Evening View from our Hotel Room Balcony
We first came to Switzerland as students, several years ago. We both loved it and said we'd go back, and finally, this is our return trip in May this year. We chose to stay in a hotel on Lake Lucerne (Luzern) but not in Lucerne itself. The lake is large and there are several smaller towns around it. By choosing a smaller town we were able to select a hotel that cost less but still provided a high standard. We chose to stay at Pilatus See Hotel (which has a four star rating complete with indoor pool, spa and gym) in the small town of Hergiswil. We chose to hire a car at the airport (not as expensive as you might think, especially filling up in the smaller towns) and travel by car to everywhere we visited; But you could, with some organisation, travel through Switzerland and the majority of not all, its sights by train. There was a station, just a five minute walk from the hotel for example. By road the transfer from the airport was approximately one hour fifteen minutes but would certainly take longer in rush hour - I think it's fair to say that any journey that takes you through or partly through Zurich is lengthy. The Swiss road planners are very fond of traffic lights, very fond. We had prebooked our car hire, seeking the best deal before hand and we'd entered our details on line; this avoided any lengthy queues at the airport.
The Pilatus See Hotel had a bit of a 1980s feel about it. In other words, there are parts that could do with a bit of modernisation. That said, it's very clean, very functional and the staff were very accommodating. We chose to stay half board because my husband is both gluten and dairy intolerant. The food was very good and they catered carefully for his dietary needs, providing him with an adjusted menu each evening. Should you not have dietary requirements, most people were choosing from the main menu, not having pre booked the half board but certainly consider it as the price was very reasonable. Wine in Switzerland is expensive both by the glass or per bottle. It's worth noting that their glass sizes are smaller than the UK, our smallest being 125ml in Switzerland it's 100ml and they measure carefully (at least in my experience) unlike some of our Mediterranean neighbours. In fact, there is a Co-Op supermarket about 100m from the hotel which sells everything you might need, including wine. A glass on the balcony before dinner went down well and saved cost.
Hergiswil with Mt Pilatus behind
The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc but Euros are widely accepted and we had no trouble paying by card on our phones for the holiday duration. One Swiss Franc is equivalent to approximately one Euro at the time of travel. In our experience the most commonly spoken language was German (or a regional version of it). In some shops and restaurants, English was not spoken and I was desperately trying to rake up any snippets of language I could recall from a year of German teaching from school. That said, most people who did not speak English spoke French in addition to their German and we could get by with a combination of all three languages. Everyone was very patient and polite but I do think they appreciated us trying our best to speak German when possible. (In 2020, 63% of Swiss spoke German, 23% French, 8% Italian and the remainder Romansch).
We opted to splash out on our room and had the Lopper Suite which provided a large spacious lounge and bedroom. The main attraction was the extensive balcony overlooking the lake and mountains beyond. We never tired of watching this view changing with the weather and time of day. Definitely worth securing a lake view.
Hergiswil town (or village perhaps) is not large. More of a drive through, it is built mainly against the side of the lake. It houses a glass blowing museum and shop where you can buy the hand blown products ranging from large platters, any type of glass you can imagine to baubles, marbles and little glass animals. There was a charming lakeside cafe open at the riverside taxi/ferry terminal although the ferry did not seem to be running, perhaps as we visited at low season.
Day One - Rhine Falls and Schaffhausen
Rheinfall
Our first full day we chose to travel approximately an hour and half north of the hotel (around Zurich so the return journey was longer due to traffic). This was a wet weather day for us. The Rhine Falls (Rheinfall) are found (of course) on the river Rhine which has its source in the south-east mountains of Switzerland. It demarks part of the Swiss border with Austria, Lichenstein and Germany as it finds its towards some other great European cities Strasbourg, Cologne and Dusseldorf, ending around Rotterdam and joining with Amsterdam via the famous Rhine - Amsterdam canal.
The Rhine Falls are pretty spectacular being the biggest in Europe in terms of width and volume of water passing per second. (The stats are 150m wide, 23m tall and in the summer 600,000 litres or water per second pass though).
There are boat trips available that take you up to the bottom of the falls themselves. One, drops you off onto a small rocky island in the middle of the falls which you can climb to the top and be in the middle of the falls themselves. We chose to walk along the side of the falls from Schlossiworth taking in the viewing points along the side. These enable a very good line of sight of the falls and there is no additional cost attached once parking has been paid for. The route involves several steps up to eventually take you above the falls and across the railway bridge to the fort/castle on the far bank (Schloss Laufen). Here there is a restaurant and shop and access to a glass lift down (worth going in the lift - views are worth noting). There are a series of further viewing platforms on this side of the river most accessible for a small extra payment.
You can park on either side of the falls but the best pictures are taken from the left hand bank as you look towards the falls because you are looking towards the castle which is largely set in woodland, creating a natural setting for the waterfall. This side of the falls, or at least over near the carpark is where the boat trips launch from and up from the carpark is a highropes challenge park if you fancy it.
From here, we took a ten minute drive (possibly a walk of about 3-4km one way) to Schaffhausen which has an quaint medieval town, a fort dating from 1589, fountains and views back to the Rhine. The main street, which is cobbled and pedestrianised, has some beautiful Baroque style buildings with bay windows and painted/ decorated facades. The Haus Zim Ritter (House of the Knight) has a Rennaissance fresco a recreation of the original (which was removed for preservation).
View from the steps to the Munot Fort in Schaffhausen
The Munot Fortress was finished in 1589 and is used for community events. It is worth climbing the many stairs (stairs of death as I named them) to see the views from the top back to the Rhine and gain an idea of how the town sits in its surroundings. On the way up are views over some of the older houses' rooves and the small vineyard growing up the fortress' slopes.
Day Two - Mount Titlis
The second day of our trip we chose to head to the big mountains. We drove to Engelberg, approximately thirty minutes from our hotel. This is a small ski resort with a big cable car up into the ski zone. There are some big, smart hotels in the town but not a great deal to be visited besides. We noted a large Monastry, Engelberg Abbey, which has a notable rose garden I believe but it was too early in the season for blooms (Engleberg is approximately 1000m above sea level) and what looked to be a rather nice tea room.
World's First Rotating Cable Car
We parked up and paid for tickets for the gondola on the day. In peak season, you may need to book on line. Although Mount Titlis is not as famous as its near neighbours at Junfraujop, it is about half the cost of going to the summit there. Worth considering in your planning. The first cable car station takes you up to the mid station Trubsee with it's snow-park and the second leg is on board what was the World's first rotating cable car. This is in fact a large open car which takes a large group, make sure you can see out of a window as standing in the middle is a bit of waste. The cable car completes just one full 360 rotation on the journey up, allowing great views. It's no theme park ride and there is no need for nerves.
The weather on our day was very disappointing despite all the forecasts to the contrary. Low cloud meant we couldn't see much and I'd recommend being sure of the forecast before you book or go. The webcams on the website are probably the most accurate idea of what can actually be seen from the top - the weather reports continuously told us it was sunny where we were despite the fact it was actually snowing. That said, there is still plenty to see if the views are restricted on your day.
Inside the Glacier
The top of mount Titlis station is at 3020m above sea level and the rotating cable car arrives into the bottom of a five story building. The first attraction is the ice cave walk. This is 150m in length and takes you inside the glacier. It is a man-made passage way, which varies in depth under the ice from 3-20m, the temperature is a constant -1.5C. The base of the glacier cave is roughly stationary but the surface moves around half a meter a year. It provides an odd sensation (not that you can feel the movement of course); it is well lit with coloured lights and you walk along the ice floor (caution: wear sensible shoes with grip).
There is also a gift shop on this level of the building but it sells the generic Switzerland merchandise which is available in all tourist gift shops across Switzerland. The next floor up houses the restaurant which, this being a ski resort, was pretty much as expected. We chose self-service and the goulash was excellent (if not cheap). Up a floor again, and you're into the Swiss chocolate shop, again fairly generic chocolates available - other handmade shops in the towns and villages are much more of interest. A whole floor appeared to be given over to taking selfies - I believe you can even hire a traditional costume in the costume shop if you fancy a slightly different picture to send to your audience. The small coffee/ice-cream bar was actually rather good, with views to sit and ponder.
Outside, there was a small terrace area, with potentially a heated floor to melt the snow. This terrace affords spectacular views over the mountains of Switzerland (although not while we were there sadly). It was snowing though and this seemed to thrill the coach load of overseas visitors also visiting.
Europe's Highest Suspension Bridge
From this point, you can take the 'Ice Flyer' chair lift down over the glacier for an extra payment (payable as you get on to the lift). Or included in the original cost is the walk out onto the highest suspension bridge in Europe. This is a walkway, about 1m wide, held over a sheer drop next to the mountain cliff face. Not for the feint hearted this one as the bridge moves as people walk along it and although the views will be amazing, it requires some nerve. Even with much of the mountains and indeed drop below covered in cloud, it wasn't for me. I was happy to see it but remained firmly on the mountain side. (Note: if the weather is windy, both these attractions may be closed).
After the mountains and what was a relatively busy attraction we drove a few minutes up the valley from Engelberg towards a much smaller ski gondola Speilpark Engelberg (used in the summer season for walking) along the Wasserfalls Strasse. In Spring/Summer this road offers lovely green forest views with long drop waterfalls visible on both sides of the valley. We parked up by the gondola and walked behind into the woodland across the picturesque river Tierenbach along well-made paths towards Hindsbach Wasserfall. There were plenty of picnic opportunities and the wild woodland flowers were a plenty. We didn't see another soul on this walk.
Day Three - Grindelwald
View from Grindelwald, The North Face of the Eiger
On the third day, we set out for an hour and half drive to Grindelwald which is a ski village set at the bottom of the north face of the Eiger. The inspiration for the brand North Face. My Other Half (OH) had visited as a child and camped with his family and had happy memories of this area. Grindelwald town or village centre is looking a little dated and fatigued - very much a ski resort but look out from the town itself and the surrounding Swiss cottages set in the rolling green foothills are a beautiful sight. They're surrounded by natural meadows and May is a great time to see them.
At the bottom of the village, is a new cable car that connects to the Jungfraujoch mountain area, known as the top of Europe 3,454m above sea level. Snow and ice are guaranteed year round. It boasts the Sphinx viewing building, the ice palace and a plateau for walking in the 'eternal snow'. You can also take the highest train in Europe after the cable car up to the mountain. Obviously, this all benefits from a clear day and as before, the best way to do this is to check the webcams to see what visibility is like. This may be tricky as this area is much busier than Mount Titlis and may need advanced booking at peak times. That said, it is pricey and you'll want to have the weather to fully appreciate the experiences on offer.
From Grindelwald, we went back down the valley and branched off towards the infamous ski resort of Wengen with it's legendary ski run. We were headed towards Lauterbrunnen which is a very picturesque traditional village much less developed than Grindelwald. For me, it had more atmosphere although I can imagine it being very busy in summer. It is home to the stunning Staubach waterfall which should be appreciated fully in the morning light. By about 1pm, the sun goes off the falls and the magic of the illuminated spray is lost lessening the impact of the falls in my opinion. The water drops 297m and appears to fall onto a beautiful meadow. Looking up and behind you, the ski resort of Wengen can be seen.
Lauterbrunnen
Headed back down the valley towards Interlaken, we chose to visit the calmer of the two lakes (Lake Brienz) that Interlaken sits between (Lake Thun is the larger lake but is often more choppy due to the wind coming up the valley; Lake Brienz is smaller but more still). If you have time, Thun itself would be worth a detour as it has a stunning 12th century castle worth viewing.
Lake Brienz
We headed to Lake Brienz, 14km long, 2.8km wide and 260m deep it has a stunning water colour caused by the minerals from the rocks. Brienz village sits on the lake front and is a lovely spot for a stroll or just to sit and enjoy the views. The high mountains can be seen between those around the lake itself. The lake is currently thought to be the cleanest in Switzerland. Boat trips were available.
Day Four - Lucerne
Lake Lucerne
The OH is no shopper which meant that a Sunday was the perfect day for us to visit Lucerne which sits on the lake of its name, but if you like to browse the shops, beyond the tourist shops and cafes (which do open on Sunday) then choose another day for your visit. It is definitely worth putting Lucerne on your Switzerland tour list, in fact it even made our Interrailing tour when we were students. The walled old town area (the wall boasts nine towers) is charming. It's easy to put the map away for a bit and just have a wonder as it really is small enough not to get seriously lost. Many of the older buildings have fresco frontages. You'll wonder through to the river Reuss which is regulated to maintain safe levels within the lake Lucerne itself, preventing flooding of the city.
There are a number of bridges across the river, including the famous Chapel bridge and the slightly less famous Spreuer bridge (itself built in 1408). The Spreuer bridge has a series of paintings within the enclosed interior dating from 1625 by Caspar Meglinger. The Chapel bridge which is recognisable across the world, has the famous water tower (C1290) part way along and is approximately 650 years old. It was restored after a devastating fire in 1993.
Some of the best views for photographs are available from the newer road bridge looking back towards the Chapel bridge.
I'd recommend taking a stroll lakeside in front of the old grand hotels. There is a lovely tree covered walk way and plenty of boats offering tours of the lake or a restaurant. On a clear day, the walk offers a good perspective of how lake Lucerne sits in its mountainous surroundings.
At the shopping end of the lakeside walk, we found a delightful art deco style cafe/restaurant above a shop. At busy times you may need to book ahead but we were lucky enough to secure a table for a little brunch break.
Day Five - Lichenstein
The Main Square Vaduz
Lichenstein is the sixth smallest country by area (160 square km) in the world and shares borders with Switzerland and Austria. It was a reasonable hour and half drive to the capital city Vaduz from our hotel. As you can imagine, Vaduz is a small city of around 5-6,ooo people. It has a small pedestrian area in the centre where the three main museums are and the parliament buildings. It is a pleasant enough place to visit, but unless you specifically want to spend time in the museums a 2-3hour visit is more than enough, including lunch. In part, this is because the castle which sits above the city slightly is currently closed to visitors for restoration. We did walk up the steep paths towards it, taking in the views of the mountains back to Switzerland, the river Rhine and the high end houses and apartments on the way up. The castle was first mentioned in 1322 and the tower dates from the 13th century. It was extended in the 17th century and since 1938 has been the permanent residence of the ruling Princes. On the pathway up, are several signs (in English) describing the history, economy, workings of the Principality in terms of its parliament and the royal lineage - a really interesting read and great excuse to take a breather on the very steep walk up. At the top, the path opens up before the castle to reveal a beautiful mountain meadow.
The Bridge between Swizerland and Lichenstein
The river Rhine forms the border between Switzerland and Lichenstein and the city of Vaduz sits in the Rhine valley. A wooden bridge has been restored across the river dating back to the 1800s. It is approximately 136m long.
Lichenstein uses both the Swiss Franc and Euro.
The beauty of having our own car is making unscheduled stops and on the return journey to the hotel we did just that. The sun came out and we stopped at lake Walen at a place called Walenstadt. A lakeside beach in summer, we were able to walk along the lake edge taking in the sunshine and spectacular mountain views. From this vantage point, there were geological phenomena a plenty to see with various waterfalls, hanging valleys and more. There is even a lakeside vineyard, belying this sunny spot.
Lake Walen
Day Six - Bern
Bern - World Heritage Site
Bern is the capital city of Switzerland and the 4th largest behind Zurich, Geneva and Basel in terms of population size. It hosts the highest density of microbreweries in the country making it the Swiss Beer capital. Toblerone is still entirely produced in Bern too.
According to legend, the city's founder Duke Berthold 5th Von Zahringen vowed to name the city after the first animal he successfully hunted there. This turned out to be a bear, which became the city's name sake and emblem. The city still houses a bear enclosure over the cobbled bridge down from the city centre at the end of the main street. The enclosure has been extended since 2010 and now includes a large proportion of the river bank with trees, space to dig and roam. Bears have been on display in the city since 1513, although no bears live in the wild in Switzerland any longer (extinct through hunting since 1904). We had visited Bern and loved it on our Interrailing trip some thirty years previously. An over riding memory for me was the bear enclosure at the time, which you can still see today in the same area but which caused me quite some distress with its size and lack of stimulation for the animals. The current arrangement is a huge improvement. Another memory was the Scottish football fans congregating in the main square, probably partaking in the Swiss microbrewery beers before a game with Switzerland that evening.
Bern's city centre is a UNESCO world heritage site (since 1983). It has impressive sandstone buildings and on the main street these have archways or alleys (6km in total) with undercover shop fronts - ideal for a wet day visit. Many of these arcades are 15th century and there are eleven impressive 16th century Renaissance fountains to enjoy too. The city is 562m up from the beautifully coloured river Aare which tumbles at pace round the city. A great spot to view the river and houses below, with their hexagonal tiles, is the Cathedral terrace or minster platform. Some of the gardens below are remarkable. The Cathedral (Berner Munster) itself is stunning; construction was started in 1421. Its 100m spire can be climbed.
Beautiful River Aare
In the centre of the main street is the Zytglogge or astronomical clock tower. Allow an extra four minutes before the hour to enjoy its chime movements. The Einstein museum can be found on the main street at Einstein House. Einstein himself spent a couple of years in Bern (1903-5) after moving to Switzerland from Germany as a child. It was in Bern that he developed the theory of relativity.
I love Bern and think it would make a fabulous city break. There are plenty of restaurants and bars, interesting shops including plenty of independent stores. The city has a large university and the vibe felt youthful and modern despite the historic surroundings.
I hope you've enjoyed my summary of our little tour of Swizlerland. It is a beautiful country that is well worth a visit. It really has a great infrastructure and knows how to cater sensitively with it's tourists, to ensure we can enjoy everything the country has to offer without feeling overly intrusive. Do go if you get the opportunity.
Thank you for reading,
Claire