While I wasn’t exactly backpacking in Europe, I was a thrifty traveller. This meant staying in cheap hotels, shopping for food at supermarkets and travelling on days with cheap train/airfare. I really wanted to visit Switzerland on my trip but I was also aware of how expensive it is to visit. Upon careful planning, I chalked out 1.5 days (plus 0.5 day to reach Zurich from Paris and 0.5 to travel from Zurich to Venice). I made the most of my time visiting Zurich, Lucerne and Mt.Titlis on this trip. Here is how.
Zurich, Lucerne and Mt.Titlis trip
When visiting Switzerland, as with any European country, remember that you cannot “see everything.” You need to choose and prioritise. I chose to visit Zurich, Lucerne and Mt.Titlis leaving Interlaken and Jungfraujoch for another time.
Going through TripAdvisor, I had previously booked the best of Switzerland tours for a day trip. It was a wise decision as the vehicle was new and the guide’s commentary excellent. Two guides joined us for the bus ride, one from Zurich and the other from Lucerne and both told us local tales about the area. The Turkish horse farm, the forest reserve, Astrid chapel and the lake of four cantons came alive through their commentary. The route was so beautiful and each picture that I took looked postcard perfect.
Lucerne
While the first stop on the trip was Astrid Chapel, we soon drove to Lucerne and stopped at Harry’s watches. True to the reviews, the store is full of expensive Swiss watches, most of which I could find in Chennai. But Harry’s souvenirs, which is a little further up the road is a great place to get Swiss Army knives, magnets and Cuckoo clocks. Its cheaper than a lot of stores in Lucerne and Zurich. But time your shopping, as the bus stops at Lucerne only for one hour and there is plenty to see.
Walking through Lucerne
Lucerne or Luzern is a city that looks like a picturesque village. It is located on the shores of the Vierwaldstätter Lake and the river Reuss. A walk through the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge) can be surreal, as the 16-17th century art work on the gables transport you to another era. The cobblestone street and stones fountains gave me hints on what I could expect to see in Venice. The architecture style of buildings is varied. I found buildings in Gothic style, Classicism, Swiss chalet style, and of course modern cuboidal blocks. The city boasts of Romanesque and Baroque structures as well. How I wished, I had the time to see them all.
What I saw was no less interesting. I was intrigued by the wall paintings on the sides of buildings. Particularly one that had a family tree. If you have a full day there, see the Transport museum, Lion monument and the museum as well. I had to contend with seeing them from the outside. But, I did soothe my soul taking a plenty of pictures.
Engelberg
On the drive from Lucerne to Engelberg, you can see Mt.Pilatus and Mt. Rigi. At the drop off site, tour groups get together and plan their ascent. We were given around 3 hours (including lunch) to spend on the mountains. The journey to Mt. Titlis is thrilling. You do the first two levels via cable car and then take a Rotair lift to the top. Having read several reviews, I chose end seats on the cable car and found a spot close to the edge of the rotair and enjoyed fantastic views.
While booking this trip, I came across, one very cross review saying that “this tours is meant for Indian families” in a derogatory sense. It turned out to be a super plus for me. I started to feel a teeny bit homesick after 5 days of everything foreign. Then, I met lots of Indians and Sri Lankans at Engelberg. They were all intrigued to see me travel alone and they are took care of me the whole trip. There were very interesting conversations, some candy and even a free meal. Initially, I was scared that my vertigo would make me whoozy while going up the mountain. But I had such fantastic company, I forgot all about it. The views from the cable car and rotair are spectacular and a good consolation for a Heidi fan who could not visit Maienfield.
Mt.Titlis
At Mt. Titlis, you can walk on the snowy slopes, walk through the ice cave, take the ice flyer, play at the ice park and cross the cliff hanger, provided the weather holds. I have seen snow before (from a distance) at Nepal and at Badrinath. But I have never been on top of snow clad mountain while it was snowing before. So the visit to Mt. Titlis was one of many firsts for me. Even though it was summer, I had worn my thermals, knowing that I was a desert animal who could not withstand temperature below 10 degrees. Though I was worried the day before as I had left my woolen cap at home and my water resistant jacket’s hood was too big for my face, the weather was balmy (20C) till we reached the top. I was so happy that I did not need my jacket. Then the cold hit.
Snow – Ice – White
While snow looks soft from a distance, it is quite hard on the mountains due to hundreds of people walking on it every day. It was icy and very slippery. People were constantly falling down. I was thankful that I brought water proof gloves and shoes. A Hat tip to my friend Sudha for putting these items on my packing list. Then the wind started blowing and just clicking the camera button was a task. As the camera lens got cloudly, I attempted to take pictures on my phone without realising that I would need to take my gloves off first. After a lot of cursing (ice got into my shoes, my scarf was flying away, my hands were shivering in the cold, my camera got wet and my hood fell back) I managed to take a few pictures as it started drizzling.
Yes, a snowy rain on the Alps which brought the temp to minus 4C ! You see the (weather) forecast) the previous night had predicted a heavy thunderstorm. I spent the entire night and morning praying for atleast six hours of sun and that is exactly what I got. It wasn’t a thunderstorm but still the ice flyer and the park were closed. Having experienced only pitch black before, total whiteness was new. I somehow crossed the cliff hanger with visibility of just 1 feet, saw the ice cave and returned to food court to become human again. This confirmed what I knew about myself – that I can never live in a cold snowy place. Hats off to those who live in such terrain.
Where to stay – Zurich or Lucerne
Initially, I wanted to stay at Lucerne and experience the serendipitous mountains. But upon looking at the extra travel times, the weather, costs involved and other logistics, I realised that it was better to stay at Zurich. This proved to be a wise decision. Staying in the mountains means you have to reach your hotel before 5PM in the evenings to check-in. Whereas in Zurich you have till 10PM to check-in. However, if you have multiple days in Switzerland, stay one night at Lucerne and 3 or more in Zurich.
Roomless in Zurich
After my adventures in Paris and in Rome, can Zurich be far behind? I travelled from Paris to Zurich by train and took a comfortable tram ride to Hotel Landhus Seebach. When I turned up there at 9:15PM in the night, I was told that they were full and had no rooms for me. This was after I had booked, and conversed with them 2-3 times through the booking.com app. Thankfully, the manager, Ms. Maria was super helpful. She drove me to another hotel (Sternon Oerlikon) and got me a room. I don’t know what I would have otherwise done in a Foreign country. While I am grateful to Maria, I wished I had stayed at Sternon on both days (I came back to Landhus as a room become available). I then realised that I am too old to stay on a highway hostel like room.
What to do at Zurich
I loved the tram rides in Zurich mainly because of the ease of travelling and that you get to see these quaint Swiss houses as you go by. The University area is beautiful. I was in Zurich on a weekend – Sunday (Titlis trip) and Monday (afternoon flight to Venice) so I couldnt do much in the city. The National museum however, came heavily recommended by friends, which is unfortunately closed on Mondays. In the 3 hours that I had, had a great lunch at Titbits and spent time strolling along the Limmat river. You can also take a ferry ride on it. I heard that the local zoo is pretty great as well. But if you have more time on your holiday try doing other days trips apart from Lucerne and Mt.Titlis as well.
Where to eat Vegetarian food
I came to know about “Titbits” Zurich through a blog article and I am so glad that I did. They had amazing vegan food with some Indian options as well. You can bring your own box and fill up too. At Mt. Titlis you can get Indian food on both levels and at GourmIndia at Engelberg. GourmIndia is overrated and I would give it a miss unless you like overspicy oily food.
What and Where to Shop – Zurich, Lucerne and Mt.Titlis
Usually, souvenirs at tourist places are priced higher than at local stores. I found it to be reverse on my trip. I found the cheapest magnets, knives, keychains and cards on Mt.Titlis followed by Lucerne, then Zurich. The branding, material and quality was exactly the same. You can get jackets, caps, the softest plush toys and sharp knives everywhere. I bought a simple army knife and a small peeler from Victoria Knox, a heidi magnet, a cow key chain and a mini Cuckoo clock. Swiss chocolates are available around the globe, but if you must get chocolates get them at a supermarket or better at the airport Duty free.
That’s the end of my Zurich, Lucerne and Mt.Titlis trip. I hope you enjoyed reading about it. As I have so many stories to share about each trip, it takes a while to write. I hope that I write the rest of the series soon. Have you been to Switzerland? Tell me about it, in the comments.
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