Switzerland is such a beautiful country, I am so glad I travelled here and stayed with my host family for two weeks. I learned all about the traditions and culture in Switzerland, and I was able to travel all over the gorgeous country by train.
Visiting the top of Zermatt. It was snowing!
Every day I rode the train to a different town from Zürich. The train was so much fun to ride and was always very scenic. To get to the top of Zermatt I rode the cogwheel train. The train goes very steep up the mountainside. Although it was too cloudy that day to see the Matterhorn, it was still beautiful enough to make you speechless.
Riding the gondola up to Pilaris, Luzern!
In Luzern, I walked over the wooden bridge and took the gondola up to Pilatus. The water around the city is crystal clear; so much so that you can see right to the bottom! As you take the gondola up to Pilatus, you get a view of the whole city and lake of Luzern below. There is also a slide on the mountain that you can ride down through the natural curves and turns of the mountain - that was a lot of fun!
Overlooking the river and ETH from Lindenhofplatz
Zürich is one of the most enjoyable, beautiful, and fun cities I visited in Switzerland. There is so much to do and everything is very accessible. I walked through the old town and walked up to the Lindenhofplatz where a castle used to occupy the land and control the town. The people of Zürich voted that no more building be allowed to occupy the land so no one can control the town. I ate my lunch up here overlooking the town, alongside many of the local people!
Hiking up the mountain at Bellinzona, and crossing the suspension bridge
On the weekend my host family took me to Bellinzona, where we hiked up the mountain. Bellinzona is in the Italian part of Switzerland, and it felt like a tropical paradise! The mountains were lush with greenery and had many hiking paths. We hiked up to a suspension bridge which had incredible views of the town in the distance, and the water running through the valley. We ate lunch at the other end of the suspension bridge, and then hiked down while walking through cute little farms and vineyards.
The Zürich Zoo had an impressive Madagascar exhibit
The Zürich Zoo was lots of fun and took me the whole day to see everything. The most impressive exhibit by far was the Madagascar exhibit, which had many birds, lizards, and other creatures that would walk around you. I found a crazy colourful chameleon that was on a branch right beside me, and even crossed the pathway at my feet! There was also lots of exotic birds and animals from Africa.
Exploring Olten, where my grandmother grew up in Switzerland
Near the end of my two weeks in Switzerland, I rode the train to Olten. Olten is where my grandmother grew up in Switzerland, so I went to see the building where she used to live. Also in Olten is a very old wooden bridge (like in Luzern), which I found out had partly burned down in the spring of 2018. However, the inside of the bridge has been repaired so you can still walk through it. On one side of the river is mostly residential buildings, and on the other side of the river is small shops and restaurants. I explored both sides of the town, and it was very nice being able to see the town where my grandmother grew up.
Leaving Zürich, Switzerland, with the high-speed train
My two weeks in Switzerland was an incredibly enjoyable experience. It was so much fun trying new Swiss foods, learning some Swiss-German, and participating in the culture and traditions of Switzerland. Everything about this country is beautiful, and I cannot wait to come back to Switzerland again!
