Scott’s European Bucket List: SWITZERLAND

We took our first 2 of 45 European train rides from Paris to Lucerne, Switzerland and it was gorgeous trip! Everything about Switzerland is incredible: mountains, clear blue waters, Swiss homes, watches, and ouch, the prices! Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world but the views just can’t be beat.

The crystalline blue waters of Lake Lucerne and Chapel Bridge, the oldest European covered bridge built in 1332, were emblazoned in my mind from a high school jazz band trip to Lucerne in 1976. Upon arrival I enjoyed a rare find in Europe…a hazy, fruity IPA! We walked to the Lion Monument which was rather sad as he was mortally wounded representing the swiss guards that were massacred in the French Revolution. 

Scott was thrilled to ride Switzerland’s oldest side wheeled paddle steamer, the Uri, across Lake Lucerne to Mt. Rigi. In the video one can see the 1901 steam engine crankshaft and the mate working below oiling, wiping and such; very impressive sight. The view is through an opening in the floor with rails around it; notice the people upper right. To reach the top of Mt. Rigi we took our first of 2 cog wheel railway rides, this time on Europe’s first cogwheel which opened in 1871. After reading many reviews of the places we planned to visit we learned that it is most wise to be the first in arriving at museums, church, and tourist spots for fewer crowds and to be first on mountaintops to hopefully experience sunshine. We timed it just right on Mt. Rigi. It was a glorious day for seeing the sun reflect off the lakes, their breathtaking blue shade a result of the rock flour plus dissolved calcium from the limestone. I found a deep tranquility in the mountains of Switzerland, especially when a lake was also within view. 

While on our boat ride we glimpsed the impressive Château Gütsch perched above Lucerne which was calling Scott’s name. He was intrigued so we made a reservation for dinner. At the base of the hill we searched for the tram to take us up and couldn’t find it, so walked up the steep path. We ate a delicious dinner and enjoyed the view of the city and lake from a new angle. 

Mürren, year round population of 450, was our second stop. We arrived just as people were completing the Inferno Triathlon which has a 5500 meter ascent. We could barely walk up the hill while lugging our baggage and the competitors were still running after swimming in the cold waters and biking/running up and down mountains in the high altitudes. Unimaginable! There are no roads to Mürren, instead, from Lauterbrunnen we took a funicular, to a narrow gauge railway, then a cable car. 

The Schilthorn mountain which sits above Mürren is where one actually gets the best view of the village of Mürren. Look carefully in the picture on the right to see the tiny houses down below. At the top of the Schilthorn we learned about the making of the 007 movie there , “”On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, and experienced the Thrill Walk where we traversed the glass bottomed platform and a tight-rope that clung to the side of the mountain. Quite the thrilling day as we were also able to see Mont Blanc, in France. 

At the Top of Europe we froze in on of 2 ice caves that we visited. 

Let’s not forget the charming Swiss homes, dripping with flowers. Nor the beautiful sound of cowbells ,that are actually quite large and heavy, that are worn while the cows feed up in the mountains during warm weather. I just love that sound!

Zermatt was our third Swiss city and it completely different from Mürren. Seemingly, every other store sold high end watches and the town was quite crowded. In Zermatt the interesting Old Village had 30 homes built between the 16th and 18th centuries, raised on concrete platforms and sometimes on stilts to keep out the mice. Zermatt was overflowing with colorful flowers that were well maintained by a vehicle that could reach up to water the raised flower pots. 

The pièce de résistance was the majestic Matterhorn, accessible only to mountain climbers. This pyramidal shaped peak is one of the highest in Europe and the most photographed. We visited Matterhorn Glacier Paradise on Klein (little) Matterhorn for prime viewing of big Matterhorn and to visit the ice cave. This time we were prepared wearing everything warm that we owned so we could stay longer to enjoy the beautiful ice carvings. 

We ate mostly salads from the grocery stores in Switzerland for lunch and lots of cheese for dinners…raclette, fondue, and rösti. The vegetables and whole grains were well hidden!

When one googles the most beautiful train rides in the world among the top are the glass top Glacier Express and the Bernina Express. They were both “must-do’s” for us. Basically every single train and gondola ride we took in Switzerland was spectacular and these two were no exception. The Glacier Express takes 7.5 hours to go 180 miles from Zermatt to St. Moritz where our room had a beautiful view in the picture on the right. The Bernina Express is a short 2.5 hours traveling from St. Moritz to Tirano, Italy. On both trains the narrow gauge tracks twisted in 360 degree loops to change elevation in a smaller space; Scott`s favorite view was looking down and forward/back at the track loops nestled into the steep mountains with endless tunnels. Due to glare on the windows most of our photos of these two rides are unworthy to share. 

Ten days in the mountains of Switzerland is a dream trip (Aug. 16-26)! Follow us to read about the next 24 days of pasta and pesto in Italy!