Pre-Tour Day 1
From Minnesota to Luzern
Our trip began with planes, trains and automobiles. We drove to MSP airport in Minneapolis, flew through JFK to Zurich and then hopped a train to Luzern. It was a smooth trip, and we continue to love the convenience of European public transportation. As soon as we walked out of the train station, we were struck by the beauty and charisma of Luzern. Wow! The river, the bridges and the historic buildings all added to the atmosphere, and the city just felt right. To top it off, Rick’s directions from the train station to the hotel were perfect and easy to follow (as usual). Thanks, Rick! |
Our first evening in Switzerland was spent casually exploring the riverfront area around and walking off our jet lag. The evening weather was perfect, and it was a great start to our trip.
Pre-Tour Day 2Mount Pilatus
We took Rick’s advice once again and arrived a couple days early to get settled in and burn off any remaining jet lag. Because of that, we had a full day to explore Luzern! It was a perfect opportunity to journey up to Mount Pilatus. The excursion started with a beautiful boat ride (just a 5 minute walk away from our hotel) which took us to the cog train station. The Pilatus cog train is the steepest in the world, and we loved the experience of riding it to the top of the mountain. At the top, we walked the several shorter trails to the panoramic view points. The views were awesome, and we were so glad we went up there. The clouds were in on the city side, but I actually thought that made it more interesting. It was like there was a cloud floor just below the observatory. The other side had more open views over the mountains, so it was the best of both worlds. |
After a dramatic gondola ride back down, we headed back to our hotel, hung out in beautiful Luzern and relaxed in preparation for our much anticipated tour. We were very thankful for today and such a great start to our Swiss adventure!
Wow Moments!
Magical Mount Pilatus
We were overwhelmed with the beauty and majesty of Mount Pilatus. The views were spectacular, and the cog train and gondola rides provides both unique experiences and awesome views!
We were overwhelmed with the beauty and majesty of Mount Pilatus. The views were spectacular, and the cog train and gondola rides provides both unique experiences and awesome views!
Historic Bridges of Luzern
We loved exploring the historic bridges of Luzern. They held so much charm and intrigue for us, and we can't wait to learn more about them from our guide!
We loved exploring the historic bridges of Luzern. They held so much charm and intrigue for us, and we can't wait to learn more about them from our guide!