Right on the westernmost end of Lake Neuchâtel, Yverdon-les-Bains reminds me of the geography of Geneva, but the similarities end there. It is a much more industrial town and it actually reminds me of the Midwestern US where the buildings are sparse and people rely on cars to get around. Read more…
Known for both its cheese and its castle, but mainly its cheese, Gruyères is a small area in the mountains of the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The milk for its cheese has to come from farms within a 20km radius and meet stringent requirements to be branded as a Gruyère Read more…
Founded in 1819, Cailler celebrated its 200th birthday in 2019. Along with Peter, Kohler, and Nestlé, the four men founded the four most prominent chocolate manufacturers of their time along Lake Geneva. With a plentiful supply of milk from the cows grazing the nearby pastures, it still is the perfect Read more…
Once every two decades, Suisse Romandie gets together in Vevey to celebrate its winemaking heritage. Listed as the first Swiss event on UNESCO’s register of Intangible Cultural Heritage, it is a big draw for both locals and tourists alike. It’s a fitting festival for the French-speaking part of the country Read more…
In 1294, three cantons came together to form the first agreement that would lead to the Confederation of Switzerland. The canton of Schwyz was one of the first three cantons and the namesake for the whole nation. It is on the east bank of Lake Luzern with a history to Read more…
Switzerland has plenty of towns and cities with the names of things such as Apples and Bière and Egg is no exception. While “Egg” doesn’t mean anything in German but tourists from English-speaking places know how to make a place look silly. The tram-train called the Forchbahn goes from Zürich Read more…
I don’t make impulsive decisions very often, but when I went online and saw an offer for a boat ride on Lac Léman with a dinner for a very reasonable price I just could not resist. At first, I arrived at the wrong ship on the wrong pier, but when Read more…
Travelling between Luzern and St. Gallen several times a day, the Voralpen express is the perfect connection from the Luzern-Interlaken Express. Be sure to catch one of their new FLIRT series trains that feature broken doors and broken vending machines. Everything was so broken that the train didn’t even go Read more…
The GoldenPass line is one of the most touristic panorama railways in Switzerland. Not only does it have refurbished panorama carriages, it also offers a Belle Epoque option with a classic Oriental Express style wooden carriage for the first leg from Montreux to Zweisimmen. Being a fan of Switzerland’s countless Read more…
As one of the more obscure panorama routes, the Luzern-Engelberg express isn’t frequented by tourists as much as the Gotthard Panorama Express. If you travel in first class and get on the panorama carriage in the front, it’s likely that you’ll be up there all by yourself. Unfortunately, I was Read more…