Eurotrip Part 2 : Switzerland

Tripoto
4th Jun 2016

Best place on earth?

Photo of Eurotrip Part 2 : Switzerland by theboywithabackpack

(continued) Check part 1 here

Photo of Eurotrip Part 2 : Switzerland 1/1 by theboywithabackpack
Day 3

From Paris, we made way for the Swiss city, Luzern about 670 km away in our coach. Despite stopping twice in between at gas stations the trip took only about 6 hours or so, courtesy of brilliant roads and zero congestion. Comparing this with Indian roads, a trip from Chandigarh to Delhi, a distance of 250 odd kilometers takes about 5 and half to 6 hours. The roads are so smooth, even the trucks, twice as huge as Indian counterparts zoom at over 100 kmph. Twice the load at twice the speed. Speaks a lot about the development gap between the two regions, right?

At Lucerne or Luzern, we went to the lion monument built near the center of the city. It is a sculpture of a wounded lion built in stone, and commemorates the Swiss guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. Mark Twain has described it as, " the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world ".

Photo of Lucerne, Switzerland by theboywithabackpack

Lucerne city

Photo of Lucerne, Switzerland by theboywithabackpack

Thereafter, we had our dinner and headed to our hotel in Rothrist, near Lucerne.

Day 4

The next morning, we went to Jungfraujoch mountain, by train via Lauterbrunnen. You can also go via Grindelwald. Both routes will give you ample scenic views to admire along the way. Jungfrau train station is the highest in Europe. You will be awed by the engineering marvel of building a train track, in fact a whole complex, completely inside a mountain covered in snow.

Photo of Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland by theboywithabackpack

Ice Palace

Photo of Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland by theboywithabackpack
Photo of Jungfrau, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland by theboywithabackpack

At the top, you can enjoy a panaromic view from the Sphinx observatory. You can see visit the Ice Palace and admire the ice sculptures. There are restaurants here where you can spend time. Lindt Chocolates, one of the finest chocolate company in the world, also has a store at the top. If the weather is good, you can also go out for skiing, sledging or just playing in the snow.

Chapel bridge

Photo of Eurotrip Part 2 : Switzerland by theboywithabackpack

Lake Reuss in Lucerne

Photo of Eurotrip Part 2 : Switzerland by theboywithabackpack

From there, we visited the city of Lucerne to see magnificent views of the Chapel bridge or Kapellbrücke, as its called in the local language. It is a covered wooden footbridge spanning across the lake of Reuss in the middle of Lucerne city. It is the world's oldest surviving truss bridge and houses paintings dating back to 17th century. It is one of the main attractions in Switzerland.

Tips:

1. Lindt chocolates, or infact all Swiss chocolates, are heavenly. You'll be missing out on a lot if you're not having one. The Swiss take special care of their cows and make sure only the finest quality of milk goes into making one. I'd personally recommend Lindt Lindor and Coop Prix. Best part? The conductor gifts you a Lindt minibar of chocolate while you're coming back from Jungfrau.

2. Switzerland is well connected by rail. Also, you won't be missing out on any scenic views if you do take trains to travel within the country which makes traveling by trains very convenient. You can buy a Eurorail Pass if you'll be spending a considerable amount of time here. Check myswissalps.com for more information.