Detailed below are some of the most outstanding bits from my travels through Switzerland and it’s destinations of Lucerne, Ennetbürgen, Mt Pilatus and Basel.
Lucerne, Switzerland
The old Kapellbrücke gave us spectacular town views and a quiet walk along the river. Art lined the ceiling of the bridge, detailing 17th century pieces reflecting the city’s history. After walking through, we popped out on a quaint boardwalk lined with shops and restaurants where we found a spot for fondue and a glass of wine, then continued exploring the town.
The water lined a few miles of the town and we set off from the Kapellbrücke to find the mystical lion monument that Lucerne is oh-so-known for. Along the way, we marveled at the seemingly hand-painted buildings that all had a character of their own — so very Swiss. The town was mixed with delightful cars of last century and clock towers with gold hands.
Along our journey to find the lion, we stumbled upon several more clock towers and even what appeared to be an old fort overlooking Lake Lucerne and the city. Looking out at the sunset over the buildings and water was when it finally set in — we were indeed in Switzerland. This little city named Lucerne had already taken our hearts.
One would think mid-to-late July in Switzerland would be tolerable, but our trip happened to fall on one of the hottest months in European history, or so it seemed. Walking through the cobblestone streets of Lucerne brought summer feelings with my first taste of Europe. We stumbled upon the lion monument after about an hour’s worth of adventuring, and weren’t the most impressed. The area was bustling with foreigners, so we didn’t stay long. Rather, the gelato stand around the corner served delicious pistachio cones.
We found ourselves wanting a taste of the Swiss nightlife. A club called Penthouse stood out — although tough to grab a spot on the rooftop, we enjoyed cocktails from the second floor inside. The club continued to get packed as we enjoyed the music and company before returning to our Airbnb a few blocks down.
Ennetbürgen
The next morning was bright and early, but filled with excitement for our spa experience at the Villa Honegg. After a 45-minute taxi ride up to Ennetbürgen from Lucerne, we had finally made it to one of the many peaks of our trip.
Villa Honegg is tucked away up a winding road that brings you to a gorgeous overlook of the Swiss hills and Lake Lucerne. The infinity pool was unreal and brought about luxurious vibes with a modern touch. It truly felt like we were in heaven.
We bathed, tanned, ate homemade spaghetti and sipped rosé looking above the Swiss hilltops. The sauna and steam room were delightful, and we were excited to see Hermès toiletries accompanying the powder rooms. The spa experience was unparalleled and left a true sense of royalty that I still channel today.
Mt. Pilatus
The luxurious spa experience prepared us well for a day trip across Lake Lucerne and up Mt Pilatus, one of the oldest cog railways in Europe. A true gem, the lake was aqua blue and green in the cloudy summer afternoon light. We sailed past a handful of tiny Swiss towns and cottages along the lake, and enjoyed a bit of ice cream on the boat.
After an hour long boat ride, we pulled up on the Pilatus Bahn and prepared for a gorgeous cog rail ride up the mountain.a lush green landscape lined the railway with cows and bells hanging from their necks.
In the time we rode to the top, the weather switched from snow to rain, and concluded with a rainbow at the top. It felt like we were being hoisted up to heaven.
Views from the station up top were even more spectacular — looking north over the snow-coated Swiss alps is the moment I knew I was on top of the world. Gift shops lined the inside of the station, but we preferred to explore along a hiking trail instead. The last gondola back into town was leaving around 4pm, so we traveled over to the departure deck to see an incredible rainbow above the lake and surrounding Swiss hills. The stunning red color of the gondola popped in front of the cloudy skies.
After coming back down to the town, we explored a bit by foot to catch the bus that would transport us back to Lucerne. Along the way back, we stopped at La Cucina Luzern for an incredible pizza dinner, a meal I’ll never forget.
Exhausted after a day of spa, adventure and food, we crashed at the Airbnb for our last night in Lucerne. The next morning we traveled by train through the Swiss countryside to Basel.
Basel
The ride into Basel was more than pleasant. We were delighted to find my aunt and uncle waiting for us at the Bahn, so we stuck our bags in lockers and set off to explore the city for a few hours. We walked down the Rhine River, and ate at a restaurant called Le Rhein Bleu. There was a patio that stretched into the river, we ate on the water and enjoyed a great bottle of wine.
Soon after what was one of the best meals of our European adventure, we continued on to the tram and visited the cargo district. The monument at the point where Switzerland, Germany and France intersect was right on the river, surrounded by boats all with different purposes. Our next stop was the Basler Münster, a red, 220-foot cathedral that has stood since the 1400s. Our time in Switzerland concluded with a visit to the Laderäch chocolate shop and a peek inside the city hall, another deep red building near the tram. During our last few moments in town, a bagpipe festival, Tattoo, encompasses the city as we hopped on our tram to the bahn.
