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Huge chiselled marble rocks were shimmering white all the way. Far away, we could see the snow-capped Alps. We were in Northern Italy, going through the largest marble market in the world. Leaving behind the Tuscan Hills and River Po, our bus entered the Lombardy Plains and there the Alps came nearer welcoming us with all its breathtaking beauty. In its folds lay our destination and the most beautiful part of mother earth – Switzerland.

' We could see many people from Italy walking over to this small town and queuing up at the shops there 'It was a long drive. Crossing the Italian-Swiss border, the bus reached Chiasso (pronounced `kjaso), a small Swiss town. We got down at the Swiss immigration office. The Schengen Visa will take you to all the major countries of Europe. But Switzerland is not a member of the European Union and so you need a separate visa to enter the country.

We could see many people from Italy walking over to this small town and queuing up at the shops there. It turned out that petrol and cigarettes, electrical gadgets and many other things are cheap in Switzerland. (The Italians have just to cross over to deposit their money in Swiss banks!)

At St.Gotthard!

We boarded the bus again after visa stamping. Now, through the A2 highway we plunge into tranquil beauty of this land that stayed away from wars since 1810. A2 forms part of the shortest road link from Hamburg in Germany to Sicily in Italy. Beneath this highway, crawls the 16.4 km long St. Gotthard, the second longest road tunnel in the world. The railway tunnel is close to but separate from road tunnel. The tunnels run below the St. Gotthard pass connect two Swiss Cantons -- Ticino in the south and Uri in the north.

By 2 o’clock in the noon we were at St.Gotthard. Vehicles were to maintain a 500 meter distance between each other and the speed limit was 80 kms. The Mercury was at 10 degrees outside but the tunnel flooded with electric light recorded 32 degrees. From an Italian speaking territory the tunnel took us to a German speaking zone, past several peaks of Alps. (German, French and Italian are the main languages in Switzerland. There is also a small section who speaks Romanch, a regional dialect. )

Picture Perfect!

It was the epic beauty of Switzerland that greeted us when we came out of the tunnel. Mountain peaks covered in snow all around, with meadows along the slopes specked with beautiful houses built in black wood. The country homes had flower beds covered with bright flowers under the windows, the gardens protected by wooden fences and stables which were prettier than the houses. Handsome Swiss Brown cows grazing here and there and the white smoke coming out of the chimneys completed the picture-perfect scene. The nature seemed unusually lovely.

Then the valley seemed to dip into a lake. The scene took our breath. The lake lay calm and serene nestled in the bosom of those snow-covered mountains. On its shores were vast undulating stretches of green meadows adorned with small woods and floral beds. The nature was in all its splendour.

We had our first halt at Lugano, a town by the lake and quite famous for it. The area is an important holiday destination of the rich and is known as the Monte Carlo of Switzerland. This small city is also a main centre for banking after Zurich and Geneva.

The bus stopped at the side of the lake. There was a path along the shores and a garden rich with flowers. Vehicular traffic is prohibited through the heart of the town, built in the Italian Lombardy style. To see around you have to walk. The boat service along the lake and the hill train service to the top of the mountain nearby had been stalled as it was winter. Cycling (there are 28 bicycle paths around Lugano) and mountain trekking are the main options available to the tourists here. But we preferred a stroll around the town.

The town had a medieval charm with paved roads, small gardens and vintage buildings. Most of the shops showcased the much coveted Swiss watches and branded clothes. The guide had warned us against shopping – the costs were much higher here.

Next Stop Lausanne

' sparsely populated Lausanne is the fourth largest city in Switzerland with a citizenry below sixty thousand. This picturesque city is built on three tiers, surrounded by rich vineyard slopes... 'The whole way from Lugano to Lausanne presented the most wonderful pictures in the entire world. The nature seemed to be exhibiting the jewels in its store. Mountains covered by snow, valleys in bloom and beautiful lakes added to the charm of the medieval looking cities. Everything seemed to exist in a blissful harmony.

It was dark when we reached Lausanne. Temperature was down to 3-4 degrees and shops had been closed by 7 in the evening. The city stood still in the biting cold with only the restaurants kept open.

The sparsely populated Lausanne is the fourth largest city in Switzerland with a citizenry below sixty thousand. This picturesque city is built on three tiers, surrounded by rich vineyard slopes, with Lake Geneva at its feet. The Chapel Bridge, a wooden crossing built across River Reuss in the 14th century, is the landmark of the city. The 670 ft. long wooden bridge was built in 1333 and was renovated in 1993 after about two thirds of it was destroyed in a fire. Arguably the oldest wooden bridge in Switzerland, it is covered and has paintings under its roof. Both the bridgeheads were closed.

We woke up early next morning, had a breakfast of spaghetti, beef and cheese and got ready for the boat ride around the lake. It was very cold. But I remained in the balcony to take a few snaps as the captain kept us informed of what we saw around as we moved on. She told us that we were surveying one of the most luxurious neighbourhoods in the world as we sped past the beautiful holiday homes of billionaires on the shores of the lake. We also saw the statue of Christ standing tall on a rock blessing the city of Lausanne.

The Lion’s Monument was something not to be missed and off we went to a garden located in the centre of the city. It is a monument dedicated to 100 Swiss soldiers who were burnt alive when a palace in Paris was put on fire in 1792 during the French Revolution.

The wonder that was Stanserhorn

“Now hold your breath,” our charming guide Sylvia gleamed with an air of mystery as we boarded the bus from Lausanne. “We are going to a domain that belongs to another world!” Sylvia cannot be exaggerating. We were on to witness some wonder. And it was the wonder of Stanserhorn.

' “Now hold your breath,” our charming guide Sylvia gleamed with an air of mystery as we boarded the bus from Lausanne 'The 1898 meter high Mt. Stanserhorn is located in the canton of Nidwalden, in the peripheries of Lausanne. A funicular train and a cable car will get you to the summit. Travelling for about 15 minutes from the city, we arrived at the ‘funicular railway station’ at Nidwalden. There was only a small building and an up-straight railway track. We got our tickets and waited. After a while we saw the train coming down the hill. It looked like a wooden box and in front, a man was standing in attention like a wax figure. There was only a bogey and it had no engine room.

We got into the ‘train’ and it started moving up silently. A powerful engine was hidden somewhere under the bogey. The red curtained ‘wooden box’ with a carrying capacity for 40 people looked like a slice from the forgotten past. The bogey was modelled after the one used in 1893 when this train service had started. They had funicular train service up to Stanserhorn till 1970 when the cable car took up the task from midway, from a place called Kalty.

The same stunning landscape of Switzerland was again revealing itself for us … meadows dotted with beautiful houses and cows, floral beds, and the snow cloaked walls of the Alps. The cable car was ready for us at Kalty. It had no seats. When all the 40 of us boarded and the door closed, it took off towards the sky.

The view of the green land underneath was fading slowly and suddenly clouds of mist engulfed us. We lost our sense of direction and the people started screaming. All of a sudden, at a distance, there came the Stanserhorn station in view and we heaved a sigh of relief. The wonder that Sylvia had hinted at was awaiting us there. We had reached an area covered with nothing but snow. And the whole snowy terrain lay bathed in sunlight. There was only a restaurant there and a number of frost-studded chairs. Away, the icy Alpian ranges gleamed white. Clouds as white as snow drifted in the space between the restaurant and the Alps. Snow, clouds and everything else were glowing in the radiant sun. The breathtaking view is a winter speciality. During other seasons the valleys would be clear and one could see the Italian border, France, the Black Forest of Germany and the lakes from here. At such times Stancerhorn would be thronged by trekkers and para-gliders. But now we could see only the Alps, clouds, and snow shrouding the whole stretch of land like a white silk pulled over it.

Two hills connected with a pathway and on one of them, the revolving restaurant called ‘Rondorama', comprise the site called Stanserhorn. It is just a few acres of land, but the view from there hauls us to a world beyond earth. We had our lunch from the revolving restaurant, took a walk through the snow and got ready for the return to ‘our own world’.

And the most spectacular sight of our month-long European tour…? No doubt, the Oscar goes to Stancerborn!

© travelbird