Lucerne (Switzerland): A gateway to paradise

Lucerne is the tourism capital of Switzerland and gateway to the snow peaks – Mt. Titlus, Jungfrau and the beautiful town of Interlaken. On the periphery of Lucerne is Mt.Pilatus & Mt. Rigis which unfortunately are not on the itinerary of most package tour operators. Well, if you are going to Jungfrau & Mt.Titlus, you wouldn’t miss much by skipping these two lesser known mountains. And if must visit them, you can hop onto the tours operated by the Tourist Information Bureau next to the Lucerne main station.

Lucerne, a beautiful town nestled on the banks of a massive lake and surrounded by beautiful snow peaked mountains, is just an hours train ride from Zurich airport. You can book the tickets on the internet as well (www.sbb.ch) It is advisable that you travel light on your trip to Switzerland to be able to travel in the public transport. Taxis here are mind blowingly expensive. You have the option of leaving some of your bags at the LEFT LUGGAGE DEPARTMENT at Zurich airport. You can ask any information counter at the airport for directions to reach this department. However be prepared to pay up to Rs. 300-400 per bag per day as storage charges. This may be a better option though, than lugging the heavy luggage around with you.

Right across the lake in front of the Main Railway station lays the old town of Lucerne. This quaint old area with cobble stoned pathways and old European architecture remind us of the era gone by. You can just walk across the bridge from the station and turn left to reach the old town. It is a very beautiful place to stay. There are several budget hotels here, one of them being Best Western Krone at Weinmarkt. This is a nice, clean and a reasonably priced hotel. (http://www.book.bestwestern.com/ ) I must remind you here that Switzerland is amongst the most expensive countries in the world, hence you may find these rates very expensive. If you are a budget tourist, you will do well to travel in a packaged tour to Europe as they generally turn out 30-40% cheaper.

On this lake in the famous old wooden bridge which had got burnt down a few years back and has now been rebuilt. Close to the old town is the Lion Monument. Just a 15 minute walk shall take you to this WWII memorial. It is believed that if you make a wish and throw a coin in the pond here, you wish comes true, very much like the more famous Trevi Fountain of Rome. Just outside the Lion Monument is a small gifts and souvenirs shop run by a sweet lady. I have found here very exciting bargains on Swiss watches and other novelties. This is a good place to pick up some souvenirs and gifts for friends. If you looking for something in particular and it is not available here, bring it to the notice of the lady. She will take you to her bigger shop down the road which has a much bigger collection.

Next to the station is the tourist information bureau where you can get information on the various tours available as well as book the tickets for the same. Across the road from here is the McDonalds, the cheapest food in Switzerland. You can also pick up some food bargains in the subway shopping at the station. Restaurants here shall cost you minimum Rs. 1000-1200 per person per meal. A meal at one of the restaurants next to the lake is a nice experience. You can try the Swiss dishes – Risotto & Fondue here. You can also get good Pizzas and Pastas. You can also try Ravioli, a rice dish with veggies and cheese.
If you are dying for an Indian meal, try the restaurant on the 1st floor diagonally opposite the street leading to the Lion Monument.

Between the old city and the Lion monument is the Watch shop of Bucherer. You will get discount coupons from your tour operator for shopping here. Believe me, until you are a watch connoisseur, you will not pick up anything from this shop. Take the lane next to this shop and walk for 2 minutes. On the left you will find a big chocolate shop. If you are a chocolate fan, this is the shop for you. Choose the home made chocolates and candies from the Glass Jars instead of the packaged chocolates. If you are looking for cheap Swiss chocolates for yourself and for gifting, pick it up from the shops in the basement of the railway station. You can try the chocolates of “Lindtt & Sprungle”. Swiss white chocolates are worth a try.

Lucerne is your Gateway to the snow peaked Swiss Alps. The most popular being Mt.Titlus & Jungfrau. A beautiful coach ride through the scenic countryside of Switzerland brings you to the beautiful town of Interlaken. Interlaken, a town where several Bollywood films have been shot, is bestowed with natural beauty in abundance and is made famous by its beautiful mountains, lush green fields, lovely Swiss cows and wooden houses. A unique feature of houses in this region is that there are two houses a big and a small connected by a small bridge. The old parents live in the small house while the children and their families live in the larger house. From Interlaken you take a train to Jungfrauoch (Top of Europe 11000 ft). Some tour operators may take you to Lauterbrunnen to catch this train and give you some time an Interlaken on the return trip. The train ride through the Alps provides a breathtaking view of the god’s gift to this lovely country. You are required to change into a cog wheeled train at Grindelwald. The train on its way to the Top of Europe passes through several ski resorts and a long tunnel cut into the difficult mountain terrain, an example of the Swiss technological brilliance. The train stops at two places in the tunnel where glass windows have been built to provide you a view of the beautiful mountain ranges. At the top you can take a walk through the ice caves, or take a ride in the dog pulled sledges. A lift takes you to the snow covered table top land. Here you can take a walk and click beautiful pictures of the Swiss Alps. Do not forget to carry warm jackets, caps & gloves as it can get very breezy and cold at the top. After spending some time on the top you can come down to the snack bar and have a hot noodle soup to rejuvenate yourself.

Mt. Titlus, the most favored tourist spot of the Indians, starts with a surprise. The café at the souvenir shop at cable car station has Samosas on the menu. I picked up the Samosas to add on to the cable car experience. You have to change into 3 different cable cars to reach the top at Mt. Titlus. The first is a small car with sitting arrangement. I suggest you have your snacks here. The second one is a rectangular shaped huge car which transports you to next level. Here you travel standing very much like our local trains. The third is the only revolving cable car in the world. The rotating floor inside provides all round view of the beautiful Swiss mountains. You can spend some glorious moments in the snow at the top and just don’t miss the ride in the “Ice Fliers”. Usually the ticket for the ice flier is included in your trip cost. Ask your tour guide for the ice flier tickets as you need to show your ticket for this ride. “Ice flier” a recently added attraction at Mt.Titlus provides a closer look at the crevices & the snow covered mountains. Once back, you shall be besieged with hunger. The self service restaurant at the top offers some lovely pastas, pizzas, muffins and hot coffee. This is also the meeting place for the entire group and the tour guide.

Water is an expensive commodity in Switzerland. You may have to shell out Rs.100-120 for a 200ml bottle of water. Tap water is perfectly safe for drinking and you can save precious money by filling up your bottles before you move out of your hotel everyday.