A simple and seemingly unassuming train journey between the Swiss capital of Bern and Geneva sums up a lot of the reasons why this country is one of my favourite places in Europe. Setting off from Bern you get your first taste of spectacular scenery within seconds as you pull away from the central station, high up on the railway bridge, you see the crystal clear River Aare running through this pretty city and its picture postcard buildings. Once out of the city the view from the train windows just gets better as you snake your way past more beautiful towns nestled at the foot of hills and valleys with a backdrop of even larger mountains in the distance. All of the scenery is stunning along the way but it reaches a glorious finale in the last stage of the journey on Lake Geneva, no matter how hard I tried with my camera it was quite hard to believe how breathtaking the view really was at times. When you think of Switzerland it's likely you think of spectacular scenery and this didn't disappoint.
The train journey highlighted a famously notable feature of this country which is the diversity of its population and the sudden change of language experienced between the different areas. I visited Bern after trips to Zurich and Basel during which I became accustomed to the German language being spoken, that despite being just miles away from France in the latter, but in the blink of an eye in Switzerland that can quickly change. The train I travelled on to Geneva passed through the town of Fribourg or Fribourg/Freiburg as the station is called due to it being the point where the language changes. After that point it is on to Lausanne and Geneva where not only is everyone now speaking French but the cities here reflect that culturally and feel different to its northern counterparts. Having visited Italian speaking Lugano this similarly feels Italian and all of this makes for surely being the most culturally fascinating countries in Europe.
I guess all good things do come at a cost and that is certainly the case with Switzerland as prices are significantly higher on everything from travel to basic food, souvenirs and most pressingly - hotels. If you put great value in the hotel experience when travelling then you will have to fork out a high amount but, if like me, the enjoyment comes from exploring the cities you visit then there are ways around this here. In Basel I stayed in a youth hostel which was of an impeccable standard whilst in Zurich I stayed half an hour out of the city which was no problem thanks to the many and frequent transport links available. In Bern I opted for a houses-share but having just outlined the interesting culture of Switzerland this was a great chance to speak to a local about their city. In Geneva I actually stayed in France! As ludicrous as it might sound to be staying in a different country the tram network runs right to the border and a short walk across will half your hotel price. I didn't mind being flexible on my accommodation options at all as the beautiful cities and scenery in this country deserve to be explored at whatever price that might be.
To see pictures from my recent trip to Switzerland click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment