Switzerland is largely known for being a country nestled right smack in the middle of the Alps. Naturally, this is the main reason I want to go there. I love mountainous country and though I’ve seen the Alps briefly from the air when flying past them, I’ve never had the chance to actually visit in them.
If you look at any picture of Switzerland you’ll likely be amazed by beautiful skies, lakes and mountain peaks. It’s obviously a stunningly beautiful country. On top of that, while most of Europe was being destroyed in the World Wars, Switzerland’s policy of careful neutrality kept it perfectly intact. So what history is to be found there is going to be quite well intact as well. It’s weathered the financial crises of the last few years better than almost anywhere else in Europe, has very low unemployment and an extremely well organized society. In my research on this potential trip, Switzerland is the only place where I’ve read about the importance of obeying the road laws when driving.
It is, however, one of the most expensive places to visit. The exchange rate isn’t too bad but the goods and services are all pretty pricy, which could be problematic.
Of course, I want to visit the main cities: Bern, Geneva, and Zurich. Sort of coincidentally, this year’s Grey’s Anatomy included a few “scenes” from Zurich which were, though likely completely fake, nevertheless so beautiful it made me want to get on a plane and go there immediately. Unlike Spain, I’d easily be able to drive through the entire country and visit all the cities without any difficulty, as well as a number of other scenic hot spots. It takes very little time to travel from the southwestern end to opposite corner. I might even have the time to check out Liechtenstein.
As appealing as all that sounds, there’s actually one more thing that intrigues me more than anything else. Switzerland’s orderly efficiency also extends to its hiking trails, a system that from all accounts is pretty much unrivaled in all the world. I love to walk and I quite enjoy hiking, at least on a light level of difficulty, and the notion of exploring the Swiss countryside by foot is incredibly appealing, not just because it’s beautiful but because it’s so nicely organized.
I freely admit that I’m not a particularly rough character. Sure I can and do walk for miles. I’ve climbed a few local New Hampshire peaks and I am not afraid to tackle challenging environments from time to time. But I also like my comforts. Hiking the Appalachian Trail sounds like an incredible experience but the truth is I’d never actually do it because A: The idea of hauling a heavy, cumbersome pack for weeks sounds remarkably unpleasant and B: I like to sleep in real beds with a real roof over me.
This is where Switzerland’s clockwork organizational style works tremendously in my favor. It’s actually possible to hike for days through the countryside and mountains ending each day in an inn or hotel. Even better than that, there’s a system in place that allows the hiker to transport their baggage from one destination to the next, leaving me free to carry only the bare essentials.
That sounds absolutely wonderful.
It’s not ideal, as organizing and planning such an event would be a challenge of its own. There are services that’ll take care of everything for you, booking hotels and providing maps and travel arrangements. But they’re incredibly expensive.
If Switzerland turns out to be my destination this year, however, I’ll probably do a little bit of everything. I probably won’t hike for days at a time but I expect I’d rent a car to drive across country and do some short hikes along the way. I might even figure out a way to do one full day hike from one town or village to another. No matter what I ended up doing it’d make for an incredible trip.
If you look at any picture of Switzerland you’ll likely be amazed by beautiful skies, lakes and mountain peaks. It’s obviously a stunningly beautiful country. On top of that, while most of Europe was being destroyed in the World Wars, Switzerland’s policy of careful neutrality kept it perfectly intact. So what history is to be found there is going to be quite well intact as well. It’s weathered the financial crises of the last few years better than almost anywhere else in Europe, has very low unemployment and an extremely well organized society. In my research on this potential trip, Switzerland is the only place where I’ve read about the importance of obeying the road laws when driving.
It is, however, one of the most expensive places to visit. The exchange rate isn’t too bad but the goods and services are all pretty pricy, which could be problematic.
Of course, I want to visit the main cities: Bern, Geneva, and Zurich. Sort of coincidentally, this year’s Grey’s Anatomy included a few “scenes” from Zurich which were, though likely completely fake, nevertheless so beautiful it made me want to get on a plane and go there immediately. Unlike Spain, I’d easily be able to drive through the entire country and visit all the cities without any difficulty, as well as a number of other scenic hot spots. It takes very little time to travel from the southwestern end to opposite corner. I might even have the time to check out Liechtenstein.
As appealing as all that sounds, there’s actually one more thing that intrigues me more than anything else. Switzerland’s orderly efficiency also extends to its hiking trails, a system that from all accounts is pretty much unrivaled in all the world. I love to walk and I quite enjoy hiking, at least on a light level of difficulty, and the notion of exploring the Swiss countryside by foot is incredibly appealing, not just because it’s beautiful but because it’s so nicely organized.
I freely admit that I’m not a particularly rough character. Sure I can and do walk for miles. I’ve climbed a few local New Hampshire peaks and I am not afraid to tackle challenging environments from time to time. But I also like my comforts. Hiking the Appalachian Trail sounds like an incredible experience but the truth is I’d never actually do it because A: The idea of hauling a heavy, cumbersome pack for weeks sounds remarkably unpleasant and B: I like to sleep in real beds with a real roof over me.
This is where Switzerland’s clockwork organizational style works tremendously in my favor. It’s actually possible to hike for days through the countryside and mountains ending each day in an inn or hotel. Even better than that, there’s a system in place that allows the hiker to transport their baggage from one destination to the next, leaving me free to carry only the bare essentials.
That sounds absolutely wonderful.
It’s not ideal, as organizing and planning such an event would be a challenge of its own. There are services that’ll take care of everything for you, booking hotels and providing maps and travel arrangements. But they’re incredibly expensive.
If Switzerland turns out to be my destination this year, however, I’ll probably do a little bit of everything. I probably won’t hike for days at a time but I expect I’d rent a car to drive across country and do some short hikes along the way. I might even figure out a way to do one full day hike from one town or village to another. No matter what I ended up doing it’d make for an incredible trip.
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