Amazing, Beautiful, marvelous…….I can go on and on and the list
won’t end. Switzerland is an enchanting place which mesmerizes you with
its scenic beauty. I went there in June, 2007, and feel like Switzerland is
calling me through its snowy mountains and lush green meadows. We
stayed with a friend in Lausanne and made it our base. But most of the
Indians camp at Interlaken because it is in the centre of Switzerland
and they get to see where the movie Dilwale Dulhabia Le jayenge was
shot. We didn’t spend much time there though. One thing I noticed that
just outside the railway platform, telephone numbers of many hotels
were listed on a plaque and you could call them free( a phone was
placed there) to inquire about the bookings etc. May be this facility
is in other cities also and we may have missed.
People: Swiss
are nice and courteous. They are willing to help even if most of the
public doesn’t know English. Many a times when we asked for directions,
we were not only told so but led to the actual spot too! Such
generosity is rare these days. Roger Federer has achieved the status of
demi god here. When we were there he was playing some grand slam( I
forgot which one) and when he won it, people came out in the streets in
their cars and honked for an hour. It was really amusing to see the
quiet roads of Lausanne suddenly crowded with cheery revellers. Swiss
are very protective about their culture and life. A foreigner is not
granted citizenship easily. The different cantonment have their own
rules in this regard and the person applying for citizenship has to get
the referendum of the people, pay the amount set by the cantonment and
prove in other ways that he is worthy candidate. In a way it is good I
think. Look at U.K., how its policy of providing indiscriminate asylum
to Islamic fundamentalists is now backfiring.
Lausanne: This
is the Olympic city.The picturesque lake is the main attraction
here.The walk alongside lake provides refreshing view.
Zurich:
The lake Zurich is beautiful.It is a great spot for boating. An hour’s
boat journey will take you to Rapperswil, a very romantic old village
where you can see grapevines, rose-garden and an old monastery.From
Zurich central you can catch a train to Utliberg which is the top of
Zurich and the train takes about 30 minutes to reach there.There is a
tower to climb and look around.
Lucerne:We took a walk on the
chapel bridge and roamed around places like Water tower, the icon of
Lucerne.Then we spotted mini City Train and decided to have a ride in
it.It was fun and the toy like train took us around various streets of
city.We went on a cruise to Vitznau.The sky was open and I took some
nice pictures of surrounding mountains and towns.
Rhien Falls:
The ferocious fall makes you fall in love with it. The way down is
through stairs and there are many spots to enjoy the view and take
pictures. If you have luggage with you then leave it at the counter
which is about 30 paces down the platform.
Top of the Europe:
Jungfraujoch is a wonderful mountain peak. It is said to be the highest
place in Europe. The route to Jungfraujoch was remarkably wonderful. It
is amazing to see tracks with tunnels and stations at around 10, 000
feet. In-train screens play documentaries about Jungfrau through out
the journey. Also the train stops at two stops before reaching the top,
so that tourists can have a view from windows in the tunnels.We hadn’t
brought any warm clothes with us and the sudden drop in temperature at
Jungfrauhjoch made me shiver but couldn’t stop me from playing in
snow.The Ice Palace is very good and a must see.Here even the floor was
made of ice.We had lunch at Bollywood Hotel though prices were
exorbitant.
Geneva: The fountain Jet d’eau - one of the main
attractions of Geneva is said to be more than the height of Kutub
Minaret(Delhi).I doubt it, but the fountain was magnificent and we took
many picturesque headquarters was a disappointing feature of this
visit. We had reached late so couldn’t attend the guided tours but
surprisingly very few people knew its exact location. Geneva is very
expensive and I wasn’t much impressed by the international capital of
Switzerland.
The other areas which we couldn’t cover are mt.Titlis, mt.Pilatus and Montreux palace.
Activities:
Paragliding-Best
place is of course Schilthorn peaks. You don’t need to be an
experienced glider to do it. You will be tied on the back of an
experienced glider so have no fear and enjoy the freedom to explore the
world beneath you.
Mountain biking: In winter sledging is a
popular sport of the novice. Come summer and these routes are turned in
to bike routes. Get in to proper gear and insure yourself first before
trying it out. You never know when you stumble and get yourself
fractured at some place:)
Cycling: It is a national passion.
I think the double decker trains must have been specially introduced
for cyclists in Switzerland. You can see cyclists climbing the
mountains through the window of the glacier express. If you like, you
can hire a cycle and take a route of your choice, and moreover you can
return the cycles at any station you want!
Some other things worth mentioning:
Golden
Pass Panoramic Express train: It starts from Montreux.Firstit journeys
up a mountain then it takes you between the mountains and third part is
along the shores of Lake Thunersee(Interlaken).
I liked
information ticket system there. If you want to go to Jangraujoch from
Lausanne. You can get all the details from any station counter about
the train timing, route to be taken, arrivals-departure etc. It makes
your travel very easy and you can plan accordingly.
Swiss punctuality is not exaggerated. The trains are never late.
Swiss
Pass-If you get a Swiss Pass then you can travel by train, tram, bus or
boat without having purchasing tickets. As the train-ticket counter at
the Geneva airport opens after 07:00.it is better to get the passes
before you land in Switzerland.
Shopping:
Cuckoo
Clocks*: These charming clocks are Swiss by association not by origin,
which is Germany. You will find different types of clocks in various
shapes and sizes with the common feature-cuckoo.
Chocolates:
Swiss chocolates are very popluar and everybody will expect you to
bring this souvenir for them So buy in bulk from Migros or Coop.Frey is
a good brand with reasonable price.
Swiss Army Knife: It is a multi functional tool with an international fame.
Cow bells: Arguably the most common souvenir in Indian Tourists' luggage will be the cow bell, made popular by DDLJ. Cowbells come in different shapes and sizes, so you can choose your pick.
So after visiting Switzerland, if you call it heaven, it won?t be far from the truth.
