Swiss Trip (Part 2)

The following morning we woke bright and early and began to head west from Zurich to Gstaad. We were still unsure of what we would do once we arrived, but decided we would figure it out once we got there. The drive to Gstaad was beautiful, once we got off the highway we drove through tiny Swiss villages and farms. Log cabins with bright red flowers and Swiss flags dotted the road and were interspersed by fields and mountains. We stopped a few times to take some pictures as it was too pretty to just pass up.

One of the cute houses we drove by

We finally arrived at Gstaad around 1pm and headed straight to lunch. After lunch we decided to take a  Cable Car up one of the surrounding mountains. The ride probably took around 20 minutes and once we arrived at the top we could see for miles. We hiked around the mountain top for a little taking in the snow capped mountains in the distance and breathing in the cool mountain air (which was a nice reprieve from the sweltering weather in the city).

Enjoying the view with snow capped mountains behind us

After the cable car we headed to our hotel, located outside of Gstaad in the mountains. The GPS first brought us the wrong way and we ended up on a tiny, dead end dirt road. After examining the map for a little we slowly made our way back down the first mountain and up the right one. After dinner we headed back to the hotel and sat on the patio speaking with one of the hotel managers. In the fields there was a sign that read "zäme" which means "together" in Swiss German. He explained that 20-30 years ago the famous stars and the locals lived in harmony and that the wealthy could come to Gstaad and live a normal life. They were able to frequent the bars and restaurants and would often be seen having drinks with the locals. However, with a new famous crowd and the introduction of social media this interaction no longer occurs and they dream back to the time of the past.

Tuesday was our last day of our Swiss Trip and so we began the drive back home, making sure to take in some important and toursity last few spots. We first headed east to Interlaken for breakfast at Blueberry's. The cafe was great, the city not so much. It was way too touristy for us and we believe that if you visit Switzerland, you should try a different city (like Gstaad, it was so beautiful)! However, on the drive to Interlaken we passed one of the bluest lakes we have ever seen, Lago di Quattro Cantoni (The Four Canton's Lake), so we made a quick pit stop to take it all in.

Lago di Quattro Cantoni, so pretty

From Interlaken we headed further East to Bilten. Not much there other than the Läderach Chocolate Factory. According to us Läderach may actually be the best chocolate in existence. So going to the factory: Big Deal. We were able to take a small tour of the factory, sample tons of chocolate and get a discount on our chocolate purchases. Totally worth the drive.

Taking in the chocolate factory

After our chocolate experience we started the last leg our trip back to Lugano, or so we thought. We then entered Heidi Land and decided to detour to find Heidi's house, and failed. But we made it to her town and her fairground so I think that counts just fine.

Heidi's Town: Maienfeld, Switzerland

We arrived in Lugano early Tuesday night, happy and exhausted. It was such an amazing road trip and really showed us Switzerland. Our Swiss Appreciation Road Trip was finished, for now.