Swiss Trip (Part 1)

3 days, 2 nights, 1 car and over 610 miles = 1 amazing Swiss appreciation road trip!

Jeannie and I were talking one day and realized that there was a lot of Switzerland we haven't seen. Living in Switzerland has provided us with the opportunity to travel all over Europe and see some amazing cities and countries. However, we seemed to bypass visiting the other beautiful cities and areas in our own country. This Swiss Trip gave us a glimpse of the beautiful countryside and towns that Switzerland has to offer.

Lugano→Stein am Rhein→Rhine Falls→Zurich→Gstaad→Interlaken→Bilten→Heidi Land→ Lugano

 We left early Sunday morning for the north and with a forecast that predicted rain all day we were quite nervous for our trip to the Rhine Falls. Luckily, our prayers were answered and we had a beautiful day (and trip!). The drive took a little longer than expected because we got stuck in Gotthard Tunnel traffic, but once we arrived in Stein am Rhein, all traffic frustrations disappeared. Stein am Rein reminded us of what we believed a typical Swiss city would look like. Don't get me wrong, Lugano is absolutely stunning, but the smaller, older cities and towns are something very special. The city was so quaint and had such cute cafes and stores. We had lunch at a crêperie and then walked along the river and through the city taking in all the sites.

View of the city from the bridge

With the sun beating down on us we decided to head to the Rhine Falls, the largest plain waterfall in Europe. The falls are 450 feet wide and 75 feet high with an average summer water flow of 700 m/s. They were formed during the last Ice Age (around 14-17000 years ago) which caused the river's course to be pushed farther south than before over a hard limestone bedrock. Previously the riverbed was made up of a softer bedrock which helped create a smooth river. However, when the river began to run over the tougher limestone, it could not erode which allowed for the falls to form.

With the falls behind us

Standing in the middle of the falls is a large rock outcrop. We were able to take a boat to the rock and climb up, standing in the middle of the falls. The water was flowing so fast that when we approached the rock the captain had to point the bow of the boat way to the left of the dock so that we would be pushed into it. It was a really cool experience to stand in the middle of the falls and to see and hear how powerful the water is.

Rhine Falls with the Rock outcrop we climbed

We then headed south to Zurich for the night. We had dinner at Hiltl, Europe's oldest vegetarian restaurant, which is still run by the same family. Opened in 1898 and ridiculed for its idea, it is now one of the best restaurants in Zurich (ranked #12 of 1092 in Zurich by Trip Advisor). After dinner, we then took some time to take in the Zurich skyline at night.

Zurich Skyline

To be continued...