Exploring Switzerland 1
Last weekend 2,5 hour train ride took me from Zurich to Lausanne which was my first trip within Switzerland. Lausanne is situated on the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva. It is interesting to see how the architecture, cuisine, and language change from one side of the country to the other. Everything in here is very French!
I got a warm welcome from Freddie Mercury right before the sunset! His statue is at the main square of Montreux, Place du Marché, facing Lake Geneva.
“Bonzo’s Montreux” by Led Zeppelin is named after the city. Walking by the lake where all the flowers are blossomed was enough to fall in love with Montreux. I will be back for the annual jazz festival in July.
Castle of Ouchy is an old medieval castle that has since been converted into a hotel. The location is great, by the lake, didn’t check out the inside. There are a lot of nice small restaurants along the lake. I had the best crepe, so far. This building is historically an important place for Turks. On October 18, 1912, the First Treaty of Lausanne was signed in Ouchy between Italy and the Ottoman Empire, concluding the war.
Do not try to read “Ouchy” as in English; it sounds more like “uşi”.
Next destination is Gruyères. The historical town is 810 m above sea level and located on top of an isolated hill north of the Alps, in the foothills of mount Moléson. Gruyères cheese is an important factor in supporting the tourist trade in the region, and it is delicious. All the buildings are under protection.
From the clothes of the locals to the adorable design of the curtains, all of a sudden you go back in time. And then something else happens, you hear music, and don’t quite figure out what it is. Then you see a group of men in their traditional costume blowing giant horns. Ohhh, that’s what is called alpine horn. It is used by mountain dwellers in Switzerland and elsewhere.
A major tourist attraction is the medieval town of Gruyères with its castle, containing a regional museum and an arts museum. I will make a special visit to see the castle and try out more cheese!
I also visited the bar which was designed by Hans Ruedi Giger. The roof, walls, fittings and chairs are all modeled by the artist. It is strange, but quite interesting.
Giger studied architecture and industrial design in Zurich. Trying out that chair below was fun actually. He has definitely a different style.
That’s it for now, and will keep you posted.
Category: Architecture
great place to visit and live. I spent 3 years in Geneve. I can go back anytime!