Weil-am-Rhein and Switzerland

 Last weekend, I visited Switzerland for the third weekend in a row! For an outdoors lover like me, it is the best country in the world. The two weekends before, I had gone hiking in Lucerne and Interlaken, two very beautiful places. Those two trips were the most memorable trips of my life!


Last weekend, my friends and I chose to visit a lesser-known town called Weil-am-Rhein. The town Weil is situated on the banks of the river Rhein, hence it is called Weil-am-Rhein. Weil-am-Rhein is actually in Germany, but right on the Swiss border. We visited a very impressive modern design museum over there and had food at a cafe. After that, we started a very scenic and peaceful walk from Weil-am-Rhein to Basel, Switzerland. On the walk we saw many vineyards and farms. In the distance, we could catch a short glimpse of the Swiss Alps. Since Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world, we were glad we got food before crossing the border!


The Swiss-German border looked like anything but a border. It was more like a gate to a parking lot. In fact, unlike a parking lot gate, the border was completely open for travel from either side. There were no officers or guards to check our passports. This is definitely a phenomenon unique to Europe. During my time in Germany, I have crossed the border many times and have not been asked to provide proof of identity. It almost seems like Europe is one big country with several different states in it. 


It is truly fascinating how strong international relations are among European nations, especially considering that they were once on opposite sides of war. Coming from India, I could never imagine my country having such strong relations with Pakistan, China or any other neighboring country. Even in the US, the border control at the Mexican border is very strict. All European countries, whether in the European Union or not, seem to exist in harmony with each other. They often have common currency, law and policy. This strong connection among European countries interests me because there is so much potential for positive environmental change on a large scale through policy. 






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