We flew KLM from Minneapolis, USA to Zurich, Switzerland. When we took the trip, Switzerland was not a part of the Schengen Area and we had to take a separate visa for it. Anyway, that's not the case now and life is a lot easier with a Schengen visa applicable in more countries. Our first stop was Zurich as is obvious. The best part of traveling in Europe is easy access to public transportation. We took a train from Zurich airport to Zurich city center.
We stayed in Zurich city center. We had plans to take the evening train to Interlaken which was our main destination in Switzerland.
Day 1
On day 1 we toured around Zurich City. The main attractions of Zurich are in the old town and city center. All places of interest are within walking distance. The top of Zurich Point at Uetliberg can be reached by train from Zurich HB. One can see a panoramic view of the City from the mountaintop.
The main places of interest in Zurich include:
1. Old town to relive the historical Zurich
2. Uetliberg, top of Zurich point to see the view of Zurich City
3. Grossmunster Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Zurich
4. Fraumunster Church, rebuilt on the remains of an old abbey for aristocratic women
5. Sechselautenplatz, the largest town square of Zurich
6. Zurich lake
7. Limmat River
8. Bahnhofstrasse, the exclusive shoppers street in downtown Zurich
9. Polyterrasse ETH, provides beautiful views of the city from its panorama terrace
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| Places of interest in Zurich |
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| Grossmunster - The largest cathedral in Zurich |
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| Fraumunster Abbey |
Day 2
Early, the next day we took a train from Zurich HB to Interlaken. Interlaken as the name suggests is a resort town located between two lakes, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. It took about 3 hours to reach Interlaken. The route was stunning. Traveling in Europe should be by train or by car. The scenic views throughout the journey are absolutely breathtaking. We spent the day exploring the town. It was my friend's birthday, so we had a Swiss fondue party as well.
Tourists can enjoy hiking, paragliding, white water rafting, boating, and various other outdoor activities in this traditional Swiss town. Harder Klum is a popular hiking destination from where panoramic views of Interlaken can be seen.
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| On the way to Interlaken |
Day 3
On the third day, we took the Jungfrau railway ride to Jungfraujoch, the highest accessible point in Europe. This rail route is the highest in Switzerland. Jungfraujoch is located at the base of the Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps. Jungfraujoch has an ice museum and one can enjoy snow activities at the glacier base. I was actually amazed to find a Tamil Udupi restaurant there :) Perhaps the highest Udupi restaurant :)) Not sure if it still exists.
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| On the way to the Alps |
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| Railway tunnels on the Jungfrau railway line, the highest railway in Switzerland |
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| Aletsch glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps can be reached through the Jungfrau railway |
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| Aletsch Glacier |
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| Playing in the snow on the highest accessible point of Europe, Jungfraujoch, at 3454 m above sea level |
Day 4
On the fourth day, we took boat rides on the Interlaken lakes. We spent a day at the beautiful lake town of Brienz.
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| Boat ride on Lake Brienz |
Day 5
On the fifth day, we took a train ride to Lucerne. Lucerne is a historic town in Switzerland and has a medieval charm to it. There is a lot to see in Lucerne and one can easily spend a week there. But we had a short vacation and a lot to cover. We planned only a day and a half in Lucerne.
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| Those planning a long stay in Lucerne can visit Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigg. Both places can be reached by train |
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| Places of interest in Lucerne |
We skipped the mountain trips and focussed on the main attractions within the City. These included:
1. Chapel Bridge - This wooden covered bridge is an absolute must if visiting Lucerne. I don't think anyone would really miss it. There are beautiful paintings all along the gable roofs of the bridge. The bridge is adorned with colorful flowers on the side.
2. A part of the chapel bridge is the water tower, a must-visit too.
3. Speuer Bridge - It's similar to the Chapel Bridge but not as decorated with flowers and the paintings are of a different theme.
4. The old town of Lucerne on either side of River Ruess is gorgeous. There are many interesting buildings, each unique and artistic.
5. The Needle weir or needle dam on the River Reuss - It is a unique engineering marvel that uses wooden needles to control the flow of water
6. The Lion Monument - Designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen, this monumental relief commemorates the Swiss guards who lost their lives during the French Revolution
7. The Glacier Garden - The Glacier Garden preserves ancient kettle basins and fossils dating back to the last ice age 20,000 years ago.
8. Lake Lucerne - A boat ride on Lake Lucerne will take you on a beautiful journey along the beautiful city
9. The Swiss Museum of Transport - This is an interactive museum displaying a wide variety of transportation-related items
10. Lucerne Promenade - It is a Lakeshore walk
11. The Museggmauer and its 9 towers - It is an 870 m long rampart built in the 14th century to protect the city of Lucerne. A walk along the wall provides beautiful views of the old city. It is the longest, preserved wall in Switzerland
12. The Zytturm - It is a 13th-century astronomical clock tower.
13. Jesuit Church - It is the first and largest Baroque-style Church of Switzerland
14. Fanziskanerplatz - It is one of the old town squares of Luzerne
15. Franciscan Church - It is a medieval gothic-style church
16. Weinmrkt - It is an old town square which was once a fish market
17. St. Leodgarstsrasse - It is a Roman Catholic Church
18. Bourbaki Panorama - It is a long panoramic painting in a museum
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| Paintings on the gable roof of Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrucke) |
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| Needle Weir on River Reuss at Lucerne Lake |
On day 6 we headed for Milan, Italy. We took the train again through a scenic mountain route. We reached Milan in the late afternoon. We didn't do much that day. We just relaxed and explored the area around Milan Centrale. We stayed close by since most of Milan's main attractions can be accessed by train.
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| Train to Milan, Italy |
On the seventh day, we explored Milan. One day is not enough to see even the main attractions of Milan. I did return to the City again but still have lots to see. I could not manage the tickets for the Last Supper even in two visits. These need to be booked way ahead, at least 4 months ahead.
The first place we visited was the Duomo. It took us about 30 minutes to get there. The square is bustling with tourists, musicians, and artists. An Italian musician was having an open-air show when we reached there. Should say we were lucky to experience that kind of musical in front of the Duomo. The tickets for entry into the Duomo are in the building on its right. Usually, there are long queues but that day we got lucky, maybe because of the music show, the queue for Duomo tickets was not very long. We spent about an hour or two at the Duomo. Then headed for some shopping. The Plaza on the left has the shopping arcades; all designer stores and brand stores are there. There are many restaurants as well.
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| Duomo, Milan |
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| Places of interest in Milan |
The main places of interest in Milan include:
1. Duomo and the shopping plazas around it. There are many art galleries and museums also if one has the time. Once you get to the Duomo, all places of interest are about 10-15 minutes away by train
2. Santa Maria Delle Grazie has the famous Vinci painting 'The Last Supper'. We did not get tickets twice. I was told it's advisable to book the tickets way ahead or they get sold out. If interested in the painting get the ticket as soon as you start planning for the trip.
3. Naviglo is a must for a canal-side dinner. I loved the ambiance.
4. Saint Ambrogio
6. Castello Sforzesco
7. Parco Sempione
8. Triennale Museum
9. Saint Eustorgio
10. Pirelli Hangar Biccoca - This is an art museum of a different kind located on the far north of Milan Centrale, on the opposite side of the main attractions. Takes about 30 minutes by train
11. The monumental tomb is another place that can be visited if there is time. It is away from the other main attractions but for those who like art and architecture, this is a heaven of artistic tombs.
If in Milan for a longer time, one can do day trips to the many lakes around Milan, the most popular being Como and Garda.
Day 8
On the eighth day, we took the train to Venice. We reached late in the afternoon. It was raining heavily and we visited St. Marks Square in the rain. Our hotel was in the city center, hence within walking distance from all places of interest. Listing places of interest in Venice would get too long. I think one can start with St. Mark's Square and a gondola ride. Every monument, museum, and art gallery is worth visiting if there is time. Motor Boats and water buses are available all along the canals and Gondolas are available near ST. Marks Square Basin. But yes they are a bit steep in price.
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| Places of interest in Venice |
Day 9
On day 9 we took a gondola ride through the canals of Venice and checked out the many monuments along the canals. It was raining most of the time with few sunny breaks in between. Venice happens to be one of my favorite places for reasons quite unknown. I mean, I do justify it with words sometimes but there is a weird untold connection with the place. Not sure what. Here's my experience during my first visit to the city and the story I imagined of a conversation I had with someone a very long time ago about Venice. Link: La Citta D'amore - Venezia
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| Grand Canal, Venice |
Day 10
On the tenth day, we took the train to Pisa. Soon after we reached, we kept our luggage in the hotel and headed for the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was cloudy in Pisa as well but we managed to see the church and tower without getting drenched. We stayed close to the station and the tower was about 15 minutes by train.
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| Leaning Tower of Pisa |
Day 11
From Pisa, we went to Florence. We stayed in Florence for almost 2 days. We toured the entire Florence on foot. I am surprised that I actually managed to do it. Florence has so much to see, two days are too less. In fact, we spent many hours in queues for tickets. We stood in queue for 2 hours to get the ticket for David at Accademia Gallery while its large replica was displayed at Piazza della Signoria which we saw for free :P Of course the original is original!
The first thing we did was take a train to the Accademia Gallery where Michaelangelo's David is displayed. Thankfully we started early because it was past noon by the time we actually got the tickets and saw the statue. Best to buy tickets online if available. From there we walked south and we kept walking and walking and explored whatever came our way, churches, bridges, markets, and gardens. We actually, walked all the way to Baboli Gardens, and then finally to Piazzale Michaelangelo. From there we took a hop on hop off bus for remaining sightseeing - Most of which we saw from the bus since our feet had given up and it was almost late evening.
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| Places of interest in Florence |
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| View of Florence City and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore from Piazzale |
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| The Arno River |
Day 12
Late on twelfth day, we took the train to Rome. We stayed very close to Rome Station. It was the white night season and Rome was crowded. The entire City of Rome is like a museum. Every road and every corner has a monument, garden, or museum worth seeing. Listing out the attractions in Rome will put a dot in every part of Rome. If I have to broadly give a short list, the must-see should include but not be limited to:
1. The Colosseum - Without a doubt it's the first on the list
2. The Pantheon - We were at the Pantheon in the late evening. There are small restaurants right in front of it. So we had dinner by the Pantheon while watching a street artist perform a mime show. It was such a great evening :) There are also Pinnochio shops near the Pantheon. That was the best souvenir I bought from Rome
3. The Trevi Fountain - I threw one coin the first time. The second time I threw none. This time I want to throw two :)) So the legend has it, if you throw one coin in the fountain, you will return to Rome. If you throw two, you will find true love. If you throw three, you will tie the knot with your true love. Maybe I should have thrown the two last time I was there. Oh! what a miss:))
4. The Spanish Steps
5. Catacombs (there are many but one can choose one most accessible) The St.Callixtus Catacombs are the largest and if one has to pick one!
6. Bocca della Verita (that's just me thanks to Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn)
7. All churches are beautiful, so probably you can pick the ones that come your way or are close to where you are staying or close to the other places of interest you are visiting. Every turn, every road has a beautiful church!
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| Places of interest in Rome |
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| The mime show in front of the Pantheon |
Day 13
On day 13 we took a hop on hop off tour bus at Roma Termini and explored the City of Rome. The first stop was the Colosseum. We did not pre-book entry tickets nor did we hire a guide, so we had to stand in queue for almost an hour or more. Even after buying the ticket, we were in a queue for another 30/40 minutes before we got a chance to enter. So, half a day was spent in Colosseum only. I have been to Rome more than once, and I plan to visit again because I have yet to see the Roman catacombs and the Bocca Della Verita, thanks to Roman Holiday, it has been on my bucket list forever!
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| The remains of the Arena and Hypogeum at the Roman Colosseum |
Day 14
On the last day of our stay, we went to the Vatican. There was the longest queue for entry tickets and a longer queue for entry. I was wearing a sleeveless top, so was asked to get a stole or I wouldn't be allowed entry, so I had to head back to a shop to buy a stole. There went another hour. Anyway, we wanted to see the Vatican only, so we took our time. We were back by evening. Details of Vatican City Link:
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| Dome of St. Peter's Cathedral, Vatican City |
Our flight back was at 5:00 a.m. the following morning. So after dinner, we decided to join the white night crowd at midnight. Unfortunately, we got robbed that night. Not the best thing to happen on the last day. We made rounds to the police station at 1:00 am in the night to report but well there was no hope of recovery. With a sad heart, we left for the airport around 2:00 a.m. I will share the story in a different post.