Switzerland is a wonderful country. There is everything to do everywhere for couples, families with children, and groups of friends. They have everything very well mounted especially in the central area of the Alps. Switzerland is a wonderful country and we could be here for a month without stopping to see and do things.
DAY 1: Bern
Our flight left in the morning and before boarding, we changed to Swiss francs. The change was not bad, and with that, we had for the entire trip (not counting the hotels that we paid with a card). In the flight, they give us coffee and a chocolate bar. We arrived very early in Geneva, around 11:30 in the morning and at the airport we took a train that took us to the central station. The airport is very close to the city and it took us about 5 minutes.
In the station called Geneva Cornavin, we left the luggage in a consignment that I think cost us 6 francs and we went to visit the city. We left the station and I do not know very well but we lost the way a bit. My map was a bit bad and asking two or three people did not bring much luck because they did not speak English. We got a little pissed because none was able to tell us where the downtown was and that was not far either. Maybe because of this and because it was very cold, this is the city that we least liked.
Geneva is perhaps also the most modern of all we visited. From the station, we went down the Rue de Mont Blanc to Lake Leman and when I reached the lake it was my first disappointment. I could not see anywhere the geyser and that is 145 meters.
On the lake, we crossed the Bridge des Bergues and went towards the old town. Once in the Bel-Air square, we went through the Confederation Marche street where there were a lot of shops and a market for vegetables and food. We went to the center by the Grand Rue, which is an uphill street from the that you reach the town hall and the old part. Around here there are a lot of galleries and very cute decoration shops that look very good.
At the end of the street there is the little square Bourg de Four and on our left is the St. Pierre Cathedral. One can climb the tower and from which they say that there is a very good panoramic view of the city but we did not go up due to the cold and the wind.
On the right we go down to the Bastions Park to see the Wall of the Reformers which is a 100 m long wall. It is 5 m high that is one of the symbols of the city. And well there we went for a walk, strolled around restaurants and shops and went down again to the lake to see the English garden and the floral clock.
They say that the orthodox church that has golden domes in the shape of a bulb s also worth a visit but is a little further away from the center. So we did not see it.
The day was still horrible. In the area of the lake, the wind almost threw us and we did not want to stay longer in the city. So we decided to leave and when climbing again on the Rue du Mont-Blanc we went to a cafe to eat something. Here we already had contact with the Swiss standard of living.
We went to the station, took the bags and on the first train leave for Bern. The trip lasted almost two hours but it did not take long. The views were beautiful, first by Lake Leman until Lausanne and Montreaux and then by beautiful landscapes until Bern. Arriving in the city it was raining a bit and the hotel was in the center very close to the Nydegg bridge and the Bear Pit. We had to go up there walking.
We walked along the main street that is all covered by arcades so although it rained we did not get wet. These arcades are declared as Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Here the shops were beautiful although they looked expensive.
This street of arcades begins by calling itself Spitalgasse. Then there is another section called Marktgasse, another that is Kramgasse. The last one is Gerechtigkeitsgasse, which was where our hotel was. The hotel was a bed and breakfast and it was a normal house where the owners lived upstairs and rented two rooms downstairs.
Majestically, there was a kitchen where we could have a coffee when we wanted. The bathroom was on the ground floor (being one night we did not mind sharing it at all). Our room was huge and the bed very comfortable and it cost us 150 francs a night.
At 5:00 pm we left our bags and go for a ride. We took a map of the city and as we had seen the area of the arcades coming from the train station we went to the river. We pass the Nydeggbrucke. The place is beautiful with its cute little houses overlooking the river. We take many pictures from above.
And then we went down to the riverbank to take more pictures up close. We spent a lot of time on the river and then we go up Gerechtigkeitsgasse by the little fountains to the Clock Tower. The clock is very nice and a few minutes before completion of the hours a lot of people crowd in front to see some dolls that come out of the clock to move and announce the hours. It is a style similar to Brussels but is smaller. This area is beautiful and we take enough photos.
When going down we went through the Postgasse to see the Town Hall (Rathaus) and a beautiful church that was next to it. Near the hotel, there was also Einstein's house. As it was already after 6pm it was impossible for us because in Switzerland, from 5:00 pm, everything closes.
There is almost no life in the street even though the sun did not go away until 9:30 pm. At 6:30 p.m. we stayed with the owner to pay him and he recommended us to have dinner at a restaurant that was on top in the Rose Garden. This garden is not very popular and on top of the rain, there was almost no one.
We had a great dinner in the restaurant and watched from there the dusk and the little lights of the city were lit one by one. The truth is that Bern was charming. At about 9:30 pm, we went down the hill and went back to the hotel to go to bed so we could get up early the next day.
DAY 2: Interlaken
We got up about 8:00 in the morning. Yesterday the owner of the house told us that today was a holiday in Bern. So we go out and see what we have left of the city although it is tiny and yesterday we saw almost everything.
I eat some bread that I had taken the night before at the restaurant with jam and butter and a not very good coffee in the kitchen below. We went out to the street with an umbrella in hand because the drizzle continues just like yesterday.
There was no one on the street, but only the odd tourist lost like us. We walked to the clock tower. We take another thousand photos and arrive at the Theaterplatz and then further on to Bundesplatz where the parliament is. It was closed, of course. We were in the back that overlooks the river enjoying the views and taking pictures. The truth is that Bern has a special charm even with the rain.
We arrived at the Kirchenfeldbrucke and passed the other side to Helvetiaplatz which is where the most important museums of the city are. Museums can be entered for free with the swiss pass but we did not have time to see any. We crossed the bridge again. Here is also the casino of the city and we took the Munstergasse to get to the cathedral.
At this hour it was drizzling and everything was closed. We did not find any place to have breakfast and we were a bit hungry so we went back to the hotel. We took the bags we had left in the room and went to the station that would be the only place where we would find something open. At about 11.00 we take a train to Interlaken with coffee and croissants in hand.
The journey lasts about 50 minutes. We start to see lakes and mountains. On the way, my head kept spinning. We had so many things to do in the area that I did not know where to start. Although I had prepared the different plans and routes we could do we had arrived very soon and did not want to waste a minute.
We arrived much earlier than expected to Interlaken. It was around 11:45 when we arrived at Interlaken West. We got off and started to see the wonder that we had before us. Interlaken is located in the valley of a set of great mountains and between the lakes of Thun and Brienz. There were only mountains and it was beautiful.
Very close to the station, about 10 minutes past the train tracks and we reach what was called the Unterseen. It is a kind of neighborhood or small town within Interlaken. There was our typical Swiss hotel that was a beautiful wooden house those in the area. We were immediately given the room which was tiny but sufficient and had a bathroom with a shower. It cost us 120 francs a night with breakfast included.
We went to a supermarket to buy some sandwiches to eat later. We decided to take a cruise by the Thun lake that left immediately at 12:45. The cruise stops at the Beatusholen Sundlauenen village where the Saint Beatus Caves was. We decided it was a good idea to be there for a while and come back to the ship again later.
The visit is a little boring but good as we do not normally see many caves with their stalactites and stalagmites. The visit lasted an hour and a half. It takes 25-30 minutes to climb all uphill through some roads surrounded by woods that are beautiful but it is a bit hard. We see moms with baby carts up these slopes.
What is really worthwhile is the path through the woods and the views of the lake as we go up. On the outside, the caves are also very beautiful and there are some beautiful waterfalls. The visit was longer than expected and we had to take the boat at 3:40 that we had to take or return to Interlaken by bus or walk or wait 2 hours to catch the next boat. So we had to run a little downhill to get it.
And there we were again on the boat. We just wanted to be on the deck watching the water and the mountains around us that were beautiful. We had about 10 more stops including the one in Spiez that a very nice town but we could not see and finally we arrived in Thun at 5.30 pm.
In the tourist office of the train station, where we got off the boat we were given a map with a small route. After a little stroll, the truth is that we were quite tired because we had sunbathed on the boat. So we went back to Interlaken by train that did not take long.
We thought about stopping at Interlaken Ost and walking back along the Hoheweg to West. In the end, we almost arrived at Ost and then we came back. On the Hoheweg promenade, we see the Japanese garden, a church next door, the casino and its flower clock, more beautiful than the one in Geneva.
Interlaken, as I said, is super nice but I found it too touristy. The main street has very expensive souvenir shops and restaurants of not very good quality and very expensive. There is even a typical bar where the girls go with very provocative little clothes. We know it from San Francisco and there is also a magazine and a hotel in Las Vegas that are called like that.
It took us a while to find a restaurant to sit down for dinner. In the end, we dined on a terrace on the Marktplatz, which was not very expensive, but it was not that the dishes were too much. After dinner, on the way to the hotel, we took a walk around the Unterseen area, seeing the typical Swiss chalets. We went to the little bed fast as we were tired after the long day we had had.
DAY 3: Jungfrau
Today had to be our big day. Already during the night I was nervous. I woke up several times thinking about whether the day would be clear because we were going to climb the Jungfrau.
We got up at 6.30, had breakfast immediately, bought food in a supermarket because we imagined that eating up would be very expensive. We went to Interlaken West station to catch the train to Interlaken Ost from where we had to take the first train.
There is a morning ticket which is cheaper but leaves Interlaken Ost at 6:30 am. We thought that as we had breakfast included it was a shame to get that ticket and have to spend more money on breakfast as in Switzerland there is nothing cheap. I thought that what we would save taking that first train we would spend it on food. So we decided to go later.
The train left at 8.35 am. I was going to Lauterbrunnen. When we reach Zweilutschinen there was no train and no one. So we decided we were not getting off. In Lauterbrunnen we also wait a while. We already left towards Kleine Scheidegg. The incredible views of the mountains that are coming closer and closer and more beautiful. We go up very slowly so it does not affect the height and it's great! Everyone went near the windows taking a lot of photos.
The villages I stopped for looked like ski resorts in winter. They were beautiful and we could see a lot of life with a lot of hotels and people moving around with suitcases. Arriving at Kleine Scheidegg where the famous wall is so hard to climb we saw how the train at 10:00 that we were supposed to take was leaving and there we waited a little bit for the next one. I know all this because I had a brochure with train schedules and I knew which one to take.
The last train from Kleine Scheidegg is a zipper and goes inside a tunnel made in the mountain. This train makes only two stops of 5 minutes each. Well, we went down in these two stops. We take photos. We saw the beautiful mountains, and then we finally arrived at Jungfraujoch station.
We went through the tunnels like crazy to climb to the highest terrace. We took the elevator and when we went out into the street, with a horrible cold, even a little snow fell from time to time. We could see nothing! Everything was white! Where are the mountains?
I really do not exaggerate. It was like a kind of fog, a white cloud that covered everything and we could not see anything. I stay there in the cold and am angry because I could not believe that I did not see anything after what it had cost to go up there. But soon the sun came out and let us see the wonder of landscape that we expected so much. We were all there like crazy to get a photo of the valley with the JunGfrau, the Monch and the Eiger. Slowly it was getting better.
Well I saw it was there but it did not seem real. They were so nice that I still see the photos now and they seem unreal, as if it were not real that existed. It was totally worth everything we had paid to go up, although it was a pity that we did not have the views all the time but at times when the sun came out.
After taking millions of photos (some better than others) and going very cold, we wanted to go out and touch the snow. The snow came to us from the hip. We were prepared with a good pair of gloves and waterproof pants.
Here we were for quite some time until 1:30. We ate the sandwiches we had and we kept pulling until it started to snow quite hard. It was like a storm. The people who were in a zipline saw absolutely nothing of the snow that was there and I wanted to walk to the shelter. I think I had not seen so much snow in my life.
We managed to enter again covered, because the snow did not let us walk and was difficult to climb. We visit the ice palace and look at the little souvenir shops where there is a post office if you want to send a postcard from 3,400 m high. We did it and we were very happy to receive it.
About 3:30 it was very cold and since we were not going to do more than we had done we decided to take the train to go down. Here it was a bit chaotic because we waited for a long queue. When the train came we ran like crazy, although in the end the train turned out to be quite big and we even sat down.
We were tired and through the tunnel, the trip became a little heavy. When we got to Kleine Scheidegg we took the train in the other direction from which we had come to see the other side of the valley as recommended by everyone.
On the Lauterbrunnen side we can see the snowy peaks and as we go up the train we can see them closer. On the side of Grindelwald we see the valley that is very deep and we can see the little houses and people. It is all so green and so beautiful that I almost liked this side a little more.
In all the stations where we stopped we wanted to get off. When we got to Grindelwald it was beautiful, also surrounded by towering mountains. I also saw people moving to hotels and restaurants. I do not know how the price will be.
Not too late we took the train to Interlaken and as this time we had to stop at Interlaken Ost we walked to Interlaken West. We passed through the English garden. We realized that behind it there was a kind of rack train that went up the mountain that we had not seen until now because it was like hiding among the trees. The views from above were beautiful.
We were really hungry and finally we wanted to try a cheese fondue. We saw a restaurant that had it but for me it looked to be very touristy. When we found a table on the terrace comes a super rude waitress who tells us that the price is per person. We cannot ask for tap water when all over Switzerland they put tap water in jars even in good restaurants. I got so upset that after asking, I got up.
Well in the end in Interlaken West we had dinner in a very Swiss restaurant where the waitresses were very nice and where we tried our fondue. I looked a bit strong because I had enough alcohol but well, we were there and had to try it. Back to the hotel we went to the right to see the houses next to the river and the town hall of Unterseen.
We were tired and surely that night we were going to sleep like babies. The truth is that the day had been just great.
DAY 4: Lucerne
We got up early to catch the train in Interlaken West for Interlaken Ost and there in the train at 6am to Lauterbrunnen.
We had thought to leave the suitcases at the hotel but it seems a waste of time to return to the hotel to look for them when today we are going to move all the time from Interlaken Ost. So we take the suitcases and leave them in the ticket offices.
In 20 min we are in Lauterbrunnen. Just after leaving the station we take a bus that take us to the Trummelbach Falls. We were in the best time that is when all the snow melts and the falls were incredible. We go up in an elevator and go down some ramps and stairs watching these waterfalls. The views of the valley and the town of Lauterbrunnen is incredible!
When we got on the bus we asked a lady to ask for the cable car as it was very early when we left to see the waterfalls. The last stop was Stechelberg (922 m) and there we took a cable car that took us up to Gimmelwald (1400 m) and then to Murren (1684 m). Murren was beautiful, another typical alpine village.
We went down to Gimmelwald and there we took the cable car again to go down to the bottom. Everything is so well marked that it is very easy. The route we took was downhill and it took us about 40 minutes to stop taking pictures every 2 minutes. It was easy and the views were great.
Already down before returning to Interlaken by bus we eat sandwiches that we had bought in a supermarket in Murren. We take pictures of the big waterfalls that are seen all over the town. The area was amazing and I did not want to leave. I could not stop walking and see things. I was very sad to leave.
To go to Zermatt we take the train. The trip lasted 3 hours. Especially the last section was the most beautiful or even the only one in which I have been awake. The line of the horizon with the snowy mountains was already visible in the distance.
When I arrived in Zermatt I could not believe it with the clear sky and a pleasant temperature of 9 degrees. The town is very touristy, but I still have to admit that it is beautiful. There are no motor vehicles. At the time I arrived there were already people queuing to take the zipper train to Gornergrat. Especially people who go for skiing.
As I was still not sure if I was going to climb up Mount Gornergrat, I decided to look for the hiking route recommended by the LP. I found it quickly, but with the snow I decided to return to the village. The descent was much more dangerous than the climb. Luckily I found on the way a cane that someone has left and with that I go down.
So I take a walk around the town and decide to go to the matterhorn museum, recommended by the guide. It's the rare glass building next to the church. We take advantage of the good weather to get on the rack train. So I made the full trip, to the Gornergrat. I have a drink in the hotel restaurant and see the landscape in a viewpoint with 360 degree visibility accompanied by the clear day.
I go down to the town on the rack railway and with time to catch the train back I took advantage of it to eat the sandwich of the day.
We arrived at Interlaken at 2:00 pm and our panoramic train departed at 3:15. When arriving I realized that there was one for Lucerne at 2 pm that I do not know where it had come from because I had not seen it on the internet.
Well at first we had a coffee in the station quietly until 1:45 pm. At 2 pm we were already on the train road to Lucerne. The road by train was wonderful. We passed by Lake Brienz, mountains and other lakes and beautiful villages where people were swimming because it was very hot.
We arrived in Lucerne at 4 pm, an hour earlier than expected. The station is next to the lake and we can see the famous bridge of the chapel that we have seen so many times. So it is impossible to get lost. Here it was quite hot and it did not take long to reach the hotel by Bahnhofstrasse street following the river bank.
We had to check in at the hotel and when we arrived they told us that they had given us an upgrade and that we were staying at the hotel instead of at the pension. Although it was a bit old it was fine and for one night more than enough.
After a shower because we were dying of heat we went down to see the city. Lucerne is tiny and the main thing is seen immediately. We toured the river on the side where the hotel was until the Chapel Bridge that is beautiful with its Water Tower.
We went to the other shore that was full of bars and restaurants. We saw the town hall, and some beautiful houses that are next door that have some frescoes painted on their facades. Behind the town hall there is a set of streets and squares such as the Weinplatz and Muhlenplatz that are very beautiful. This is a shopping area but they were already closed.
We sit in a bar at the Muhlenplatz having a drink. Afterwards we went for a walk back to the hotel's edge by the Spreuer Bridge which is less known than the Chapel Bridge. The center was already more than seen and we crossed the Seebruecke to see the area of the lake.
Next to the station was the exhibition center that stands out by the lake and that is made of steel and glass. It is too modern for a city as beautiful as Lucerne, in my opinion.
As soon as we reached the lake, it was unbelievable because we passed by the first pier and saw that in 20 minutes a 2-hour cruise was scheduled. We thought about it at a time and there we went. The cruise on Lake Thun was nice but on this lake the views are different.
Yes, we can also see the little houses and mounts of fonde but here we can see the luxury of each corner. We see houses on the shore of the lake with its small steps to enter the water and its docks to moor yachts. In addition there were enough people sailing.
When we left Lucerne it was not so hot because it was 7:15 pm and we saw the sunset and we enjoy the views a lot. As we had not eaten anything since the meal, I forgot to say that we had some salads on the boat that had a restaurant and everything. It was not too expensive either. We arrived at 9:45 pm and walked slowly to the hotel along the lake. Today had also been a very good day.
DAY 5: Zurich
Today we woke up a little later for our custom at 9:00! Today we only had to see some things in Lucerne before leaving for Zurich. The first thing we did was have breakfast in a cafeteria on the other side of the Mills Bridge and then we went up a few streets to see the Musegg mural.
Above all we liked the tower of time where they say is the oldest clock in the city. From here the views of the city and the lake are very beautiful. We went back down to the old part. We wandered around the squares behind the town hall, although it was Sunday and there was nothing open as usual.
We reached the lake and went a little down Lowenstrasse. We stopped to see collegiate church before the mass began. Then we continued to the end of the street to see the lion of Lucerne which is the monument of a dying lion sculpted in the rock. I have to say that before coming I had never heard of that lion. While traveling I learn so many things.
Also here is a huge picture of the war called Bourbaki Panorama which is considered a denunciation of the war and a monument to the first humanitarian actions that were carried out by the Red Cross. At this time we had seen it all.
As it was Sunday there were many people walking by the lake and we decided to do the same for the shore. We went through the different docks, through the casino and finally we arrived at a garden area that was beautiful. We could see people sailing or on terraces that looked quite expensive with people who were very well dressed.
Other people were cycling or rollerblading and we even saw people swimming in the lake as well as in a very cool pool on the edge of the lake. We decided to go back to the hotel to look for the suitcases. We have a final look at the Chapel Bridge with its Water Tower and the lake. We take a turn on the outside by the Jesuit Church, the Ritter Palace and the Franciscan Church from outside.
We collected our bags at the hotel. We bought food in a supermarket at the train station and we rode at 1:00 on the way to Zurich. It took about 50 minutes, and in the Zurich central station that was huge there was a Thai festival with music and stalls that sold typical things.
We went out and looked for the hotel that was just across the river by the Bahnhofbrucke on the Zahringerstrasse which is parallel to the river. The room was not ready until 3pm and we decided to leave our bags and take a little spin.
I do not know why but I could not imagine Zurich like that. I thought it was more industrial and uglier and it turned out to be pretty cute. The center as always was seen right away. We toured the river along the Limmatquai promenade sheltered from the heat by arcades that had bars, restaurants and trendy outlets, some very modern.
We walked to the Rathaus Brucke which is where is the cathedral, the Town Hall and the Fraumunster Church with the beautiful clock. We returned to the hotel because we were a little tired and it was quite hot at 3:00 pm.
The room had little furniture but everything was very new and clean and the bathroom was huge. The price with breakfast included was quite good too. We take a shower and rest a bit but I felt like I always feel when I'm on vacation. Although I'm tired I can do much more, see more things and take more time and decided to go out for a while.
I did not go far. I went to the station to confirm what time the trains left for the next day to go to see the Rhine falls. On leaving, I went to the Bahnhofplatz square and see where the famous Bahnhofstrasse started. I had a coffee in the cafe while reading things about the city in the Switzerland travel guide.
I returned at 5:15 pm and walked from the station across the Bahnhofstrasse to see the expensive shops and the big boutiques although there were few people because it was closed.
A little before half of Bahnhofstrasse we go up Lindenhofstrasse to first a park and then a viewpoint on a small hill from where there is a wonderful view of the river and the city of Lindenhof. We got off and went back to Bahnhofstrasse. Over here there are some precious views of the clock in the Fraumunster church.
On this street along with shops, there are many banks. Locals say that below the street there are innumerable passages and tunnels that would be used in case of nuclear war to maintain the clients banking secrecy. This street finishes in the Zurich lake. From the dock there were some cruises on the river and on the lake that we could have done but we thought we had done enough cruises.
It was Sunday and the lake was full of people. We passed by the Opera whose plaza was under construction. We walked a lot of time along the shore watching people sunbathe on the rocks, bathe, play football. In one area there were even enough stones and they had made different figures that were very funny.
We came to a park where there was a Chinese garden but it was closed and we could not see it. We could not do any more and it was quite hot. So we decided to go through Alderstrasse and take the Seefeldstrasse street that is parallel to the lake tram that took us back to the river. We stopped at the town hall.
We wanted to dine in the hotel area and we did it in a restaurant in Niederdorfstrasse, one of the streets where there are more hotels and restaurants. It was a Swiss and we tried the reglette cheese, which is a sheet cheese that is melted on an iron and that is poured over potatoes and vegetables. It was not bad but it was a bit of a pain to eat just cheese like that.
After dinner we sat in an ice cream parlor next to the river to eat a little ice cream. It was airy and it was great.
DAY 6: Rhine Falls
Today was going to be one of the best days of the trip. After breakfast (very good indeed in the hotel) we stopped first to buy food and fruit in the supermarket next to the station that is huge. We take the train at 8 am. There was a train to Schaffhausen every hour.
We arrived at 9 and at the station we took the bus that takes us to the town of the falls called Stein am Rhein. We stopped at the Zentrum stop and there are signs that tell us in which direction the falls are. On arrival we see them from behind and they do not seem so big.
There are two options to go to the right that is the restaurant area and where is the boats that go to the falls or go to the left that is like a mountain with the castle. We went to the right and started to see the falls! I have seen the gigantic Niagara falls and the Iguazu falls, but the Rhine Falls seemed gigantic! We loved, one of the most beautiful things of the trip.
We walked to the area where the boats depart. There are many types with one that go closer to the falls and one can go up to the little mountain in the middle from where one can see them under. Another goes to the edge of the castle and others that has a little longer duration of about 45 minutes. The prices are not very expensive.
The truth is that we get a little wet. We could climb the mountain that is in the middle of the falls and see them up close. Then we get to the other side and as we have to turn around it took us about 20 or 25 minutes but we enjoyed the views at every moment. The waterfalls are very close and the views are incredible!
Down here were so good and the views were so beautiful that we ate here and spent a lot of time sitting down watching the force with which the water fell. We went up to take the bus again and when we stopped at the Schaffhausen station we took a walk around the town that I had read was very beautiful. We had a drink in a cafeteria and in about an hour we took the train back to Zurich.
In Zurich we went to the hotel to change and we went out to the Bahnhofstrasse street. The most expensive stores were open and there were enough people buying. We went back up to Lindenhof and we saw people play chess.
At the end of Bahnhofstrasse we see a lot of businessman and women coming out of big banks and offices, with their expensive strollers. We went back up and wandered a little through the shops on the other side of the river and crossed the river and went to the lake by Schifflande. We were wrong because I wanted to go through Oberdorfstrasse that came in my switzerland city guide as an interesting little street.
And finally we get to the lake again where we bought something to drink and we sat for a while to see the boats and ducks. Later we dined in a place that was in a little square behind the cathedral that we chose by chance and that turned out to be great.
We returned taking a walk by the river and we said goodbye to the city we were leaving the next day. The trip was coming to an end slowly.
DAY 7: Basel
After breakfast, we went directly to the train station at about 9 in the morning. We had already seen everything we wanted to see in Zurich and we wanted to see Basel before catching the flight back.
The first train that went to Basel was a super modern silver train that went up to Frankfurt. It was very modern and very comfortable with pillows and a table to support things. The pity is that the landscape we saw was of factories, towns and houses that had nothing to do with what we had seen in the previous days.
Behind were the lakes, mountains and idyllic landscapes of Central Switzerland.
As soon as we arrived we asked for a Switzerland map at the tourist office and we started walking towards the center. This time the station was not as close as in other cities. We went down Elisabethenstrasse to the Elisabethkirche church. It was very beautiful with beautiful glass windows and we climbed some stairs and there we saw another staircase that went up to the tower. And as we go everywhere we went.
In the end we reached the bell tower and the views of the city and the Rhine were totally worthwhile. Around this church, there is a small square with animated figures. It reminded me of those in the Centre Pompidou in Paris, although these are black and white and in Paris are colored.
In this area there are a lot of museums and the main theater of Basel. Around here we went down to the Marktplatz or Market Square where the town hall was. It is beautiful, with dark and bright colors and we go inside to the patio that is also beautiful.
There was a fruit and vegetable market and a lot of small shops but we did not see the luxury of other Swiss cities like Lucerne or Zurich. It looked normal with shops and people shopping or going to work.
Further on is the Fischmarkt next to the Middle Bridge. It is a very old Roman bridge that has a chapel in the middle. We went to the other side of the bridge and it was almost noon. People were sitting on the shore eating their salads and their sandwiches in the sun before going back to work.
We were not hungry yet but we sat for a while to enjoy the views. Before crossing the bridge we saw a cafe and came back to see if we can find something there to eat but it was too expensive. It was not worth spending so much on a simple salad. So we prefer to buy it in a normal supermarket.
We ate at the river's edge. This time we did not cross it. We stayed on the nearest shore eating our salad and enjoying the views. When we got tired, the only thing we had to see was the cathedral. So we went to see it.
We went up a few streets that overlooked the Cathedral Square. There was the cathedral of a dark red color although it was under construction and had enough tarps to cover it. We entered through a patio which is a kind of terrace from which there were incredible views of the river and we stayed there for a while.
We now have to get to the airport as soon as we could to catch the plane. We took the bus and in a very short time we were in the airport. We did not want to leave Switzerland for anything in the world.
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