Switzerland, being one of the most expensive counties in Europe is often skipped over by budget travelers. Nonetheless, it's still worth staying longer to explore this beautiful country that is home to shimmering lakes, picturesque mountains, tiny walled medieval towns, soaring peaks and endless greenish fields. Everything runs on time here, people are friendly and most important, I felt safe, perhaps even safer than my hometown. Flying to this beautiful country from the tiny red dot took us a good 12 hours and there is no better way to fly than by SQ A380.
Depending on whether your itinerary is flexible, I personally feel that it is a good idea to purchase the Swiss Travel Pass that entitles you to unlimited train rides around 70 cities in Switzerland, free cruises, tram rides and museums. You will also enjoy discounts for mountain train to top of Europe, cable car or gondola. Remember, Swiss's transportation is not cheap and hence one can easily save a lot on transportation cost with the Swiss Pass.
Arriving at Zurich Airport, we took a sky train to reach Zurich Airport Train Station (Zurich Flughafen). The sky train is rather small and plays the sound of mooing of Swiss cows which I'm rather amused and started hallucinating that I'm already on the Alps.
We then hopped on the train that took us directly to the bustling Zurich Main Train Station (Bahnhof, Zurich HB). I love the European design of the train station but not the smoky cigarette smell that hover throughout the entire station. It was around 10am in the morning where the station was not crowded. However, the train station was not as big as I've imagined.
We left our luggage at Casa Heinrich Guesthouse which can be easily reached within 3 stations of tram ride from Zurich HB. The guesthouse is located in a quiet neighborhood during the day time. Nightlife is however vibrant as the apartment is just next to the many bars and pubs. Still, I feel safe to walk alone in this neighborhood at night. Though not the best option for accommodation, the apartment is value for money, has a kitchenette for cooking (great for budget traveler) and clean. Luckily, we visited Switzerland in late summer where the night temperature was not hot nor cooling enough either. The room has no air conditioner and we were grateful that we did not plan for the trip in mid Summer.
Lucerne
We set off for Lucerne, where the journey took us approximately 50 mins train ride from Zurich. The train ride was wonderfully ridiculous, a journey filled with rolling green hills and cute houses dotted along the trek. As we edged closer to our final destination, the sparkling turquoise lake greeted us.
We set off for Lucerne, where the journey took us approximately 50 mins train ride from Zurich. The train ride was wonderfully ridiculous, a journey filled with rolling green hills and cute houses dotted along the trek. As we edged closer to our final destination, the sparkling turquoise lake greeted us.
We decided not to waste our time and hopped onto a boat to cruise around the lake (cannot remember which loop we cruised). The ride was free and we only had to flash our Swiss Pass. The cooling breeze really lifted my tired mind after a 12 hours flight. The entire loop finished within 2 hr 15 mins. We really enjoyed ourselves cruising on such a beautiful day.
The Chapel Bridge
The Chapel Bridge (also known as Kappellbruke) stretches across the entrance to the River Reuss in a peculiar diagonal direction. The bridge was built in the 14th century and is one of the oldest bridge still standing in Europe. You cannot miss the bridge because it's located just outside the Lucerne train station. Walking through this bridge, you would have reach the old town.
Lucerne Old Town and Clock Tower
It gets warmer throughout the mid day as we set foot on the old town, ducking into quirky craft shops and snacking on some pies along the way. I enjoyed strolling along the streets of the old town, climbing the old city walls for idyllic views and ogling goods at the pop-up flea markets along the river. One of the must see is the Musegg Wall, which has four climbable towers open to the public and boasting the most incredible views of the city you're bound to get.
We spent a good 2 hours exploring the town and clock tower. We were dead tired and returned back to our guest house for our cooked dinner, savoy our nice peaches that only cost 3.95chf for the entire crate and last but not least, sweet dream!
To sum up, Lucerne is gorgeous even though the old town is rather small. However, the river and lake is amazing, pristine and turquoise, that really makes it inviting and enjoyable even if we just sat by the lake. This is definitely a place to come where you'll be mindblown by the nature and picturesque old town.
The Chapel Bridge (also known as Kappellbruke) stretches across the entrance to the River Reuss in a peculiar diagonal direction. The bridge was built in the 14th century and is one of the oldest bridge still standing in Europe. You cannot miss the bridge because it's located just outside the Lucerne train station. Walking through this bridge, you would have reach the old town.
Lucerne Old Town and Clock Tower
It gets warmer throughout the mid day as we set foot on the old town, ducking into quirky craft shops and snacking on some pies along the way. I enjoyed strolling along the streets of the old town, climbing the old city walls for idyllic views and ogling goods at the pop-up flea markets along the river. One of the must see is the Musegg Wall, which has four climbable towers open to the public and boasting the most incredible views of the city you're bound to get.
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| Tram that took us back to the apartment |
To sum up, Lucerne is gorgeous even though the old town is rather small. However, the river and lake is amazing, pristine and turquoise, that really makes it inviting and enjoyable even if we just sat by the lake. This is definitely a place to come where you'll be mindblown by the nature and picturesque old town.
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