THE SPOT

Tag: Switzerland

  • Lake Thun Switzerland Part II: The Hidden Gem That You Should Never Miss

    Lake Thun Switzerland Part II: The Hidden Gem That You Should Never Miss

    Arriving

    After the stress of arriving — and, oh, the stress of having written my bachelor’s thesis just weeks before — my sister picked me up at Spiez main station.

    After nearly ten hours of catching trains, I was so happy to finally be there. Thank God. Once I was settled, I asked her about the beautiful lake I had passed on the way.

    Fun Facts

    She told me it was Lake Thun. Fun fact: Lake Thun is about 48 km² in size and nearly 18 km long. It’s one of the fjord lakes and is located in the northern part of the Swiss Alps.

    Enough foreplay for you? Good.

    How Much?

    My sister had to work the next day, so I started searching online. Every ticket I found was over 80€. Yes — you read that right. A day ticket from where I was staying (basically the middle of nowhere) cost 80€.

    I gulped. My student bank account was already looking at me, annoyed and overwhelmed. But I pulled out my purse and counted my euros.

    And… I had enough to make the trip.

    Side note: the Swiss do accept euros, as long as it’s a banknote. No coins, no pocket change. So if you ever find yourself in a neighboring European country, don’t stress too much about exchanging euros for Swiss francs.

    Anyway, my sister left around 8 a.m., and I left the apartment with her. I walked to the bus stop — where a bus comes by roughly every two hours.

    I waited about five minutes. The bus arrived. On time.

    German efficiency — who?
    It should really be called Swiss efficiency.

    Twenty minutes later, I reached the train station and waited for my train to Thun. Since it was a regional train, I knew it would take a while. And of course — this time — the train was not on time. Maybe I praised the Swiss a little too early.

    When it finally arrived, we slowly meandered through the greenest scenery I’ve ever seen. Unreal. Surreal. Beauty — that’s the only way to describe it.

    And after an hour and a half of travel, I was there.

    Wow. Just… wow.

    I don’t even need to say more than that, right?

    Mating for life
  • Lake Thun – The Most Underrated Lake in Europe

    Lake Thun – The Most Underrated Lake in Europe

    Premise

    Switzerland is known for its serene landscapes, variety of mountain lakes and steep prices. Let’s get on this journey, together.

    So when I was invited by my older sister to visit Switzerland in late Summer of 2021, I was excited. Back then my older sister was living in a small village, close to the city of Spiez, which in turn is located in the canton of Bern.

    The Journey

    I embarked on my journey to Switzerland started early at about 8 o’clock and the plan was to embark on this 5-hour journey. But guess what, there is no such thing as punctual, with the German Railway. I got to the train station on time, however my train from Heidelberg to Mannheim, very much did not. When it finally arrived, we were about 10 minutes behind schedule. Exactly, 10 minutes that were planned in for me switching trains. I made it just in time to the platform to see my high-speed train wave me goodbye. Thank God, I was a bit fitter back then because I actually bothered to run. By the way, don’t you hate missing trains and seeing leave the train station? Awful.

    After that I had to look for alternative connections. Best one. Going from there with a regional train to Strasbourg and from Strasbourg to Basel and then change train to Spiez. Perfect. That journey, obviously, was much longer than the original one I booked.

    So, I used the little donkey train to France and in Strasbourg was directed to the platform. And then I waited, and waited and waited and waited for half an hour. Nice, right?

    The train arrived – and the fighting began – I had to fight to find a seat. I won the Olympian seat games and finally made my way to Switzerland. It only took about 6 hours. And I still wasn’t at my destination.

    Basel

    Basel main station is… BEAUTIFUL. Gone was the urine-filled air that is so common for Germany. Gone was the dirty station. What was there cleanliness I never saw in at any German station. Anyway, I made my way to a shop and bought a sandwich and a drink. Guess what I had never seen as well? These prices, I paid 10€ for. a. damn. sandwich. Done, dusted. Hah.

    What also was lovely was that I missed my train because it took me so damn long to get back. Missed the train. What’s great about Switzerland though, they are so organized (at least when it comes to trains). Found a train and made my way to Spiez to Basel. And after about an hour, as we made our way from there passing by Lake Thun. And it was majestic.

    We didn’t stop there and I arrived in Spiez not long after. One thing that was safe to say was… I’d definitely go there. See the featured image as a sneak peek.

    If you enjoyed being lost with me in trains, sandwiches, and lakes, I write about these little adventures often — quiet discoveries, self-dates, and the magic of ordinary moments. You can stay along for the next one.

  • Zurich Part II: The Trip that gave me Covid

    Zurich Part II: The Trip that gave me Covid

    I woke the next morning unshowered, unrested, and unpleasantly surprised. The first sound I heard wasn’t birdsong or silence, but the hairdresser’s radio next door—blaring at maximum volume. My skin felt sticky and tired, and without my ritual shower, I was already off to a rough start.

    I did what I could: washed my face, brushed my teeth, tried the shower (still broken), and got dressed. Adventure called. With Maps guiding me—badly, as it turned out—I zigzagged across streets and sidewalks until I gave up and followed the street signs instead.

    My first stop: Frauenmünster (Women’s Minster).

    Women’s Minster in Zurich

    From there, I crossed over to Zurich’s other famous church, the Grossmünster (Great Minster). I didn’t go inside, because my eyes (and feet) were already set on Lake Zurich.

    Great Minster

    And here’s where honesty kicks in: Lake Zurich was… underwhelming. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the season (fall edging toward winter), or maybe Zurich just wasn’t vibing with me that day. So many people rave about the city, but sometimes what sparkles for others feels flat to you.

    Still, I walked along the lake, soaking in the grayness, when—serendipity!—I ran into the same American friends I’d met at the kebab place the night before. A nice reminder that travel is as much about people as places.

    Lake Zurich

    Eventually, I lined up for a boat ride. Mistake number one: not checking the schedule. I stood in the cold for 20 minutes before learning (thanks to a kind stranger) that I could just buy the ticket onboard. Mistake number two: assuming I’d find a seat inside. The boat was packed, so I braved the outside deck in Zurich’s biting 3–8°C weather. For someone who thrives in summer, I was miserable. By the halfway point, my fingers had turned white-yellow from the cold. The view? Pretty enough, but I was more relieved than anything when the ride ended.

    Back at the hotel, I gave myself the gift of comfort: a supermarket pizza, some fruit, a little wine, and later a tarte flambée. I tucked it all into the mini-fridge, curled up, and spent the evening with TV instead of tourist attractions.

    Sometimes travel is adventure. Sometimes it’s surrender. This day was a little of both.

    View from the boat – Lake Zurich

    This is it for now. Part 3 coming soon.

  • Zurich Part 1— The Trip that gave me Covid

    Lake Zurich

    Zurich. The renowned Swiss city. Harbor of banks, restaurants, and many very expensive clothing brands. Yeah, expensive even in the Swiss sense.

    Switzerland is a pristine country, known for its beautiful mountain ranges, picturesque lakes, and an overall unbelievably magnificent landscape.

    So many people had been recommending the city to me, saying Zurich was the city to visit in Switzerland. I had wanted to do this trip for such a long time, but life kept getting in the way.

    I finally made it happen in November of last year. I booked the Flixbus, booked the hotel room. I was happy. Emphasis on was.

    I boarded the Flixbus and off we went. I snuggled in, sitting next to a nice Asian lady who, unfortunately for me, hogged the USB ports for charging. To my right, a guy was regularly coughing—the kind of cough where you think he might not make it through the ride.

    I chilled regardless and put on one of my favorite shows, Reasonable Doubt. The second season had just come out, and I loved the first one. Michael Ealy and Emayatzy Corinealdi are both draws and very physically beautiful people. Plus, they can actually act.

    Season two—no Michael Ealy. But they got the one and only Morris Chestnut. What a man, what an actor. Even more motivation to watch, because I wanted to see what kind of character he would play and how they would introduce him.

    What was supposed to be a five-hour trip ended up being an eight-hour ordeal. And the guy was still coughing like he had the Plague.

    After eight hours, we finally arrived in Zurich. But it wasn’t what I expected. I kinda didn’t like it. I made my way from the bus station to the nearest tram stop, bought a ticket, and headed toward the tram station closest to my hotel. I checked in. The hotel was Visionapartments Brandschekenstrasse Zurich.

    Never again. My room was on the ground floor, right next to a hairdresser, which I didn’t know at the time but soon found out. The room looked fine, but then panic set in—I couldn’t find my wallet. WHERE WAS MY WALLET? I was so sure I had taken it with me, but suddenly horror scenarios flashed before my eyes. Had I left it in the tram? The Flixbus? How would I cross the border back to Germany?

    I left the room, looked outside, even checked in front of the hotel. Got back to my room and—you know it—it was there the whole time. Under my bag.

    Take two. I made my way to a kebap place, picked out what to eat, and noticed some American tourists struggling with the menu. Since they didn’t know German, I interpreted the menu for them and said a quick goodbye once they ordered. I love these quick interactions and always wonder how people’s lives go on afterward.

    Back at the hotel, kebap in hand, all I wanted was a warm shower to revitalize. I went into the bathroom, turned the handle… and nothing. No water, nothing.

    I was so sad. For me, that’s the only thing that brings me down after a long day. Great—no shower. I didn’t even know what to do, so I put something comfy on and went to bed.

    I turned on the TV and snuggled into my covers…

    Lovely trip so far, right? Please leave a comment—has this ever happened to you?