5 WEEKS IN SWITZERLAND

5 WEEKS IN SWITZERLAND

1 July - 5 August 2015

We used miles for free Business Class tickets on Lufthansa and flew round-trip DFW to Frankfurt to Zurich leaving home on July 1st and returning August 5th. We bought a Flex Swiss Rail Pass giving us 15 non-consecutive days of travel. This was our fourth trip to Switzerland, and in 2006 we rode all the scenic trains, including the Glacier Express, through many areas of the country.

We spent 2 nights in Zurich at the Radisson Blu Hotel. One day we took a bus tour of that city, 

Rapperswil, 

the countryside

and across the border into Liechtenstein. 

It was a sweltering 95 degrees but our goal was Liechtenstein; we did that and have the passport stamps to prove it.

We took trains from Zurich through Bern to Interlaken where we had rented an apartment in the Residenz Savoy for 3 weeks. Located across the Green from the Victoria Jungfrau Hotel, we enjoyed being in the center of town. 

We had an excellent view of the paragliders landing on the Green. 

Interlaken, literally between the lakes, is located on the River Aare in a valley between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. 

Many days we relaxed in the apartment with our only excursions a visit to a cafe for lunch, a trip to Azzurra for gelato and a walk around the Green. On other days, we used our rail passes to explore.

Top of Europe - Jungfrau - This train ride to the top of the Jungfrau, billed as a visit to the top of Europe, is heavily promoted. Many days it was sold out before 9:00a.m.---probably booked by a lot of tour groups. As we did it in 2006, we chose not to repeat.

Grindelwald - Just a short ride up the mountains lies Grindelwald where we walked the main street, admired the scenery and enjoyed lunch.

Lauterbrunnen - In the valley sort of opposite Grindelwald the town of Lauterbrunnen sits almost at the foot of Staubbach Waterfall. Lunch was on a terrace with spectacular panoramic mountain views.

Ballenberg - Ballenberg Museum is only a short bus ride from Brienz (The rail pass gave us free admission) This is an open-air museum composed of historic buildings from all parts of Switzerland which have been moved to the site for preservation. They are grouped according to region and the museum spreads over several acres of rolling terrain. Sometimes there are handicraft demonstrations.

Brienz - Known as the place for woodcarving, Brienz disappointed. There were only 2 active shops; in 2006 there were many more. Lunch on a lakeside terrace was pleasant.

Brig - Getting to Brig required a train connection at Spiez and about 15 or 20 minutes hurtling through a tunnel. Brig is in Valais Canton. Both the architecture and language---Alemannic Swiss German---are different from Interlaken. We window shopped, made photos and ate lunch before the return trip.

Schilthorn - We took the 10:05 train to Lauterbrunnen and then rode a gondola from there to Grutschalp where we changed to a one-car train  (which was standing-room-only) for the trip to Birg. Upon arrival at Birg we boarded a gondola which took us to Murren. At Murren we walked about 15 minutes to board yet another gondola for the ride to the Schilthorn. We arrived at the Schilthorn at noon and went to Piz Gloria, the revolving restaurant where we ate lunch. We were there for one complete revolution, and at an altitude of 9744 feet the views are spectacular. They try to capitalize on the fact that scenes from the 1969 James Bond movie, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" were shot here. After lunch, we made photos outside and then began our descent making photos along the way

Spiez  - We took the train from Interlaken West to Spiez; the trip takes less than 25 minutes. Because the Information Center was closed, we relied on signs to find Schloss Spiez located on the shore of Lake Thun. From the station it was downhill all the way. Most places in town appeared to be closed because it was Sunday. We found the schloss and its gardens. Walking through an archway, we saw St. Columban Chapel which dates from the 10th century. Inside the Romanesque structure we found faded frescoes on the ceiling of the altar area. We left the area intending to find a lakeside restaurant for lunch, but it was a lot farther downhill and we couldn't tell if any were open. It was hot and humid, so we returned to Interlaken for lunch.

Harder Kulm  - Harder Kulm (Old Man Peak) is a mountain located in Interlaken. 

(Do you see the old man's face in the mountainside?)

We walked over to the funicular and rode the 11:10 car up. It's steep and a portion of the route is through a tunnel. The ride lasts 8 minutes and ascends to 1322 meters. Views from the top astound, and it's possible to view the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau as well as Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. We looked down on Interlaken and had no trouble locating our apartment building. A bouncy viewing platform is cantilevered from one edge of the mountain. We enjoyed lunch on the terrace of the Panorama Restaurant before riding back down to Interlaken.

Schynige Platte - From Interlaken Ost, we caught the 10:35 train to Wilderswil. We walked off that train and were crowded into a car of the mountain train for the almost-one-hour-ride to the top. The ride on the cog railway was a little jerky and our compartment companions were unfriendly. The coach wasn't air conditioned and they chose not to open the windows beside them. Upon arrival at Schynige Platte, we were amazed by the views. Our elevation was 1967 meters and across the valley were the glacier-clad peaks of the Monch, Jungfrau, Eiger and other Alps gleaming in the bright sunlight. A cacophony of cowbells greeted us; a small herd of dairy cows grazed on the slope below and it sounded as if each cow wore a bell. We walked briefly in the Botanischer Alpengarten where blooming wildflowers were labeled. The amazing view enthralled us as we ate lunch on the terrace of the Berghotel Schynige Platte. Two men in costume played a tune on alpennhorns just shortly after we ordered. The  train ride down was much more pleasant as our compartment was not crowded and our companions very congenial. We returned to Interlaken Ost at 2:31.

 

Murren - We went to Murren for lunch. That involved taking the 11:05 train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen; the gondola from there to Grutschalp; the tram from there to Murren. We arrived at 11:27. Three Bernese Mountain Dogs rode up in the gondola with us. There's really not much to do in Murren if you're not going hiking or to the Schilthorn. While making photos, we saw a deer grazing on the slope below the station. It was pleasantly cool, and we ate lunch at Eiger Guesthouse before reversing the process to return to Interlaken.

After our apartment rental was up, we rode the train to Geneva and stayed 4 nights. Located in the French-speaking portion of Switzerland, the city is within spitting distance of the border and has a definite French atmosphere. We stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. 

We did manage to get gelato at Muller's Factory in Globus Department Store several times.

One morning we took a cruise on Lake Geneva. We made a circuit of a portion of the lake with a recorded tour in French, English, German and Italian. We saw the water fountain which shoots a stream 140/145 meters high. There was a charming statue of Petite Serene du  Leman (Little Mermaid of Lake Geneva) as well as several chateau and various sights ashore; it lasted a little more than an hour. 

At 12:15, we boarded a trolley for the International City Tour. Focusing on the various international headquarters in the city, we spent about an hour and a half seeing city sights with recorded English descriptions. Some of the places: World Council of Churches, WHO, United Nations Building, International Red Cross, Palais  Wilson, United Nations High Commission on Refugees. We also made a panoramic stop above the lake.  

At 2:15, we boarded a bus for the one-hour-ride to Annecy, France. On the way, a CD provided information in both English and Spanish on that city's history and sights. Nothing prepared us for the sheer number of people in the small city's old town; at least 1000 people filled it's streets and cafes. We enjoyed walking and looking. It tried to rain all afternoon but never did. Inside Eglise  St. Francois de Sales beautiful windows and altars framed the tombs of Ste. Jeanne de Chantal and St. Francois de Sales. The high altar seemed perfectly proportioned. We made exterior photos of Palais de l'Isle and Annecy Castle. Everyone was back aboard the bus before 6:00 and we left on time.

Another day we decided to take the trolley tour through the old town.The recorded audio was in French and English and difficult to hear; it was often out-of-sync with the sights. Some of the places: The University of Geneva, Bust of Henry-Dunant, House Calvin, Ancien Arsenal, Lee Grand-Theatre. We stopped at Cathedrale St. Pierre and went inside. After touring the church and making photos, we waited outside for the next trolley. Then we returned to the starting point

The third day we booked a tour, Chamois and Mont Blanc, which was scheduled to leave at 8:30. During the bus ride of 70 minutes or so, our guide went over the day's itinerary in detail. We left Switzerland and crossed into France with as much difference as going from Southlake to Keller. Upon arrival at Chamonix, we went to ride the cable car to Aiguille du Midi. From the time we got in line at 10:15, it took us over 30 minutes to board the cable car; we rode two different cars before we reached the top at 11:15; made photos from the North Peak; braved gusty wind to cross the bridge to the Central Peak; made more photos through windows inside the tunnel. The 4810 meter altitude and thin air made climbing stairs unpleasant. We took the 11:45 cable car down; the highest portion of the route is the longest unsupported cable car span in the world. 

Once down, we walked over to Gustavia Restaurant for lunch. 

After lunch we climbed a few steps to Gare du Montenvers where we took the two o'clock train, a cog railway, to Mer de Glace. At over four miles long, this so-called Sea of Ice is the longest glacier in France; it sits at an altitude of 1400 meters. We enjoyed seeing the glaciers from less distance and marveled at their size. 

After riding the train back down, we wandered the quaint town of Chamonix. I made some photos inside St. Bernard du Mont Blanc Church. 

We bought some ice cream and then window shopped until time to meet the bus at 5:00. It was 5:17 before we left for the drive back to Geneva and after 6:30 when we arrived.

We left Geneva and rode the train to Bern where we stayed 4 nights at the Bellevue Palace Hotel. 

Unfortunately, the Bear Pit was undergoing reconstruction so we didn't get to see the famous bears.

One day we rode the funicular up Mt. Gurten. It was sunny and clear when we got to the top and the view of Bern from 858 meters impressed. We chose not to climb the observation tower to go even higher. After making some photos, we rode back down and caught the tram back to the city center. 

After lunch we went to Das Berner Munster, the Swiss Reformed Cathedral. It is Switzerland's largest ecclesiastical building and should be very impressive but there is a lot of scaffolding covering significant portions. We entered but photos were not allowed inside so we bought some post cards; we also bought a book on Bern. The building did not have a "religious" feel; it just felt like a huge space. 

After getting gelato; stopping by the Heliggeistkirche (Church of the Holy Ghost), a Swiss Reformed Church; 

and making some photos of the Parliament; we found a shortcut back to the hotel.

Another morning we strolled across the bridge to the Bernisches Historisches Museum (Bernese Historical Museum) housed in a castle-like structure. 

Our rail passes got us in free. The well-organized collection is spread over several floors. We began with the Egyptian collection 

and then the "Oriental Collection of Henri Moser," which included a complete room, and deals with the Middle East. 

For us, the  centerpiece of the "Captured Treasures" section was the Burgundian Tapestry taken from Charles the Bold. 

The many examples of textile artistry in this section simply amazed because of their intricate work and their preservation. 

In another room a textile conservator worked. 

One gallery displayed treasures from Asia and Oceania and even some items brought to Europe by Captain James Cook. 

We saw early Stone Age and Celtic artifacts including the famous bronze Grachwil Hydra. 

A room with religious objects featured the Konigsfelden Diptych,  an enamel masterpiece from Venice. 

Downstairs original statues from the portal of the Munster still retained their eminence 

while another gallery held medieval exhibits. 

One gallery, which dealt with Bern and the Swiss government, held charters, commemorative and ceremonial vessels, furniture and portraits. 

There was also one music room tableau.

August 1st was a holiday---Swiss National Day. As we walked over to the French Church, we noticed that the stores were closed; some, but not all, restaurants were open. We made photos of the church---both inside and out. 

Knowing the Parliament Building was open, we headed there but the entrance lines were long, and they only admitted a half dozen or so at a time.

We rode the train to Zurich and checked into the Radisson Blu Hotel at the  airport. On our day in Zurich we rode the train from the airport to downtown where we window shopped, bought chocolate and ate lunch before riding the train back to the airport. The next day we flew from Zurich to Frankfurt and then home the following day.