Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

My delightful sampling of Switzerland’s gems, with many thanks

My delightful sampling of Switzerland’s gems, with many thanks

Old Jun 26th, 2013, 08:24 PM
  #1  
kja
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My delightful sampling of Switzerland’s gems, with many thanks

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Switzerland!

Rather than offering a blow-by-blow account of my trip, I’ll note my final itinerary, review what I liked least and most, and then offer some observations to thank those who so generously offered their advice as I planned this trip. I’ll be happy to answer questions at any point.

Basic info: 

• This was a 30-day trip during which I used a Swiss Pass. 

• I’m a solo independent female traveler.
• I planned this trip with an eye to maximizing the diversity of my experiences in Switzerland.
• I would not recommend my itinerary to anyone else: This was a plan very specifically tailored to my interests and travel style. It was certainly not an itinerary geared toward relaxation or leisurely exploration!

The itinerary I actually followed was#8232;
Day 1: Arrive in and begin exploring Geneva (night in Geneva)


Day 2: Explore Geneva a bit further, visit Lutry and walk through some of the Lavaux vineyard terraces (night in Lausanne)
Day 3: Explore Lausanne; move on to Montreux (1st of 2 nights in Montreux)
Day 4: Visit Rochers-de-Naye, Glion, and the Chateau Chillon; take a boat to Lausanne; dinner in Vevey (night in Montreux)


Day 5: Take the train to Gstaad (just to see the scenery en route), spend a very brief time in Gstaad (since I was there), move on to and explore Gruyeres, visit the chocolate factory in Broc, walk from Broc to Gruyeres (night in Gruyeres)
Day 6: Move on to and visit Fribourg (night in Fribourg)


Day 7: Visit the Latenium (outside of Neuchatel) and Solothurn on my way to Basel (1st of 2 nights in Basel)


Day 8: Explore Basel 

(night in Basel)
Day 9: Finish my visit to Basel then move on to Lucerne—the only place in Switzerland that I had already visited (night in Lucerne)


Day 10: Leave for Ascona, stopping in Bellinzona on the way (1st of 2 nights in Ascona)


Day 11: Enjoy the views from Cimetta, hike from Lavertezzo to Brione in the Valle Verzasca; take the train through the Centovalli as far as Verdasio and roam around Rasa; return to Ascona (night in Ascona)
Day 12: Visit the Isole di Brissago, Ascona, and Locarno; move on to Lugano (1st of 2 nights in Lugano)


Day 13: Hike down Monte San Salvatore to Mercote; visit Lugano and Gandria; walk the Sentiero dell’Olivo (night in Lugano)
Day 14: Take the Bernina Express as far as Pontresina and then go to Mustair (night in Mustair)


Day 15: Visit the Convent of St. John, move on to the Lower Engadine and visit Schloss Tarasp, walk from the castle to Tarasp-Vulpera, move on to Guarda (1st of 2 nights in Guarda)


Day 16: Explore the Lower Engadine: Walk from Guarda to Ardez, visit Lavin, Scuol, and Sent (night in Guarda)
Day 17: Move to the Upper Engadine; visit Diavolezza; night in Pontresina (1st of 3 nights in Pontresina).
Day 18: Visit the Val Bregaglia: Take the bus to Soglio, walk to Castasegna 
and then through Bondo to Promontogno; return to Pontresina (night in Pontresina)

Day 19: Walk from Muottas Muralg to Alp Languard; explore Pontresina (night in Pontresina)
Day 20: Go to Bern, taking a train through the Albula Pass (1st of 2 nights in Bern). 

Day 21: Explore Bern
 (night in Bern)
Day 22: Go to Thun, visit Thun and the castles in Hilterfingen and Oberhofen, return to Thun by boat and then go to Wengen (night in Wengen)
Days 23: Paraglide (tandem) from Grutschalp; then, because the trail from Kleine Scheidegg to Mannlichen was closed, I went to Mannlichen, walked to Gipfel and back, took the cable car to Holenstein, walked to Brandegg, visited Grindelwald briefly, and then went to Lauterbrunnen (1st of 3 nights in Lauterbrunnen)
Days 24: Walk from Grutschalp to Murren, visit Schilthorn, take cable cars through Gimmelwald and Stechleberg and then go to Trummelbach Falls; walk to Lauterbrunnen (night in Lauterbrunnen)
Day 25: Take a boat to Brienz with a stop at Giessbach Falls; visit the Ballenberg Open Air Musuem, shop for wood carvings in Brienz, return to Lauterbrunnen (night in Latuerbrunnen)
Day 26: Visit the Alpine Garden on Schynige Platte and then move on to Stein-am-Rhein (night in Stein-am-Rhein)

Day 27: Visit Winterthur and, after dinner, move on to Zurich (1st of 3 nights in Zurich)
Days 28-29: Explore Zurich (nights in Zurich)
Day 30: Flight to the US


As I said, not a plan for someone who wants a leisurely experience! But it sure did give me a nice sample of some of Switzerland’s diverse gems.

What I liked least:
• The costs (even though expected)!
• The lack of options to buy wine outside my hotel or a restaurant after 18:00 or 19:00 in many places I visited (or at least an inability to do so at a location near my hotel), so I ended up paying way too much--but at least I could buy it, so I won’t complain too loudly.
• Being unable to get an "ear" for the language, because there isn't just one language and because I could hear people from many, many countries almost anywhere I went. In many places, there were speakers of so many different language groups – and not just European languages, but Asian and Indian and Arabic languages – that I felt a bit like I was in some kind of Tower of Babel. (The ability of the many Swiss people who interact with tourists to not only speak multiple languages, but moreover to speak them well and to switch with apparent ease from one to the other, is truly awesome.)
• The extremes of the weather I experienced, from the unseasonably cold weather that greeted my arrival in Geneva to the insufferably hot foehn that joined me on my visit to Ballenberg. (But OMG I was fortunate – my time in the Ticino was glorious, as was the vast majority of my time in Graubunden and in the Bernese Oberland!)
• Hotel maids who took away the extra towel that I had specifically requested.
• The seeming impossibility of finding platform 4 at the Zurich train station.
• Hotel rooms in which the electrical outlets were not readily accessible.
• Getting unexpectedly drenched as I walked from Gandria to Castagnola, falling in a mucky pasture during a rain-drenched walk near Gruyeres, and sinking hip deep into a snow field before I found the right path to the dry part of the Panaramaweg from Muottas Muralg. Definitely not among my favorite moments!
• The stampeding cows that “welcomed” me to their hillside on a cold, wet day when all that separated them from me was what seemed like a very, very thin piece of twine tied to insubstantial bits of widely spaced wooden stakes. I have no idea what made them decide to stop, but I sure am glad they did!
• Poorly marked trails. Seriously! Almost without exception, the trails I walked were so well marked that even the angle of the sign was precisely aligned with the path. So the two exceptions I encountered—places where I came to an unmarked intersection—were decidedly unsettling. Of course, it only took a few steps in each case to realize that what had seemed like an alternate path wasn’t really a path at all….
• The effort and energy it took to run from side to side of the many trains I took through breathtaking scenery. I swear I walked more on some of those trains just going from window to window than I do on some whole days in my normal work-a-day world!
• Unforgivably good chocolate. Really, it should be a crime.
If it isn’t immediately obvious, I’m having difficulty coming up with things to put in my “least-liked” category.

What I liked most:
OMG, where do I start?!?
• The wildflowers that seemed to adorn every field in every place I visited, from the just-emerging alpine flowers in the Upper Engadine to the full glory of wildflowers abloom in the Lower Engadine, so thick the fields seemed to glitter with color….
• And planted flowers, too, and the scents of lilac and honeysuckle and rose that beckoned from parks and yards throughout the country….
• Panoramic scenes of snow-capped mountains barely kissed by high, white clouds floating against brilliant blue skies, with forests and flower-bedecked fields layered below, and maybe a rushing river or a stunningly still lake in the valley floor, all with the sounds of a waterfall or cows and cowbells and birds, even a cuckoo here and there, and the freshness of the air…. And even if this description could apply to any number of places I saw, each was distinct, and each held its own special features, and even if I can't articulate the differences, I treasure my memories of each of the different awesome and breathtaking vistas I was fortunate enough to see.
• Waterfalls large and small, in the open or in the caves/slot canyon of Trummelbach Falls, permanent and ephemeral (as the spring thaw allowed meltwater on what I believe was the Eiger -- toward which I was walking -- to burst through whatever had been blocking it; I occasionally heard a resounding, echoing explosion and then saw a waterfall begin high on a rock wall, followed soon by a series of cascades below, all growing and then thinning, and then ceasing within the mere space of 15 minutes or so), and paragliding (in tandem) first above and then to and fro in front of the magnificent Staubbach Falls and watching the ever-changing Staubbach Falls while sipping wine as dusk settled over the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
• The ghostly snow fields of the Jungfrau seen by moonlight from Wengen and the Milky Way and brilliant clarity of so many stars in the night skies that I glimpsed in so many parts of the country.
• Charming towns with painted or sgrafittoed houses, or intricately carved wooden gables and balconies, or oriels and windows with painted shutters, or ancient stone and wood hay lofts; each town complete with flower-boxes and churches with incredibly tall, slim bell towers and fountains (whether simple or ornate) offering indescribably tasty potable water….
• And the fountains in cities, too, whether medieval or modern, and the cobbled streets and squares with their markets and city gates and walls and bridges and terraces and churches and so many different ways in which the history of each town and city revealed itself through its layout and architecture….
• Covered wooden bridges with flower boxes and lake- or river-front promenades and the swans and ducks and coots swimming nearby….
• Museums and castles that document the lives of their former residents at various points in time, or how those lives changed over time. Special kudos to the awesome Latenium, which not only has an outstanding display of the prehistory of the area, but moreover does so in a building that brings the carefully landscaped exterior into the museum itself....
• Some incredible collections of art, including any number of small museums that each held more than a few outstanding pieces, and the chance to see masterpieces by everyone from Holbein to Hodler, and being able to visit many museums without crowds ….
• The pride that museum staff took in their collections, whether devoted to art or history or marionettes or whatever and the labors of love that were evident in the placement of every object in the Toy Museum in Riehan and the attention given to children at the paper mill museum in Basel….
• Magnificent frescos, from the incomparable series at the Convent of St. John in Mustair through the recently restored brilliance of those at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Bellinzona to the cubist-like depiction of God in the parish church of Lavin and so many more….
• The stained glass, from medieval masterpieces through the Chagall and Giacometti windows of Zurich’s Fraumunster….
• Public art -- sculptures dotting city corners or waterfronts and Tinguely’s Fasnacht fountain in Basel and the fountain of the woman with her umbrella and water-filled shopping bag in Fribourg and the modern art installations along the trail in the Valle Verzasca and the many ways in which the Swiss have made art a part of their environment…
• The diversity of what I experienced – different landscapes and different styles of art and architecture and differences in the ambience from region to region and different flowers and birds and so much more….
• Including diverse animals: Not just cows and goats, but also ibex grazing on the edges of the Panoramaweg and horses with their foals and so many different kinds of chickens….
• The cheeses and breads and wines and fresh fruits and vegetables and the markets in which both flowers and produce were so beautifully displayed and OMG I ate well on this trip!
• The incredible ease of transportion, and the opportunity to ride just about every manner of public transportion that exists. SBB’s web-site provides an astonishing amount of helpful information, allowing me to plan effectively well in advance. (I really like to plan my trips!) I loved the day-after-next luggage forwarding option, and I also took advantage of locker options at many stops. My kudos to people associated with public transportation in Switzerland – I was treated with courtesy and patience by every one of them.
• The many small details at hotels that can make a bit difference when traveling: sinks with drains that could be stopped; wash cloths; fluffy and incredibly comfortable comforters, huge pillows, and (of course) absolute spotlessness….
• And last, but certainly not least, the kindness of so many people I encountered along the way! The woman who chased me through a train station to give me a scarf I had unknowingly dropped. The staff of the tourist information office in Lucerne who laughingly worked together to figure out that the bird I was trying to identify was a taucherli (coot). The bus driver in the Val Mustair who, noticing that I was taking a million pictures, stopped at a lookout point and told me I could have a minute to get off and take pictures. The woman at a museum in Winterthur who called every other museum in that city to alert them to be on the lookout for me after I inadvertently left my driver’s license there, and the staff of all the other museums who followed through with me as soon as they saw me. So many others….

I came home exhausted, but also energized and enlivened and enriched by my experiences. It was, indeed, a trip to remember!

Still to come: Some comments on the ways that each of you who contributed to my planning made this trip even more special than it would otherwise have been.
kja is offline  
Old Jun 26th, 2013, 08:41 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 1,055
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great report. Sounds like a wonderful and fulfilling trip. All your planning paid off! Thanks for sharing.
msteacher is offline  
Old Jun 26th, 2013, 09:22 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,343
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
wow. What an incredibly wonderful trip you had! You visited some of the very best places, and you got to experience/hike the best things.

Thank you so much for writing this detailed, unique, and informative report! While I love any detailed trip report, I love the things you noted -- art, human connections, etc.

I will have to comment on the stampeding cows -- I've also experienced that and also was scared!! In my case, there was no fence to separate them from me, and they came thundering at me along a trail. Luckily, I wasn't alone, and the very experienced hikers who were also on the trail knew how to deal with it -- just yell and raise/flap your arms. I've always thought I was a real sissy to be afraid, so I'm happy to learn I'm not alone!

Looking forward to reading more!

s
swandav2000 is offline  
Old Jun 26th, 2013, 09:24 PM
  #4  
kja
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thank you, msteacher! It was a wonderfully fulfilling trip, and my planning did, indeed, pay off in so many, many ways!
kja is offline  
Old Jun 26th, 2013, 11:28 PM
  #5  
kja
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi, swandav -

> What an incredibly wonderful trip you had! You visited some of the very best places, and you got to experience/hike the best things.

Indeed! I feel incredibly fortunate to have made this trip.

> I .. have to comment on the stampeding cows -- I've also experienced that and also was scared!!

I’m so glad to learn that it wasn’t just me, swandav! I’m sorry you had to deal with a similar situation, but it is good to know how one should respond, should any of us ever find the need!

In my case, I had more or less passed the nearest cows, delighting in the muted sounds of their bells, when I noticed that the sounds were becoming louder and more energetic. And louder. And more energetic. And even more so! I wasn’t sure what to do, but decided (rightly or wrongly) that I should continue on as calmly as I could, without looking back or speaking aloud. But as the bells sounded even more loudly -- QUITE loudly, I finally looked back, seeing the cows trotting toward me – oh no!!! As the crescendo of cow bells began to make me really, REALLY nervous, the cows passed me and lined up in a row, faces toward the trail, just to my side. And that’s when they stopped, almost perfectly still, staring at me as I walked by them. For someone who has always lived in cities, it was a decidedly interesting (AKA slightly terrifying!) experience.

Here’s to all survivors of stampedes by Swiss cows!!!

And a note to self: Next time, yell and raise/flap arms!
kja is offline  
Old Jun 27th, 2013, 02:32 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,758
Received 83 Likes on 5 Posts
I like your style kja. I wish I had your energy (and your penchant for poetry)!

We're considering a trip to the Engadine (both upper and lower trying to choose one base in each) in early December, postponed from earlier this year. I'm still so confused...is there one place you'd recommend over another (yeah I know, it's winter so will be an entirely different experience).

<Unforgivably good chocolate>

Music to my ears!
Melnq8 is offline  
Old Jun 27th, 2013, 09:42 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,902
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for posting this unusual and entertaining trip report. It sounds like you had a great trip. But what else to expect in Switzerland? ;-)
Ingo is offline  
Old Jun 27th, 2013, 01:33 PM
  #8  
twk
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,490
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>

Someone has never encountered an electric fence. I assure you, if you touched that "twine," you'd understand why the cows have learned not to come into contact with it. They must have thought you had a feed sack with you.

I'm planning a Switzerland trip in 2015, so I enjoyed reading your report.
twk is offline  
Old Jun 27th, 2013, 07:33 PM
  #9  
kja
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
> Melnq8: Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m not sure that anything I can say will be particularly helpful in deciding among potential base locations. As you note, you’ll be there in winter, but I was there in summer. And I only stayed in one place in the Lower Engadine and one place in the Upper Engadine, so I can’t compare places. I can say that I adored Guarda and thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Hotel Meisser. If you decide to stay in Guarda, please note that the town is high above the train station. Many – but not all – trains are met by a little bus; otherwise, it would be a long uphill walk. (I think it was signposted at 40 minutes.) If you want to check on the schedules that do connect to the bus in advance, when using the sbb web-site, specify “Guarda, cumün.” For the Upper Engadine, I was well satisfied with my decision to stay in Pontresina (at the Hotel Rosatsch), but again, I have nothing against which to compare it. Several Fodorites are experts on the Engadine, so you might get more useful information if you post separately. Enjoy!

> Ingo: While I agree that anyone can expect to enjoy a trip to Switzerland, I am absolutely certain that my trip was much, much better than it might have been as a direct result of the input that you and others gave me. It wasn't just a good trip, it was a really GREAT trip!

> twk: Hmm, an electric fence would explain a lot. Sure wish I’d thought of that, particularly because every time I passed a pasture with cows after my “stampede” experience – and it was a common experience -- I did so with frisson of fear. I’m glad you enjoyed my report and am sure you will enjoy your time in spectacular Switzerland.
kja is offline  
Old Jun 27th, 2013, 07:59 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,020
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi kja -- Fascinating and unique report. I've been to many of these places. Thanks for bringing the beauty of these regions back to mind.

Menq8: I agree with kja that Hotel Meissner in Guarda is a place you should consider for your winter visit. It's a lovely hotel in the most charming village. They also serve dinner and offer half board, which is convenient.
susan001 is offline  
Old Jun 27th, 2013, 08:16 PM
  #11  
kja
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
> susan001: Fresh from my trip, my memories of the beauty of what I saw are still vivid and powerful and inspiring. It's nice to think that my words might have revived some of the images of what you (and others) saw -- and to realize that others will similarly revive my memories in the future.
kja is offline  
Old Jun 27th, 2013, 10:13 PM
  #12  
kja
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I promised some comments on the ways that each of you who contributed to my planning made this trip even more special than it would otherwise have been -- here they are! My trip was infinitely better than it might have been because of the invaluable insights that so many of you generously shared with me.

I’m not going to try to thank all of you for each and every thing you said on my various planning threads. Instead, I’m going to try to thank each of you explicitly for (just) one way in which your input made a difference. Sometimes, several people mentioned the same thing; although I only note one person’s recommendation, I hope you realize that I’m thanking all of you who mentioned that thing. And please understand that my gratitude goes far beyond these limited acknowledgements!

Turning to each of you in alphabetical order….

ALadyInLondon – As you said, Zurich is a beautiful city, and I was glad to have two days to see its highlights. I’m sure I would have enjoyed more time there, but as you suggested, two days were enough to see the things I most wanted to see.

artsbabe -- I had thought I would skip Lausanne’s Collection de l'Art Brut because I feared that it would seem exploitative to me. But you and others spoke so highly of it that I reconsidered, and I’m so glad I visited it! I found it very special and very well worth my time; I did NOT think it exploitative.

asps – I had many, MANY occasions to say “delicious” and “wonderful” while in Switzerland, and greatly appreciated that you ensured that I could do so in Rumantsch when appropriate.

catcrazyaf – I share your love of Lausanne’s waterfront! I stayed in that part of town (in Ouchy) and enjoyed several pleasant strolls through the flower-filled park there.

Dukey1 – I ended up not taking the Glacier Express, so I can’t compare routes, but I certainly understand why you enjoyed the Bernina Express – OMG what glorious scenery! (I greatly appreciated your comments on St. Gallen, too, but in the end, concluded that I didn’t have time to do it justice. Next trip….)

dutyfree – Being braced for high costs was helpful -- I may have become weak-kneed, but didn’t actually pass out, upon seeing any of my bills!

goldenautumn – My travels through Switzerland were much more enjoyable than they might have been because I included several boat journeys, such as my brief ride on the Thunersee. SO beautiful and relaxing!

greg -- I took to heart your comments about gateway cities and, as a result, I allowed myself much more leisurely visits to Geneva (when I was jet-lagged) and Zurich (by which time I was defintely a bit tired) than I might otherwise have done.



gruezi -- I can easily see why you love the Lower Engadine (what a glorious place!) and the Hotel Meisser provided a perfect place to start and end each day in the area. I honestly don’t know how it is that I have had the great good fortune to see the world from Guarda’s doorstep. I know that I have been very, very lucky.

HappyTrvlr -- Pontresina served my needs for the Upper Engadine quite well – lovely place, isn’t it? I wasn’t able to enter the church on the hill above the village – St. Katherine’s? (I’ll have to check) but I enjoyed that church’s cemetery … but why so many very old markers that suggested a seafaring demise? Any ideas?

Ingo -- it is REALLY hard to select a single thing for which to thank you -- you gave me so many excellent ideas! The tip I’ve decided to note especially was to visit Rasa, which I found absolutely charming and OMG, it is spectacularly situated, isn’t it? I don’t think Rasa would have come to my attention if you hadn’t mentioned it.



isabel – Although I was very fortunate to experience good weather while in the Bernese Oberland, having plans for day-trips in the area gave me greater confidence that I would use my time in the area well.

joannyc – I didn’t visit Yvoire (although it sounds lovely), but I did take a boat ride on Lake Geneva shortly after my arrival – delightful! 

The rain hadn’t set in yet, so I had some wonderful views of Mont Blanc and other parts of the eastern portion of the lake. What a great start to my trip!

LucyLemonade – As you suspected, I thought the MUDAC well worth a visit – the temporary exhibits were interesting and the permanent collection held some wonderfully memorable pieces. And the woman at the ticket desk couldn’t have been nicer.

mrtaz49 -- The Valle Verzasca was stunning and quite different from any of the other places I visited. I’m so glad I visited it!

neckervd -- The nut torte at the Furnaria Giacometti in Lavin was, indeed, delicious!

Nonconformist -- As you predicted, I found the Ballenberg Open Air Museum very much to my liking. Even the foehn couldn’t prevent that! Did you visit the thatched houses? Awesome!

PalenQ -- Of your many very helpful suggestions, I’m singling out for particular praise your recommendation of the train through the Centovalli. Since it wasn’t a line that I would have traveled to get from one point to another on this trip, I hadn’t considered it – until I noticed it on one of your lists of favorite train rides. I see why you put it there! 


robindon -- I wasn’t going to stay in Wengen until I saw your pictures. I’m very glad that I ended up spending a lovely evening at the Hotel Edelweiss. 



sam94123 -- I didn’t make it to all the places you recommended, but was glad that I added a few moments in Gstaad once I realized that doing so might work within my overall plan.

schuler – The Ofenpass is (I believe) the place where my bus driver through the Val Mustair let me off to take pictures – what a gift! As you say, that road through that valley is magnificent. 


swandav2000 – Among your many informative comments, you brought Glion to my attention. I hadn’t planned to visit it, but the alpine garden at the Rocher de Naye was closed, so I spent only a few minutes at the snow-bound station. I decided to spend my “extra” hour in Glion. How I loved the little arcaded terrace of the church at the cliff’s edge! 



Swisster -- While in Fribourg, I did indeed go down that steep hill to the basse-ville, where I greatly enjoyed the old and very well preserved buildings, as well as a wonderful small museum with an impressive collection of puppets and marionettes from around the world. Worth every step of the long walk back up that steep hill!

tower – Your pictures inspired me to make sure I stopped in Grindelwald to see it’s glacier – awesome!

undergrace – As I prepared for my trip, I was not at all surprised to see many recommendations for the tour of the Maison Cailler and its tasting room. Of course, I loved sampling the chocolate (☺ ), and like you, I was very favorably impressed by the automated tour that covered the history of chocolate and how it is made.



WhistlerNorth – I found Thun charming – especially its covered bridges, but also its streets and castle and art museum. Easily worth a few hours!



Many, many thanks to all of you for your comments and suggestions and critiques. If I left any of you out, please forgive me and let me know! I learned so much from this Board and know that my experience of Switzerland was immeasurably better than anything I could have experienced without your help. Thank you so much!
kja is offline  
Old Jun 28th, 2013, 03:29 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 8,306
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Brillant report. Thank you very much indeed.
Unfortunately you got rather bad weather, usually it's MUCH better in spring.
neckervd is offline  
Old Jun 28th, 2013, 03:48 AM
  #14  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 78,320
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
marking for further digestion.
PalenQ is offline  
Old Jun 28th, 2013, 05:58 AM
  #15  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
>

Good to know as I will be traveling to Switzerland in September.

Question:
How difficult is it with regards to the train stations getting from one platform to the next? And where is platform #4 in Zurich? Where does it take you? I will need to find the train from the airport to HB and then onto Wengen. Like you, I am a HUGE planner and do not like leaving anything to chance.
catherinehaas is offline  
Old Jun 28th, 2013, 11:41 AM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Good choices for itinerary, still more to see! I've been five times and still have more to do. Those big black horned cows scared the bejesus out of us!
suitheadcase is offline  
Old Jun 28th, 2013, 04:22 PM
  #17  
kja
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
➢ Neckervd: Thanks! The weather might not have been ideal, but I refuse to complain. I was incredibly fortunate to have had nearly perfect weather when it mattered most to me. Even the worst of the rainy days had some moments that were clear, so I got to see stunning vistas even in the places where I encountered rain. And all that rain made for very full waterfalls and high, rushing rivers and green, green hills….

➢ catherinehaas: In general, I found it quite easy to maneuver through Switzerland’s train stations, including the one in Zurich, and in general, the signage was excellent. Most of the larger stations I was in had elevators or escalators to connect levels, and those that didn’t had ramps in addition to stairs, so getting from platform to platform was not difficult. But I honestly can’t tell you where Zurich’s platform 4 is – I never found it! I had reached the Zurich train station a little later than I would have preferred on the day of my flight home. Upon consulting the departure board, I was pleased to see that an IC train that would stop at the airport was leaving within 10 minutes from platform 4. I looked and looked and as the minutes ticked away, and as I began to get nervous, I realized that another IC that would stop at the airport was leaving just minutes later from a different platform. That was easy! I doubt that you’ll have a problem. Everything else was easy to find and there was an SBB information desk very conveniently located by the arrivals/departures board at the Zurich station. There is a small army of staff at the Lauterbrunnen station who will help you find your train to Wengen. As you probably already know, you can get schedule information, detailed information about the platforms involved, and even station maps on the SBB website. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it will end up being. Enjoy!

>suitheadcase: You are absolutely right, there is still SO much to see! I am well aware that I merely sampled some of Switzerland’s gems. And I am so glad that I was able to do so!
kja is offline  
Old Jun 28th, 2013, 08:55 PM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,343
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
kja,

Thank you so much for your kind words to me, and to all the other regular posters here. It's so gratifying to see someone take in all the advice and to use it all for a wonderful trip. I'm so glad you got to Glion to enjoy those stunning views -- one of my favorite hotels is there, the Hotel Victoria. Dinner and after-dinner drinks on its terrace is a memorable experience.

For catherinehaas:

Here is a link where you can download a pdf map of the Zürich station:

http://www.sbb.ch/en/station-service...y-zuerich.html

On the right-hand side of the page, click on "downloads" and you'll see the link to download the map.

But platform #4 doesn't "take" you anywhere; there are many, many trains that arrive and depart from that platform, so at different times of the day a train on platform #4 could be going to Basel, to Montreux, to Winterthur, to Lugano, etc.

Just use the rail site at

www.sbb.ch

and enter your information

From Zurich airport
To Wengen

Once the connections come up, click on the plus sign (+) to the left of each connection to see all the details. Then, all you need is to get to the proper platform at the proper time -- and also make sure you get into a carriage appropriate for the class of ticket you bought (2d class, 1st class, etc).

Have fun as you plan!

s
swandav2000 is offline  
Old Jun 29th, 2013, 03:31 PM
  #19  
kja
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,089
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It was a wonderful trip, and thanking all of you who helped make it so is the least I can do!
kja is offline  
Old Jun 29th, 2013, 04:10 PM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 19,758
Received 83 Likes on 5 Posts
Thanks kja and Susan, I'll take a look at the Hotel Meisser. I've got a lot of research ahead of me.
Melnq8 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -