The other side of the lake…

We have slowly been exploring more of Switzerland, this time with a Canadian friend.  His father was in the city visiting so he was keen to show him as much of the surrounding area as possible. So were invited to join them on a Saturday trip to visit Montreux.

Genève is situated on the far west of Lake Genève (also known as Lac Léman). The lake is crescent shaped with the far left being Genève and with Montreux situated on the far right about 73km away. We were keen to see what was on the other side of the lake.

The train trip there was pretty fast (about 1 hour 10 mins) and the scenery is absolutely beautiful! You really notice how big the lake is and get some idea of how huge the Alps are.  One of the most beautiful and interesting things we noticed was the large number of vineyards along the route. Grape vines are planted and squeezed into the tiniest of nooks and crannies making use of all the precious space available.

Arriving in Montreux the weather was very overcast with low clouds hanging over the mountains. This somewhat spoilt our view of the mountains but the view from the lake was still good.

The beautiful view

We headed straight to the tourist information centre and picked up a map of the area.  After reviewing our options we decided to walk along the edge of the lake to the famous Château de Chillon (Chillon Castle).

Walking along the lake

A hotel along the lake

Along the lake

After about an hour of slow meandering along the lake looking at the view, flowers, boats and properties we arrived at the Castle. Chillon Castle is situated at the edge of the lake and is sort of a mish-mash of architecture and periods as it was build and added to over a number of centuries, although it all flows and matches very well.  The history of Chillon Castle can be found at the Castle website http://www.chillon.ch/en/index-La%2Bgrande%2Bhistoire-0-0.html.

Chillon Castle

Wine made exclusively for and around the Castle

The tour starts at the bottom of the Chillon Castle in the courtyard area and as you follow the numbers to the areas indicated on the map you end up walking through all the levels of the castle eventually (and after what felt like a million stairs) reaching the top lookout area. 

The visit was very interesting and the Chillon Castle is surprisingly bigger inside than it looks from the outside, as our slow walk through took about 2 hours.  By this time it was well past lunch and we were all starving. Luckily we found a place still serving food just across the road from the Castle where we proceeded to wolf down some lunch.

Tired but satisfied we took a slow walk back along the lake and decided to call it a day.  We had a lovely day (despite the poor weather) and the castle was interesting. We will definitely head back when the sun is shining to take full advantage of the beautiful view of the mountains.

Now to decide where in Switzerland to visit next...

Celebrations...

The 1st of August was Swiss National Day. It was a public holiday so everyone could enjoy the Swiss style celebrations. Each area and Canton celebrates in their own way and has various events and activities planned for the day.

Swiss National Day

As it was Hubby and my first Swiss National Day we were keen to see what it was all about. So we put on our walking shoes and walked around the city. There were Swiss flags flying from many of the buildings and buses.

We ended up in Parc des Bastions where there were loads of food stalls selling traditional Swiss food which were mainly sausages, bread and chips. Then as it got darker there was an area cordoned off where the public could shoot fireworks for everyone to watch. There were quite a few people shooting a variety of fireworks and there were just as many firemen standing ready to drench any stray firework.

The evening ended with a huge bonfire in the middle of the park.

The Bonfire

Then a few days later on the 4^th of August it was the official opening of the Fêtes de Genève. We headed to the lake in the evening for the opening fireworks display, which was lovely.

The Fêtes de Genève opening fireworks

The Fêtes de Genève takes place every year around the lake area. Every year a theme is chosen and this year’s theme was Incredible India. There are food, drink and souvenir stalls all around the lake as well as many theme park rides. There is also a whole programme of music and events that take place during the Fêtes.

We walked around there a couple of times and tried some of the Indian food on offer and listened to some of the music.

The highlight of the event is the fireworks display that takes place on the last Saturday of the Fêtes de Genève. This year it fell on the 13^th of August 2011. The theme of the fireworks was 'Gala Night at the Opera' and it was accompanied by music and lasted more than 50 minutes.

Unfortunately we were unable to watch them, but for a very good reason – we were attending the awsome wedding of our friends Natalie and John.

Bern baby Bern...

Ok so it’s not spelt the same as the words to the song “burn baby burn, disco inferno”, but it still has the same effect on me. Every time I hear or say the word I have to sing the jingle in my head a few times (or aloud, depending who is around)!

Last Friday Hubby and I eventually got our demi tariff (half price) cards.  This allows you to travel by train to anywhere in Switzerland for half price.  So to celebrate and because it was also a long weekend here last weekend we decided to take a little trip to Bern. 

Bern is the capital of Switzerland so we thought it would be a good place visit. We left on Saturday morning and after stocking up on croissants and coffee we jumped on a train to Bern.  We packed lightly and only had a rucksack and my big handbag to lug around with us.  The train was double decker so we headed for the top deck and enjoyed beautiful views of the lake and countryside as we made our way.  The trip only takes around 1h 45mins which is not too bad.

When we arrived we went to the information centre and got a map and started our explorations!

Map in hand and ready to go

Packed lightly - amazing!

Bern is similar but at the same time different to Genève, a main difference being that they speak German.  Bern also has an old town which is quaint and quirky with many shops and cafés along the sidewalks.  Some of the stores are actually underground and you enter through a trapdoor on the side of the road.  Many of the apartments had lovely summer flowers on their balconies and windows which added to the beauty of the area.

Little cafés are popular

Doors that lead to underground shops - they were closed on Sunday

 

Beautiful flowers add colour to the buildings

Some of the interesting things we saw included the clock tower, which had figurines that rotated and moved just before the hour and an iron figure of a man with a hammer hitting the bell on the hour.  There were many fountains and statues that lined the streets.  We saw Einstein House which was an apartment rented by Albert Einstein from 1903 to 1905, which now shows a video of him and has a café outside. 

The Clock Tower

Einstein House

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul was absolutely beautiful and we were lucky to arrive as the bell was ringing. What an awesome sound and site!

In front of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul

Looking up at the front of the church

We then headed across the Aare River and walked up a steep path to the Rose Garden (http://www.berninfo.com/en/page.cfm/Bernerleben/Sightseeing/Rosengarten).  Although I was puffing and panting on the way up it was definitely worth it as the view of the city was amazing.  We walked around the Rose Garden and then had lunch at the Rose Garden Restaurant.  Hubby selected a chicken sandwich and chips and I selected the cold meat antipasti.  Both were very tasty but we both loved the antipasti selection of meats, soft goats cheese, artichoke and pepper served with lovely fresh bread.

The Aare River
  

The amazing view

The Rose Garden

Enjoying lunch

Feeling thoroughly satisfied we started the steep decent and headed for the famous Bear Park (http://www.baerenpark-bern.ch/index.php?id=info&L=0).  According to the Lonely Planet Western Europe guide, Bern was founded in 1191 by Berchtold V and named after his first hunting victim, a bear!  The bear still remains as an emblem on their flag and they still have the Bear Park which, as the name suggests, is home to a few bears.  We were lucky to see three of the bears in a playful mood, swimming and play wrestling (but I have to admit that I would still prefer that they were not in an enclosure).  Anyway they seemed happy enough and liked the attention from the large group of viewing public.

The Bears having fun swimming

By this time we were feeling tired and our feet were aching so we decided to head back to the hotel, which was on the other side of town.  On the way there we passed an area where they were filming an historical movie, which was interesting to see.

Filming the historic movie

After a weary walk we were happy to find the hotel.  We stayed at Hotel La Pergola, which is about a 15 minute walk from the train station (http://www.hotel-lapergola.ch/en.html).  The reception staff were friendly and the room was very small but it had a bed and bathroom which is all we really needed for the night.  We flopped down on the bed and had a well deserved rest until dinner time. 

Hotel La Pergola

We consulted the internet and looked at a few reviews on restaurants in the area.  We decided on the Casino Restaurant (http://www.casinobern.ch/pages_d/restaurants_01.html) as we had read that they make good pasta.

We arrived and decided to site outside on the veranda which has lovely views over the Aare River.  I ordered the mushroom pasta and Hubby ordered the veal schnitzel.  I thought both were presented well although there were way too many chips served with the schnitzel.  Although the pasta looked great I was disappointed when I first took a bite as it seemed they had forgotten seasoning.  After adding some salt the taste improved a lot and it turned out to be a perfectly decent pasta, although definitely not the best I have had.  Hubby’s veal was tender and was served with a lovely cranberry compote but was also nothing to rave about.  We were seated close to the outdoor area where a chef prepares all the grilled meats and after seeing the lovely food that he made we both agreed that we should have rather tried a grilled option – oh well, next time!

My pasta

Hubby's veal schnitzel

On Sunday morning we had a lovely Swiss style breakfast at the hotel.  They served us fresh coffee, although we could have chosen tea or chocolate milk and there were also juices available. There was a selection of cereals, fruit and yoghurt as well breads with variety of spreads, meats, cheeses and boiled eggs.  And last but not least, a selection of pastries.

The next day we headed off to do the remainder of the tourist attractions.  We started at the parliament buildings and then wandered to the Bern Cathedral.  This too was a breathtaking church with amazing architecture and detail.  We went inside and the beauty continued.  The stained glass windows are amazing as well as the detailed ceilings and sculpture.

The Bern Cathedral

We then made our way back through the streets of old town and went to the Museum of Fine Arts.  This was the only place that had an entry fee but there was a big selection of art and well worth the CHF 7 each.  We most enjoyed seeing works by famous artists including Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

We headed back to the train station and made out way home.  All in all we had a lovely weekend and it was a good start to our explorations of the rest of Switzerland!