Switzerland: the Holy Land of Chocolate
Since Valentine's Day happened to fall on a long weekend this year, I managed to convince Michael that this is a prime opportunity to get away! Swiss Air flies direct from Boston to Zurich, so it seemed like a no brainier. We flew overnight on a Wednesday and arrived just in time to begin a full day of sightseeing! I have to be honest, I was worried about the weather. It was February and we're going to a country known for skiing and therefore, snow. We did book travel insurance (some more on that in another post) just in case, but luckily we didn't need it. Ironically, it was warmer in Switzerland than Boston! For our first night in Switzerland, we stayed in the Sheraton Zurich--great place. While it was not in the older part of Zurich, it was across the street from the city's fantastic metro system. Hotels in Switzerland can be very expensive and this place was reasonable. Since it was a quick ride into town, we felt okay about not staying in the center of the action. That first day, the sun was shining and it was just south of 50 degrees--beautiful! We walked around, stocked up on Nespresso pods (a must in the Nespresso homeland) and at bratwurst on the street. It was really quite a lovely afternoon.
After one night, we made our way down to Lucerne--a quaint little city about an hour south of Zurich. Now let me tell you, if you're looking for Swiss charm, this is the place to get it. We stayed for three nights in the AMAZING Hotel Des Balances. This hotel is right in the center of old town Lucerne and is right on the River Reuss. If you can, definitely spring for the balcony river-view room--you won't be sorry you did. Breakfast can also be included if your rate has it, and the breakfast is really good. It's a full buffet and then a la carte egg dishes if you want. As an American, I've often been disappointed in European breakfasts. This one, was great.
Our first night in Lucerne, we ate at Grottino 1313. This place is not only adorable, but has really great food. However, it's a preset menu that you cannot deviate from unless you have allergies and/or dietary restrictions. Normally, I'm a very picky eater but I found this food to be really good and not too "unique". On our second night, my husband got us a table at STERN Luzern, which was also very, very good. We both had a filet mignon with blue potatoes (!) on the side. Again, quite a hit. For our final night, which was also Valentine's Day, Michael booked us a table at La Cucina Luzern--this was probably my favorite meal the entire time. Since Switzerland borders Italy, there are a lot of Italian influences throughout the southern parts of Switzerland. Oh, and the chocolate. Ohhh the chocolate! It's everywhere and it's really good! Kind of expensive, but worth it for a little splurge. You honestly can't go to Switzerland and not have Swiss chocolate.
As a Christmas gift to Michael, I purchased gondola tickets for us to ride to the top of Mt. Pilatus--the Alp that is right in Lucerne. I really hate heights, so I found the gondola ride to be terrifying. Not to mention, you're dangling in a tin can with the wind blowing around you. I'm happy I did it, but it sure was scary.
When you finally get to the summit (after three different gondola rides and going from green grass to snow) the view is unreal. There is a lookout point, where all that stands between you and dropping 7,000 feet is a glass railing, and a restaurant. What I thought was super cool is there is also a hotel up there! That would be an awesome view to wake up to.
All in all, Switzerland is an amazing country. It's clean, low crime, and very beautiful. From Boston, it was completely do-able in four days and I honestly would not suggest more than that if you're just doing the two cities. Also, don't be afraid of going in the winter. They have the same climate as the Northeast, except the Alps give a barrier against harsh wind and snow down in the towns. Winter can also provide some great deals, since most people are off skiing or want to go when it's warm.