Switzerland
Mountains, lakes, incredible cities right in the center of Western Europe. I think it is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe, and the world. The only drawback is that Switzerland is quite expensive. But, it makes sense. Swiss incomes are among the highest in Europe, and the world.
I have tackled that in a few different ways. First, I keep visits short and look for good deals. The great news is that while traveling across Europe, it seems that I am never far from Switzerland, so if I find a good deal, I can go there. I have visited Zurich a couple of times that way. The second way is to take day trips. I have been to Geneva a couple times, and also to Basel. But, I have never stayed overnight in either. It is just that they are easily accessible from Lyon and Metz France, which have much more affordable lodging prices. The third is to find a less visited, and hopefully more affordable, part of the country. After all, I haven't seen a part that isn't beautiful!
In the future, and hopefully near future, I want to get up there and explore the Swiss Alps.
Geneva
water everywhere
Zurich
enigmatic Swiss city with clock towers, churches, and a river
Zurich
It is absolutely beautiful.
It is so clean ...even the Limmat River running through town is strikingly clear and clean. I don't know if you could or should, but it seems like you drink straight out of the river.
I also noticed an abundance of clock towers. Imagine that...a lot of clocks in Switzerland!
The area around Zurich Lake has been inhabited for at least 5000 years, and there is evidence of a settlement of between 100-300 people where Sechseläutenplatz is located, at the north end of the lake. In 58 BCE, the Romans set up a customs post here, called Turicum and in the 4th century, a castle was built here, and remained until the middle ages. A permanent settlement grew around that.
In 853 AD, Charlemagne’s grandson, Louis the German, built a palace on the Lindenhof and founded the Fraumünster Abbey. For centuries, the area prospered and in 1218, Zurich gained its freedom from the Holy Roman Empire.
More recently, in the age of industrialization revolution, in the late 18th and 19th centuries, Zürich changed from a city of tradesmen to a capital of mechanized industry.
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Swiss National Museum
Switzerland's history, plus handicrafts, homewares and an armory tower.
A national search was held in the 1890's for a national museum location, and Zurich won. The museum opened in 1898 and was expanded in 2016. The Collection now comprises more than 870,000 objects and is divided into 14 collection groups.
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Kunsthaus Zürich - Museum of Fine Arts
extensive museum with large collections from Munch and Monet.
This museum has a wonderfully modest start. In 1794, an artists' society, founded in 1787, began collecting. In 1818, an international collection campaign secured the city's main artistic attraction, the “Gessnerische Gemählde-Cabinet”.
Until the early 20th century, the museum's limited funds focused on Swiss art, but In 1920, the Kunsthaus received Hans Schuler's collection as a bequest and with it, for the first time, works of French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism: Renoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Bonnard. Expansions continued and today, the collection is over 4000 pieces, plus 100,000 items on paper.
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Old Town
walk along the Limmat Rover, south of the train station. There are beautiful buildings and plazas at every turn . Stop in to Lindenhof, a hilltop gathering place on the site of the former Roman fort, and enjoy the city views. Stop into Fraumünster Church and enjoy stained glass by Marc Chagall. Walk over the Quaibrücke, a 19th century bridge with maybe the best views of the river.
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Getting to around Zurich
Getting to Zurich for most will likely involve the airport as Zurich is a large air hub. The airport is only about 10 kilometers north of the city center, and is easily reached by rail connections that take 15-25 minutes.
However, Zurich can easily be reached by rail. From Munich, Germany, it is 3.5 hours. Paris is 4 hours. Stuttgart is 3 hours by bus.
Public transportation is readily available when you arrive. All forms of transport are handled by the Zurich Transport Association and even includes boats, funicular railways, and cable cars. Tickets can be purchased for one hour, or 24 hours. and depend on the desired zones you wish to travel.
A great to save in Zurich is buying the "Zurich Card" which provides unlimited 2nd class travel on all forms of public transportation (tram, bus, train, boat, funicular, and cable car) in the city of Zurich and surrounding region, the card also offers numerous other discounts – including free admission to museums, discounts in Zurich stores, mini and short lake cruises, Limmat river cruises, airport transfers, and more. In 2024, the card costs 29-56 francs for 1-3 days. ($33 to $63). If you are visiting for 3 days, this card will likely pay for itself many times over.
Geneva
Beautiful city on the Lake, at the foot of the mountains, and the border of France. Known for being a center for finance and diplomacy, it is the base for the International Red Cross, the World bank and World Trade Organization. Decidedly with a French influence in food, architecture and language.
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English garden
Lakeside park beautiful for walking, including pavilions, the notable flower clock and numerous statues.
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The Geneva Water Fountain
iconic fountain in the lake, that is lit up at night at shoots water over 400 feet high.
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Museum of Art and History
Built in 1910, this is Geneva's largest museum and encompasses collections from pre-history, to art including Rembrandt and Rodin.
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Basel
Switzerland's #3 city. And, no matter what city you visit in Switzerland, it seems water is at the heart of it. This city has a lengthy cultural and educational history including The University of Basel, Switzerland's oldest university.
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Kunstmuseum Basel
They say that is the oldest public art collection in the world. The museum opened in 1661 and houses collections from the 15th century to the 21st. The variety of works is impressive. If you like medieval art, there is plenty, contemporary art?...yep! If you like the impressionists, it feels like they have them all; Rodin, Van Gogh, Monet, Pissarro, Signac, Sisley, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin, Redon. If you like modern art, they have that covered also. Picasso, Dali, Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Otto Dix, Edvard Munch. They even have an entire room dedicated to Fernand Leger.
This is an art museum you have to see!
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Spalentor City Gate
15th century gateway is one example of the old city walls guard.
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Basel Minster
Built on the city's highest point, this 9th to 13th century church was built on the former site of Roman fort.
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Old Town
walk around the historic center, and visit place like Rathaus (Town Hall) and Marktplatz to do a little shopping.
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Sargans
a small town of about 6000 people located in eastern Switzerland. It is centrally located between Zurich and Davos, and right on the border with Lichtenstein. Set in a valley of the Swiss Alps, the view form all angles are stunning, and it is a gateway for skiing in the winter.
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Sargans Castle
at the foot of Mount Gonzen, overlooking the Sargan plains and the Rhine River; this castle was started in the 13th century, and expanded over the years through the 19th century. Today, it is owned by the Community of Sargan, and houses a museum and restaurant that are open in the summer.
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Spleekapelle Chapel
beautiful church setting on the slopes on the north side of town, below the castle.
