What comes to your mind when you hear or read “Swiss made” ? Is it Chocolates, Branded watches, Knives, Banks or Yash Raj movies ?
Well, Switzerland has it all! A very popular destination among the tourists, especially Indians. So what makes Switzerland so much unique and popular? There are hundred reasons, but specially for Indians, all credit goes to the Bollywood movies that were shot there in 80’s and 90’s with our beautiful actresses dancing in the backdrop of the Alps!
But this is not it. Switzerland is a small yet economically strong and politically neutral country. It has a perfect blend of nature and infrastructure. Also, they have still managed to preserve their culture and heritage just like any other European country.
In this post, I will quickly take you around some of their very popular and beautiful places. So let me first begin with, on how to travel in Switzerland. Of course, if you are going through a packaged tour, you may not have an option but to travel with them in their shared coach/bus, but this blog is for those who choose to visit Switzerland on their own. In the latter case, I would always recommend to explore the country by rail! Yes, you read it correct, Trains!
The entire country is very well connected by trains/metro. All you have to do is buy a Swiss Rail Pass which comes in various options to choose from. They even have various panoramic trains such as Glacier Express, Golden Pass, Bernina Express and many more. But that’s not it, Swiss Pass even offers discounts on various museums, entry fees, cable cars and ferry.
So now we know “How to Travel”, let’s now jump on “Where to Travel”.
A visit to any country is little incomplete without a stopover at their capital city. Bern is the capital city located in central Switzerland and it’s old town area is a popular World Heritage Site.
Bern old town 
Einstein home 
World Heritage site
Moving on to the largest city of Switzerland which is Zurich.
Zurich is located in the north of the country. It is very well connected to most of the cities of the world. Zurich has beautiful combination of old town art and a modern city charm with tall glass buildings as well as heritage stone structures. Strolling along the main street, you will find all major high street brands and beautiful lake-side cafes offering delicious hot chocolates and Swiss cheese fondue.
Zurich
Aerial view of Zurich from uetliberg 
Lake Zurich 
City Centre
Next is another very popular city – Geneva.
Geneva serves as a headquarters to World Health Organisation (WHO), World Trade Organisation (WTO), International Labour Organization, CERN and many more…
This vibrant town is located on the shores of Lake Geneva. A cruise ride is a must to-do if you want to explore very old medieval houses alongside the lake. Also, one can tour the streets passing by these famous headquarters.
Nernier 
Medieval houses 
Lake Geneva
From Geneva, one can take a quick detour to this splendid little place – Montreux. It is known for the medieval island castle- Chateaux de chillon and some really good wines.
Lake Geneva 
View from Chateux de chillon 
Chateux de chillon
Now, it’s time to add some glamour and winter feel to our Swiss itinerary. We head straight to the very popular Mt. Jungfrau and Mt. Titlis located at the mountain tops. Switzerland has many other mountain tops as well like Glacier 2000, Mt Pilatus, Schilthorn etc. All these places are a full day excursion. So, if you have limited time in the country, you can opt for any two from the above.
Coming back to Mt. Jungfrau, it is situated at 4,158 meters above sea level. You will have to start the trip from Interlaken – another gorgeous town located between the two lakes, serving as a base to many mountain top excursions and caters to world class adventure sports activities.
Fasten your seat belts as you embark upon Europe’s highest rail journey to reach Mt. Jungfrau. Enjoy breathtaking views from the observatory, play with the snow and take some amazing pictures with the alps.
Jungrau Rail 
Top of Europe 
Glacier view
Next very popular mountain top is Mt. Titlis located at an altitude of 3,238 meters and can be reached from Engelberg via rotating cable cars. Indulge yourself in piping hot chocolate and Swiss ice-cream in sub-zero temperatures.
Cable Car 
Engelberg 
Suspension bridge
Heading to the south, there is an amazing car free town – Zermatt. It offers an unparalleled view of Matterhorn which is a triangular snow caped mountain, found mainly on the outer cover of Toblerone chocolates. A night stay is preferred here to enjoy Matterhorn in it’s full glory.
Electric Car 
Street view 
Alps
If you are looking for some celebrity approved luxurious ski resorts then Gstaad and St. Moritz are the places for you. St. Moritz can also be reached by world’s SLOWEST express train..yes you read it correct – Glacier Express. It is an eight hour long journey connecting St. Moritz and Zermatt.
View from the train 
Panoramic views 
Glacier view
Well, speaking of panoramic trains, personally I have enjoyed Golden Panoramic train a little more. This train connects Montreux to Zweisimmen offering spectacular views of valleys and alps.
Train 
View from the train 
Valley and Alps
To be frank, none of my words here could truly define the beauty of this heaven, but nonetheless I hope they will surely compel you to visit this beautiful country to experience nature at it’s best.
Currently, the entire world is going through a very tough phase, but we need to be patient and pray that this too shall pass soon.
#staysafe #stayhealthy.
Amateur Traveler 