Category Archives: Cities

Day 10. Saas Fee

Posted on by Mike

What a wise man once said that it was useless to run for buses and for girls, in that light would come again. Add to this that is as useless to wait, standing on the bridge, the train, not knowing his schedule, in that light that he can go 2 times a day, and the last 5 minutes left before. But to understand this simple truth, we were 45 minutes with cameras in hand, waiting. Periodically, we were a company such as hunters for a great shot, but to our credit we must say that we were the toughest. Losing patience = finding common sense, that’s limited to this and went to Saas Fee.

And they are quite different: Zermatt and Zaas Thess. The first noisy, large, festive, big, without a train to get complicated, especially if you do not like to walk (km 7), or ride a bike. City store, the town hotel. A second small, cozy, parking near the city. We suffered in Zaas Fe desire to feed the marmots (well, and pat them for free, while the grateful beast will eat meal)


In good, at this point would not hurt to spend a few days, but … as marmots marmots. In the village of a few base stations of gondolas up to Allalin (3500), only the gondola to Felsfinn (3000), then alpine subway, Spielboden (2447) with Langfluh (2870), the Plattjen with Mattmarksee (2570), cable car run with a lunch break from 12.15 to 13.30. All detailed information on the routes can be obtained from brochures, which are simply overwhelmed with the very same base station or at the Information Desk, where you can also volunteered at a variety of rock climbing, but it should be done in advance. We are also interested in Spielboden (cost recovery at 19 francs in the same direction), where it is said marmots sat at the dinner table, tied napkins and just waiting for food, banging spoons … Well-zoology at school no one taught or learned long ago that in principle the same thing, so we certainly were not aware that rodents – animals at night, or at least the morning that even my chinchilla at 12 o’clock at a temperature of 30 * no dried apricots from the house not to steal … Potoskovav about Surcin burrows, ate food, which is scheduled for the beast, stamped on the heat again. Summary: Get up early and you will be rewarded …
On the way to Fiesch stopped at Brig.

Day 4. Altdorf, Goscheneralpsee, Gelmersee, Thun, Lautenbrunnen

Posted on by Mike

Intended route even before the trip was worked out so that the physical map of Switzerland could draw on their own, but, nevertheless, every evening to play a solitaire of times and looked for secondary and back roads, looking for the lake and the lack of information about them. Thus from Altdorf we got to Goscheneralpsee on the way to your favorite Furkapass-Grimselpass. This place is at the end Goschenertal, which turned into Goschenen. I must say that in Switzerland, the quality of any road is excellent, be it highway or country road forgotten by God (although, if the road and forgotten by God, then continued his great creations come back: it is very difficult to find a road where you will find few cars).
The road to the lake is infinitely good.

Not far from the campsite on the shore Goscheneralpsee flowing river from the lake. There is paid parking is something about a franc for 1 hour. Around the lake a lot of hiking trails in the surrounding mountains, route maps can be taken in Information.
And the resume. Lake as the lake water as water, but the surrounding views, the lack of crowds, beautiful road …-goal position, uniquely-goal))
And yet good roads. More precisely clinged nor how many they are, how many pictures around. And again, I can not help but speak out in favor of the machine. Were many heated debates, it is better and more comfortable: a train or a car … For myself, decided to clear: the car (although the fluctuations were, there was some clouding of the mind and the pathological desire to shabby suitcases, but thank God, was it before the trip). Because the presence of the machine – this is freedom … .. freedom of decision-making and the ability to adapt to the changing situation, the possibility does not depend on the schedule. And driving through mountain passes, often feel almost morbid desire to stay … to stay at least a little. The only negative: only in the evening ;-) : lol:
But how to get past:))

Maybe there are among us people with strong nerves, but we do not belong to them, so for an hour touched, looking at the marmots. This is a mini-zoo (where, except for groundhogs, rabbits, and even some animals) at the intersection of two passes and Furkapass Grimselpass.

There are hiking trails and of course, so if you prefer, you can ascend or descend on foot, but before going I was very traumatized leg, and so the first time moved a little lame, so use a freebie.
…. And the fish in the lake really is, moreover, it is also caught and very tasty (with words) … Pleased with the German launched a backpack and showed us the pieces 7 large bright fishes.

Day 2. From Stein-am-Rhein to Luzern

Posted on by Mike

The first purpose-Stein-am-Rhein. Planned to come earlier in the day, but … wander through Munich and Germany, arrived just at night, so the city set aside for the morning. The town is small, the river is divided into 2 parts: historical and contemporary. In modern and float before the eyes of the monsters of glass and concrete … nothing like it of course does not (a general in Switzerland we have not seen).

Before the historical part is the parking, and 9 and after 19, it is free, in the city by car do not pass, the entire medieval part of the pedestrian and quite tiny. The place itself is itself amazing, unique: with its narrow cobbled streets, the smell of fresh coffee and pastries, with cafes on the streets, confectionery, unhurried conversation with the locals by reading newspapers and flowers, flowers, flowers … in fact as well as throughout Switzerland. In this city, a feeling that you’re in a fairy tale or in rehearsal or in some mystery and wants as quickly as possible to absorb its flavor, imbued with his life, because all this surrounding beauty now disassemble and carry away and you do ever you will not see …. But in time, comes a sense, no … rather an understanding that everything around him is real, that was, is and will remain long after you and that’s when you can sit in a cafe, drink a cup of coffee at a clock on City Hall to watch the passers-by and be a part of .
The town is mentioned for the first time in 1007 when he was a small fishing village and moved there the Emperor Henry II, because he liked it very much these things strategic position. Walk around the city and feel like in the gallery: you can stop almost in front of each house.
That which rises in the distance, this castle Hohenklingen, still the antiquity (1200g), although it now a restaurant, next to parking. If desired, you can walk, but uphill, can be reached by car in the summer on Mondays does not work.
To walk well enough 2.5 hours, returned to the hotel for breakfast, then bought a vignette at the pump (40 francs) and headed towards Neuhausen (4,5 km from Schaffhausen) to Rheinfall. There are several parking lots, all paid. Many years ago, this waterfall has resulted in ecstasy Karamzin: “My friends, imagine a large river, which … with indescribable noise and roar down and overthrown in the fall of his turns white foam boiling. Finer sprays types of waves, with unparalleled speed flying don after the other, a myriad of rising up and up milky cloud of damp, dust, impenetrable to the eye. ”

But … then there really a lot has happened since then is really hot summers, but the most powerful waterfall flat was not surprised by anything. Maybe worth it for the thrill to swim to the boat, but then woke up the inner voice and ordered to be evacuated in a matter of urgency on this swarms coaches. Of course, I love watching the water, fire, etc., but I prefer to do it alone, and when the next is not distributed in all languages: “Man, I take off a boat in the background.” And then …. I do not want to offend anyone, after the Norwegian waterfalls … Oh well.
The path chosen through the pass Klausen (turned out to be dull and uninteresting, just a few twisty sections, a fairly wide road): Well, who could be surprised by such Swiss scenery). It was the most efficient way possible to avoid cities still went for nature.
And here is a pastoral time and again, but for us it was the first day in Switzerland, and almost all pleased.
In Altdorf turned towards Luzern, but because it was the middle of the day, in the city decided not to go: and it is hot and a lot of people, so opted to go in the direction of Engelberg (before you reach it is not stopped in Oberrickenback) on Bannalpsee. While we were and stopped, got into a little accident day gradually turned into a 5 pm and we stayed the last cable car to the lake, time of 1.5 hours and the descent back (the ticket on the funicular to both sides of 16 francs).
The lake lies at an altitude of 1587m, you can walk around the unhurried pace of about 2:00 (sound track), if you want you can go to the restaurant on the beach and have lunch. Unfortunately, we had only the desire, but it was not in stock at 2:00 around the lake, as well as to sit in a restaurant to take a look at it and the surrounding mountains, was ahead of Luzern. Paid covered parking in the center near the train station cost us 7.5 francs for 3 hours. The city certainly is good and we spent almost 4 hours and it seemed to us a little. He is recognizable, his images are fused in a single variety of kaleidoscope of impressions. He has his own character. Of the thousands of photos always correctly extract the few where you wandered, sat on the bench or in a cafe … No, 4 hours, even shame for such a city. Now I would like to see it in the morning and evening, to see what he, in the light of lights at night as it changes in autumn and winter falls asleep. Very romantic city. It does not feel the hustle, you’re sort of in the crowd and at the same time by itself, enough of the place and the air. A stunning city. And this despite the fact that I, like any other cave-dweller: smile:,
I do not like the city in panic … really do not like, preferring all types of mountain scenery.