Switzerland 2020
- Based around a work meeting in Geneva, we took a 12 day trip to Switzerland in winter, riding the trains and seeking the peaks.
- The Swiss Rail half fare travel card provided good value for us.
- Started in Zurich for two nights and did a great side trip to St. Gallen. We could easily have spent more time in this area.
- We then spent three days experiencing alpine rail travel on the Glacier Express . Overnighted in Chur, St. Moritz, and Zermatt. It can be done much quicker but we found that taking more time was rewarding for several reasons. Chur was worth the overnight stop. Travelling Chur to St. Moritz both ways meant one way done late afternoon and the other done early morning. The variety of scenery from St. Moritz to Zermatt warrants a full day in itself. And staying in Zermatt meant we could visit the Gornergrat next morning.
- Our next stop was Wengen in the Bernese Oberland. We wanted to slow down and stay in one place for a few days. Wengen is a lovely village only accessible by rail i.e. no bus tour groups etc. It’s a great base for visiting the Jungfraujoch.
- We finished up in Geneva to meet the work commitments. Coming from Swiss German cantons it felt very much like we’d entered France. With an undeniable Swiss-twist.
Zurich
Flew Hobart to Zurich, landing at 14:00 on Monday afternoon. Checked in to the hotel then rugged up to go outside and acclimatise. Walked down to the lake and up into the old town. Visited the Fraumunster Church, with a history dating back to 853 AD. It has stained glass...
Glacier Express
Caught an afternoon train to Chur. We'd decided to overnight there before joining the Glacier Express and it was a good decision. Stepping out of the train station we had our first taste of getting into the big mountains. Spent a lovely afternoon / early evening walking...
Zermatt and Wengen
Got into Zermatt as the sun was setting. Views from our hotel room were spectacular. Next morning the views were again spectacular, in a different way. As the sun came up it kissed the peak of the Matterhorn then slowly moved down the east face. The valley lit up and we...
Geneva
Arrived in Geneva mid-afternoon. Took a walk down to the lake and around Quai de l'Ile. The lake water flows surprisingly fast. Wandered into the old town and visited Cathedral St. Pierre and its Chapel of the Maccabees. Next morning we headed down to the lake together. It...
