Switzerland's beauty was unmatched! One of the big excursions to do in Lucerne is the Golden loop which takes you by boat to the base of Mount Pilatus. From there you take an iconic red cogwheel up and come down by cable car. I had learned yesterday from the Indian man that the cogwheel was not in operation so I enquired about other ways to get to Mount Pilatus. The cable car was still optional so I took a bus to Kriens where the cable cars departed from.
The line for the cable car was so long! I could not believe my eyes. I also have zero patience but I decided I had already taken the bus here so I was committed. I had a suspicious feeling that the cable car was not covered by the Swiss rail pass and I was right. Forty dollars later (that was the discounted rail cost if you can believe it) and I was really committed to the cable car. I could have hiked but the round trip was 10.5 miles with 5,583 feet of elevation gain and I think it would have taken me the whole day! While I was in line, I started chatting with these two boys as we figured out what ticket to purchase online. One was from China and the other from South Korea. They were both studying architecture and had met while studying in London. They were very fun to chat with and we had a good time continuously laughing and making jokes to make the time pass. I am guessing that we probably waited in line for about an hour and I ended up riding up with them in a cable car. The cable cars were small with only room for four people and went to the halfway point. I got off at the halfway point to admire the view. It was also where I bid farewell to my new friends who I had spent the last two hours talking to.
For the last leg of the journey to Pilatus Kulm I took a massive gondola that could fit 55 people. You could see the hikers below as tiny specks. It looked steep and very difficult! As much as I would have loved to hike, I also wanted the view from the cable car.
As we got higher and higher there was fog rolling in. I saw a couple people tandem paragliding and added that to my bucket list. There was not as much snow as I expected at the top and it was much warmer than expected. I had made sure to wear pants and a long sleeve shirt but could have easily been up there in a dress. On the top there is a hotel as well as a restaurant. There are also places you can hike up to for views. I hiked all three places to see different parts of the mountain. In comparison to Denver, these mountains were only about 6,000 feet tall so the elevation was no problem at all. The higher Alps are situated more along the borders of Switzerland.
The views from the top were spectacular! Switzerland below was so green and it appeared that there were a lot of farms. The peak was very steep and you could see the halfway point that appeared very far away. After hiking a little bit more, I headed down by the gondola. At the halfway point I got a cable car to myself and loved it! The views descending were so beautiful and you could see the entire city of Lucerne. I took a time lapse of the cable car ride down and I think it turned out pretty cool.
I was done with Mount Pilatus by about 2pm and by then the line to go up the cable car had vanished. I was tempted to go again for another ride but wanted to go to other places.
My Indian friend from yesterday said I had to go to Bern as it was "really beautiful just like me" so naturally I had to check out what I was being compared to. I'll give it to him - Bern really was beautiful.
Bern was exactly the view I had been dying to see! The milky green waters were so picturesque and stunning! I headed straight to the river when I arrived to scope out the best views of the city. Lots of people were swimming in the river although I am sure it was freezing cold.
The best views of Bern were from the bridge and river banks. From there you could capture the old houses and the arched bridge with the bright turquoise turquoise water flowing through it. That view convinced me Switzerland isn't real. It was just way too beautiful and I refused to believe it!
I did a semi circle walk around the river stopping to admire the view very often. The riverbank was very peaceful and serene with not many people around. It was so lush and green too with the sound of birds chirping filling the air. Eventually, I came to the other side of the city which offered views of the skyline with the top of the Bern Cathedral peaking out.
While Bern captivated me due the color of its water, the town was very charming as well. Bern is the capital of Switzerland and known for its medieval buildings. Similar to Prague, it also had an astrological clock although this one was not as famous. The city is decorated with many flags hanging from nearly every building. There were lots of colorful fountains in the middle of the streets as well. My favorite part about the fountains is that you can fill up your bottle from them since the water is clean (or so I have been led to believe). Since all the streets are cobblestone there aren't too many cars but rather buses and trams that run through the city center.
I spent quite some time walking all over the city taking in all the beauty. I seriously wonder how I am expected to study and take finals when views like this exist. Switzerland has my whole heart!
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