I guess Switzerland caught everyone's fancy, including mine, after DDLJ and other Yash Chopra flicks. ( Of course, if one is into Hindi movies ). This was quite apparent with the sight of Indian families all over the place.
We had the Swiss pass, so we covered quite a lot during the 4-day trip. Two nights in Interlaken, one in Zermatt, and we touched Zurich and Bern on the way.
With Interlaken as base, we visited Grindlewald, Lauterbrunnen and Murren. We skipped the trip to the top of Jungfrau and Schilthorn because of the overcast conditions shown on the live cams.
The Swiss landscape was quite similar to the landscape of the German Alps, the latter being unspoilt and can be enjoyed for a fraction of the cost. Nonetheless, the mountains and nearby villages were very pretty and the snow-capped peaks were a sight whenever the clouds cleared. What is interesting is that the scenery looks so much better in the photographs I clicked. Must be the absence of crowds in the pics that adds to the surreal effect.
We loved Zermatt, for being a quiet town with the majestic Matterhorn overlooking it.
We spent a lot of time in trains. This included six hours on the Glacier express, which was a tourist trap I fell into. Switzerland is the place to hike, but I was with people who did not want to walk a mile, forget hiking. I feel a view is best when it has been earned. Would have definitely been an adventure. But anyway we didn't have too much time, and the only adventure I got was with white-water rafting. It was my first time, but the river was too calm and the thrills were hard to come by. Class III-IV rapids it seems, we were never remotely close to falling over. The guide said water levels were low, and it gets much better when the levels are good. At least, he allowed me to take a dip in the cold water for some time, and fake a fall-rescue sequence. Also, the photographs tell a different story.
Lovely place, but Switzerland does not fit the bill for 'Heaven on earth' yet. I guess it needs to be explored the the right way with a more relaxed time frame, maybe then it will get my vote.
We had the Swiss pass, so we covered quite a lot during the 4-day trip. Two nights in Interlaken, one in Zermatt, and we touched Zurich and Bern on the way.
With Interlaken as base, we visited Grindlewald, Lauterbrunnen and Murren. We skipped the trip to the top of Jungfrau and Schilthorn because of the overcast conditions shown on the live cams.
The Swiss landscape was quite similar to the landscape of the German Alps, the latter being unspoilt and can be enjoyed for a fraction of the cost. Nonetheless, the mountains and nearby villages were very pretty and the snow-capped peaks were a sight whenever the clouds cleared. What is interesting is that the scenery looks so much better in the photographs I clicked. Must be the absence of crowds in the pics that adds to the surreal effect.
We loved Zermatt, for being a quiet town with the majestic Matterhorn overlooking it.
We spent a lot of time in trains. This included six hours on the Glacier express, which was a tourist trap I fell into. Switzerland is the place to hike, but I was with people who did not want to walk a mile, forget hiking. I feel a view is best when it has been earned. Would have definitely been an adventure. But anyway we didn't have too much time, and the only adventure I got was with white-water rafting. It was my first time, but the river was too calm and the thrills were hard to come by. Class III-IV rapids it seems, we were never remotely close to falling over. The guide said water levels were low, and it gets much better when the levels are good. At least, he allowed me to take a dip in the cold water for some time, and fake a fall-rescue sequence. Also, the photographs tell a different story.
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Lovely place, but Switzerland does not fit the bill for 'Heaven on earth' yet. I guess it needs to be explored the the right way with a more relaxed time frame, maybe then it will get my vote.
