After postponing for months and months, I'm back to clearing my backlog on writing about my India/Swiss trip this summer. I spent one week in Switzerland before continuing on to India for 4 weeks. Even though 1 week wasn't quit enough to explore the whole country, it was just enough to get a taste of life in one of the most visited tourist destinations in Europe (and unfortunately, one of the most expensive ones too!!).The swiss are known for their pride in the way they decorate their houses, the technical and artistic exquisiteness of their watches, their chocolates (especially dark chocs), and last but not the least, their finely cut suits and dresses. All of the above traits are visible all over the country - be it the extremely cosmopolital Zurich, or the backcountry in Luzern, Bern or any of the older towns. The country is very well connected through a public transport system consisting of trams, buses, railways, cable cars, and boat rides! A travel pass entitles you to all the above listed means of transport, and considering the amount of money we have to pay for public transport in the US, it is really very economical. The best way to explore the country is to get a 1 week travel pass, trek in the back country during the day, and come back to a bigger city like Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva etc. at night. I spent one night in a youth hostel in Zurich, and the remaining 4 days with a friend who goes to school in Lausanne. The major touristy area is Interlaken - and it is so with good reason. The highest and the most beautiful mountains of Europe are in this area, with Jung Frau Joch touching around 4700m. The swiss have done a great job of promoting tourism in the area - there's a train that goes upto around 3600m from where you get perfect views to Jung Frau peak!! I did a trek down from that height, and it was nothing short of amazing. The mountains in the area are lush green, and it seems like they are being taken care of by gardeners coz the grass is almost evenly cut all over the region.
Above are some pics from my trek in the countryside in Luzern (about 1 hr from Zurich), and will post the pics from Jung Frau in my next posting.
