Journal #64 - Switzerland & Liechtenstein

Grüezi from Switzerland and Hoi from Liechtenstein!

Mr. Wanderer and I worked across Switzerland visiting Geneva, Lauterbrunnen, and Zurich along with their neighbor, Liechtenstein! We munched on bread and cheese, rode around on trains, and adored the stunning Swiss Alps for our visit. This whole stay felt charmed and we truly enjoyed our time here.

We started in Geneva, crossing the border from France. Our first impressions were formed before we arrived when we received notice from our accommodations with our transit passes. Basically, because we were staying in a traditional hotel - we were each granted a free public transportation pass that gave us unlimited access to the city's people movers. This made it immensely convenient to bounce around between the beds of Lake Geneva and our list of fondue restaurants.

It also helped that so many different parts of Geneva were filled with beautiful details and unique thrills. For example, Lake Geneva was captivating in its own right; but, it also has swans that glide along its surface. These birds add an element of elegance to any sunset walk along the shores and provide an air of storybook fiction that colored our visit all across the city.

Geneva was also great for us because it allowed this nerd-school alumnus to visit CERN. That is a nuclear research facility with the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. We took a tour there and even saw demonstrations like it was an academic field trip all over again.

Active researchers from the labs are responsible for running the campus tours. This meant that our guide thoroughly understood many of the different research projects underway at the sight and could answer, in technical detail, different questions our group posed. It was the only tour group I have ever been a part of where every single tourist asked at least one in-depth question. The whole party thoroughly interrogated the guide about each individual step in the facility. The visitors are a self-selecting pool, but we enjoyed seeing every guest's mind afire.

The next stop on this adventure of ours was probably our favorite one in Switzerland. We went into the Alps and stayed in the gorgeous town of Lauterbrunnen! This town is rumored to be the inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien's Rivendell and we could see the comparison. The whole place was beautiful. This stunning hamlet is nestled in a valley set between the Swiss Alps. The train arriving here wove past the wooded hills and plunged into our stop along a stream fed by glacier water.

The walls of the valley were what made this stop so unbelievable. Spurting out of the rock faces were waterfalls. I do not mean to say that there were one, two, or three we could pose in front of. There were maybe one hundred different falls scattered around the town. Everywhere you looked you could find a handful cascading down the mountainside. Some were more like a trickle, that you noticed if the light caught them right. Others rushed through the rocks like they had someplace to be.

These beautiful views are what draw tourists to this destination. There are countless hikes and walking paths among the peaks. We also enjoyed going into the mountain caves where you could see the profound hurtling of water ripping through the inside of the mountain, carving our cave paths and an internal river. The whole place felt like it came out of a fantasy tale, and we adored every peaceful moment spent here.

When we finally emerged from the mountains, our next stop was the city of Zürich. This town showed its cross-cultural influences, especially from its German neighbors. We loved the bright blue water in the city center and enjoyed just strolling through the streets. This is not the spot for everyone though, mainly due to the price. Mr. Wanderer and I found ourselves gobsmacked with some brutal sticker shock at the food prices we came across.

A major benefit of Zürich for us was its proximity to Liechtenstein. We used it as a base, while we took a visit to the tiny neighbor. Liechtenstein is such a small country, their directions on signs are given in time/distance to walk between locations - not drive. There is a convenient bus system that helped us cover a swath of the countryside and thoroughly experience all of the capital city, Vaduz.

We found a walking path through the capital that brings you up the cliffside and gives you access to the nation's royal palace. Unfortunately, we were not allowed inside as the royal family still actively lives there - but the views surrounding it were lovely. It felt like they were looking out over their whole kingdom.

One thing that surprised us was the vast amount of modern art - mainly sculptures - presented around the city. We saw installations on the walking paths, outside the museums, and even near the church. For a small place with an air of old-world charm, the art gave Vaduz a breath of youthful air that made it all the more intriguing to us.

When we left Liechtenstein, it was also time to say goodbye to Switzerland. Our next stop is a nation shaped (by their own description) like a chicken. Check out a map and see if you have any guesses on where we are off to next!