Day 3 - Switzerland

We left Zurich for Mount Titlis, Engelberg early in the morning by coach which took about an hour.

Engelberg is an alpine town in central Switzerland where the station for the cable cars going up to Mount Titlis is located.

The scenic ride to Engelberg was breathtaking. Storybook chalets and the snow-capped Alps unfolded at every turn! The vista was just like a page right out of the Heidi classic I grew up on. It made me want to yodel!

Because I have anemia and was at risk of high altitude sickness, the three of us decided to hop off at the Trübsee middle station while the rest of the group took the cable car ride all the way to the top of the mountain.

No regrets!  Not going up to the summit  meant more hours of frolicking in the snow at the Trübsee Snow Park!

We experienced snowtubing for the first time and it was super fun!  More photos and videos in my upcoming post.

Love, love, love this photo of us.The peaks of the Alps make such a postcard-perfect backdrop.

Reaching 10,626 feet above sea level, Mt. Titlis is Central Switzerland’s highest peak.

O ho lay dee hee!!

Mt. Titlis

After Mt. Titlis, our coach shuttled us off to Lucerne.

LUCERNE

Lucerne is a lake city in central Switzerland known for its charming medieval architecture. Its old town (Altstadt) is amongst the prettiest in Switzerland.

Our group photo at the sad Lion Monument.

More photos and explanation of this poignant sculpture in an upcoming post.

ALTSTADT (OLD TOWN)

Many of  Altstadt's  buildings were constructed in the Middle Ages, with the chapel bridge (Lucerne's icon) built circa 1300.

The Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) is a wooden pedestrian bridge that spans the Reuss River.
It is named after the nearby St. Peter’s Chapel. Built in 1333, the bridge is one of the oldest wooden bridges in Europe.

Paintings on the interior of the covered bridge.

Two thirds of the  paintings were destroyed in a fire in 1993. Out of the original 158 paintings, only 30 were fully restored and are on display today.

Swans around the lake lend a fairytale charm to this beautiful city.

We spent the rest of the evening meandering the cobbled pedestrian streets, seeking out the numerous hidden squares in the old town.

Wandering around this old town was like walking into a medieval movie set!

You can see murals like this painted on the ancient buildings.

We loved the little squares with the beautiful fountains.

A wefie with the Swiss Pinocchio in front of the Casagrande.

Inside one of those quaint souvenir shops.

You don't have to go far to see a Swiss flag; they are everywhere!

There are a few things that are quintessentially Swiss and cheese fondue is one of them.
Our visit to Switzerland wouldn't be complete minus a fondue!!

Our very first Swiss fondue at the Fritschi Restaurant.

Best rösti ever!!!

The raclette was amazing too. Yummmmm!



You can't go all the way to Switzerland and not buy a Swiss watch!

Unlike what we thought, the prices of branded Swiss watches over here were just about the same as those back home.

Just because...

A Rolex or even a Tag Hauer is way out of our league so we settled for a Swiss Military Watch for my son Josh who couldn't join us on this trip.