Last week I talked about Hawaii with their beaches and volcanos. Today, I’m going to talk about a different location known for their stunning scenery and mountain ranges. The next destination on my travel bucket list is Switzerland! Here are some interesting facts about Switzerland:

• The country has 7000 lakes
• It was ranked the most innovative country in the world for eight consecutive years
• It’s a small country, about a tenth of the size of California
• They have four national languages
• It is one of the most expensive countries to live in
• It is one of the countries with the highest quality of life

Now let’s talk about a few can’t miss places in Switzerland to appreciate the beautiful scenery that the country has to offer!

Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva is a crescent shaped lake that separates France and Switzerland, and encompasses a beautiful view of the Alps. The bright blue waters and cute villages bordering the lake are so cute, it’s definitely a site I’d want to visit! Surrounding the lake are many small villages and cities such as Geneva, Lausanne, and Montreux, in addition to other attractions to visit such as the Lavaux Vineyard. You can go hiking, visit historical buildings, go to local markets, and more, all while taking in the gorgeous nature and scenery around!

Château de Chillon

Located along Lake Geneva stands this medieval 11th century castle. It’s four stories, containing over 20 rooms and almost fully surrounded by the lake as shown in the picture. Like I’ve said in previous posts, I absolutely love touring castles to be able to get a glimpse into the history and life of when it was built, and to get a view of the different type of architecture. Castles are so mesmerizing, representing strength, grandeur, wealth, safety, and so much more. This castle specifically has three large ceremonial rooms, an underground gothic cathedral style dungeon, defensive towers, a torture chamber, and many more rooms and halls.

Rhine Falls

In my German class in high school, they always mentioned Rhine Falls and I wondered what it actually looked like. It is considered the most powerful waterfall in Europe. I have seen a fair amount of waterfalls, but they are something I never get tired of. The falls were formed about 14,000 and 17,000 years ago and the Rhine River actually passes through four countries! The falls is also extremely accessible, not only by car and by foot, but also by a railway! There’s a railway right on top of the falls and also includes many pedestrian pathways to view the falls from all angles.

The Glacier Express

This train is considered one of the slowest express trains traveling about 8 hours from Zermatt to St. Moritz. Why do I really want to go on the Glacier Express train? Well let’s go back to my obsession with Harry Potter. This reminds me a little of the Hogwarts Express which I really wish I could experience. Not only that, but the train provides a day of full panoramic views of the Swiss Alps, narrow valleys, canyons, and travels through 91 tunnels and across 291 bridges. The train itself is built with windows built all the way to the ceiling in order to get a full scenic view!

I definitely hope to visit Switzerland one day and see these sites in person! What do you think? Let me know what places are on your travel bucket list and your thoughts on Switzerland!