Very Fond(ue) of You, Switzerland
Bread, cheese, chocolate, repeat? We love to see it!
My family and I just got back from Switzerland and we had such an incredible time! Switzerland has been my dream spot to visit for at least ten years, and it felt surreal getting to be there. Not to be ~cheesy~ but it was everything I envisioned and more. There were mountains, lakes, trees, waterfalls, and wildflowers everywhere, and even just taking the train was a lovely way to see all of its beauty. I took my camera around with me everywhere and it felt like such a nice way to capture everything while being present and device-free for most of my day. I’d go back to Switzerland in a heartbeat and I’m already thinking about my next trip there (anyone want to hike through the Alps?!). Until then, here’s a little itinerary that came together as the result of chatting with locals on train rides and doing multiple Google searches:
Day 1: Zurich
We landed in the evening and went straight to Bahnhofstrasse, a popular street downtown that’s known for shopping. After finding a few things at Zara, I spontaneously walked around for miles on the cobblestone streets in my Birks. I stumbled upon Lake Zurich, which was filled with beautiful swans and boats, and lined on each side by colorful flowers and gorgeous trees. I felt very “Emily in Paris” as I picked up local chocolates and strolled back to the hotel. We all headed over to Santa Lucia for dinner, where we had yummy salad, pizza, and homemade pasta!
Day 2: Mt. Pilatus
“It’s like pilates, but with a u” -Anita Alamshaw
Mt. Pilatus is a mountain that towers over the gorgeous Lucerne. After taking a cable car up to the top, we ventured over to hop on a toboggan ride! Toboggan rides have filled my Pinterest boards since high school and it’s always been something I’ve dreamed about doing in Switzerland. It was so amazing to see that come to life! I had the biggest smile on my face for the entire ride down the mountain among the wildflowers and trees. It was by far one of my highlights of the trip and I’m so grateful that we got to do it.
Day 3: Jungfraujoch
Jungfraujoch was a mission from Zurich (we spent 8 hours on the train), but it was also a must-see in my opinion and a favorite among my family. Aside from something that’s really hard to pronounce, Jungfraujoch is a glacier located at the top of Europe. We trekked uphill through the snow to a cute hut that slowly began to appear between the peaks after a mile or two. We were met with Tibetan prayer flags flying perfectly in the wind and went inside for water and snacks. It was such a unique experience walking in the snow in the middle of summer, seeing a little avalanche, and looking around in awe at all of the beautiful mountain peaks.
Day 4: Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen
My friends who have been to Switzerland all recommended a day trip to Interlaken, so I knew we had to make it happen! The sky was dotted with paragliders, the streets had flowers on every corner, and the water was a striking turquoise color. It was stunning! As the adventure capital of Switzerland, Interlaken is a little more touristy, and I found myself loving the quaint neighboring village of Lauterbrunnen. I didn’t that many of the iconic photos of Switzerland that I had seen were taken here until we got closer to this waterfall!
Day 5: Lucerne
Lucerne was my favorite big city that we visited! My brother Dhillon and I hopped on a last minute train when the rain in Zurich that morning had cleared up, with full intentions of paragliding and of course, no reservation. After multiple WhatsApp calls and spotty service on the train, we found ourselves on a gondola up to the top of a mountain where we began our paragliding adventure! Floating through the air over Lake Lucerne felt magical and memorable, and when my instructor asked if I wanted to go upside down and in circles, I felt so much adrenaline! After paragliding, Dhillon and I had a yummy dinner at our new favorite fondue place, Fondue House Du Pont, where we obsessed over the Moitie-Moitie cheese and Toblerone chocolate.
Love you a chocoLOT, Switzerland
Switzerland was an aboslute dream and I can’t wait to go back. In the meantime, I started my second year of medical school today! My first year went by so fast, and I can’t believe I’m already done traveling for the summer and starting school again. I took the last two months off to travel and disconnect from all things academic, so that I could feel reenergized to begin this new school year. Thank you to everyone who helped me with all of these lovely Switzerland recommendations! It made me look forward to these places even more after hearing about it from friends and seeing their photos, so I hope this blog post helps you out as well if you’re looking to travel to Switzerland anytime soon. Enjoy!
