My Visual Travel Experience: Switzerland

I spent over 2 weeks in Switzerland in the summer of 2009, and traveled extensively by train all over the country. At the end of my trip, I found myself saying "God has really been kind to this country"!! I was just so overwhelmed by the country's beauty, through its beautiful Alpine mountains, its picturesque lakes and its pretty towns.

Then in the summer of 2018, I again spent 2 weeks in the country, with my wife Reshmi and my 3 year old son. I didn't at all mind visiting the country a second time, and this time round, I covered some places I hadn't visited the first time round. The Swiss Rail Pass (the 15 day flexible pass cost just under 600 CHF per person) allowed unlimited train, public transport (bus, tram and boat) and museum entry for the selected 15 days, and ended up being real value for money.

Zurich is probably the only town in Switzerland that gives a bit of a big city feel. It has a population of 340,000. It is a big global financial centre. Zurich is known for its lake, its churches, its museums and its shopping.

Panoramic view of Zurich with Fraumunster,
Peterskirche and Grossmunster

Zurich lies along the banks of the Zurichsee, a big lake that is about 40 km in length. Next to the lake, there's a pretty Floral Clock, as well as the Statue of Ganymed (a well known character from Greek mythology). Bahnhofstrasse - which starts from the railway station and ends at the lake - is the town's main street, and is full of elegant shops, restaurants and cafes.

Floral Clock, Zurich

Ganymed Statue by Zurichsee, Zurich

Burkliplatz with a Ferry on the Zurichsee

Rathaus, Zurich

Grossmunster is the main church and stands out due to its twin onion shaped domes - it dates back to the 15th century AD. According to legend, a church was originally built at the location by Charlemagne in the 9th century AD. 

Grossmunster, Zurich

Charlemagne Statue, Grossmunster, Zurich

Stain Glass, Grossmunster, Zurich

Zurichsee seen from the top of Grossmunster, Zurich

Nearby lies another interesting church, the Fraumunster, famous for its stain glass panels by Marc Chagall. Peterskirche, with its distinctive clock tower, is the other well known church in the city.

Fraumunster, Zurich

Peterskirche, Zurich

Interior of Peterskirche, Zurich

As one walks through the city, one comes across several beautiful squares. Munsterhof is one such square, with its fountain, its restaurants and its boutique stores.

Munsterhof, Zurich

Chocolates on display at Teuscher, Munsterhof, Zurich

The Kunsthaus is an art gallery that has paintings by well known painters like Rubens, Van Gogh and Monet as well as the Swiss artist Vallotton.

Van Gogh's Portrait of Patience Escalier,
Kunsthaus, Zurich

Monet's The Wheatshack, Kunsthaus, Zurich

Chagall's The Lights of Marriage, Kunsthaus, Zurich

Gauguin's The Barricade, Kunsthaus, Zurich

Hodler's Holy Hours, Kunsthaus, Zurich

Landesmuseum (the Swiss National Museum) is another of Zurich's well known museums. It lies right next to the Haptbahnhof. The building was made in 1898 in French architectural style, and resembles a chateau. The museum's exhibits cover a period of time from prehistory to the middle ages to the modern era. One can see Gothic art, wooden sculptures, altars, furnishings armoury and coins.

Landesmuseum

Bern is the country's capital and is a pretty medieval town. It is one of Europe's smallest capitals, having just 120,000 inhabitants. We stayed at Hotel Metropole, a very comfortable hotel bang in the town centre. The best part about the hotel was the large common hall on the 1st floor, where one could have complimentary tea and coffee, rest, or even sit at the desk and work. It even had toys for kids, and they were put to good use by Little Rehaan.

The Zytglogge is an astronomical clocktower dating back to the 15th century AD - its mechanical figures (including bears and a rooster) can be seen at work every hour. Zytglogge was initially used to imprison prostitutes.

Zytglogge, Bern

Bern has a series of pretty fountains topped by figures of mythical characters scattered over the town centre. The fountains include the Fountain of Anna Seiler, the Fountain of Justice, the Fountain of the Bagpiper Player, the Fountain of the Bear, the Fountain of Moses and the Fountain of Moses. 

Fountain of Anna Seiler, Bern

Fountain of the Bagpiper Player, Bern

The Munster is the town's main cathedral and is characterized by its soaring tower and its stain glass work inside. It is a cathedral in late Gothic style and though work started in the 15th century, the 100 meter tower was completed only in the late 19th century. It has a famous sculpture of Mary lamenting the dead Christ. The church also has some intricate sculptures on top of its main portal.

Munster, Bern

Mary lamenting Jesus at the Munster, Bern

The portal at the Munster, Bern

Nave at the Munster, Bern

From the top of the Munster, there are splendid views of the town, with its stunning red roofs.

View of the Zytglogge from the top of the Munster, Bern

The Church of St Peter and Paul lies in the town's centre. At the northern edge of the town, there's the Nydegg Kirche, another church that's a town landmark.

Church of St Peter and Paul, Bern

Interior, Church of St Peter and Paul, Bern

Nydeggkirche, Bern

The Bundeshaus has the Swiss parliament, and stands out due to its large green dome. It was completed in 1902. The grand building lies close to Barenplatz, a large square that is full of restaurants and cafes, and also has regular outdoor markets.

Bundeshaus, Bern

Barenplatz, Bern

Einstein Haus is where the famous scientist lived with his family from 1903 to 1905. The furnishings are the way they were when Einstein lived there, and the house has memorabilia from his life.

Einstein's son's baby cradle, Einstein House

At the Barengraben, the bear pit, one can get to see the famous Bernese brown bears. The area also has a popular statue of Einstein sitting on a bench - as one can imagine, it is a favourite with selfie-takers.

Einstein Statue, Barengraben

Geneva lies at the western end of Lac Leman, or Lake Geneva, which is the largest of Switzerland's many lakes, and is over 70 km in length. Geneva is Switzerland's second largest city with a population of 180,000. During my 2009 stay, I was a guest with Hamid Ali Rao and his wife Asiya. Hamid was with the Indian mission in Geneva then. Hamid and Asiya are close family friends and were with us when we lived in Vienna in the mid 1980's. I was really spoiled by them and they made me feel so much at home.

Jardin Anglais, close to the lake, has the Floral Clock, the National Monument and the Swiss Wheel, a large ferris wheel. It is one of the liveliest areas of Geneva, and one of the first places that any tourist visits.

Floral Clock at Jardin Anglais, Geneva

National Monument at Jardin Anglais, Geneva

Swiss Wheel at Jardin Anglais, Geneva

The lake boasts of the Jet d'Eau, a fountain that rises some 140 meters into the sky. Old buildings line the entire lake area.

Jet d'eau, Geneva

Buildings along Lac Leman, Geneva

Ferry along Lac Leman, Geneva

The Cathedrale St Pierre is Geneva's best known church. The cathedral is constructed in various eclectic styles. The colourful Chapel of the Macchabees inside the cathedral is a major highlight. The cathedral dates back to the 13th century but in the 16th century, it became a Protestant church.

Cathedrale St Pierre, Geneva

Chapel of the Macchabees at Cathedrale St Pierre, Geneva

Organ at Cathedrale St Pierre Geneva

Rohan Chapel at Cathedrale St Pierre, Geneva

Interior, Cathedrale St Pierre, Geneva

The Parc des Bastions is a large park, that has cafes, places for recreation, and the impressive Reformation Wall, that has sculptures of the leaders of the city's Reformation movement.

Parc des Bastions, Geneva

Chess at Parc des Bastions, Geneva

Geneva is a major head quarter of the United Nations, with several of the organization's offices based there. The Broken Chair Sculpture at the United Nations is symbolic of people who have lost their limbs in landmines, and it stands for peace.

Broken Chair Sculpture, United Nations, Geneva

Conference Room, United Nations, Geneva

As one goes eastwards along Lac Leman, one comes across the town of Lausanne (which has a population of 115,000 and boasts of the Olympic Museum).

Chateau d'Ouchy, Lausanne

Paavo Nurmi Statue, Olympic Museum, Lausanne

US Cycling Team, Olympic Museum, Lausanne

Hotel de Ville, Lausanne

Cathedrale Notre Dame, Lausanne

Further east, lies the towns of Vevey. It has the global headquarters of the Swiss food multi national company, Nestle. The town has 15,000 inhabitants, and has a lively promenade. The famous actor Charlie Chaplin has made Vevey his second home. Vevey's landmarks include the Grand Place, the Charlie Chaplin Statue, the statue of The Fork, and the Alimentarium (which is a food museum).

Grand Place, Vevey

Charlie Chaplin Statue, Vevey

The Fork, Vevey

Alimentarium, Vevey

Statue along the Promenade, Vevey

Close by, there's Montreux. The town has a population of over 20,000. It has the famous Montreux Palace Hotel, which has a well known jazz festival. In the hotel gardens, there are busts of several all time jazz greats. Another well known nearby hotel is the Grand Hotel Suisse. The promenade has the Marche, which is a buzzing covered marketplace, and in front of it, there's the Statue of Freddie Mercury of the rock band Queen - the rock star spent a considerable amount of time in Montreux. During our 2018 trip, we stayed with Rumjhum, an old school friend of Reshmi's, who now works with Nestle in neighbouring Vevey. She was very warm and hospitable, and it was good spending time with her, her daughter and her friendly parents in law. Her apartment was bang in the heart of town, an unbelievably good location.

Montreux Palace Hotel, Montreux

Grand Hotel Suisse, Montreux

Bust of Ray Charles at Les Jardins du Palace, Montreux

Marche, Montreux

Freddie Mercury Statue, Montreux

At the far eastern end of the lake, very close to Montreux, there's the famous Chateau de Chillon, a medieval stone castle dating back to the 11th century AD. The castle was used by the Dukes of Savoy to house their prisoners.

Chateau de Chillon

Coat of Arms Hall, Chateau de Chillon

Constable's Dining Room, Chateau de Chillon

Aula Nova, Chateau de Chillon

Ceiling Frescoes at the Chapel, Chateau de Chillon

Gruyeres is a pretty medieval village with a little over 1,000 inhabitants. It is surrounded by mountains and has the well known Gruyeres Castle and Gruyeres Church. The town's main pedestrian street is full of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops. The town also has La Maison du Gruyeres, an internationally reputed cheese factory. Visitors can take a tour of the factory and have a look at the process of cheese making.

Gruyeres Castle

Gruyeres Church

Interior, Gruyeres Church

Cafe Restaurant des Ramparts, Gruyeres

Gruyere cheese at La Maison du Gruyere

Not far from Gruyeres, there's the village of Broc, that has the famous Maison Cailler, where the Cailler chocolate factory commenced its operations in the 19th century. The company went on to tie-up with Nestle for financial reasons around the time of the Great Depression. Visitors can take a tour of the factory, which is like a museum that talks about the origins of chocolate, the introduction of chocolate to Europe, and the history of the company.

Maison Cailler, Broc

Cailler chocolates at Maison Cailler, Broc

Exhibit on the origins of Cailler Chocolates,
Maison Cailler, Broc

From the bigger towns, Luzern is probably my favourite. The town has close to 60,000 residents and lies on the banks of the Luzernsee, a pretty lake that's about 40 km long. We stayed at Gasthaus Zum Kreuz, a very comfortable guesthouse in the suburb of Meggen. Though it was 6 km from the town centre, it was connected by a direct bus, so there was absolutely no inconvenience.

Luzern's Chapel Bridge dates back to the 14th century AD. It has a tower that has served as a lighthouse, a prison and a treasury at various points in history.

Chapel Bridge, Luzern

Luzernsee with Hotel National, Luzern

Luzernsee with boats and the town in the background

The Hofkirche was originally built in the 12th century AD, but most of it was destroyed in a fire 5 centuries later, and it was rebuilt almost from scratch. The grand interior of the church is in the Renaissance style.

Hofkirche, Luzern

Interior of Hofkirche, Luzern

Tombstones at Hofkirche, Luzern

The Jesuitenkirche is another one of Luzern's famous churches. It is well known for its rich baroque interior. The church was consecrated in 1677, but the onion topped towers were only completed in 1893.

Jesuitenkirche, Luzern

High Altar of Jesuitenkirche, Luzern

Nave of Jesuitenkirche, Luzern

Weinmarkt is a square in the old town, that has a fountain, murals on the exteriors of buildings, and cafes and restaurants.

Fountain at Weinmarkt, Luzern

Adam and Eve Mural at Weinmarkt, Luzern

The Last Supper Mural at Weinmarkt, Luzern

There's also the famous Lowendenkmal, a sculpture by Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen, showing a dying lion, symbolic of the Swiss Guard that perished trying to defend the French royal family in the French Revolution of 1792.

Lowendenkmal, Luzern

The Alpineum is a museum with a diorama of the Swiss Alps. It was opened in 1905 by Ernst Hodel Junior, and it houses large scale painting of the Swiss Alps. The Bourbaki Panorama opened in 1881 and was created by Edouard Castres. The 360 degree painting is 10 meters high and has a circumference of 112 meters.

Alpinium, Luzern

Bourbaki Panorama, Luzern

St Gallen, with close to 70,000 inhabitants, is a town that's well worth a visit because of its magnificent Abbey Cathedral of St Gall, a huge abbey from the 18th century, with a rich baroque interior, and ancient books dating back to the 9th century AD.

Stift, St Gallen

The Abbey Cathedral of St Gall, St Gallen

St Gallen also has an interesting museum, the Natur und Kunst Historisches Museum.

Brown Bear, Natur und Kunst Historisches Museum, St Gallen

Lynx, Natur und Kunst Historisches Museum, St Gallen

T Rex Skull, Natur und Kunst Historisches Museum, St Gallen

Basel, to the north of the country and bordering Germany, is one of the biggest towns in the country - it ranks third and has a population of 160,000. Visitors would enjoy the colourful Rathaus (the Town Hall), and churches like the Munster and the Barfusserkirche.

The Rathaus, Basel

Barfusserkirche, Basel

Christ on the Ass, Barfusserkirche, Basel

Munster, Basel

 Interesting museums include the Natur Historisches Museum (the Natural History Museum) and the Puppenhaus Museum (the Puppet Museum).

Brown Bear at the Natur Historisches Musem, Basel

Puppenhaus Museum, Basel

Zermatt is one of the prettiest of the smaller towns in Switzerland. The town has just over 4,000 residents. It is at the foot of the famous Matterhorn peak, and on clear days, it offers splendid views of the mountain (I wasn't quite so lucky, as I was there on a cloudy day). The town has the Matterhorn Museum, and two pretty churches, the Pfarrkirch and the tiny Anglican Church. Just walking around the little town and stopping at one of its many cafes and restaurants is a charming experience! A very worthwhile trip, even if one isn't up to trekking up the Matterhorn!

Hotel Zermatterhof and Pfarrkirche, Zermatt

Traditional street musicians, Zermatt

Gemeindehaus, Zermatt

Anglican Church, Zermatt

Cemetery, Zermatt

For lovers of mountains, the most popular visits are to Jungfrau and Mount Titlis. I missed the latter, but really enjoyed my trip to Jungfrau, one of the tallest peaks in Europe, standing a little over 3,400 meters. It was a full day visit for me. I took a train from Interlaken, a pretty mid sized town with a population of around 13,000, sandwiched between two lakes (the Thunersee and the Brienzersee), and had to change two trains before I got up to the "Top Of Europe". The last stretch goes through a 9 km long tunnel. I traveled to Switzerland in summer, in the month of August, but during my visit to Jungfrau, I felt the temperature falling as I went higher and higher. I was forced to eventually buy myself a jacket to stay warm!

The Jungfrau

A view of the mountains, on the way up to Jungfrau

The Jungfraubahn

Casino Kursaal, Interlaken

The mountains south-east of Zurich in the beautiful and sparsely populated Graubunden Canton of Switzerland are certainly worth a visit. Little Alpine towns and villages are a favourite with people interested in winter sports like skiing. There are charming places like Chur, Davos, Klosters and Guarda. I have a cousin - Priya - who lives in that part of the country. She is married to a Swiss gentlemen and has been there for years. I enjoyed my brief one day visit there in 2009, and got to see small-town Switzerland along with someone who really knows the local people, cuisines and culture. During our 2018 trip, we spent several days with Priya's home as our base camp. It was great having a known, friendly face so far away from home. She really took very good care. Our son Rehaan was very glad to have some young company in the form of Priya's 10 year old daughter Oona.

Chur is the capital of Graubunden. It is a town having a population of over 30,000. It has several churches that are worth visiting and are town landmarks - the Cathedral, the Kirche St Luzius, and the Kirche St Martin, with its distinctive clock tower. The Cathedral in particular has a grand interior. It was completed in the 13th century AD and is in a combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Cathedral, Chur

Cathedral Interior, Chur

Kirche St Luzius, Chur

Kirche St Martin, Chur

 The grand looking Rhatisches Bahn Head Office is based in Chur. The Rhatisches Bahn is the Swiss mountain train that runs across Graubunden.

Rhatisches Bahn Head Office, Chur

Kornplatz is one of the main squares in the old town. It has restaurants, cafes and boutique stores, and is popular with locals and visitors alike.

Kornplatz, Chur

Davos, with around 10,000 residents, is a town that is famous the world over because it plays host to the annual World Economic Forum, where leaders from across the world converge annually. The town lies next to a beautiful lake and has the Kirchner Museum housing the works of the well known artist, Kirchner.

Kirchner's Nudes at the Kirchner Museum, Davos

The Ball Players at the Kirchner Museum, Davos

View over Davos at the Kirchner Museum, Davos

Klosters is a skiing resort with a population of about 4,000. It has a cable car, the Gotschnabahn, that takes visitors to the top of the mountain for skiing and to enjoy spectacular views of the mountain range. The town also boasts of a pretty little church.

Church, Klosters

Church Interior, Klosters

Piz Buin Hotel, Klosters

Mountains, the stream and the Strandbad, Klosters

Klosters has popular hotels like Hotel Chesa Grischuna and Hotel Vereina, packed in the tourist season.

Hotel Chesa Grischuna, Klosters

Hotel Vereina, Klosters

Guarda is a small village having just over 100 people. It is one of the most scenic villages in the region, with its surrounding hills, its cute little Church, its houses having their sgraffiti. We stayed at an Airbnb apartment, run by Pete and Helen, in the heart of the village. It was a splendid stay, with great amenities and amazingly good hosts.

View of Guarda

Church, Guarda

Chasa 48, Guarda

Hotel Meisser, Guarda

The village boasts of the story of Ursli, a little boy who ran away from home to get a large bell to participate in a tournament. The legend of Ursli is visible all over the village, through a museum and through a walking trail. 

Chasa 51 (Ursli's House), Guarda

The Schellen Ursli Trail, Guarda

Switzerland is famous for its cheese and chocolates. Cuisines that are popular locally and are abundantly available at restaurants include Fondue (a cheese based preparation), Bratwurst (borrowed from neighbouring Germany), Rosti (roasted potato strips, often mixed with ham), Wiener Schnitzels (from Austria next door), Middle Eastern Kebaps, and the Italian favourites like pizzas and pastas.

Bratwurst and Rosti

I left Switzerland with a very happy and content feeling, the level of which I've got after very few of my international travels. This little country has a population of barely 8 million, and a geographical area of just over 40,000 sq km, but is a financial powerhouse with one of the world's highest per capita incomes, at around USD 85,000 per annum. The country has as many as 4 languages that are spoken - German (in the central and eastern part), French (in the western part), Italian (in the southern part) and Romansh (in parts of Graubunden to the east of the country). I found the people to be perhaps a little formal and reserved, but they were friendly and helpful towards tourists nevertheless. Cleanliness levels were unparalleled, which was quite remarkable, given the sheer number of tourists around. All systems worked with clock-like precision (which was evident in the country's excellent train system) and that was such a welcome change coming from Delhi, where "I'm just coming" can mean anything from 2 minutes to an hour! Things were certainly expensive, but I guess that was to be expected. Overall, I found myself absolutely delighted after both my visits!