Category: swiss

Three Days in Zurich

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, swiss, Switzerland, Travel, Uncategorized, ZurichLeave a comment

Swans everywhere! That was my first impression as we walked the Zurich waterfront in June. With sunny weather, everyone was enjoying the cafes and strolling the clean Zurich streets. We were primarily in Zurich to see a Bruce Springsteen concert but wanted to soak up as much Zurich as possible in our three-night stay. We walked the waterfront, explored the old town curvy cobblestone streets and thoroughly enjoyed beautiful Zurich!

First on our list after taking the train from Basel to Zurich, was to check into our hotel and find Lake Zurich by walking along the Linth River. The Swiss public transportation system is topnotch. It didn’t take us long to find the tram stop by our hotel which was fairly far out of the central district but very close to the stadium where the concert would be held. Just tap to pay at any tram stop for a 24-hour pass (9 francs) and off you go! It was about 20-minute ride to the waterfront. We checked out the gorgeous views of the water and the alps peeking through the haze. Then it was off to walk Old Town. The cobblestone streets winded up and down with beautiful architecture everywhere you look. It was a Sunday, so all the shops and most of the cafes were closed and thus we window shopped.

Back at the hotel, there was an outdoor food truck park with bars, entertainment and every kind of food you could think of to choose from. Set in the middle of an industrial park area, it was surprising to see how many people had gathered to enjoy this colorful installation. I love finding hidden gems like this as we wander a new place.

While we spent most of our first full day hunting for luggage to buy after my carry-on busted a wheel (heavy use!), we also checked out the stadium, which we could walk to and enjoyed seeing the local neighborhoods. I will warn travelers to Zurich to bring along a large expense budget because the prices are very high. I would estimate that prices are at least 30% higher here than in most major cities in the US for food and clothes, luggage, etc. We finally found some affordable luggage at a Coop City which is a like a super Walmart that carries food and other items.

During our stroll around Zurich, we ended up on THE shopping street Bahnhofstrasse where all the designer shops are located as well as the mass merchants like Zara. Even if you budget doesn’t allow for shopping, the window displays are well done and it’s quite the place to be. Off the beaten track later, I stumbled upon the cutest linen shop where the lady showed me all her handmade items, and I bought a beautiful pillow cover for my collection. She was so proud of her work, and I felt wonderful buying one of her items to take home.

On the day of the concert, we took a long walk along the lakefront and stumbled upon not only beautiful lake views but a Chinese garden. Free to enter, the structures, ponds and landscape reminded us of our time living in China and was a beautiful way to enjoy the sunny day.

I give props to Switzerland for having not only fantastic public transportation (plentiful, cheap, clean) but also their well-maintained public parks and facilities. The landscaping is immaculate for everyone to enjoy being outside. The WC (water closets aka bathrooms) are spotless and placed around town. Keep $1 euro coins handy to enter and use the facilities.

Zurich is a major hub for train travel across Europe so if you find yourself going through this city in your travels, I would encourage you to take time to walk the water and enjoy the journey!

Lucerne and Mt. Pilatus

On By Travels with MelindaIn adventure, Basel, Lake Lucerne, Lucerne, swiss, Switzerland, Travel, travel tips, travelling, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Basel was the perfect home base to explore Switzerland! We stayed in Basel for a week, so one day we decided we need to get up close and personal with the mountains. The biggest mountain nearby was in Lucerne. So off to Mt. Pilatus we went! We didn’t plan too far in advance because we wanted to check the weather to ensure that we would probably have clear views from the mountain, and it wouldn’t be socked in with clouds or rain. We left in the late morning and spent about two hours on top of the mountain and then came down to enjoy a walk around Lucerne and a lake cruise. The perfect day blending water and mountains in Switzerland!

First stop was the lovely information store in Basel’s Old Town. There, you can pick up all kinds of printed information on Switzerland attractions, buy cool souvenirs like a WickelFisch bag to float the river, postcards (and stamps), Swiss rubber duck (for our duck collection for the grandkids) and more. They will also help you plan your side trips and sell you the appropriate tickets. We got our gondola tickets so that once we got there, we would not be delayed or disappointed by long lines or sold-out tickets. The tickets for the gondolas and the bus were about $78 francs each. You can also take a longer route around Mt. Pilatus that includes the cog railway train and a boat segment on the lake to get to one side and then you take the gondolas back down. This journey would cost more and take the whole day. For more information on your options go here: PILATUS – Mountain adventures near the city | | Pilatus Bahnen Lucerne Switzerland

GETTING THERE

We took the tram by our hotel to get to the Basel train station to jump on a one-hour train ride to Lucerne. From there, we took the #1 bus for a short ride to the neighborhood where the gondola started. After walking uphill to the gondola, we quickly scanned our tickets and walked right on to a small (max 4 person) gondola. As we glided up the mountain, we passed by a Swiss chalet with roaming cows underneath us. With the windows on the gondola open, we could not only hear the cow bells but smell the cows. A truly immersive Swiss experience! We stayed on at the first stop along the way because our end goal was to go right to the top. You are required to get off at the second stop, however, because you change gondolas from the small one to a larger one that holds up to 50 people, where most of this trip is standing with very few seats available.

Many people got off the gondolas at the second stop because this is where there is a large playground, zipline, adventure park with climbing obstacles and the luge attraction. We had considered doing the luge but chose instead to spend our time exploring the mountain top. Another time!

ONCE YOU ARE AT THE TOP OF MT. PILATUS

Reaching the top, you enter a large visitor center with facilities, snacks, shops and information booths. We walked out and grabbed some deck chairs to soak up the views and the sun. We watched one courageous visitor lay out his equipment right below the observation deck we were on and take off hang gliding over the mountains. Up, up and away he soared which would seem terrifying, but he looked like he was having fun. Hope he made it down okay!

Speaking of adventures, another tourist had hauled up a huge alphorn and was entertaining the other tourists. He stopped my husband to take his picture playing on the narrow trail with views of the alps. I wonder if he was fulfilling a lifelong dream of playing his alphorn there. It reminded of when we were in Venice and a tourist taking a gondola was playing his sax as they toured the canals. Treasured memories of people living their best lives is one of the most awesome parts of travelling!

We took the “dragon trail” walk that starts from the visitor’s center. If you have children, make sure you share the story of the dragons with them before the visit-more info here: https://www.pilatus.ch/en/discover/dragon-trail/ Even if you don’t have children, this is an enjoyable walk in the tunnel with different views of the mountain through large holes in the mountain (the better for the dragons to enter into their lairs).

STAYING ON TOP OF MT. PILATUS

We were surprised to see that there is a hotel on the top of the mountain:  Pilatus Kulm Hotels – The overnight experience at 2132 m. above sea level | | Pilatus Bahnen Lucerne Switzerland Built in 1890 and completely renovated in 2010, it would be a dream to stay here on a clear night and see all the stars. Next trip! There is also a nice restaurant/bar with a patio so those who want to have a leisurely lunch with more variety than the food huts that are primarily sausage/hot dog sandwiches.

LUCERNE

After coming down the gondola, we hopped back on the local bus to take us to downtown Lucerne. The bus/train station is right in the heart of downtown and the lake. We checked out the historic wooden Chapel Bridge first, walking across to admire the interior art. Then we wandered the cobblestone streets to check out the architecture. Drawn to the water, Thom nixed the paddle boats so we took a leisurely one-hour lake cruise where we could sit inside the boat and not in the hot sun. To see Lake Lucerne, a boat ride is a must-it was very reasonably priced at $20 Francs a piece and there were refreshments to purchase on board. With commentary as we cruised, we saw several castles towering over the lake and heard some history. All very informative and making for a lovely day outing. Enjoy the journey!