Have you ever wanted to see what the Swiss Alps are all about? Are the Swiss organized and efficient? Is Switzerland worth going to? I recently had the good fortune of going to the beautiful county of Switzerland with my wife and 12-year-old daughter. We had an amazing time and I want to share with you, 7 reasons to go to Switzerland now!
1. The natural beauty and glorious landscapes.
Switzerland is incredible. Mountains surround you everywhere you look. The Swiss (as a culture) take great pride in keeping their country clean and meticulously manicured. Pictures do not do justice. To see the Alps from the towns of Wengen or Murren is breathtaking and an experience that everyone needs to have. This could be one of the best reasons to go to Switzerland.
2. The chocolate.
Swiss chocolate is world-famous. They invented the pressed chocolate bar and milk chocolate. There are many Swiss chocolate brands: Lindt, Toblerone, Cailler, and my favorites Laderach and Sprungli. All stores have a huge chocolate section. Seek out a Laderach or Sprungli store and be in chocolate heaven.
3. Swiss army knives.
Who doesn’t need a knife, bottle opener, hack saw, toothpick, nail file, corkscrew, scissors, and more altogether? Swiss army knives are just plain cool. While in Zurich, I went to a Victorinox store that had the largest Swiss army knife selection I have ever seen. It was overwhelming making my selection, but I finally decided on the “Huntsman”.
4. Via Ferrata in Mürren.
Wow, this is/was amazing. The Mürren-Gimmelwald via ferrata is the most thrilling, beautiful, and freaky 1.4 miles (2.2km) I have ever experienced. My wife, daughter and I (along with an excellent guide) hiked on the edge of the Swiss Alps. We climbed steep ladders, walked on a tightrope, and took a zip line across a gorge. Wow! What an experience.
5. Swiss food experiences (fondue, hot stone steak, raclette).
While researching what to eat in Switzerland, I knew I had to try the famous melted cheese. Fondue is melted cheese (with other ingredients) in a pot where you use a long fork and dip small pieces of bread in it. Raclette is a cheese that is heated up and basically scraped off onto a plate. It is eaten typically with potatoes. The hot stone steak was one of the best things we ate on the trip. Basically, you cook your own steak on a super hot stone. I opted for the filet mignon. Very delicious. I love eating steak hot, and you can control how well done or rare your steak is.
6. The reliability and efficiency of public transportation.
I like not having to drive while in Europe and the Swiss public transportation system is the best in the world. Also, it is a lot of fun going up mountains on the cable cars, funiculars, and gondolas.
7. Sprungli (macaron).
Yes, another food item, but let me explain. When I first knew that I was going to Switzerland, I knew that we would be staying near Lake Geneva. Specifically, we stayed in Lausanne (The French part of Switzerland). In Lausanne, there is a world-class macaron shop called Lauderee. I bought and enjoyed macarons from there and was very happy. Well, at the end of my trip, we had a little time in Zurich. In Zurich, there are multiple locations of an absolutely amazing chocolate and confection shop called Sprungli. On a whim, I tried their version of a macaron and I have the say they were the best macarons I have ever had! They were delicate, little pillows of macaron perfection. The macarons are so fresh, that Spungli advises eating within minutes of purchasing. Yum.
What are your experiences? Did I miss any reasons to go to Switzerland? Let us know in the comments below.
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