The Swiss Alps are gorgeous
You see landscape change colours, a bunch of happy cows, and even an Arabic restaurant up in the clouds. We know it’s been said time and again, but how marvellous is it that everything runs on time?
Picture this: You are in a train coach, one with windows so huge that you get the feeling you are moving in a cubicle made of glass. This coach has windows even on the roof. You have a cup of coffee in your hand and more than the caffeine, you are taking in the countryside as it whizzes past — green fields with generous stretches of yellow flowers. Suddenly you enter a tunnel, and for a few moments it’s darkness. And just like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, you burst back into the greenery, but this time you notice something different. In the distant background, mountains float far away like a dream.
Then another tunnel. When you emerge from this one, the mountains are snow-capped. Also, you can hear the gentle sound of a river gushing by. And you notice flakes of snow clinging on to some of the trees. Wait, here is another tunnel. Take a sip of your coffee. When you come out of this tunnel, you are magically transported into a white wonderland. All the green outside has been blanketed by snow that looks so soft, you want to jump off the train, scoop it all and throw it up into the heavens.
The scenes I describe are from aboard Switzerland’s Glacier Express, which runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz. Dubbed the world’s slowest express train, the ride is a visual treat, with the landscape changing after virtually every tunnel the train passes through. The train lazes through the 291km route in about eight hours and cuts through 91 tunnels and crosses 291 bridges. We experienced a four-and-a-half ride on the train, and got down in between at Filusur rather reluctantly. For me, the highlight of our fourday trip to Switzerland was this train journey. The punctuality of the Swiss Switzerland’s villages are as peaceful as its cities are wild. Given a choice, I would opt for the villages, refreshingly old-fashioned. Many of these villages are connected to the hotspots by trains. The Swiss Travel Pass which can be booked from the UAE, will ensure that your travel requirements are taken care of. It enables unlimited access to Swiss trains, boats and buses. After landing at Zurich Airport, we walked to the train that would take us to our first destination – Gstaad. The walk was basically just crossing the road from the airport. We changed four trains on the way, but each connecting train arrived on time — no wonder the Swiss clockwork industry is as famous as it is. We would disembark, board the next train, and be on our way. No lengthy stopovers and no delays. The four-hour ride to the countryside was not as hectic as we had imagined it would be. In fact, each change of train signalled a different landscape. Bovine stations at Gstaad Gstaad is a quaint village in southwest Switzerland. Green with snowcapped mountains in the background, the locals here greet you with a smile. The cows look friendly too. As our guide said, halfjokingly, “We have 7,000 people and 7,000 cows!”
If you are a fan of cheese, then Gstaad is the place for you. The 7,000 locals swear by the cheese produced by their 7,000 cows. Some of the hotels here have their own cows. The hotels’ dairy products are freshly sourced from their own private herds! The hotel we stayed at for instance (Golfhotel les Hauts de Gstaad, Saanenmoser), organises special excursions to their cow farms up in the Alps for guests, in July and August. Here, you get a crash course on how the milk is converted into cheese and other products.
A 20-minute drive away from Gstaad is a cableway that literally takes you into the clouds. As the cable car begins its summit, the serpentine road that brings you here slowly vanishes. Brown rocks gradually replace green fields. And then, it’s all white. A 20-minute ride later, we are at Glacier 3000. Here’s where you zip up your jackets, folks. As soon as you step out of the cable car, a blast of cold mountain air hits you in the face. Jacket hood, check. Gloves, check. Now off to the world’s first suspension bridge called ‘Peak to Peak,’ which, well, connects two mountain peaks. The reward of scaling the bridge is not the 5-metre higher viewpoint than Glacier 3000, but the walk on the bridge. Swaying to the not-so-gentle mountain winds, you have to hold on to the rails as you walk. Oh wait, is that a cloud you see up ahead? Yes! I literally walked through a cloud to reach the other end.
Back in the valley after a day of mountain adventure, we checked into a small Arabic restaurant. That’s right. In the middle of Gstaad’s car-free promenade, is a little restaurant called Christiania, that serves authentic Arabic cuisine. Lakes — not the neighbourhood in Dubai The next day, a panoramic train journey later (refer to the first paragraph), we reach Davos, which hosts the annual World Economic Forum. Davos, known as the highest ‘town’ in Europe, has a city charm. And just a 20-minute bus ride away from Davos is Klosters. This place is dotted with lakes; in just one afternoon, we visited three different breathtaking lakes. A short trek in the Sertig valley brings you to the exact point where snow melts into the river that flows down to the valley.
So, if you haven’t decided on a vacation for the upcoming Eid holidays, opt for exploring Swiss hospitality on its public transport. Or at least put it on your bucket list.