Swiss Summer Adventure

By Crystal Amaya

August 31^st, 2014

Fribourg

The first (rainy) stop on my Swiss adventure. When I used to travel for work, I always stayed in Fribourg and always found something new that I loved about it. So, naturally it was my first choice when deciding on a central place to setup camp. There’s something familiar about Fribourg. Something that feels like home.

Murten

I’ve loved Murten since my very first trip to Switzerland. It was a short drive through the country side and is always so welcoming and friendly. The town has a great medieval old town feel to it - still mostly surrounded by a wall. It is also where I found my favorite Prosciutto pizza and gelato.

Cathedrals galore

Words cannot express how truly joyful and at peace I am within the walls of these historic cathedrals. There’s an instant sense of calmness, no matter how chaotic or over-populated it feels outside those doors. There’s such a rich history to them. The centuries they’ve survived as the world changed around them. The hope, faith and pure joy they’ve provided to visitors form around the world. No matter how many others things I have on a long list of pit stops, these cathedrals will always be first on the list.

Stained glass and window art

With beautiful cathedrals comes some of the most beautiful stained glass that I’ve been lucky enough to see in person.

Finding the green fairy

This trip was pre-planned before we even left the states. That’s how great this Absinthe is. We spent time talking with the family that runs the distillery and even though the father only spoke german, his passion for his work required no words or explanation. After leaving Val-de-Travers, we made a quick stop in Neuchatel to admire a few more picture perfect sights.

Bern

Even in a crazy rain storm, Bern is still a fantastic place to visit. There’s so many random and unique things scattered across the city, it’s always an adventure!

chateau de chillon

This beautiful castle sits on the Lake Geneva, right next to Montreux. The only downside was the rain which made it almost impossible to see the breathtaking view that surrounded Montreux…next time.

lucerne vs lausanne

There’s really no competition - they’re equally lovely. Although one did have a lot more rain than the other…but it also had a random tightrope walker.

olympic history

A trip to Switzerland wouldn’t be completely without giving our brains a workout with some Olympic knowledge.

trummelbachfalle

The last time I visit Trummelbach Falls I left without any photos. Both cameras died right before I got up to the falls. This year I was determined not to let Trummelbach beat me. I brought 2 fully charged cameras and my iphone. Both the phone and my smallest camera were in waterproof casing and my DSLR was covered and READY! Unfortunately, I didn’t account for the slick ground (because why would caves following a waterfall INSIDE a mountain be slippery) and my camera almost suffered for it. Thankfully, it wasn’t too bad and my lens and camera are still happily capturing photos.

swiss alps

It took everything I had to not run down the hill singing…which I do majestically, thank you.

zurich

Zurich was the most touristy of the tourist areas that I went and my least favorite. Nevertheless, it’s still beautiful and we had amazing weather while we toured the city.

bavarian sights

Quite possibly my favorite stop during my time in Europe. Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, although very touristy and busy, was well worth the little trek and long wait for the scheduled tour. I can’t imagine building an entire castle for just me…but if I suddenly become wealthy enough to do so, I might consider it.

Top of zurich

The Hotel Uto Kulm, in the car-free mountain town of Uetliberg, was amazingly relaxing. Every now and then I could hear waves of people come and go, nothing too exciting. Being able to glance out the window in my suite to see a panoramic view of Zurich, more than made up for it. After a fantastic dinner, I wandered up the observation tower (one of the highest public observation towers in Switzerland) to watch the sunset and then wandered up one more time to watch the sunrise the next morning. This was definitely a perfect end to an awesome vacation.