Swiss cultureSwiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in a wide range of traditional customs. A region may be in some ways strongly culturally connected to the neighbouring country that shares its language, the country itself being rooted in western European culture. The linguistically isolated Romansh culture in Graubnden in eastern Switzerland constitutes an exception, it survives only in the upper valleys of the Rhine and the Inn and strives to maintain its rare linguistic tradition.Some 1000 museums are distributed through the country; the number has more than tripled since 1950.Among the most important cultural performances held annually are the Lucerne Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Locarno International Film Festival.The Lucerne Festival is a summer music festival in Lucerne, Switzerland. It was founded in 1938 and, since 2004, it has taken place at the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre designed by Jean Nouvel. The Montreux Jazz Festival is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second largest annual jazz festival in the world after Canada's Montreal International Jazz Festival.The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in August in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946.The top prize of the Festival is the Golden Leopard awarded to the best film in the international competition. Other awards include the Leopard of Honour for outstanding career achievements.Folk art is kept alive in organisations all over the country. In Switzerland it is mostly expressed in music, dance, poetry, wood carving and embroidery. The alphorn, a trumpet-like musical instrument made of wood, has become alongside yodeling and the accordion an epitome of traditional Swiss musicThere is a strong architectural tradition in Switzerland. The Romanesque style of the 12th century can be found in the cathedrals of Basel, Sion, Chur, Geneva and Lausanne. This style, which is rich in expression, can also be found on many castles and fortresses around the country, many of which preserved in a good condition. The cathedrals of Schaffhausen, Zug and Zrich are of the Gothic style, and the churches of Einsiedeln and St. Gallen are of Baroque style.In Switzerland , Santa - as we understand it - comes on 6 December. Theirs is not from the North Pole or Lapland but rather from the Black Forest in Germany.For Swiss punctuality is important. If you delay any meeting , will think of you as not respect them , neither you or the purpose of the meetings and will limit the interaction with you.In Switzerland is followed tradition that all towns have to turn the fountains in " Easter fountains " . Thus, they are decorated with colored ribbons , flowers and painted eggs made of paper.Swiss cuisine bears witness to many regional influences, including from French, German and Italian cuisine and also features many dishes specific to Switzerland. Switzerland was historically a country of farmers, so traditional Swiss dishes tend to be plain and made from simple ingredients, such as potatoes and cheese. Foods often associated with Switzerland include cheese and chocolate. Swiss cheeses, in particular Emmental cheese,Gruyre, Vacherin, and Appenzeller, are famous Swiss products. The most popular cheese dishes are fondue and Raclette. Fondue is probably the most famous Swiss menu. Fondue is made out of melted cheese. It is eaten by dipping small pieces of bread or potatoes in the melted cheese.Rsti is a popular potato dish that is eaten all over Switzerland. It was originally a breakfast food, but this has been replaced by the muesli, which is commonly eaten for breakfast. For breakfast and dinner many Swiss enjoy sliced bread with butter and jam. Bread and cheese is a popular dish for dinner. Cervelat or cervelas is considered the national sausage, and is popular all over Switzerland.Chocolate had been made in Switzerland since the 18th century but it gained its reputation at the end of the 19th century with the invention of modern techniques which enabled its production on a high quality level. Also a breakthrough was the invention of solid milk chocolate in 1875 by Daniel Peter. The Swiss are the world's largest consumers of chocolate. The most popular alcoholic drink in Switzerland is wine. Swiss wine is produced mainly in Valais, Vaud (Lavaux), Geneva and Ticino, with a small majority of white wines. Vineyards have been cultivated in Switzerland since the Roman era, even though certain traces can be found of a more ancient origin. The Merlot is the main variety produced in Ticino.

Famous Swiss PeopleSwitzerland has experienced a long history with the assembling into a confederation of people and cities that have united to preserve common interests. In almost one thousand years, this country has accumulated the cultures and competencies to gain independence and a top place in the world.Roger FedererRoger is a Swiss professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Many commentators and players regard Federer as the greatest tennis player of all time. He has been ranked inside the top 10 since October 2002 and the top 20 since April 2001.Federer holds several records of the Open Era: holding the world No. 1 position for 302 weeks;winning 17 Grand Slam singles titles; reaching each Grand Slam Final at least five times (an all-time record); and reaching the Wimbledon final nine times. He is among the seven men, (and among the four in Open Era), to capture a career Grand Slam. Federer shares an Open Era record for most titles at the Wimbledon with Pete Sampras and at the US Open with Jimmy Connors and Sampras .Leonhard EulerLeonhard Euler was a pioneering Swiss mathematician and physicist. He made important discoveries in fields as diverse as infinitesimal calculus and graph theory. He also introduced much of the modern mathematical terminology and notation, particularly for mathematical analysis, such as the notion of a mathematical function. He is also renowned for his work in mechanics, fluid dynamics, optics, astronomy, and music theory.Euler is considered to be the pre-eminent mathematician of the 18th century and one of the greatest mathematicians to have ever lived. He is also one of the most prolific mathematicians. He spent most of his adult life in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in Berlin, Prussia.A statement attributed to Pierre-Simon Laplace expresses Euler's influence on mathematics: "Read Euler, read Euler, he is the master of us all.

Daniel Bernoulli was a Swiss mathematician and physicist and was one of the many prominent mathematicians in the Bernoulli family. He is particularly remembered for his applications of mathematics to mechanics, especially fluid mechanics, and for his pioneering work in probability and statistics. His name is commemorated in the Bernoulli principle, a particular example of the conservation of energy, which describes the mathematics of the mechanism underlying the operation of two important technologies of the 20th century: the carburetor and the airplane wing.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of the 18th century. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological, and educational thought.Denise BiellmannDenise Biellmann is a Swiss professional figure skater. She was the European and World Champion in 1981 and won the Swiss Championships three times. Born in Zurich, Biellmann won her first international championship in Belgium at age eight, and at eleven, she won the Swiss junior figure skating championships. Biellmann remains involved in the international figure skating community as a participant in both professional shows and competitions.