The Alps are the majestic mountain range found across much of Switzerland.
Switzerland is one of the central Alpine countries, and the Swiss Alps occupy roughly 60 percent of its land area. The range forms a broad arc across Europe, extending through France, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. Within Switzerland, the Alps dominate the southern part of the country and shape its valleys, lakes, climate, transport routes, and tourism.
Switzerland’s highest peak, Dufourspitze, rises to 4,634 meters in the Monte Rosa massif near the Italian border. The Matterhorn, at 4,478 meters, is lower but perhaps more famous because of its distinctive pyramid-like profile. The Aletsch Glacier, in the Bernese Alps, is the largest glacier in the Alps.
A common mix-up is confusing the Alps with the Jura Mountains. The Jura also extends through Switzerland, mainly along the country’s northwestern side, but it is a separate, lower mountain system. Switzerland is conventionally divided into the Swiss Alps, the Central Plateau, and the Jura.