Switzerland- Europe My Travel Journey Part-6

Visit to Switzerland

Switzerland travel is something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. Switzerland just may be the most beautiful country in Europe . Everywhere you look in Switzerland, beauty is all around you. 
 

 From towering mountain peaks that are snow-capped even in summer, to crystal clear lakes, well-preserved medieval cities, lush alpine pastures and charming villages, it just goes on and on.  Switzerland has it all. Switzerland you should visit, most of the way either by car or by train.

Switzerland may be a small country but there is so much to see and experience here that you may feel that 3 days is not enough. There are more than 200 peaks, several ancient castles, a lake within every 10 km and breath taking views of the countryside that you will never get over in this lifetime. We stayed in Fluhli.

Bern:

Bern Old Town, which is proud to be a UNESCO world heritage site. Looping around the city in a horse-shoe bend is the spectacular River Aare. Bright turquoise in colour, The River Aare is incredibly clean and swimming in it is a part of daily life for many locals. 

Bern is a compact city so it’s easy to walk around on foot, there are also impressive fountains scattered all over this medieval old town.

 

 Our first stop was the 16th-century Zytglogge Astronomical Clock — a Bern landmark since around 1530. It still works (!!), in keeping with Switzerland’s reputation for classic, well-made clocks and watches

Lucerne

Nestled between a backdrop of towering mountains and a sparkling lake, Lucerne (called Luzern in German) is one of Switzerland’s most visited cities. Offering a host of things to see and do, Lucerne makes a wonderful holiday destination.

Chapel Bridge and Spreuer Bridge

Without doubt, one of the most popular Lucerne attractions is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke). Dating back to 1333, the medieval bridge is just one of many that straddles the River Reuss, but this one is recognizable by its distinctive water tower with an octagonal roof.

 

A fire in 1993 all but destroyed the famous Lucerne wooden bridge, and even though it was rebuilt, fire damage can still be seen on the remaining 17th century pictorial panels which are a feature under the eaves. Lucerne’s other famous covered bridge, Spreuer Bridge, was finished in 1408 as part of the city’s fortification. Kaspar Meglinger added 67 paintings representing the "Dance of Death" between 1626 and 1635. This covered bridge dates back to the 14th century and it is absolutely gorgeous.

Mount Titlis:

A day trip to Mt Titlis from Lucerne is a perfect way to spending one whole day in the Swiss Alps. 
 
Mount Titlis is more than 3,000 meter high (10,000 ft) so you will need warm clothing the whole year round, even in summer, especially if you want to go inside the ice cave or pay a visit to the glacier snow park.more breath taking views of what seemed to be a perpetual picture perfect world, we finally reached Engelberg, just below Mt. Titlis, from where our journey of two different cable cars — a standard cable car, and a revolving one, called the Rotair, started.

As I got into the first one and journeyed towards a whopping 10,000 feet above sea level, I wondered how they managed to the setup and an observatory at such challenging landscapes. But you do not need to worry as the entire seemingly breathtaking facilities are more than safe.

The revolving Rotair wounded its way up towards the snow-covered summit as I was reminded by someone that it was perhaps the world’s first revolving gondola that can accommodate up to 50 people and can reach to an altitude of 10,000 feet above the sea level.

The gondola revolved 360 degrees during its five-minute trip, treating its passengers to idyllic panoramic views of steep rock faces, deep crevasses, and the prominent snow-covered mountain peaks. It took a little less than half an hour before I was on the top of Mount Titlis — with a few dozen other happy tourists, half of whom appeared to be Asian.

There were a few activities on Mount Titlis besides feeling awed sitting inside a cable car. This included the cliff walk, Europe’s highest suspension bridge, a glacier cave, and an ice flyer. Out of all of them, however, I particularly loved walking through the glacier cave, where the ice appeared to lit up in different colors, and the temperature felt at least a few degrees below zero.

Gruyère:

Gruyères is a beautiful, walled medieval town with cobbled streets and its own castle. Gruyères is located at the base of the Swiss Prealps in the French-speaking canton of Fribourg. In the 13th century, the Count of Gruyeres built his castle at the top of the hill to control the upper Saanen Valley and the town was developed thereafter. 

The historic town of Gruyères has been unaffected by time and takes pride in their exceptional art and cultural exhibitions. You will be enchanted by the architectural charm of Gruyères and enjoy some of the most breathtaking views in Switzerland.

La Maison du Gruyère:

This is the only cheese factory in Switzerland within the walls of a monastery, where you can watch cheese making live-being produced by hand right before your eyes. High on the list of any visit to Gruyères is a visit to the local cheese factory,

 

 where you can watch the master cheesemakers hard at work perfecting enormous round slabs of famous Gruyère. It’s located outside the old town at the foot of the hill. 
 
Here, you’ll learn the history of the cheese and the intricate details of how it is made After it's done, visitors can enjoy the delicious, freshly made products in the cheese factory's restaurant. At the restaurant you can taste local delicacies featuring the cheese itself.It’s used in many of the classic Swiss dishes like raclette and fondue, so, if you’re a cheese fan, you simply have to visit La Maison du Gruyère.

Cailler Chocolate Factory:
 

You can catch a train from the Gruyères train station to Broc and visit the Cailler chocolate factory, which should take about 25 minutes by train. Cailler is the oldest chocolate manufacturer in Switzerland and is known as one of the world's finest chocolates. Its brands include Frigor and Cailler, which are still made in the company's factory in Broc. Cailler is not widely exported . 
 
Upon taking a tour of the factory and learning about the history of chocolate, you can enjoy the chocolate sample room where you can try as much chocolate as you want. There is also a large gift shop selling all varieties of Cailler chocolate so you can be sure to stock up.

Rhine Falls:
 

To stand high above Europe's largest waterfall, feeling the roar and vibration of the water over one's entire body - this can be experienced at the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen.The 150 m wide and 23 m high waterfall is located near the village of Neuhausen in Northern Switzerland. The nearby city of Schaffhausen is commonly associated with the falls too. Even though the Rhine Fall is a form of mass tourism, the natural beauty is overwhelming and for sure worth your time. May/June is the best time to visit because the amount of water peaks then.

To really appreciate the spectacular scenery the country has to offer you need to leave the cities and head to the countryside.  It’s here you can breathe in the crisp alpine air, walk amongst lush fields and enjoy a look at what life in a smaller Swiss town is really like. 

Switzerland, with its fairy tale locations and rustic wood chalets, makes it impossible to leave.
 
 Switzerland trip remains incomplete if you don’t hog on their world-famous cheese and hot chocolate. After all the excitement, it’s time to leave but hopefully, had the best 10-days seeing the best places in Europe. It really is so incredible.I have to thank My daughter and Soninlaw for arranging this beautiful trip.