agile type of goat with great spiraling horns. Marmots will also do in a pinch, but under no circumstances should you think of elk. No. Elk. The elkless among you may now proceed.

It is not against the law to drink in public places, and you will see people drinking in parks or by the lake. The Swiss have a more relaxed attitude to alcohol consumption. From the age of 16, young people can be served beer or wine in a bar.

Like many Swiss-Germans, Wisner was rugged man of nature who had a gift for machinery and engineering. His grandfather was Johannes Wiesner, a Swiss mercenary from the Canton of Zürich. The German surname “Wiesner” means “of the meadows.

I recalled thinking...His freakishly tidy side could be a problem. To say that neatness was not my strong suit would be a crime against, well, the truth.

I climb behind the steering wheel... I drive off immediately without once looking back; it's a long journey but it leads to freedom.