Switzerland. February 2020
postcard from Iseltwald
After my semi-solo Myanmar trip last Fall, I have been thinking about doing a longer solo trip to mark the start of my 30s. Switzerland has always been on my list, and went I found a good deal on the tickets, I jumped on it and decided to spend 10 days exploring the country by train - alone.
Traveling alone has always been a scary thought to me, but at the same time, liberating. Throughout the trip I found myself looking out to the amazing scenery in front of me and pondering how I got there, and giving myself a moment to think about all the emotions going through my head - those thoughts, emotions and insecurities that I never delved deep into. I realized I was really decompressing, and it felt great.
Zurich
I flew into Zurich on a Saturday morning, and the first order of business is to get my train travel pass that would allow me to travel freely throughout the country. I had downloaded the SBB mobile app ahead on my phone, and made my most expensive purchase of this trip for the 8-day Swiss Travel Pass at the SBB office. The train ride to Zurich was a breeze and I made it to my hotel in the heart of Old Town all before lunch time. After taking a nap and freshening up it was time to eat and explore the city! I grabbed a sandwich in Old Town and sat at a bench people watching, and walked across the bridge to Lindenhof Hill, the hilltop spot of a former Roman fort, for a great city view. There is something about European cities that make them just as dreamy in gloomy weather as on a sunny day. Maybe it’s the view of the Swiss Alps in the background?
After a scroll in Old Town, I took the tram to the FIFA World Football museum, learned that I can never become a referee and spent the afternoon in the gaming zone with little kids (seriously though it was a lot of fun).
There are no boat tours in Lake Zurich in the winter time but a sunset stroll along the river do just fine. My first dinner in Switzerland was of course a cheese fondue course at Le Dézaley that was way too much for one, and because there is always room for dessert, I got ice cream right after my meal.
Lucerne, Vitznau and Goldau
The next morning I took the train to Lucerne, just a train ride under an hour away from Zurich. I was staying at Château Gütsch, a former castle turned hotel. The lift/ funicular up to the hotel gave me a glimpse of the wonderful views up at the top, and sure enough the views of the city and Lake Lucerne did not disappoint.
I decided to follow the tourist route and took the scenic ferry ride across Lake Lucerne to Vitznau, then the cogwheel train up to Mount Rigi (all of which are covered with the Swiss Travel Pass). As the cogwheel train make its ascent towards Rigi Kulm, the windows of the train started fogging up, and snow covered mountains appeared before my eyes. Once I got to Rigi Kulm, I switched from the red cogwheel train to the blue cogwheel train to head to Goldau.
Goldau has a nature and animal park where native animals roam freely, and you can purchase food to feed the sika deer and mouflons!
I made it back to Lucerne just in time for sunset and walked across the famous Chapel Bridge, a wooden bridge dated back to 1333 and now the oldest one in Europe. Right by the water there is a casual eatery called Mill’Feuille and I finished out my day with a meal before heading back to my castle for the night.
Château Gütsch in the background
Lucern at night
Langis
I was looking for activities to do while in Switzerland and decided to check on Airbnb experiences since I enjoyed my last one in Italy a lot. I came across a snowshoeing tour in the Lake Lucerne region that worked with my schedule, and reached out to the host René to confirmed the details before I booked it. I checked out of my hotel in Lucerne early and took the morning train to our meeting point in Sarnen. René picked me up from the train station and we drove up to Langis to met up with the rest of my group. When I first tried on the snowshoes I must have walked like a penguin but I got used to them pretty quickly. Water flows through underneath the snow and the snow is still very fresh, so at times we would find ourselves stepping into knee-deep snow or waterholes - waterproof footwear is a must! Langis is popular not only for snowshoeing but also for cross country skiing, and we saw a few skiers pass us by on our hike!
Break Time
Even though we didn’t have good weather and it was raining pretty much for the entire first half of the hike, I throughly enjoyed my time. René was very knowledgeable about the area and made the experience a lot of fun. He cooked a 3-course hot meal for us - instant soup never tasted so good, the pasta was delicious and I definitely enjoyed his wife’s homemade cookie.
On our hike back the clouds parted a bit and we were able to see Mount Pilatus in the distance. I can only imagine what it would be like to come snowshoeing on a sunny day with the sun reflecting from the fresh snow. René said in the summer instead of doing snowshoeing he takes guests on a kayaking tour at sunset. I can already picture how much fun that would be!
Beatenberg
After bidding goodbye to René, I took the train to Interlaken and then the bus to Beatenberg where my airbnb was for the night. The sun was setting as the bus made its way up the mountain from Interlaken and I can see the snow-capped getting closer to eye-level.
Swiss Hospitality
My Airbnb host Gerti greeted me at the bus stop, and welcomed me into their beautiful 3-story home. As Gerti showed me around the house, I could tell they gave a lot of thought to designing their dream home. Floor to ceiling windows welcome in a 180-degree view of the Swiss Alps from all floors, and the wooden accent brings a cottage feel to the modern house.
I had a cozy evening in enjoying dinner with my hosts, their 2 lovely cats and the other Airbnb guests. My hosts Gerti and Albin are both professional paragliders/ pilots and they shared their stories paragliding in other countries. It was a great chat over wine on all of our wonderful travel experiences.
It was definitely a great idea to book this Airbnb for night right before my birthday as I woke up to beautiful views on the first day of my 30s. Gerti prepared a wonderful spread for us for breakfast, and it was honestly the best breakfast I had this whole trip. It was sad to say goodbye to my hosts and new friends I met, but I made plans with Gerti and Albin to come back in 2 days for paragliding in the area!
First Selfie (of my 30s)
My dream is to have an oversized floor mirror when I get my own place so naturally I had to take a selfie. I honestly loved every little detail in this house and it felt like walking into an interior design catalog.
Lauterbrunnen and Mürren
I have a few days in the Jungfrau area and decided to visit Lauterbrunnen following the recommendations from my hosts. I took the bus back to Interlaken (that was one beautiful bus ride) and Wilderswil, and transferred to a train to Lauterbrunnen. I stored my luggage at the train station, and took the cable car up to Grütschalp.
All board.
Snow was in the forecast and by the time I made it to Grütschalp it had started snowing. I stayed behind the crowded train for the mountain village of Mürren and watched it carried tourists and skiers alike through the windy tracks.
The train ride to to the mountain village is what I imagined the Polar Express would be. You look out the window and all you see is snow-capped mountains and trees dressed in white. Here’s one of my many favorite videos of the trip (which I took my placing my iPhone directly against the train window):
Because the village is car-free, people can freely ski or sled on the main roads. If I had more time I would love to ski or sled in the region!
After a late lunch at a cafe in Mürren I made my way back to Lauterbrunnen as snowfall continued steadily throughout the afternoon. Lauterbrunnen is known for its waterfalls but its famous Trümmelbach Falls is closed during winter. The other waterfall, Staubbach Falls, is in the middle of the town and is visible from afar, but the walk up closer to the fall is also closed during winter. Unfortunately with the heavy snow and the water flow not at it’s maximum it was quite difficult to see the actual waterfall. I looked up the photos of the town and the waterfall in the summer time and it’s definitely worth a visit!
Grindelwald and First
I stayed in a hotel right by the Grindelwald train station for 2 days and it made my travel around the region really easy. My hotel room faces right to the Grindelwald train station and every 30 minutes or so skiers and snowboarders load their gear onto the trains departing for various slopes across the Jungfrau region. As soon as you alight the train at Grindelwald, the 3 mountains - Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau - stand in front of you like towering rocks. Travelers drag their suitcases across the snowy platform while they admire the Jungfrau mountains in their direct path.
While the weather up in the mountains isn’t always predictable and I stayed indoors while waiting for the clouds to clear, people watching from my balcony isn’t so bad.
The weather was supposed to clear up in the afternoon so after a little bit of people watching I made my way to the cable car station for First. The cable car ride to First was mostly skiers and snowboarders ready to set foot on the fresh powder, and I looked a little out of place with a camera in hand. I guess it was still a little early (and gloomy out) for tourists to brave the Cliff Walk, since I only saw one other couple before me. By the time I made it to the other side of the Cliff Walk, snow had stopped and I could feel the warm sun slowly emerging from the clouds. The end of the Cliff Walk is a glass platform extending out looking down onto the town of Grindelwald. I must have stayed there for a good two hours admiring the views, and waited for other people to come by and help me take a photo (the middle picture down below on the cliff walk is actually me!)
There are a few adrenaline inducing activities at First even in the winter time and I tried out the First Flyer, the Alpine zip line travels from First to Schreckfeld at up to 84 km/hr. I attempted to take a video while on the zip line but was unsuccessful so here’s a video of the zip line before I went.
There is also First Glider which pulls you backwards from Schreckfeld and takes off from First gliding you back. I didn’t give that a try but judging from the screaming I heard it’s equally scary if not more than the First Flyer. Be sure to check the website for status ahead of time here to make sure they are operating.
The ride back to Grindelwald was lovely as I watched people on skis or sleds with their dogs drawing a path down the powdery slopes. The sun shined bright over the town covered in snow, and I was secretly hoping I get the same nice weather when I go to Jungfraujoch and paragliding in Beatenberg.
Back at Grindelwald the sun is shining bright and people are enjoying their afternoon coffee outside, looking out to this amazing view (again, no filter needed). The night view was just as perfect with the full moon.
Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe
No trip to the Jungfrau region is complete without a journey to Jungfraujoch, home to the highest train station in all of Europe. Stationed at 11,332 ft (3,454 metres above sea level), it’s labeled the Top of Europe and attracts millions of visitors each year. It’s hard to believe someone came up with the idea for a train station in the alpine in 1896 and the trains have been in operation since 1912 (that’s before the first world war). Like all other visitors, I waited patiently to board the train to Kleine Scheidegg (most get off here for their winter adventures), then transferred to the train headed to the top of Europe. Even with a 25% discount with the Swiss Travel Pass, the Jungfraujoch train ticket prices were still quite hefty (and probably my 2nd most expensive purchase on my entire trip, the first one being the Swiss Travel Pass itself).
Arriving at the station hall at Jungfraujoch, I started the “tour” to the Sphinx, home of the research station/ observatory. One side of the Sphinx remained completely frozen from the snow the day before, and a curious black bird lingered on the terrace. Looking down towards the towns, you can see Interlaken and the two lakes in the distance. On the other side below the terrace, there was one brave soul dangling off the cliff doing snow climbing.
The “tour” continues into Alpine Sensation and the Ice Palace, and finally to the Glacier Plateau. Visitors lined up to get a picture with the Swiss flag hoisted right in front of Jungfrau, and I followed suit.
Made it to the top
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
— Neale Donald Walsch
Choo Choo Train
Back at Kleine Scheidegg, I purposely waited for the next train to depart for Jungfraujoch so I can watch the train make its way around the mountain. Along the train tracks are ski slopes where skiers and snowboarders stop to admire the red train zooming past.
While waiting for the train at Grindelwald heading back to Interlaken for my last night in the area, I caught a train zipping its way through town and emerging between two buildings around sunset. Everyone was returning from their journey and heading back to their towns as the slopes cleared and night settled in.
Beatenberg, Interlaken and Iseltwald
After spending the night in Interlaken, I returned to Beatenberg two days after my birthday for my planned paragliding adventure with Albin. I made plans to meet up with Gerti and Albin at their place around 10AM. I was walking from the hotel to the bus stop in Interlaken early in the morning, and saw a train of paragliders waiting for their landing at the park in the middle of town. They were circling around neatly and all followed the same route. I wondered if I am going to be landing here in a few hours.
I took the bus back to Beatenberg and met up with Gerti and Albin at their house. At their kitchen counter Albin told me to take a look at the 50 dollar bill - it’s the image of a paraglider over the Alps!
We got into the car and drove over to the nearby takeoff point in Beatenberg. I also learned that it was Albin’s 50th birthday that day and we were having a double birthday celebration. Gerti dropped us off and said she’ll meet us at the landing place, and I took a short hike with Albin to our actual takeoff spot. The actual takeoff spot is an open space that looked like a cliff and as Albin sets up the gear I am getting increasingly nervous (but excited at the same time) that I am about to run off a cliff. Albin really helped calm me down as he showed me the path for take off and the space over the cliff - there is actually more ground in case we need to brake and do a do-over.
Albin setting up our gear
Albin handed me the GoPro, double checked our gear, and after he confirmed I was ready, we dashed forward. After a short moment I realized my feet weren’t touching the ground anymore and we were airborne. I remembered screaming in excitement as I stared into the mountains and the sun in front of me while Albin pulled the seat out for me. It really felt like I was in a chair flying. Albin pointed out their house to the right, and the two lakes connected by Interlaken as he circled around to show me his beautiful hometown. The real fun started when Albin asked me if I enjoyed rollercoaster and proceeded to do his maneuvers that left me screaming. We soared in the air for a little longer before Albin pointed out Gerti in the landing area below. After another round of maneuvers and me screaming (also giving Gerti a chance to record my screaming from down below), we made our perfect landing in the park.
I had a huge adrenaline rush from paragliding that I stayed on a high for at least another hour. While we watched students from paragliding school learn how to take off and others making their landing on the field, Gerti told me stories about her own training on this very field and close calls Albin had landing right in front of the military shooting range to the right of the field. I had a wonderful time with Gerti and Albin and definitely wanted to come back and stay with them in the summertime.
Gerti and Albin dropped me off at Interlaken West and I took the bus heading to Iseltwald, a lovely town on the coast of Lake Brienz. It is such a small town that there is only one bus every hour and the road to town is only one lane. I imagine this place to be bustling in the summertime, but I really enjoyed the peace and quiet on this warm winter day.
After Iseltwald I made my way back to Interlaken to pick up my luggage and head to Bern where I would be staying for 2 nights. Bern, unlike Iseltwald, is a busy city that reminded me of home. The train station was so packed that it resembled Penn Station, though a lot cleaner. I checked into my hotel in the old town area and had dinner at Kornhauskeller, a Swiss restaurant with an impressive, vaulted dining hall. After dinner I stopped by the famous Clock Tower to watch the revolving figures make an appearance just before the top of the hour.
Blausee
Blausee, unlike the other more popular tourist destination, was something I stumbled upon while doing research on where to go and what to do in Switzerland. As soon as I saw a photo of the Blausee, I bookmarked the location and made sure I can fit it into my schedule. On Saturday morning after breakfast, I headed for the train station towards Frutigen. From Frutigen I took the bus towards Kandersteg for Blausee. A giant blue Blausee sign marks the entrance to the Nature Park, and upon entry, a short wooded path takes you to the crystal blue lake. I knew from the photos I saw online that the lake is known for its intensely blue color, what I didn’t know was how clear the water was. Though River Kander is only 17 meters away from the lake, Blausee is fed by groundwater stream of the Kander valley. The water only absorbs the color blue from the light, and you can see clearly into the bottom of the lake and see every single trout swimming freely in the lake.
I followed the path and walked around the lake, to the trout farm and river Kander, back around the wooded area and over the wooden bridge where you can see the maiden statue under water. I could spent the whole day here sitting on a bench and looking out to this beautiful view.
Bern
I returned back to Bern around 2PM and grabbed a sandwich to go at the train station and headed to the Rose Garden, the city park that offers sweeping city views. Though there were no roses in bloom in the garden in the middle of winter, the park was packed with locals enjoying the sun or getting a drink from the beer garden. I grabbed a seat on the garden wall, and spent my afternoon here enjoying my lunch looking out to the city.
Beware of Bears
From the Rose Garden I walked down to the Bear Park at the edge of old town. The bears were hibernating and nowhere to be seen but it was cool to see a hilly park and and a bear pit built in the middle of a city.
I walked from the Bear Park through the old town of Bern and towards the Clock Tower. Accordingly to Lonely Planet, the Clock Tower supposedly helped Albert Einstein hone his special theory of relativity, developed while working as a patent clerk in Bern. I didn’t get a chance to visit the Einstein Museum which was converted from the flat he rented when he stayed in Bern, but it is located in the middle of old town as well.
The next morning I went back to the Rose Garden for a sunrise view of Bern. Different from yesterday, the garden is empty this Sunday morning. Without the afternoon glare, the rooftops of old town are now all clearly visible.
Before leaving Bern I made sure to stop by Berner Münster, the tallest building in all of old town and the adjacent Münsterplattform Park.
Rheinfall
After returning to Zurich and checking into my hotel to drop off my bags, I made good use of my Swiss Travel Pass and traveled north to Rhine Falls, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. As the train pulls up to the station, you can see the Rhine Falls appear on your right as the train makes a turn. While it may be a baby waterfall in terms of size compared to Niagara Falls, it is still a very impressive sight. I don’t know what it is with Swiss water but they are all so clear that you can see every single fish swimming in it. I walked around to all sides of the waterfall, and got myself some roasted chestnuts to eat while people watching. The best (free) views of the waterfall in my opinion are the left side of the falls coming down the stairs, and the train station, where you can get an aerial view of the entire Rhine Falls.
Zurich
Unexpected trip extension
I was getting ready to return home after a 10 day trip in Switzerland but a bad storm in Eastern Europe led to my flight cancellation and I spent an extra day in Zurich. The weather was gloomy and extremely windy, and it was a Monday so I couldn’t visit any of the museums. Instead I spent my time at Hilti, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, and had both my lunch and dinner there.
After all the experiences I’ve had with travel delays and interruptions, I’ve learned to deal with them with ease. But most importantly, I’ve learned to be grateful that there is a place to return to - a place called home.
Switzerland was lovely, and I couldn’t think of anywhere else I would want to spend my 30th birthday. ❤️