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August 27, 2014

Switzerland Finale

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Welcome to the finale of my Europe adventures! After a wonderful day of hiking near Lucerne, Switzerland, the second to last day of my trip began on a ferry.

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My friend Melli and I took the ferry from Vitznau to Lucerne, which was about an hour, so we could explore the city. It was more fun than driving! 🙂

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Hey, Lucerne! I wore my Swiss colors just for you. 😉 (Skirt is an old fave from Stitch Fix!)

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This is the most famous bridge in Lucerne – a beautiful 14th century covered bridge called Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge). I loved the flowers on the side of it!

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We grabbed a quick lunch and wandered around the city, enjoying the views.

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Remains of the old city wall and tower:

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After a couple hours of walking around, it was back on the ferry!

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For dinner that night, we drove over to Gersau, the town a couple miles away on the other side of our hostel. We had dinner at a cute place on the water!

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More rosé, obviously. When in Europe in summer, drink rosé!

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And more tomato, basil, mozzarella, too!

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I had a really good herbed lake fish cooked in foil for my entrée. Buttery and delicious!

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Plus some potatoes. Melli and I were discussing how it’s interesting that potatoes in this area of Switzerland, apparently, and in Germany are bright yellow like this, while in the US they are usually more white. Anyone know why?

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Our final adventure together the next day was another hike! We checked out of our hostel and drove an hour or so to Melchsee-Frutt, which is a high valley in Switzerland that is at an altitude of 2000 (!) meters. We drove allllllll the way up the mountain on the super tiny winding roads, just for fun, although there’s also a gondola you can take up if you want.

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It was a really foggy/gray day, but it was still beautiful up there.

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We did a hike that involved two of the four lakes up on the mountain (more info on the hike here). It was so quiet and empty up there, and with the clouds, it felt like we were on the moon or something! Mysterious and beautiful.

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In the winter, this is a thriving ski area! I would love to see this on a clear day – I bet the views around us were crazy.

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It was cool how different this hike was from the one we did up Rigi Mountain – it reminded me of the Scottish highlands or something!

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Oh hey, sorry cows, don’t let us get in your way or anything… 😉

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We had a late lunch at a random little place at the top of the mountain before racing back to our car. It ended up being farther than we thought to get back via the flat path vs. the winding uphill hike we did, and we had found out that apparently you can only drive up and down the mountain at certain hours (single tracking), so we couldn’t miss the cut off! It was POURING and we ran like crazy people in the rain before hitching a ride with a kind Swiss couple about our age. Whew!

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Putting that hike on my must-return list – dying to see those views without clouds!

After the hike, Melli drove me to Zurich, where we sadly said our goodbyes as she had to get home for work the next morning.

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I wandered around the city some, grabbed falafel for dinner, and called it a night. 🙂 (If you’re looking for a reasonably priced hotel in Zurich, check out Hotel Hottingen – I opted for one of the shared hallway bathroom options and it was really reasonable, and centrally located enough too. I also felt super safe staying there alone!)

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I really liked Zurich – it was lively and cute!

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After a short run along the water the next morning, it was off to the airport to fly on home.

What an amazing couple weeks I had – thank you for re-living my Europe adventures with me! I had fun sharing them and I hope you had fun reading them, too. 🙂

- anne
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28 comments
  • Carrie E. Calvi
    August 27, 2014 · 10:00AM:
    Love your travel adventures! Been to all these places too but didn't do a cool hike like you as we were on a tour. Best part was the cows picture!
    Reply
  • Amanda
    August 27, 2014 · 10:09AM:
    The views look absolutely stunning! ....Also, pretty impressed you stayed so calm with COWS in your path =)
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 27, 2014 · 11:18AM:
      Lol yeah we were a little nervous, but they were totally uninterested in us. :)
      Reply
  • jillian August 27, 2014 · 11:19AM:
    Ah, thanks for allowing me to relive MY Europe trip this summer! I also did France and Switzerland! I spent time in Paris, Geneva, Leysin, and Montreux -- so this all looks very familiar! Glad you had a great trip!
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 27, 2014 · 11:43AM:
      Glad you had a great trip, too! :)
      Reply
  • Cara
    August 27, 2014 · 11:55AM:
    Thoroughly enjoyed your vacation recaps! I'm pretty sure I'll never get there, but loved seeing the sights, and enjoyed the food pics, haha!
    Reply
  • Kirtley Freckleton@ The Gist of Fit
    August 27, 2014 · 12:40PM:
    Geesh! I kinda wish I didn't read your recaps because it gives me the travel bug WAY bad. Isn't this world INCREDIBLE! I am so blessed to be able to travel once in awhile to see the beauties of this earth. Thanks for sharing Anne!
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 27, 2014 · 3:05PM:
      So much to see, huh? :)
      Reply
  • Catherine @ Chocolate & Vegetables
    August 27, 2014 · 12:56PM:
    Lovely hiking photos! Also, nice to know I'm not the only one who still hits up hostels to save $$ on vacation even though I'm no longer a student :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 27, 2014 · 3:04PM:
      No shame. :)
      Reply
  • Elizabeth August 27, 2014 · 1:29PM:
    The potatoes are probably a different type than typically found in the U.S. In the U.S. we usually see Russet potatoes which are white are more starchy. The yellow are likely Yukon gold or some other mid range starchy variety. :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 27, 2014 · 3:04PM:
      Ah, that makes sense! Thanks! :)
      Reply
  • Chelsea @ Chelsea Eats Treats
    August 27, 2014 · 1:44PM:
    I loved these posts!! It's always fun to read recaps from such amazing places. The awesome photos don't hurt either ;)
    Reply
  • Aleks August 27, 2014 · 2:01PM:
    So cool! We went to a friends' wedding up at Melchsee-Frutt a couple years ago (at the Frutt Lodge & Spa) and it was a wonderful location! I should really return one day for hiking at it's such a short ride from Zurich. Gorgeous pictures!
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 27, 2014 · 3:04PM:
      Wow, what an amazing wedding location!
      Reply
  • Dietitian Jess
    August 27, 2014 · 2:27PM:
    Wow, those views look amazing in pictures even on a foggy day, adding it to my never ending Euro trip to do list. Thanks for sharing your trip with us :)
    Reply
  • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment
    August 27, 2014 · 4:03PM:
    These recaps have been so awesome! I love to travel, and this gives me so many ideas. Have a good day!
    Reply
  • Julianna
    August 27, 2014 · 4:27PM:
    these posts are making me want to visit Europe even more than i already do! i also love how you went to places that i definitely wouldn't have thought of/known to visit since i haven't been to europe before!
    Reply
  • Roadrunner August 27, 2014 · 4:38PM:
    Utterly awesome! Thanks for sharing your trip with us -
    Reply
    • Jen August 29, 2014 · 12:55PM:
      Hah, I hope this was a nod to the cows :)
      Reply
  • Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
    August 28, 2014 · 1:04AM:
    That hike was gorgeous! They should post signs about limited driving times on the mountain. That sounds like it could cause some pretty big problems for some people. Your entire trip looked like it was a blast! I'll be in Switzerland next month which might be a little late for rosé but I'm still hoping to try some!
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 28, 2014 · 1:12AM:
      They did have signs about it, we just totally didn't see them/didn't understand them!
      Reply
  • Ashley @ KickAshMom.com
    August 28, 2014 · 10:48AM:
    It's amazing how beautiful the world is. I can not wait to travel and see it.
    Reply
  • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment
    August 28, 2014 · 3:50PM:
    Wonderful pictures! You have to start planning your next adventure soon!
    Reply
  • Mer August 28, 2014 · 4:00PM:
    We honeymooned in Lucerne! Thanks for the memories via your pictures!
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 29, 2014 · 8:39AM:
      What a wonderful place to honeymoon!
      Reply
  • Courtney August 28, 2014 · 10:04PM:
    I love Switzerland! I did a 6 week backpacking adventure of Europe with a friend post college and went to a tiny town located in the middle of the Swiss Alps. The hostel we stayed at was only accessible via gandola and to this day I don't think I've visited a more beautiful place. Your recap reallllly makes me want to visit again!
    Reply
    • Anne
      August 29, 2014 · 8:40AM:
      That sounds like a place I'd love, too! Off the beaten path :)
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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