5 Places to Go in Switzerland

Switzerland is one of my favourite places in Europe. No doubt it is very expensive, but it's worth every dollar. It is the land of scenic landscape that captivates your heart and eyes. There are so many places to visit in Switzerland, and I'm thankful that I chose this country to study for my exchange programme. Here's the top 5 places that I love:

1. Bern

Bern is the so-called 'capital' of Switzerland. I love Bern because it has a distinctive 'artistic' flavour and sets itself apart from other old towns. Walk along the old town and you'll chance upon infamous statue of a baby-eating creature, a drain with water flowing against gravity, a metal chain structure that 'stands up'. There are several other interesting features that you can explore in the town. This town is also unique because the shops have doors leading to the underground space. Tons to explore.

I went on a walking tour by Patrick and he is so hilarious and informative. You'll learn the funny differentiating factor between the Bern flag and the New Bern (in the states) flag. The gathering point was at the Rosengarten (rose garden), which is about 20 minutes away from the train station. From the rose garden, you get a breathtaking view of the river Aare and the altstadt (old town). Absolutely stunning.

2. Interlaken

I went for paragliding and it was the most amazing experience ever. Ever, ever, ever. One thing off my bucket list, and I must say that paragliding is such a thrilling experience and when I was up in the air, I couldn't stop saying 'Wow!". The bird's eye view of the town of Interlaken is sehr gut (very good in german -- because I couldn't stop telling my Swiss buddy how great the view was).

3. Lauterbrunnen

Lauterbrunnen is a valley with nice flat walking trials. It's a lovely place to see waterfalls and the surrounding mountains. I came here with my Swiss buddy and it's a lovely place to you can take the cable car to Mürren.

Staubbach Falls is only about 10 to 15 minutes away from the Lauterbrunnen train station. It's Europe's highest free-falling waterfall. You can explore the waterfall from the back as there is a pathway with steps and railings built. You don't exactly reach the top of the waterfall (wow, what a climb it'll be to go ALL the way up!). The main point is you'll get to go behind and up close the waterfall. Mind your steps, it's quite slippery and wet. It's the most amazing experience and I totally enjoyed it.

4. Mürren

I took a cable car and a connecting train from Lauterburnnen. The whole journey took about 20-30 minutes, and every minute of it is a feast to the eyes. Be greeted by the famous mountains of Eiger, JungFrau and Mönch. I couldn't identify the mountains - they all look the same to me - but the view was stunning anyway.

Don't constraint yourself to the old town. Continue hiking and you'll see great views. I'll recommend half a day of casual walking and hiking, and of course, spamming photographs. It's not too touristic along the hiking tracks, when I went there in late June. There are a couple of benches along the way where you can stop to rest and enjoy the panoramic views.

There's a Singaporean-owned restaurant in murren too, but I only knew about it when I came back to Singapore (sighhh....)

5. Bellinzona

Are you a fan of castles? The 3 castles, namely Castelgrande, Castello di Montebello and Castello di Sasso Corbaro, are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

There is a lift that can bring you all the way up to Castelgrande, and it's situated behind a church nearby. Ask the locals or the shopkeepers, they'll show you the way.

There are no lifts for the other 2 castles, so you'll have to walk up by foot. There is a museum in Castello di Montebello. You'll need to pay an entrance fee. I gave Sasso Corbaro a miss because it's the highest castle among the three, and I expended all my energy on climbing the first 2 (yeah, I climbed Castelgrande by foot).

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There are a couple of other places that I went to as well, and they are:

- Rhine Falls

- St Gallen

- Locarno

- Lausanne

- Zurich

- Geneva

- Brienz

- Lungern

- Zermatt

- Jungfrau

And a few places that I wish I went to:

- Montreux

- Swiss national park

- Grindelwald

Thanks for reading! I hope you will enjoy your trip like I do, and I am going to elaborate more on the other places to go in Switzerland, so stay tuned :)

#Switzerland #Placestogo