Scenic two day stopover between Montreux/Zurich?
 

Now planning to arrive in Zurich early August, spend a couple days to adjust, then head for Montreux for 5-6 days as a base for some day trips and enjoy the area. As Zurich offers the only direct flight home, we prefer not to fly home from Geneva or Milan and should return to ZRH. Is there a town or location on the rail line between Montreux and Zurich that might make an interesting stop for a couple nights before we head for the airport? Again, active 70 year olds, like to essentially knock around, seeking food and a mellow time. Thanks.

Hi wildiowa,

I'd chose from --

Thun (my favorite)
Fribourg or Solothurn (tied for second)
Bern (I've never spent time there, but it's very popular)

Have fun as you plan!

s

All depends om your intererests.
Berne has a medieval city center with a gothic cathedral, clock towers (parts of the ancient city walls), Palaces of the Federal and of the Cantonal Government, tons of museums (Art, History, Natural History, Communication, Music instruments, Klee Foundation.....). Lake Thun and Lake Biel are both about 20 min away (by train). Both have tons of ferries plying the lake and stoping at scenic places, castles and rope tailways to viewpoints.

Neuchatel has a tiny medieval center with castle and cathedral, a famous Lake Dweller museum (Latenium), a Art Museum with 19th Century music automates and a rope tailway to viewpoint Chaumont (view over the whole Swiss midlands and the Alps from Saentis up to Mont Blanc). At least 2 daily ferries to Murten (small parlty walled medieval town, close to the excavations of the Roman city of Aventicum, with Theatre, Museum, and other antique stuff)) Biel (one of them wiht Aar river boat connection up to Solothurn) and Estavayer - Yverdon). Neuchatel is 20 min by train from La Chaux-de-Fonds, the center of Swiss watch making, with the famous watch making museum https://www.chaux-de-fonds.ch/en/musees/mih A smaller watch making museum is at Le Locle nearby, where you can visit furthermore the underground mills and from where a small scenic train goes to Les Brenets along fjord-lkie Lac des Brenets (boat cruises up to Saut du Doubs waterfall about every hr).
There are tons of well signmarked scenic hiking trails through the vineyards along the lake, through the Areuse Gorge or on the top of the Jura heights.

Both, Berne and Neuchatel, have outstanding gourmet restaurants..
Both have direct trains to Zurich airport.

I LOVED wandering the scenic side alleys of Bern in the evenings!