Switzerland
We have visited this beautiful yet expensive central European country twice. Our first visit was a day trip from Lake Como, Italy, to the lakeside city of Lugano. Over a decade later, we returned for one of our first kid-free trips to the Swiss Alps, starting and ending in Zurich and exploring cities likeerne, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Zermatt, and Bern, along with numerous charming Swiss villages. Switzerland boasts some of the world's best hiking and mountaineering opportunities, and is a paradise for cheese lovers—what's not to adore?
Things To-Do
Lugano : Just 30 minutes by train from Lake Como, Lugano, Switzerland makes a great day trip if you are traveling in Northern Italy. This high-class wealthy City is sparkling clean with a beautiful waterfront park. Lugano is also known for high-end shopping with stores like Prada, however, the central district also has several smaller, local stores as well. Prices in this town are a bit off the charts, so we window-shopped and enjoyed simply walking the lovely Via Nassa. Down by the waterfront is Lugano's City Park. Wind your way through the park to view the park's modern art installations and beautiful landscaping.
Zurich: This wealthy City of banking and finance sits on Lake Zurich in Northern Switzerland. Zurich is an immaculately clean city of nearly 500,000 residents that is rich in history, fondue restaurants, and beautiful waterfront walkways. Here, we enjoyed a fun-filled 24 hours in Zurich by taking a free walking tour, a walk along Lake Zurich, shopping in old town, a stop at a clock and watch museum, and dinner in Zurich fondue restaurant that first opened in 1883.
Lucerne: On our drive to Interlaken from Zurich, we stopped in Lucerne to see this central Switzerland town. This picturesque city of 80,000 is known for the Chapel Bridge, a 14th Century covered bridge, its historic architecture, and beautiful Lake Lucerne. Here, we took a free walking tour, went shopping in the local markets, and took a rainy boat ride out on Lake Lucerne.
Interlaken: Interlaken is a mountain resort town nestled between two blue-water lakes, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. On this day, we rented mountain bikes from Flying Wheels and attempted the 23-mile loop around Lake Brienz. For us, a few wrong turns added another 4 miles and 2,000 feet of elevation gain for a total of ~4,500 feet of gain in less than 30 miles. Despite the unexpected challenges, this ride offered a great snapshot of everything the region has to offer, from blue lake views, an impressive water fall, bell-ringing farm animals, and quaint Swiss villages.
Grindelwald: Grindelwald, a quaint village located just a 25-minute drive away from Interlaken where we were staying, serves as a popular tourist spot with easy access by railway. It is renowned as the starting point for experiencing some of Switzerland's iconic mountain vistas. Despite the uncooperative weather during our visit, which obscured much of the views during our two-part hike (involving two gondola rides), we were able to enjoy glimpses of the lush green hillsides once we descended to lower elevations.
Lauterbrunnen: On this ambitious day in Switzerland, we hiked from Lauterbrunnen, ascending 3000 feet to reach the Swiss mountain village of Mürren, which can only be accessed by foot or rail. From there, we continued our walk to Gimmelwald, pausing at the locals' cheese huts to explore the treats available for visitors. The railway then carried us back down to the valley floor, where we walked the length of Lauterbrunnen valley, stopping along the way to visit Trümmelbach Falls. Once back in Lauterbrunnen, we took the train up to the ski resort town of Wengen, where we indulged in window shopping and enjoyed a well-deserved beer.
Zermatt: As a popular, high-end resort town, Zermatt can be quite pricey. We visited during a shoulder season, which helped. We also stayed at this great Airbnb that sits on a hill and had a view of the Matterhorn from the living room. Our favorite day in Switzerland was while in Zermatt, where we climbed Breithorn mountain at 13,600 feet with Zermatters. We highly recommend this thrilling experience.
Bern: Founded in the 12th Century, Bern is the capital of Switzerland and features a central district recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During our visit, we followed our own self-made walking tour of this beautiful city.
