Switzerland is an absolutely beautiful place,
no matter which Canton or area you find yourself in, it is all beautiful, not only is it perfectly clean and organized but also friendly and tourist accommodating.
I can personally vouch for and guarantee that you will be very happy and amazed by the 6 destinations that I am mentioning in this blog, as I have personally visited these locations on several occasions.
That doesn’t mean that these are the only options, certainly not, there are many beautiful places to be seen all across this small country of 8 million people. In the south, in the Canton of Tessin, where they speak predominantly Italian, you will find the most amazing selection of Castles and ruins starting in Bellinzona as you get further south, close to the Italian border, places like Ascona, Lugano, Morcote, Locarno are places not to be missed, if you prefer not to drive, leave your car at your starting destination and take the train to Lugano, enjoy the ride!
When you are in Switzerland, whether by River cruise, Plane, or Car, the best starting point to see the 6 destinations I am talking about here, would be the City of Lucerne, in Central Switzerland, easy to access by train from Basel or Zürich, or a trip by car within less than an hour.
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The most impressive trip is definitely the Jungfraujoch, “The Top of Europe” at 11,716 feet at the top of the Sphinx. You reach Jungfraujoch by traveling from Lucerne to Interlaken, from there to Grindelwald then up by the cogwheel railroad through a tunnel running through the Eiger and Mönch mountains, the length of the tunnel is 4.3 miles. The tunnel construction started in 1896 and took 16 years and many lives to complete. The construction was troubled by many problems, from monetary shortages to weather and many deaths due to accidents. The worst one was in 1908 when 30 tons of dynamite accidentally exploded.
The Sphinx Observatory is one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world, it houses atmospheric research stations and Europe’s highest radio relay station. When you reach the Eigerwand in the tunnel, you will see a window, about 8 feet long, that was used to remove excavated rock from the tunnel during construction, and also used as access points by climbers, and also rescue parties.
That window was also used during the filming of Clint Eastwood’s motion picture “The Eiger Sanction”
Piz Gloria “The Schilthorn”,
9744 feet, to reach this destination you also travel from Lucerne to Interlaken, or you may drive straight to Interlaken if you prefer. from Interlaken, you travel through the valley of Lauterbrunnen, there are over 70 waterfalls in that region, and you will see several of them on both sides of the valley during your train ride. From Lauterbrunnen, you take the bus to Stechelberg, and from there you get to the Schilthorn by Gondola via Mürren.
Schilthorn is the place where the James Bond movie “In Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was filmed in 1969. The full-service restaurant on top rotates 360° within 55minutes. Try the 007 Burger!
Mount Titlis, 10,600 feet,
to reach Mount Titlis, again, we start out of Lucerne, taking the train to Engelberg, reaching Engelberg, a short walk or bus ride from the train station takes you to the Gondola Station. Once you reach the top you can enjoy a full-service or self-service restaurant, plus souvenir and snack shops.
Enjoy the Cliff Walk, the highest-elevation suspension bridge in Europe since 2012. Take the Ice Flyer over the glacier or walk through the Ice cave.
The Rigi, 5900 feet,
again, from Lucerne you take a cruise on Lake Lucerne to the Village of Viznau, across the lake, from there you take the oldest mountain railway to Rigi-Kulm. Arriving at the top, you will be surrounded by 3 bodies of water; Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug, and lake Lauerz. The name Rigi originates from the “Riginen” (Riginen= Geological layers of Rock) which you will see during the trip going up. You can enjoy a self-serving restaurant, On the way back you can take the route on the opposite side of the mountain which will take you to Arth Goldau, and by train back to Lucerne.
Pilatus, 6900 feet,
starting point Lucerne, take a cruise to Alpnachstad, where you take the steepest Cogwheel Railroad to the top. The tracks were 1889 the cogwheel was powered by steam, then in 1937, it was converted to electricity. It takes 25 minutes to reach the top and reaches a 48% gradient.
It was built with private capital and until today still is run without government subsidizing. The name originates from Pontius Pilati. the 5th Administrator of the Roman province of Judea, who was working for Emperor Tiberius, was known for adjudicating during the trial and the crucifixion of Jesus. They say he is buried on this mountain! The mountain also seems to resemble a big man with a big belly, Pilati, laying on his back!
There are several Legends and Myths surrounding this mountain; in 1241 an enormous dragon, crashed on the land of Farmer Stampflin, who fainted when he observed the dragon crash, when he came to, he found a lump of clotted Dragon blood on a stone. This stone was legally declared as having healing powers in 1509. During the middle ages, dragons with healing powers lived in the rugged clefts and crevices of Pilatus. In 1619 it was written, someone observed a very bright dragon, with flapping wings flying from a cave on Pilatus into another cave opposite the lake.
Mount Pilatus is fortified with gun emplacements, military & civil air space surveillance Radar, and Wheater Stations. You can enjoy lunch or snacks on the open terrace, or there is a full-service and a self-service restaurant available.
Hotel Kulm consists of 27 double rooms and 3 junior suites, and an a la carte restaurant is open to the public.
On the way back down take the large Gondola to Fräkmüntegg, where you can have fun riding the Toboggan Track, 1350 meters long, the biggest Suspension Rope park in Central Switzerland.
Afterward, take the 16000 feet long Gondola to Kriens, a suburb of the city of Lucerne. The gondola track was built in 1954, goes to an altitude of 4892 feet, moves 4.5 meters per second, moves 750 people per hour, and takes 30 minutes to reach Kriens.
Once you arrive in Kriens, a short walk to the bus station, the bus will take you straight to the Train station with no stops in between.
When you arrive in Lucerne, take a stroll over the old wooden bridge, built-in 1333, which burnt down in 1993 because of a Cigar! Rebuilt in 1994.
When you decide to visit Switzerland, get in touch with SwissTravelGuide. to arrange a Tour Guide for your trip.
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Wishing you a Happy New 2022!
Your blogging friend UlrichK
