Touring Switzerland by Train

Zürich-Neuchâtel-Montreux-Interlaken-Luzern  (August, 2010)

On Friday, August 6, Irmi took a day off from work, and the two of us rode the rails from early

morning until late at night.  For a total of 35 Swiss Francs each, we purchased special unlimited

passes authorizing travel on any train, trolley, bus or boat anywhere in Switzerland all day long.

Employing mainly guesswork, we charted a route that seemed feasible within twelve hours.  The

day began with mild temperatures and intermittent clouds, so we packed our rucksacks with rain

gear, water bottles and munchies, and climbed the hill to the train station for an 8:00 a.m. start.

The first two stops on our itinerary, Neuchâtal and Montreux, went smoothly.  We were able to

spend a couple of hours at each location wandering about town, snapping photos, and grabbing

a quick cup of coffee before another train departed in the direction we wanted to go; however,

with only one hour in Interlaken between connections, we used the time to walk from one end of

town to the other, squeezing in and out of shops, and taking few photos.  By the time the train

left on the next leg of our trip (Interlaken to Luzern), the clock hands pointed toward eight-thirty

p.m., the sun set quickly in the mountains, and our cameras were rendered useless.  So, we

snuggled together in our seats from that point on, sharing small talk as lovers do, and gazed out

the window at the dark, craning our necks to peek into lighted windows as the train passed by.

We arrived home after 11:00 p.m., exceeding our self-imposed time limit by over three hours,

and we were pretty beat by the time we finally crawled into the sack; but it was a good tired.

Map of Switzerland with our route superimposed.  Generally, anywhere "left" of Bern is

French-speaking -- still Switzerland, and the people are extremely friendly, but it feels like

a foreign country.  Fortunately, Irmi speaks French, so we didn't get lost or go hungry.

Ron, on a promenade in Neuchâtel (noy-sha-tell), on the shoreline of Lake Neuchâtel.

One section of the marina at Neuchâtel.

A small cobblestone square in the "old town" of Neuchâtel.

Side street in Neuchâtel.  Note fresco-type painting on the wall.  Nearly every building

on that street had similar artwork.  The solid wooden double doors typically lead to

private inner courtyards with decorative fountains and multiple apartment entrances.

A local university building with manicured gardens.  Irmi made a bee-line for the flowers,

while Ron fell captive to the (obviously female) stone statue guarding the entranceway.

Having arrived in Montreux on the far end of Lake Geneva, we are walking along an

absolutely pristine promenade.  The disc-shaped object is a combination dock and

municipal swimming platform -- reminiscent of a 1950's futuristic art deco design.

Beautiful, energetic Irmi pausing on the promenade, with Lake Geneva in the background.

Irmi, pivoting to her right, snapped this shot of an incoming side wheel steamer.

Note the French pennant on the bow.  The people of this region are proud of their

French heritage; the hills in the background are Swiss territory, but the shoreline

extending to the right from those hills lies within France, a short boat ride away.

Every element incorporated into the shoreline of Montreux was designed with the comfort

of casual strollers in mind:  wide walking lanes, ample seating, shade trees, and small food

concessions, etc.  Beyond and below the couple sitting on the bench lies another pathway

for sunbathers and swimmers, with water access and chaise lounges provided by the city.

This shot was taken from our seats on the renown "Golden Pass," from Montruex to

Interlaken, a steep and winding mountainous route through spectacular landscapes.

We felt fortunate to get such a good shot through reflecting glass on a moving train.