Switzerland - The Legendary Playground of Europe
Personal Blog - Switzerland - Mountains - Snowboarding - Skiing - Snow
Our visit to Switzerland was nothing short of spectacular. Armed with our Swiss Travel Pass and free unlimited public transport across the entire country, we visited the cities of Geneva, Zermatt, Lucerne, and Zurich all within 6 days. Along the way, we experienced breathtaking views, skied some snowy slopes, and as always, ate some tasty food.
Itinerary
- Morning walk along the Rhone River to La Jonction
- Marina area with Jet d’Eau view
- Boat Taxi
- Train to Zermatt
- Try fondue at Restaurant Schäferstube
- Stay at Hotel Alpina
- Early morning sunrise and coffee
- Half-Day Ski Lesson by Alpine Ski School
- Stroll through Zermatt town center
- Stay at Mountain Paradise
- Gornergrat Bahn
- Toblerone Sign
- Gornergrat Observatory
- Train to Lucerne
- Morning walk along bank of Lake Lucerne
- Lunch at Yun Nan Tea House
- Chapel Bridge and Spreuerbrücke
- Train to Zurich
- Lake Promenade
- Só Tea
- Lindenhof – Viewpoint Lookout
- Dinner at Raclette Factory
Geneva
Day 1
We had taken a night-time flight from London Luton Airport to Geneva on easyJet, ending up reaching our AirBnB by around 10:30 pm. The next day, we set out early because we only planned a single day in Geneva. We started off with a brisk morning walk along the Rhone river. We arrived at La Jonction between the Rhone and Arve Rivers. The rivers differ in their sources of water, with the Rhone coming directly from Lake Geneva and the Arve from the many glaciers in the French Alps. This creates a difference in salt levels and leads to this lovely contrast in color between the two rivers.
Our second sight to see was the Jet d’Eau, a gigantic water fountain that funnels 500 liters of water per second to a height of 140 meters. From the opposite shore where we saw the fountain for the first time, there were couples enjoying a nice walk or picnic while a handful of families and groups enjoyed swimming in the lake. We went to the other side of the lake with a water taxi, which allowed us to see the Jet d’Eau up close. Although the fountain is known to be big, the magnitude of its size was absolutely incredible to behold. Afterwards, we made our way to the train station and headed off to Zermatt.
Zermatt
I would have to say that Zermatt was the peak (hehe) highlight of our trip. This small town is a world-renowned ski resort, and you can feel it innately in the atmosphere. The wooden log cabins, the vast surrounding mountains, the crisp air, and people of all ages clacking their ski/snowboard shoes on the concrete collectively contributed to this feeling. The landscapes actually reminded me a lot of Alaska, which I had visited with my family many years ago. In this town, there are no cars except for a few miniature eBuses and eTaxis. The reason for this choice of electric vehicles is to prevent any fumes and exhaust that tamper with the freshness of the air and the view of the mountains, the famous Matterhorn especially. We chose to walk everywhere due to Zermatt’s relatively small size and the added health benefit. It also provides an excuse for that extra glass of wine ;). There are also bike rental options if that is more your style.
Since we had not tried traditional Swiss food since landing in Geneva, we decided to have a taste at the restaurant saycheese! located in the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, which advertises itself as the “Best Fondue Raclette in Zermatt“. However, there was no availability until days later, so we went ahead and sat down at Restaurant Schäferstube. It had a very comfy and traditional atmosphere, enhanced by the warm candle-lit lighting, making our experience that much more authentic. The risotto we ordered was very creamy and delicious, as was the fancy charcuterie board. I think that we were both surprised by how strong the alcohol taste was in the cheesy fondue! However, it pairs excellently with the more subtle flavors of the bread and potatoes provided.
We stayed at Hotel Alpina for a single night. The moment we entered the lodge, we fell in love with the wooden aesthetic and the warm tone of the lights. Although it was in a normal looking building, the room itself felt like we were in a log cabin deep in the snowy wilderness. There was also a large balcony where we enjoyed a nice cup of coffee the following morning.
Day 2
After a relaxing sunrise, we made our way to the Sunnegga ticket office to prepare for a private couples ski lesson through Alpine Ski School. Keep in mind that many of these ski school companies do not offer rental gear, so you will have to visit one of the many ski shops sprinkled around town before meeting up with your instructor. After renting out our gear and skis, we met up with our instructor Alex and headed up the mountain. The train itself was angled nearly 45 degrees, and walking up the steep stairs to get onto the train was a heavy task on its own. We arrived at the beginner ski area and proceeded with the lesson. I do have some snowboarding experience from back when I was living in California (frequented Big Bear Lake, Lake Tahoe, and Mammoth Mountain) but I had never attempted skiing until now, mostly due to the fear of what would happen to my legs if I crossed my skis and tumbled. However, Alex made sure that we were carefully led through all of the basic movements before letting us ride down on the beginner slope. Even a first-timer like Monica was able to get the hang of it after a few attempts. Also, despite having snow everywhere, it was surprisingly warm so there was no need for any additional ski jackets over our sweaters.
Since we had chosen the half-day option, there was still time to kill before getting onto our next train, so we walked along the main street and river of Zermatt to do a bit of window shopping and sightseeing. As we were doing so, we came across a few videos about the famous train up the mountains toward the Matterhorn called the Gornergrat Bahn, which seems like something we absolutely had to do. However, we were supposed to be on our way to Bern in the evening…
After some deliberation, we ultimately decided at the last minute to skip Bern entirely and stay another night in Zermatt. This town is incredible and we both really enjoyed the ski-resort village vibe. The only scary thing was accommodation availability at a reasonable price, but luckily we managed to snag a room at Mountain Paradise! The balcony view here was breathtaking, with a direct view of the Matterhorn and surrounding landscape. We ended up spending an hour or so after check-in just sitting outside and admiring the view (+ making a small instant noodle snack). We ended up relaxing in the room for the rest of the day to recover our energy.
Day 3
The next morning, we had the privilege to enjoy a hotel breakfast which included various deli meats, cheeses, and a salad bar among standard breakfast items like eggs, bacon, and cereal. We definitely recommend Mountain Paradise for your next trip to Zermatt. After a short little photo sesh, we made our way to the Gornergrat Bahn base station. The train makes several stops as it travels up the mountains, giving you free time to take many photos and videos of the scenery and the train experience. The vastness of the snowy mountains cannot really be explained, but it was an absolutely beautiful sight to behold. Once we reached Rotenboden, the second to last stop, we got a unique photo-op with the famous Toblerone sign with the Matterhorn perfectly centered in the background. And finally, at 3089 meters above sea level, is Gornergrat station, which provides likely the clearest view of the Matterhorn possible.
And of course, we had to procure some Toblerone from the gift shop.
This concluded our adventures in Zermatt, and we were off to Lucerne later that afternoon.
Lucerne
Day 4
The main attractions of Lucerne all lie along the Reuss River, which flows directly into Lake Lucerne. Open air cafés and eateries could be spotted from nearly every walkway or bridge, and little shops (like this neat boba shop we came across) served as extra little surprises to hunt for. We took a nice lakeside stroll first thing in the morning, to which the sunshine and cooling breeze served as a great start to our day. For lunch, we stumbled upon Yun Nan Tea House, a traditional family-owned Chinese tea house. This establishment focuses on Sichuan cuisine, and it became very apparent when ordering their signature noodle soup dish. The owner offered me spicy levels of 1 to 10, and recommended level 2 when she discovered I was from America. Feeling like I had to step up to the challenge and prove my Asian heritage, I proceeded with level 6 spicy. I had managed to finish the entire meal, but my lips and face had gotten super numb and swollen, like my first time trying the spicy Buldak ramyeon challenge.
Most of our time in Lucerne was occupied with taking pictures of the river view from Chapel Bridge and Spreuerbrücke. Out of the places we’ve visited so far, Lucerne is ranks very highly in terms of waterfront views.
Zurich
Day 5
The largest city in Switzerland offered the most “European City” vibes as compared to Geneva and Lucerne. Cars and trams constantly zoomed past, and it contained large city squares where most of the action took place. Along our stroll around the city, we were craving for some Asian food and stumbled upon a Korean restaurant. While everything on this trip had been on the pricey end, as expected of Switzerland being one of the most expensive countries to travel to in the world, it wasn’t until here that I felt like I was bleeding money. One kimchi jjigae and rice combo set was upwards of $30-40 USD! Luckily the food was tasty and we continued on our way.
One major highlight of our final day was a walk along the Lake Promenade. The gorgeous glimmer of the grand lake was complemented by the lush surrounding green scenery. Here, there’s a small women-made island named Saffa-Insel, which was built to raise awareness for women’s issues. It provided a very good photo spot for us! The Promenade seemed to go on forever, but the walk itself felt super fulfilling, and we considered ourselves extremely lucky to be able to travel and experience such views.
The tight, hilly walking paths are where most of the hidden gems are found. Apparently Zurich is very big on bubble tea, so if you are also looking for some, Só Tea is our recommendation. We tried the strawberry matcha latte and the white grape drink which were both delicious. Further along this path leads to a staircase that takes you to a vantage viewpoint of the city, Lindenhof. Here, you can spot historical landmarks like the Grossmünster, Fraümunter Church, St. Peter, and Old Town while experiencing the highest level of peace and tranquility the city has to offer. Once a Roman fort turned royal palace, the hilltop is now popular among local chess enthusiasts. We ended up losing track of time here.
Our dinner spot was the nearby Raclette Factory, one of the most famous places in Zurich to eat raclette. The outside waiting area had some warm animal pelts on top of the seats which provided comfort and set a rustic tone. Both of us are big fans of cheese, and you best believe us when we say the raclette cheese here is no joke. They let each person craft their own raclette plate with meats, veggies, and breads, and trying to make the best combis was a fun little activity to do prior to eating.
After dinner we went up to the viewpoint to get one last night-time look before heading back to the AirBnB and preparing to fly back the following day.
Gallery
Bucket List
Bern
One city that was on our radar from the start was Bern. It is known as the City of Bears, where the symbolic animal appears on many architectural structures, like fountains and buildings, as well as in the public BärenPark, or BearPark. This city also contains the Bear Pit, locally known as the Bärengraben, which houses the city’s population of bears. Both of us completely adore bears and it is definitely on our go-to list next time we visit this beautiful country.
Interlaken
Interlaken is another location that I would like to visit. Known as the “adventure capital of Switzerland”, Interlaken provides travelers with a plethora of adrenaline-pumping activities such as skydiving, river rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping, and the like. In addition, it is located at the epicenter of 2 lakes and 3 mountains, which offer beautiful views and hiking trails that I am always a fan of.
Jungfraujoch – The Top of Europe
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