Three Days of Switzerland

A short romantic itinerary of our dreams

After 4 hot months serving in Cambodia, Asia, we came back. But decided in the last minute to stop in a 3 days layover in one of our dream places. After 12 hours flight in an old airplane economy class and uncomfortably hot, we landed in Zurich, Switzerland. Stunning mountains, fluffy green tree tops, and hot chocolate smell everywhere. I fell in love.

Unrequited love

Despite Switzerland is made of coziness, is not considered as a very warmth or very welcoming place. Is known as a very expensive destination, and we did found acid prices on restaurants and hotels.

For short trips is doable, but I suggest to plan everything correctly and limit a budget. Also, even being well treated everywhere, we noticed not much smiles.

Beautiful, elegant & blasè

You can expect to see people drinking white wine 3 p.m in front of restaurants, luxury furnished cafes, stunning landscapes and austere - poetic architecture. Zurich it's charming, elegant and busy. Many tourists in the center and the old town, blended with fancy locals and green everywhere.

The view of the mountains, the very fluffy green tree tops, cold blue sky...

Despite short, you can have an amazing experience in just three days - which was our case. Is the right amount of time (and money available) to get a taste of this unique place.

Zurich river

The river is full of life and tourists, locals passing by, lovely ducks and small boats in the deck, and you can find good food options in the street.

We walked a lot just admiring the view. There's nothing similar anywhere. It looks like a movie.

Altstadt & Uetliberg

Switzerland is a very romantic destination. It is almost impossible to think about backpacking alone there. As it was my boyfriend and I, we did a lot of romantic walks and we really enjoyed slowly talking, seeing public places, and visiting small restaurants. To me, was my favorite trip so far.

Our first day, we spent just walking around the Zurich river, exploring the narrow streets of Altstadt, and looking for affordable food options. There are many good restaurants, but the prices are not that good.

We opted for a more intimate trip to stay connected, and we got many times just walking and talking. The beauty of Zurich - not just nature, but people, food, architecture, art... makes you feel connected with the beauty, the elegance, order, harmony. It elevates your vision and experiences.

During the day, with the weather slightly warmer, the golden sunlight gave us many moments of contemplation and reflective talks.

We walked through the crowded streets of the old town, and stopped by Al Paso - a sandwich shop, and ate a delicious pastrami sandwich that was so big and full that looked like a meal. We love it!

For dessert we got some very expected pieces of Läderach chocolat at Bahnhoffstrasse street, and got the train up to the Uetliberg mountain.

Before getting to our mountain adventure, we downloaded the Zurich Guide App.

Through the app you can buy tickets, see maps of the city, get information of transport and discounts to enjoy events in Zurich.

Getting there, we got the most romantic sunset ever <3

The top of the Uetliberg mountain is the spot of the famous Uto Kulm Hotel, with a giant tower that you can climb for a few Swiss francs. The place have also a cafe (with wine options) and the most beautiful view of the mountains and the whole city. I got very emotional when up there, and recommend to do this before the sunset, to enjoy the light and the romantic vibe. I couldn't believe a place like that exists!

It's the last stop by train, followed by some meters of walk in a trail. Is very easy to access and always full of visitants, but not very good if you are carrying small kids, or have a mobility problem.

There you can just appreciate the view - you're just gonna pay if you consume anything from the coffee shop.

The pictures are not faith to the beauty of this place.

Do not forget

I can't forget to recommend checking the weather! May sound obvious but... We didn't care much, as we were expecting the cold, but would be helpful to enjoy the outside adventures without suffer. I used a jacket for trails, jeans, and boots, and my boyfriend was wearing light pants, tennis shoes and a long sleeve.

For the other days, we paid for the Lindt factory tour, an affordable must do activity. It's very fun and good for kids, with a lot of interactive activities, curiosities about the most famous chocolate in the world, his history and free chocolate at the end. The tour has a small device that translate all the boards with the cocoa information to many languages.

We stayed at our hotel for most of the time when not in the street, dealing with the jet lag, and just enjoying our time. We stayed in a friendly budget hotel called The Flag that also have a great breakfast. Then went to the church - you can find lots of beautiful churches on the way - and to a small cafeteria to have a cheesecake.

The last day, we had a problem with our flight, so we lost most of the day in the airport - that has a horrible Wifi that connects for just one hour!!! Problem solved, was time to say goodbye to Zurich. :(

Can't wait to visit again in 2023, my favorite place in the world. Tag & Share when you visit Switzerland and let me know what you think!