Switzerland Archives - Focused Travels

Limmatblick Hotel Zurich: so promising but ultimately disappointing

07/01/2018 By Sabs 12 Comments

After our excursion to Jungfrau, we boarded the train to go back to Zurich. We were flying back to Madrid the next day. We arrived in Zurich just before sunset, but fortunately, our hotel, the Limmatblick Hotel Zurich, was located near the Zurich Hauptbahnhof (central station) in Zurich.

Location of the Limmatblick Hotel Zurich

One of the best features of the Limmatblick Hotel is its location. It is located opposite the Limmat River in Zurich and within walking distance from the main shopping area and the Zurich Hauptbahnhof (main station).

When I booked this hotel, I was excited. The location meant not having to take a tram anywhere, but that we could explore the old historic buildings in central Zurich on foot. I remembered my walks from my previous trip to Zurich and was looking forward to repeating the experience.

The reception area of the Limmatblick Hotel Zurich

The reception area of the Limmatblick Hotel is located in the restaurant area downstairs. We were a bit confused when we first arrived – the sign outside was located on the second floor of the building and indicated that the hotel was there, but the eating area and bar made us feel unsure of how to get to the second floor. We could not see where else the reception area could be and asked at the bar counter.

Lucky for us the barman was also the receptionist for the hotel. He was friendly, handed our keys to us and we quickly sorted out the paperwork.

From here we had to use the elevator to get to our floor. There is only one lift for the hotel and it was tiny. The two of us with our luggage (hand luggage only) barely fit.

On the walls of the elevator had newspaper articles and advertisements of events happening in the area. I thought this was a nice touch as it was the perfect place for such advertisements – everyone staying at the hotel would probably use the elevator.

Our room at the Limmatblick Hotel Zurich

Our room was named after Augusto Giacometti, a Swiss painter. I think all the rooms had names of Swiss painters.

We struggled to unlock our room door. Just before we could give up and go back to the receptionist, the door opened. We were not sure what exactly worked, but we were happy to finally be able to rest.

The room was small. It featured a double bed, flatscreen television mounted on the wall and a small round table right at the entrance.

Hotel Limmatblick Zurich - bedroom from the door — Hotel Limmatblick Zurich – bedroom from the door

The room appeared modern and comfortable.

The bathroom was also small and consisted of a shower, toilet, and basin.

Hotel Limmatblick Zurich - bathroom — Hotel Limmatblick Zurich – bathroom

When I booked the website, everyone was recommending the hotel because of its views of the river. We did not have a river view, but a view of the residences and restaurants behind the hotel. I didn’t mind, it made me feel good to know I was in the heart of Zurich.

Our night at the Limmatblick Hotel

We decided to get ready for bed and have a quiet night watching television.

Hotel Limmatblick Zurich - the view from our room — Hotel Limmatblick Zurich – the view from our room

We both showered. The shower stall was small. My travel partner is a very lean guy and he had difficulty getting in the shower and closing the door. I am not as lean as he was and it was even more of a struggle for me. Once inside, the water pressure and temperature were excellent.

Then we wanted to relax and watch television. The television did not work. We thought of complaining but decided to watch Netflix on the iPad instead. At least we had no issues with the wifi, and the speed was good.

It was summer and our room felt stuffy and hot. We looked around for the button to turn the air conditioner on but soon realized there was no air conditioning. We had experienced this before in Switzerland, but in such a compact room airconditioning is essential. There was a fan, but it was noisy and since there was only one plug point, we could not charge our mobile phones and use the fan simultaneously.

We decided to open the window for some fresh air. Once opened, the room cooled down significantly.

The bed was comfortable, but we soon realized that we would not be getting much sleep. Opposite the hotel, there was a restaurant and inside a party was happening. The patrons of the restaurant were having a good time and were singing loudly. It did not look like they would stop too soon.

And they didn’t. Eventually around 23:00 it did become quiet, and we were finally able to sleep. It started raining, so we had to close the window (and the fresh air from it). We had no choice but to use the fan throughout the night.

Breakfast at the Hotel Limmatblick Zurich

We were tired the next morning. The bed had been comfortable, but the fan was not strong enough to cool the room down enough for us to have a good rest.

Hotel Limmatblick Zurich - Breakfast spread — The breakfast spread at the Hotel Limmatblick Zurich

We went down for our complimentary breakfast. The breakfast did not disappoint. There were cold meats, croissants, cheeses, and yogurt. They also offered coffee and juices.

Hotel Limmatblick Zurich - Interesting decor in the restaurant area — Hotel Limmatblick Zurich – Interesting decor in the restaurant area

The decor in the restaurant area was quirky and unusual. It gave us something to study while eating.

The food was filling and the coffee refreshing.

Our final verdict on the Hotel Limmatblick Zurich

We loved the location of the hotel, but not having air conditioning was a definite negative for us. The television not working was not a serious concern for us, but for other guests, it may be. Also, the lack of more than one plug point was a serious deficiency as travelers usually have so many devices that need to be charged. We think the shower’s size is too small for most people.

We cannot fault the hotel on cleanliness and the neatness of the room. The breakfast was satisfying enough, considering that it was complimentary.

Would we stay a the Hotel Limmatblick Zurich again? Unlikely. The previous time I visited Zurich, I stayed at the Leoneck Hotel, and although the location was not as ideal, it wins by far when it comes to comfort.

Have you been to Zurich? Where did you stay? What do you look for when booking hotel accommodation?

Our Switzerland itinerary: 5 days in this beautiful country

28/08/2017 By Sabs 13 Comments

I recently went to Switzerland for a work trip, and my partner joined me. Switzerland is expensive, and since my employer paid for my visa and plane ticket, we thought it was a perfect opportunity for us to spend a few days in Switzerland. It was my partner’s first time visiting the country, so we wanted to make sure we see as much as possible in the five days we were there. We found planning our Switzerland itinerary challenging as we could not decide on which places to visit and which to leave out.

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Our Switzerland itinerary: Day 1

We started our trip in Basel because of my work obligations. Some people find Basel boring, but I have always thought it is a lovely city for a leisurely walk. Basel offers a variety of sightseeing and things to do.

Our favorite things to do in Basel include:

Visiting the Dreiländereck, which is the spot where the borders of Switzerland, France, and Germany meet. The Dreiländereck is located in the Rhine river.

I loved the Tinguely Fountain with its mechanical instruments that could fascinate me for hours.

The hammering man on Aeschenplatz is a must-see. It is a huge mechanical man that simulates hammering.

Basel also has beautiful buildings. My favorite was the city hall with its vibrant colors and the gold decorations. No photo can do this building justice; you have to view it yourself to understand how magnificent it is.

Our Switzerland itinerary: Day 2

We spent the second day of our Switzerland itinerary in Lucerne. I love Lucerne; I think it is a stunning city and easy to explore.

Our favorites here included:

Visiting Mount Pilatus. Mount Pilatus was my first introduction to the Swiss mountains, so it will always have a special place in my heart.

The Lion of Lucerne or the Lion Monument is in a rock formation. It commemorates the massacre of the Swiss Guards during the French Revolution. It is a sad and haunting monument, one of those you have to experience yourself to understand.

And the Chapel Bridge and Water Tower. Most people will immediately recognize Lucerne when they see pictures of this bridge. I enjoyed walking on the bridge and looking at all the paintings on the inside – they were painted well, but depict some scary-looking creatures and scenes.

Our Switzerland itinerary: Day 3

We spent day 3 of our Switzerland itinerary in Zermatt. We arrived in Zermatt late the Friday evening and immediately planned our next day there.

I have written about the many things there are to do in Zermatt, here are the highlights for us:

Using the Gornergrat Going up the mountains to view the Matterhorn. Seeing the Matterhorn is a once-in-a-lifetime sights which heavily depends on the state of the weather. We were lucky and had clear weather going up the mountain, but unfortunately, the clouds moved in before we arrived at the top. Still, it was an experience I will always remember.

We had our first traditional Swiss meal in Zermatt. We could have had Swiss food anywhere in Switzerland, but Zermatt seemed unusual enough to be the city where we try it. Also, everyone in Zermatt we spoke to, recommended the same Restaurant (Restaurant Stadel). So, we knew they had to be one of the best places to try Swiss fondue.

A unique place in Zermatt is the graveyard of those who died trying to conquer the Matterhorn.

Our Switzerland itinerary: Day 4

From Zermatt, we made our way to Wengen. The area around Wengen is one of the most beautiful regions I have ever seen. We were there at the beginning of Summer and everything was lush and green. Our main reason for visiting Wengen was to go to Jungfraujoch. What is nice about Jungfraujoch is that the weather does not affect going up as much as at the Matterhorn. There are many things to do in the Jungfraujoch complex, including the Ice Palace, Alpine Sensation, and Spinx observation deck.

Our Switzerland itinerary: Day 5

From Wengen, our Switzerland itinerary ended in Zurich. We had a day to spend in Zurich and we followed much of the same walking route I walked on my first visit to the city. We enjoyed watching the sunset on the many beautiful churches in the Swiss capital city.

The good, the bad and the ugly

As you can probably see, our 5-day Switzerland itinerary was a busy one. We spent a lot of time on the Swiss trains. On the one hand, we enjoyed the train rides and relaxing while getting to our destinations, but Swiss train travel is not cheap. Spending our 5 days in Switzerland in this manner allowed us the opportunity to see which cities and regions we would like to visit on future trips.

Have you ever been to Switzerland? What was your favorite sight or city during your time there? Where in Switzerland would you still like to visit?

The Best Wengen Hotel For Visiting Jungfraujoch

14/08/2017 By Sabs 12 Comments

While planning our trip to Switzerland, we wondered what the best hotel for visiting the Jungfraujoch would be. We researched the different cities in the Bernese-Oberland region and eventually decided that we would stay in Wengen, which is one of the closest towns to the Jungfraujoch. Finding the best Wengen Hotel was quite a challenge since Jungfraujoch is very popular, summer was just starting in Europe, with the result that there were only a few hotel rooms available in Wengen. We managed to book a hotel room at a hotel I now consider as the best Wengen hotel.

Getting to the best Wengen hotel

From Zermatt, we took the train to Wengen. It was a long, but scenic trip. We arrived at the Wengen station around 17:00 and we were quite tired and looked forward to a relaxing evening before exploring Jungfraujoch the next day.

I had forgotten to print a map of the hotel location, but we found the Wengen station so convenient – it had a map of all the hotels in Wengen. Our hotel was the Hotel Victoria-Lauberhorn, and it was located less than 10 meters from the station! Such good news!

We quickly crossed the road and saw the hotel for the first time. It was an impressive building featuring the traditional Swiss style. I had always wanted to stay in such a hotel and upon seeing it, I was excited about our night there.

Arriving at the best Wengen Hotel: Hotel & Spa Victoria Lauberhorn

As we entered the foyer, we arrived at the back of a long queue at the reception desk. It looked like many people who were staying at the Victoria Lauberhorn had come on the same train as we did. I wondered if they also considered this the best Wengen hotel.

The queue moved quickly when more reception staff joined the team already at the reception desk. We were about halfway there when one of the staff members offered us complimentary drinks! It lightened the mood of those of us still waiting in the queue.

Complimentary arrival drinks

The drink was champagne with a hibiscus flower inside and it was tasty! Since the flower is edible, we also ate it. We found it delicious and refreshing! The staff informed us that it was the first weekend in June and therefore, the first weekend of summer in Switzerland. At the Hotel & Spa Victoria Lauberhorn, the start of summer is celebrated with the special drink. I thought this was a lovely way to be welcomed.

The rooms at the Hotel & Spa Victoria-Lauberhorn

We checked-in and went upstairs to our room. It was a medium sized room. For the one night we would spend there, we found the size sufficient. It was a standard room decorated in neutral colors. There was a large cupboard, small television, and desk. The windows opened to a small balcony.

The bathroom was small but comfortable with a shower and liquid soap.

We had no problem connecting to the wi-fi; we found it fast.

A relaxing evening at the best Wengen hotel

After unpacking and freshening up, we took a walk around Wengen and bought some food we could enjoy in our hotel room. We did not feel like going out and just wanted to chill a bit. We sat on the balcony and enjoyed the view of the beautiful mountains surrounding Wengen.

As it was still the start of summer, it eventually became a bit chilly outside, and we went inside. We spent the rest of the evening watching movies. There were more than 100 television channels to choose from; we were like kids in a candy store!

No air conditioning?!

When we wanted to go to bed, we realized that apart from the windows that open to the balcony, there were no other windows. It was a bit strange. Closing the windows would make the room too stuffy, but sleeping with the windows open would be too cold. There were wooden shutters we could close and then leave the window open, but they had no way of being secured. It was our impression that these shutters were more decorative than functional. We eventually ended up closing the shutters and leaving the windows open slightly – we knew we would not have slept well without some fresh air.

Breakfast at the best Wengen hotel

After a good night’s rest, we went down for breakfast. It was a buffet breakfast and had everything we could have wished for: croissants, cold meats, bacon, eggs, hot chocolate. The breakfast room was large and brightly decorated. It was raining outside, and through the large windows of the breakfast room, we could watch the mist on the mountain shift from time to time. The staff in the breakfast room were attentive. After our tasty breakfast, we decided to brave the weather.

Other facilities at the Hotel Victoria Lauberhorn

The Hotel Victoria Lauberhorn also has a spa and on-site restaurant, but we did not try these during our stay there. Many other hotel guests going to the spa, so it must be good!

We found the check-out process quick and efficient. We then left our luggage in the hotel’s luggage storage facility before going to explore the Jungfrau region. The luggage storage was a building outside the hotel. It is locked, and you are only given the key to fetch or drop your luggage off.

Our overall opinion

We loved the Hotel & Spa Victoria Lauberhorn! The traditional Swiss appearance is beautiful. It is also a large hotel, which probably explained why we still managed to find a room there despite booking so late. The staff was so friendly and helpful. We thought the breakfast was one of the best we have had in Switzerland. Not having air conditioning was a bit strange, but manageable since it was still the beginning of summer. The reception staff told us that not having air conditioning was normal in Switzerland. They usually close the windows when it is cold and just open it once in a while for fresh air. We have not stayed at any other Wengen hotels, but for us, the Hotel & Spa Victoria Lauberhorn is the best Wengen hotel!

Have you ever been to the Bernese-Oberland or Jungfrau region? In which hotel did you stay?

7 Things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland

11/06/2017 By Sabs 10 Comments

We recently had a whirlwind trip to Switzerland and spent a day in Zermatt, Switzerland. If you ever wondered, there are other things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland apart from seeing the Matterhorn. Visiting the Matterhorn is, however, a must-do! Since it was the beginning of summer, skiing did not seem like an option, but there were plenty of other things to do and see.

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Here is our list of 7 things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland:

1. Going up the mountains to see the Matterhorn

Seeing the Matterhorn is almost a given, I am sure everyone who visits the area has this at the top of their list of things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland. There are many ways to go up and see the Matterhorn; we decided on the going up with the Gornergrat, which is the second highest railway in Europe.

2. Riffelsee

Riffelsee is one stop down from the top of the Gornergrat. There are several lakes at this stop. When the lakes are liquid, you can see a magnificent reflection of the Matterhorn in some lakes. Unfortunately, when we were there, the lakes were frozen as the region had snow the week before.

3. Enjoying traditional Swiss food

We asked several locals for the best place to have a cheese fondue and they all said the same: Restaurant Stadel not only sold the best cheese fondue but also had the best variety of fondues and also other traditional Swiss meals.

We had a cheese fondue and a Swiss veal sausage and rosti. Both dishes were delicious and filling. We can recommend Restaurant Stadel.

4. The Mountaineer’s Cemetery

We were initially not too keen to visit the Mountaineers’ Cemetery, but I was glad we stopped there. It is sobering to see so many people who died while climbing the mountains around Zermatt. Some of them were young. We even saw the grave of a father and son that died together while trying to conquer one peak.

5. Matterhorn Museum

We did not get to visit the Matterhorn Museum even though we had allocated time to visit it. We were there on a Saturday morning and the museum only opened between 14:00 – 18:00. It was a pity that it was closed. Just like us, so many tourists wanted to visit the museum. Based on our research, the museum tells the history and development of tourism in Zermatt. It also tells about the first ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper and his friends.

6. St Peter’s English Church

Perhaps not one of the most exciting things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland, but since it is next to the Mountaineer’s Cemetery and the Matterhorn Museum, making it an easy stop. As with most churches in Europe, St Peter’s English Church is a beautiful church. I loved the stained glass windows, but the ceiling was also spectacular.

On the side of St Peter’s and next to the Mountaineers’ Cemetery is the St Peter’s Community Garden. It is a beautiful garden and very relaxing to just sit and chill for a few minutes.

7. Hinterdorfstrasse

The historic area in Hinterdorfstrasse surprised me. The receptionist at our hotel told us about the street with its historic houses when she gave us directions to Stadel Restaurant.

There are several beautifully preserved historic buildings, including grain stores and houses. Definitely, something to see and it takes less than 5 minutes to walk through the street. It is a short detour from the main street, Bahnhofstrasse, in Zermatt.

We loved our time this small town, and as you can see, there are plenty of things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland.

Have you been to this little town? Did you visit it to see the Matterhorn or did you go for any of the other things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland? What was your favorite thing to do in Zermatt?

Mount Pilatus Switzerland: the steepest cogwheel railway in the world

22/09/2016 By Sabs 8 Comments

When I started planning my trip to Lucerne, going up Mount Pilatus Switzerland, became my one must-do excursion for Lucerne. Although not as impressive as Jungfraujoch, it was much closer to Basel, where I was coming from and could be done in the little time I had in Lucerne. Also, since the cost was another consideration, the Mt Pilatus option was much more feasible.

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Getting to Mount Pilatus Switzerland

For the Mount Pilatus trip, you have a choice between the silver round trip or the golden round trip.

With the silver round trip, you take the train from Lucerne to Alpnachstad and then get on the cogwheel railway to the top. To descend, you can use either the panorama gondola or the aerial cableway. You can also do it the other way around.
With the golden round trip, you take the boat from Lucerne to get to Alpnachstad, ascend using the cogwheel railway and descend with the gondola or cableway. You can also do this the other way around.

The golden round trip

Although I love trains, I did the golden round trip. I thought a boat trip on Lake Lucerne would be a lot of fun and since it is slower than train travel, it would give me the opportunity to enjoy the scenery at my leisure.

After boarding and being lucky enough to find a seat outside, I quickly realized that I would miss my sunglasses, which I had forgotten at home. It was a sunny day. Everything was bright and shiny, almost too bright for my sensitive eyes. Next to me sat an Indian couple very excited to be going on this outing. They kept on standing up to take pictures – first him of her and then she of him. Sometimes they asked me to take their camera and take a picture of them together, which happened more frequently than I thought possible. It is almost as if they wanted a picture of themselves against every scene we encountered. But it was amusing as well.

The boat also stopped at Stansstad to pick up more passengers.

Being alone on a full boat and just watching the surrounding people can be entertaining, especially if you are, like me, an introvert who likes to watch people and analyze their behavior. It felt lonely, not having anyone to point things out to or make comments to.

The cogwheel railway up Mount Pilatus Switzerland

But this loneliness quickly subsided as we reached the bottom of Mount Pilatus where you board the cogwheel railway or funicular. By this time there were long queues for getting on the funicular, but because I was alone, I could board the first funicular with another family. Sometimes being alone has some benefits:-)

From the inside of the funicular, I could see the railway going up – it was steep, and the commentator mentioned that it was the steepest funicular in the world.

Along the way we could see farmers working in the hay; everything smelled so fresh and clean.

As we went higher, patches of snow appeared. For me, coming from South Africa, where snow is unusual even in winter, seeing the snow was an enjoyable experience. Eventually, the patches of snow became more dominant and speckled with grass instead of the other way around.

At the top of Mount Pilatus

When we reached the top of the mountain, we entered a tunnel and stopped to disembark. The building was busy, and I realized it was because of the restaurants, hotel and the souvenir shops.

I was not interested in shopping, so I quickly walked through the building to get to the outside to explore the scenery from there.

I started walking a route around one of the mountain peaks. Along the way, they have posters explaining the history of the mountain and some stories about the mountain and dragons.

I walked around, took lots of pictures and touched snow for the first time in many years!

It may have been spring, but the mountain was still covered in snow, and it was chilly. Lucky I had a light jacket with me, which helped me to enjoy walking around in the cool weather. I would also recommend taking bottled water with you. Exploring can make you thirsty!

Descending Mount Pilatus, Switzerland

Then I went to the panoramic gondola to take it to descend the mountain. It was a very long cable-car ride, probably the longest I have ever taken before. I was lucky enough to be in the cable car by myself, which was perfect for taking photos from all angles.

It was a scenic trip, and I saw many farm houses and places that looked like hotels. Eventually, we arrived in the small town of Kriens where we disembarked as it was the turning point of the gondola.

Getting back to Lucerne

From here I had to take a short walk to get to the bus stop. Lucky for me other people were going the same way, and I could just follow them. We just got to the bus stop when the bus came, and we were on our way back to Lucern.

Conclusion

The entire experience didn’t take long – maybe between 3-4 hours from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the time in nature, up in the fresh mountain air and seeing the Swiss countryside. If you ever go to Lucerne, I recommend the Mount Pilatus Switzerland trip!

Have you ever been to Mount Pilatus? Did you do the silver or golden route? What did you enjoy the most about the whole experience?