Switzerland is one of the most beautiful and, err, “precise” countries in the world. The places that I visited were in and around the Zurich metro area.
Things I thought I would never say but will start saying about Switzerland after visiting Zurich:
Switzerland is land-locked and overwhelmed by serene and breath-taking nature. The country is divided into several notable parts – French region (most notably, Geneva), Italian region, and… well, we’ll call it “the rest” which would include Zurich. So in other words, we could have 3 ducks in a row.
But instead of ducks, we have Swiss people, and it’s possible that none of them speak the same language. Ain’t that a head-scratcher.
How I Got There
As usual whenever I travel, I either take a United flight or search for the cheapest flight on kayak.com. I wrote an article about how I stick to flying on United as much as possible to cash out big with my miles.
For this trip, I took the train from Vienna to Zurich.
Here are my top 3 favorite things I did in Switzerland:
1. Mount Pilatus
Without a doubt, the highlight of the trip. From Zurich, we drove to Lucerne. I paid about 105 Swiss Francs (~$110 USD) for the Cable Car. Yes, it’s expensive, but if it’s a beautiful day, it’s 100% worth it. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I was at the top.
Mount Pilatus
We spent about an entire day for the roundtrip. This was certainly once in a lifetime.
2. Zurich Old Town
This is your typical, downtown things. As I noted above, the subways are never late. And by never, I mean never.
I love that the Limmat River cuts right through the city. I used the same subway pass to use it on a boat to get from one side to another.
Another place I really enjoyed is the Grossmünster Church (Google Maps location). Because, you know, from here, you can take an very Instagram-able picture of the iconic Fraumunster Church.
Fraumunster Church
My Swiss Friend
And oh by the way, stopping by Zurich for the Street Parade one August was the best coincidence of the year. This is the one day and one day only during the entire year that the city is absolutely trashed.
Literally.
I want to give a huge shoutout to a very good Swiss friend from University, Nico (pictured above, left). Him and his family were always very welcoming both times when I stopped by Zurich.
3. Rhine Falls
This isn’t exactly your Niagara Falls nor Cataratas de Iguazu. But I did have a chance to head north to the border between Germany and Switzerland.
Rhine Falls
Where I Stayed
With my friend. Ha. But I did write a separate article on How I Choose Where I Stay when I Travel.
If I Had More Time, I Would Have…
Visit Bern, and visit the French side: most notably, Geneva. Correction: definitely Geneva.
I would have also liked to ski in Zermatt near the border of Italy. And on that note, quick story time. I took the bus from Italy to Zurich and I couldn’t believe my eyes driving around the mountains. I could talk about the landscape of Switzerland all day.
Closing Remarks
What do you think of when you think of Switzerland? Politically neutral, ridiculously beautiful mountains in every direction, and preciseness – or at least those should be your initial thoughts.
There was no way around it for me – I loosened up my wallet when I was in Switzerland. Also, I got by easily with just English.
Switzerland is a country I would love to visit again in the future. I’m sure I’ll swing by again when I’m in Europe.
