In all of this chaos and social distancing, I often find myself wondering to faraway places. (Often, these places too are facing COVID-19 head-on.) Over spring break, my family and I were in Orlando and spent a magical day at Disney. Twice we rode, “It’s a Small World.” Many times throughout my life, I have had that exact thought; however, I have never believed it to be so real until now. When we came to Switzerland, I couldn’t help but think of my time there with my family and how I wanted to go back. Currently, despite the outbreak, flights to Switzerland are still relatively expensive. 

Switzerland is home to swiss chocolate (lol Swiss Miss), Lake Geneva, the Matterhorn, pocket knives, the Swiss Alps, skiing, hiking, cheese fondue, Rolex watches, and much more. The country has four official languages (German, French, Romansh, and Italian), and the capital city is Bern. When my family and I traveled to Switzerland, we had the opportunity to stay in Zermatt, the town at the base of the Matterhorn, Lucerne, and visit Lake Geneva for the day. While in Montreux, visiting Lake Geneva, we took a castle tour of Chateau De Chillon. This crystal blue lake is breathtaking. If you are a Queen lover, there is a statue of Freddie Mercury, for he loved this part of Switzerland and often said, “If you want peace of soul, come to Montreux.”The band’s song, the lake’s beauty, inspired a Winter’s Tale.  

On to Zermatt, possibly one of my favorite towns in all of Europe. To get to Zermatt, we had to take a train ride aboard the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn from Tasch to the pedestrian village of Zermatt in the Swiss Alps. The actual roads to Zermatt are closed to public traffic, and the town itself is car-free. While in Zermatt, we stayed in the Ambassador Hotel, a hotel that gives you a warm swiss vibe. You must walk around this beautiful town and through the Hinterdorf, a warren of narrow lanes, weathered old wooden chalets, barns, stables, and storehouses. These buildings date back from between the 16th and 18th centuries and allow you to see history right in front of your eyes. While back in the main strip of town, there is plenty of shopping for chocolate, swiss army knives, and Rolex watches. If you have the time, take a gondola/cable car to the base of the mountain and visit the Matterhorn Museum.  

Finally, we made our way to Lucerne by traveling through the scenic Grimsel Pass (Hello, carsick Nina!). Lucerne is famous for its medieval architecture and centries old wooden pedestrian bridge. This bridge, known as Chapel Bridge, is the oldest covered wooden bridge in all of Europe (dating back to the 14th century) and is a must-see. After taking a stroll through Old Town down the cobbled streets and through the tall painted houses. To end your day just right, stop in a restaurant for some classic and delicious swiss cheese (and chocolate) fondue.