Switzerland
Switzerland, where does someone start to talk about this beautiful country. It may be small but don’t underestimate it. Mountains, lakes, stream, rivers, the only thing that is missing is an ocean coast line. But don’t worry, Switzerland makes up for it with endless amounts of cheese, wine, and CHOCOLATE. Better not be late for your train, as it will not wait for you (it’s running on a clock), but it will show you THE MOST spectacular views you have ever seen.
Moving to Switzerland was a big step for me, as I was young and was not entirely sure what I was getting myself in to. Not only did I have to adapt to a new country, new friends, new school, new language but also a new home with an entire family. As crazy as that sounds, getting the opportunity to live with the family I did was the best part of my whole Swiss life experience. There is no better way to learn about a country and its cultures than by living with a local.
Switzerland boarders with some of the most powerful countries in all of Europe; Italy, Germany and France. Due to their great neighbors, Switzerland is divided into three parts and each part is characterized by its boarding country. I lived in Neuchatel which is located in the French section, and it sits on the beautiful lake Lac du Neuchatel. Switzerland has so much to offer for such a small country and I would definitely recommend to anyone travelling there to travel around the country and not just stay in one city. Here are a few of my favorite activities and “must do’s” to do in this beautiful multicultural wonderland.
- Chocolate: Have you ever wanted to visit a real Chocolate Factory? Well it’s time to put yourself in Charlies’ shoes because now is your chance. In the small town of Broc, Gruyere is the Masion Callier Chocolate factory, they take you through the history of the cocoa bean and how Switzerland become the land of chocolate and how they produce their brand of chocolate which then opens up to a heaven land of chocolate boxes everywhere. What more could you want?
- Cheese: You cannot visit Switzerland and not have fondue, and I don’t mean chocolate fondue (which I know we all love), I mean the original Cheese Fondue, with Gruyere cheese to be more specific. You can fill two needs with one deed, because in the same Canton as the Maison Callier, is the Gruyere Castle and some of the best Gruyere fondue in all the land. My favorite fondue can be found at the Gruyere Hotel in the center of the square. As the Gruyere Castle is also very beautiful and is a national heritage site, it is worth a visit as well. Fondue is not the only traditional cheese dish founded in Switzerland, raclet is also very popular and is loved by tourists. It is a half a wheel of cheese that is heated under fire and then the melted layer is poured on top of potatoes or toast. Yumm!
- Wine: Switzerland does have all four seasons throughout the year, and luckily, three of them are ample for growing vineyards in. Instead of visiting separate vineyards in the different Cantons, just go to the Grape Harvest Festival. Fete De Vendanges is a massive wine festival located in Nuechatel, to celebrate the passed seasons harvest. They offer wines not just from Switzerland but from all over Europe, along with carnival rides, a parade, and music stages throughout Neuchatel’s city center.
- Views: Switzerland offers so many beautiful views, some of the more popular views are the Alps and of course the picturesque Matterhorn. Some less talked about ones just happen to be my favorites; the top of the Creux de Vans and the Jungfraujoch or as it is also known as the Top of Europe. Creux de Vans is one of the more difficult hikes to do in Neuchatel but is it worth it. For at the top not only does it give you spectacular views but there is also a restaurant/cafe for lunch to have delicious delicacies like fondue or raclet. My second favorite place that takes less physical effort but more organizational effort to arrive at is the Top of Europe or Jungfraujoch. The route to get there stops in all the most beautiful villages in Switzerland and brings you to a breathtaking but chilly destination at 3,454 meters above sea level. It does however take 2 hours to get there from Interlaken and may take longer depending on where you are coming from in Switzerland. There is a similar experience to this one called Pilatus, that sits on the high mountains in the magical and historic town of Luzern, however it is only 2,232 meters above sea level. The destination only takes an hour to get to and though you do not get to say you visited the highest point in all of Europe you can say you took a ride on the steepest funicular in the world called the Cogwheel Railway.
Switzerland is my FIRST second home and always will be. I hope many of you get to visit and appreciate the country as I so do.
If you wish to see more picture from my time in Switzerland, click here.
