Switzerland

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and has been permanently settled for 2000 years. The main language spoken is a local variant of the Swiss German Dialiect. Zurich is situated on Lake Zurich and the city and old town are divided by the Limmat River which flows from the lake. Zurich is a lovely mix of old and modern.

St Gallen is a Swiss town about an hour from Zurich and we spent a day there while staying in Zurich. The Abbey of St Gall is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has a beautiful library that contains books from the 9th century. No photos are allowed in the library. The Cathedral of St Gallen is one of the most important baroque monuments in Switzerland. St Gallen has 28 sites that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance.

Chur is the capital of the canton of Grisons and is one of the oldest towns in Switzerland. Chur is 600 metres above sea level and surrounded by the Alps. Chur's old town has been restored and is now mostly free of cars. The high plateau of Brambruesch is reached by a cable car and offers walking and biking in summer and skiing in winter. We spent a night in Chur before boarding the Glacier Express the next afternoon. We had some time in the morning to wander around the old town and use the cable car to visit Brambruesch for our first experience of snow.

We travelled on the Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt stopping overnight in St Moritz on the way. For a couple of Australians the snow and mountains were amazing. However taking photographs through the window of a moving train is really difficult. On arrival in Zermatt the Matterhorn put on a sunset display that was unforgettable.

Zermatt is a mountain resort famous for skinig hiking and climbing. Zermatt is 1600 metres above sea level and lies below the Matterhorn. Gornergrat (3135 metres above sea level ) overlooks the Gorner Glacier and offers a view of 29 four-thousand metre mountains. Gornergrat is reached by a mountain rack railway and is the second highest railway in Europe. Two astronomical observatories were installed in the 1960's. For an Australian low-lander the snow and mountains were awe-inspiring and the Matterhorn is in almost every photo.

Jungfraujoch is a glacier saddle in the Bernase Alps between Jungfrau and Monch and is at an elevation of 3,466 metres. Jungfraujoch is accessable by railway and is the highest station in Europe. The Sphinx Observatory can be reached by an elevator and offers amazing views. Despite being dizzy and breathless due to the height this was fantastic. We were incredibly lucky and had a clear day with blue skies and the view was spectacular. On the way back to Wengen we stopped at Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg. From Kleine Scheidegg we walked along The Fox Run to Wengermalp dodging experienced skiers and inexperienced tobogganing tourists.

Geneva is situated on Lake Geneva where the river Rhone leaves the lake. Geneva is a financial centre and a centre of diplomacy due to many international organisations based in the city. French is spoken in Geneva and the French influence is very obvious. The old town is beautiful but the modern architecture is also very appealing to photograph.