Switzerland is an incredibly overrated destination

I am currently on a work trip to Zurich for 4 weeks. Having previously visited very briefly, I was excited to explore the country deeper.<br><br>I am based in Zurich and I have been able to visit Geneva, Basel as well as a good portion of the country. It also doesn't hurt that the Swiss have invested in making their rail network very accessible.<br><br>I don't know if it's a recent change, but my main takeaway is that the country doesn't really feel welcoming for tourists. You can't really pay for anything with cash. I don't really count card payment as a viable option as the exchange rate is not great for international tourists. Everyone looks at you as if you were an idiot if you ask if they accept cash and their prices are not in the affordable range. It's genuinely shocking.<br><br>Tourist attractions are also incredibly expensive. A ticket to the Art museum in Basel costs 18 CHF dollars. Swiss chocolate in touristy places is stupidly expensive. Even for basic grocery shopping, you'll easily be spending more than anywhere else in Europe. Fruits and vegetables, unless stored, also don't really taste too great. A common apple can be bought for 1 Euro in Germany and this will be 2.5x more expensive in Switzerland.<br><br>Restaurants and food. I'm Indian and honestly - I've had some of the worst Indian food here. Also an incredibly expensive affair. I genuinely feel that the food here is not good. Again, my bias as an Indian could be heavily influencing this judgement.<br><br>I've been to a good number of countries and in my opinion, Switzerland is a location not worth visiting. It is incredibly expensive, hasn't really got any great culinary traditions, doesn't feel welcoming and with all these downsides, it's in my opinion one of the most overhyped destinations out there.<br><br>In the 4 weeks I've been here, I've honestly not found a redeeming quality. Yes, the mountains look great but I would honestly rather visit the Himalayas or the Andes than the Alps. Yes, perhaps that's a personal bias but I feel like the mountains here are not really unique and I doubt a few days a year in the mountains is enough to justify the enormous cost of a trip to Switzerland.<br><br>Edit : I just wanted to clarify one more point. Yes, this is what happens when you have a rich capitalistic country with low taxes, it will attract rich people. Therefore prices and cost of living will increase. I don't disagree with that, the only thing I'm pointing out is that, it's not a very good destination for a trip because prices are too high, food is not great and it's not a welcoming place for anyone who's not very rich.<br><br>Edit 2 : I live and pay taxes in Germany. Therefore, the trip was essentially fully paid for by my company and I was able to travel around without a huge impact to my wallet. However, based on my experience I would never take my family here for a trip.