The drive from Black Forest to Switzerland is very scenic. The
landscape is a treat to watch. There are pretty brick houses with sloping
roofs, gardens and flowers. In May, the flowers had not started to
blossom yet; July-August would be a better time to see them. It was a
sunny afternoon and the drive through the Swiss countryside was
extremely pleasant.
Rhine Falls
It took 40 minutes to drive from the Swiss border to Schauffhausen, where the largest waterfall in Europe, the Rhine Falls is situated. The waterfall is beautiful with its turbulent green waters. We took a 10 minute boat ride up to the fall and got a good blast of the foamy spray. There is a narrow staircase that we climbed to reach the top from where we got an excellent view of the dam, the fall and the river flowing beyond.
Zurich
Schauffhausen to Zurich is an hour long drive. Zurich is a big and beautiful city, set against a mountainous backdrop. It was 12 degrees, and cold and windy inside the city. The River Limmart flows through the city. The place has lovely ornate buildings, trams and neat pebbled streets. The city houses offices of many of the famous private banks of Switzerland. The trees on the roads were just starting to bloom with many-colored flowers, giving the landscape a picturesque look.
We walked from the bridge near the Clock Tower to Zurich lake. The lake is full of large swans and people feeding them. We bought coffee (it's an expensive city, 3.5 euros for a small cup of espresso) and sat down by the lakeside to watch the swans and the waves on the water.
Engelberg
From Zurich we drove through the pretty city of Lucern to Engelberg, where we stayed at the Hotel Terrace. The hotel was situated on the slopes of the Alps and we had a stunning view of the surrounding mountainside and the villages on them. It was very cold outside at 7 degrees. The view of the snow capped mountains, the pines on the slopes and the beautiful houses was just breathtaking.
Mount Titlis
The next day, I woke up at 5.30 am to watch the sunrise over the mountains. The landscape presents a terrific sight as the rays of the sun fall on peaks and slowly spread down the slopes. We got ready to go to Mount Titlis, which is a 5 minute journey from Engelberg. There was a new driver, an Italian called Luigi (not sure how to spell it), but more of this in Italy.
After reaching the base of Mount Titlis, we took the first cable car to Station Trubsee at 5,900 ft. It was an extremely smooth journey lasting 20 minutes. At Trusbee, we changed into the second cable car, which took us to Station Gletscherstation at 8,000 feet. This was a short 7 minute journey. The third cable car had a rotating base, which enabled us to get a 360 degree view of the mountains. This leg of the journey lasted 5 minutes and ended at Mount Titlis which is 10,000 feet high.
The temperature at Mount Titlis was -1 degrees, though sunny, making it very pleasant up there. Sunglasses are an absolute must, as the glare of the sun is too strong to see without some kind of protection for the eyes. There is a glacier cave which has ice sculptures and tunnels. The floor, walls and roof are made entirely of ice, so be careful you do not slip while walking!
After coming out of the cave, we headed for the Ice Flyer, which looks like a 5 seater chair moving on a cableway. It is entirely safe as there is a bar that stops you from falling forward and the ground is never more than 40 feet away. The Flyer takes you to Ice Park, a place for skiing, and taking snow tubes and snow toys (for the non-skiers). The Ice Park was really exciting and numbing as we slid down through the snow covered slopes on the toys. These are essentially rubber and plastic tubes and sledges where you can sit and slide down. The rides were awesome fun and we all took multiple turns at them!
Lucerne
Lucerne
(Swiss name: Luzern) is a beautiful city which takes 40 minutes to
reach from Titlis by car. It was a sunny weekend when we went there,
with people out on the streets, shopping or chilling at coffee shops and
giving the place a lively feel. Lucerne has a Lion Monument
that symbolizes the bravery of the Swiss soldiers who died guarding
King Louis XVI of France.
We
next took a walk along Lucerne Lake and crossed Kapellbrücke (commonly
known as Wooden Bridge). For the shopping enthusiasts, there is plenty
to be bought - watches, knives and
chocolates. The area around the lake is full of tourists and locals
sitting at street side cafés, drinking and relaxing. We stayed at Hotel
Terrace in Engelberg for the night.
Interlaken
The
next morning, we left for Interlaken, a 90 minute drive from Engelberg.
On the way there, we stopped at a scenic place where we had a great
view of the village Lungern that has come up around the Lungern Lake.
The surrounding countryside and pine trees on the mountains and
foothills were breathtaking. Interlaken gets its name from its position
between the two lakes, Thun and Brienz.
We
strolled along the beautiful Höheweg, the main street which has shops
and cafes on one side and flower gardens against the backdrop of
mountains on the other. The place is so scenic that movies are often
shot here. It is great to shop for watches, knives, clothes and jewelry,
have a coffee or ice-cream here, or simply to talk along taking in the
view. The weather was cool and pleasant.
Lauterbrunnen
From Interlaken, we went to Lauterbrunnen, a 15 minute journey by coach. At Lauterbrunnen, we boarded a train to go to Mount Jungfrau. Just as our train moved out of the station, we had a view of a waterfall in the lovely countryside, giving the place a look just like a postcard (seats on the right give a better view than the left). 45 minutes later, our train reached Keine Scheifferdegg (there was just one stop on the way at Wengen). As we changed trains here, we had an amazing view of the snow covered mountains and pines.
The second train took 45 minutes to reach Station Jungfrau. The train moves through a tunnel dug inside the mountain all the way to the top. On the way, we stopped at two view points, Eigerwand and Eismeer. Eismeer is beautiful as you can get a view of cracked glaciers through the glass windows set in the walls. Mount Jungfrau is situated at 11,333 feet.
Mount Jungfrau
At Jungfrau, we visited the Sphinx terrace at 11,782 feet (there is a really fast lift - it takes a few seconds to ride up 400 feet). The terrace was closed at one end due to falling icicles, so we walked towards the other end through a slippery snow covered base. The deal was to touch the Swiss flag at the end. There were quick weather shifts, and it soon started snowing making visibility very low. There is a meter near the lifts which shows the temperature, and it was -7 degrees. There is also an Ice Palace there with lovely ice sculptures of animals and people. On the way back by train and later coach, it started raining.
The next morning, there was snowfall which instantly
uplifted everyone's moods. It was -2
degrees, and by the time we went down, the roofs of houses, tree tops
and cars were covered with snow. It was a wonderful experience that got
us all super-excited!
Vaduz
We left Engelberg to go to the next country Austria. On the way, we stopped to see the principality of Lichtenstein, which is a 2 hour drive. The capital city is Vaduz, which is situated in a valley between mountains. It was cold and very windy due to its location. Vaduz has a royal palace on the mountain slopes and a city square with shops and cafes. We bought coffee and chocolates and sat down on the benches in the square. It is a good place to shop for souvenirs, Swiss chocolates and local alcohol (Appenzeller) as Lichenstrin is a tax haven and you can buy things cheap.
Rhine Falls
It took 40 minutes to drive from the Swiss border to Schauffhausen, where the largest waterfall in Europe, the Rhine Falls is situated. The waterfall is beautiful with its turbulent green waters. We took a 10 minute boat ride up to the fall and got a good blast of the foamy spray. There is a narrow staircase that we climbed to reach the top from where we got an excellent view of the dam, the fall and the river flowing beyond.
Schauffhausen to Zurich is an hour long drive. Zurich is a big and beautiful city, set against a mountainous backdrop. It was 12 degrees, and cold and windy inside the city. The River Limmart flows through the city. The place has lovely ornate buildings, trams and neat pebbled streets. The city houses offices of many of the famous private banks of Switzerland. The trees on the roads were just starting to bloom with many-colored flowers, giving the landscape a picturesque look.
We walked from the bridge near the Clock Tower to Zurich lake. The lake is full of large swans and people feeding them. We bought coffee (it's an expensive city, 3.5 euros for a small cup of espresso) and sat down by the lakeside to watch the swans and the waves on the water.
From Zurich we drove through the pretty city of Lucern to Engelberg, where we stayed at the Hotel Terrace. The hotel was situated on the slopes of the Alps and we had a stunning view of the surrounding mountainside and the villages on them. It was very cold outside at 7 degrees. The view of the snow capped mountains, the pines on the slopes and the beautiful houses was just breathtaking.
Mount Titlis
The next day, I woke up at 5.30 am to watch the sunrise over the mountains. The landscape presents a terrific sight as the rays of the sun fall on peaks and slowly spread down the slopes. We got ready to go to Mount Titlis, which is a 5 minute journey from Engelberg. There was a new driver, an Italian called Luigi (not sure how to spell it), but more of this in Italy.
After reaching the base of Mount Titlis, we took the first cable car to Station Trubsee at 5,900 ft. It was an extremely smooth journey lasting 20 minutes. At Trusbee, we changed into the second cable car, which took us to Station Gletscherstation at 8,000 feet. This was a short 7 minute journey. The third cable car had a rotating base, which enabled us to get a 360 degree view of the mountains. This leg of the journey lasted 5 minutes and ended at Mount Titlis which is 10,000 feet high.
The temperature at Mount Titlis was -1 degrees, though sunny, making it very pleasant up there. Sunglasses are an absolute must, as the glare of the sun is too strong to see without some kind of protection for the eyes. There is a glacier cave which has ice sculptures and tunnels. The floor, walls and roof are made entirely of ice, so be careful you do not slip while walking!
After coming out of the cave, we headed for the Ice Flyer, which looks like a 5 seater chair moving on a cableway. It is entirely safe as there is a bar that stops you from falling forward and the ground is never more than 40 feet away. The Flyer takes you to Ice Park, a place for skiing, and taking snow tubes and snow toys (for the non-skiers). The Ice Park was really exciting and numbing as we slid down through the snow covered slopes on the toys. These are essentially rubber and plastic tubes and sledges where you can sit and slide down. The rides were awesome fun and we all took multiple turns at them!
Lucerne
Lucerne
(Swiss name: Luzern) is a beautiful city which takes 40 minutes to
reach from Titlis by car. It was a sunny weekend when we went there,
with people out on the streets, shopping or chilling at coffee shops and
giving the place a lively feel. Lucerne has a Lion Monument
that symbolizes the bravery of the Swiss soldiers who died guarding
King Louis XVI of France.
Interlaken
From Interlaken, we went to Lauterbrunnen, a 15 minute journey by coach. At Lauterbrunnen, we boarded a train to go to Mount Jungfrau. Just as our train moved out of the station, we had a view of a waterfall in the lovely countryside, giving the place a look just like a postcard (seats on the right give a better view than the left). 45 minutes later, our train reached Keine Scheifferdegg (there was just one stop on the way at Wengen). As we changed trains here, we had an amazing view of the snow covered mountains and pines.
 |
Station Keine Scheifferdegg |
The second train took 45 minutes to reach Station Jungfrau. The train moves through a tunnel dug inside the mountain all the way to the top. On the way, we stopped at two view points, Eigerwand and Eismeer. Eismeer is beautiful as you can get a view of cracked glaciers through the glass windows set in the walls. Mount Jungfrau is situated at 11,333 feet.
 |
Eismeer Glacier |
 |
Eismeer Glacier |
At Jungfrau, we visited the Sphinx terrace at 11,782 feet (there is a really fast lift - it takes a few seconds to ride up 400 feet). The terrace was closed at one end due to falling icicles, so we walked towards the other end through a slippery snow covered base. The deal was to touch the Swiss flag at the end. There were quick weather shifts, and it soon started snowing making visibility very low. There is a meter near the lifts which shows the temperature, and it was -7 degrees. There is also an Ice Palace there with lovely ice sculptures of animals and people. On the way back by train and later coach, it started raining.
 |
Ice Palace |
 |
Sphnix Terrace |
 |
Engelberg |
Vaduz
We left Engelberg to go to the next country Austria. On the way, we stopped to see the principality of Lichtenstein, which is a 2 hour drive. The capital city is Vaduz, which is situated in a valley between mountains. It was cold and very windy due to its location. Vaduz has a royal palace on the mountain slopes and a city square with shops and cafes. We bought coffee and chocolates and sat down on the benches in the square. It is a good place to shop for souvenirs, Swiss chocolates and local alcohol (Appenzeller) as Lichenstrin is a tax haven and you can buy things cheap.
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