September 21, 2023
After an all-day rager at Oktoberfest, our tour group was a tad beat this morning but that did not slow us down from continuing on with our European adventure. We were traveling from Germany to Switzerland today with scenic stops along the way. Our first stop on our private bus drive was in Germany to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. This is a magnificent castle, believed to have inspired Walt Disney. It is one of the most visited castles in the world with approximately 1.5 million annual visitors. Our visit consisted of a public bus ride up the mountain, walking on Mary's (terrifying) Bridge to take pictures of the castle, trekking down the mountain where we stopped along the way to get closer pictures of the castle, using the free restroom, and I got myself a strawberry ice cream. Once we were down the mountain, there was a little town where I took the opportunity to shop and order a salad (finally some green veggies).
Before we knew it, we were back on the bus and our next stop was in the country Liechtenstein. In case you have not heard of Liechtenstein before, it is the 4th smallest country in Europe and 6th smallest country in the world. It is a German speaking country 25km-long (approximately 15.5 miles) between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is known for its alpine landscapes, medieval castles, and villages linked by a network of trails. The capital, Vaduz, is a cultural and financial center. During our brief stop, I got my passport stamped for 3 Euros, walked around the town, shopped, and bought sushi and fruit (cantaloupe and watermelon) at a grocery store.
Finally, we made it to our destination, Switzerland. We checked into our hotel, Ibis Styles Luzern, and freshened up before going on our way to explore the city. This was my favorite hotel location of the trip as we were located in the city which meant that we were able to access most things by walking. If you know me, you know how much I love being able to walk places. We walked around, took pictures, ate dinner, and got drinks. I ate dinner with Melody at Zunfthausrestaurant Pfistern. I ordered Lachstatar which is smoked salmon tartare for 22.50 Swiss Franc and while I was disappointed with how small the dish was, it did taste good. I also had a glass of white wine, and Melody and I shared a pot of cheese fondue. While dining, we invited two girls from our group to join us as they were searching for a place to dine. We had a lovely time together and I enjoyed the cheese fondue, but after a while it did start to get heavy as the dipping options were bread and potatoes. Overall, this was a super fun experience! Melody and I did not want our night to end quite yet so we kept exploring the city until we came across a rooftop bar. Naturally, we had to check it out and I am so glad that we did! We found ourselves at Suite located in Hotel Monopol Luzern. The atmosphere was sophisticated and expensive, we stayed for two drinks before calling it a night. I had a glass of red wine and one of their signature cocktails, Suite Passion. Today was amazing, being in three different countries all within a single day, I cannot wait to share what the next and final full day of my trip holds in my next Switzerland post, stay tuned!
Comentarios