Jane's Midlife Journey

We spent a week driving across Switzerland, from the French border to the Italian border, and back. The trip was primarily to drop our daughter and some equipment at a laboratory near Zurich, but we did plenty of sightseeing along the way…

Day 1	Reims to Obermumpf Drive to Switzerland Stein Holzbrücke Bad Säckingen Accommodation – Bed n Breakfast Obermumpf
Day 2	Villigen Paul Scherrer Institut Accommodation – PSI Guest House
Day 3	Lucerne Bahnhof KLL Lake Lucerne Seebrücke Kapellbrücke Altstadt Rathaus Spreuerbrücke Jesuit Church Bauen Accommodation – Beach House Isleten
Day 4	Morcote Lake Lugano Accommodation – Casa Angiolina
Day 5	Villigen Gotthard Tunnel Villigen Accommodation – PSI Guest House
Day 6	Horgen Sportbad Käpfnach Accommodation – Apartment in Horgan
Day 7	Zurich Hauptbahnhof Altstadt Fraumünster Grossmünster Kunsthaus Picnic by the River Limmat Lake Zurich Uetliberg Observation Tower Planet Trail

Switzerland Day 1 – Reims to Obermumpf

Drive to Switzerland

We set off for Switzerland accompanied by Six the Musical. Most of the day is spent driving; a total of 5 hours, with one brunch stop at a French service station. We arrive in Switzerland mid afternoon. Daughter no two is clutching her customs carnet and I have the passports. We are stopped at the border, but they’re only interested in one thing – that we cough up 40 Francs (around £38) for a year’s Swiss road tax.

We continue to tonight’s stop in the village of Obermumpf. The landscape en route is very industrial. We drive along a three lane highway past factories spewing fumes into the air. It’s nothing like the image in my head, where most of Switzerland looks like the finale to the Sound of Music.

Stein

We stop en route in the nearby town of Stein; a picturesque town which runs along the shores of the River Rhine.

Holzbrücke

From Stein, you can walk across the medieval Holzbrücke (wooden bridge) over the Rhine to Germany. There are people walking back across the bridge with bags of Toblerone. This is how high the cost of living is in Switzerland; people re-import Swiss chocolate from Germany.

Bad Säckingen

Across the bridge is another picturesque riverside town, Bad Säckingen, with a castle park and the spectacular 14th Century Gothic style church, Saint Fridolinsmünster.

Accommodation -Bed n Breakfast Obermumpf

We continue to tonight’s accommodation at Bed n Breakfast Obermumpf, which is located in a chalet surrounded by a vineyard. Our host is an American tattooist and we are invited to join him his other guest for dinner. We spend a pleasant evening eating, drinking and chatting. Then take an evening stroll through the village before bed.

Switzerland Day 2 – Villigen

Paul Scherrer Institut

This morning we complete our 600 mile drive to the Paul Scherrer Institut in Villigen. This research facility is based on a huge site spanning both sides of the river Aare. It houses the Swiss Light Source; a synchrotron, which produces electromagnetic radiation by accelerating electrons to near the speed of light in a circular orbit using strong magnetic fields. The electrons emit light as they move around the ring, which can be directed down beamlines for experiments.

Security is high. We need passes for ourselves and the van plus dosimeters. The issue of dosimeters requires passing a test. Daughter no two is concerned that the old man and I will fail. We must first follow a safety course before we are even allowed to attempt the test.

Formalities complete, we take a wander round the synchrotron. The site is so large, that there are scooters dotted around to facilitate movement around the building.

The Institute has a Visitor Centre, which is open daily except Saturday. And also offers Guided Tours of some of the facilities.

Good news – the six pumps have survived the journey. There was a dodgy moment on a roundabout in Greenwich, where one pump had lost a foot during loading and toppled over taking the other five down like a very expensive set of dominoes. We leave the scientists to their experimenting and repack (since the incident in Greenwich, our bags have been wedged around the pumps to increase stability).

Accommodation – PSI Guest House

Tonight’s accommodation is at the PSI Guest House, student style dorms, which are only available to visitors to the Institute.

Switzerland Day 3 – Lucerne

We have four free days until the experiment ends, so we set off in the direction of Italy, first stop Lucerne. Once we have left the cordon of heavy industry along the border, Switzerland becomes much more Swiss with factories giving way to mountains and lakes. Reaching Lucerne is easy. Finding a parking space big enough for a van is another matter.

Bahnhof

In the city centre, the imposing 19th Century Bahnhof (station) is exited via a Torbogen arch, which welcomes visitors to the city.

KKL

The Kultur und Kongresszentrum Luzern, abbreviated to KKL, is a large lakeside (partly built below the lake’s surface) Culture and Congress Centre with an impressive water feature out front.

Lake Lucerne

The River Reuss runs through the city, into Lake Lucerne. The large lake has an irregular shape, with the city situated on one of four arms. The lake is lined with paths and parks, with a number of beaches and swimming areas.

Seebrücke

We walk along the river and zigzag our way through the old town, crossing the various bridges. Lucerne has several notable bridges, the first of which is Seebrücke, which runs across the mouth of the River Reuss as it enters Lake Zurich. It’s not the most picturesque bridge, but crossing it provides great views of the city on one side and the lake on the other.

Kapellbrücke

Next to the modern Seebrücke is the 14th Century Kapellbrücke. The octagonal water tower is original, however the bridge itself was rebuilt following a fire in 1993. As you cross the bridge, look up to the gables to see paintings of Swiss historical events.

Altstadt

The cobbled Altstadt (Old Town) has some beautifully decorated buildings, many painted with colourful frescoes, which depict the city’s history.

Spreuerbrücke

We cross back across the River Reuss over the 15th Century Spreuerbrücke, with its macabre Dance of Death gable paintings. The painted panels date back to the 17th Century, with 45 of the original 67 panels remaining. They tell the story of how the plague affected all levels of society.

Reussbrücke

Reussbrücke is a small pedestrian bridge, which runs in between Kapellbrücke and Spreuerbrücke. Crossing onto this rather plain bridge offers excellent views of the historic wooden bridges on either side.

Jesuit Church

The 17th Century Jesuit Church sits on the river’s edge, across from the Old Town. The two onion shaped towers were added somewhat later, in 1893.

Bauen

After our day in Lucernce, we head for our hotel in the nearby village of Bauen. We stop for a picnic by the lake whose name rolls off the tongue; Vierwaldstättersee. It’s a pleasant spot, which could possibly claim the prize for the most remote ‘Pay & Display’ car park location. Afterwards, we take a stroll along the lakeside footpath, with a spectacular view across the lake to the mountains beyond.

Accommodation – Beach House Isleten

We reach our hotel; Seegarten (now the Beach House Isleten), which has a couple of rooms over a restaurant overlooking the lake. We take a beer on the lakeside veranda with the lake and mountains in the background. Note: The establishment is open seasonally, from March until October.

Switzerland Day 4 – Morcote

After a detour into Italy to do a parkrun in Milan, we cross the border back into Switzerland and tonight’s destination; Morcote. Morcote is a lovely place (voted Switzerland’s most beautiful village in 2016) with absolutely no parking except for one multi-storey car park. We were unable to find height restrictions for this car park online or even upon arrival, so attempt entry. Unfortunately, the van hits the top of the barrier. We finally manage to park 2 miles out of town at a cost of £2 an hour. We trudge back to Morcote with our luggage in the 30 degree heat. I’m not impressed. And then I see how many steps we have to climb to reach our B&B.

Accommodation – Casa Angiolina

But it’s worth the climb. Our room, in B&B Casa Angiolina is halfway up the hill, and has a great view over Lake Lugano and the mountains beyond. The view is spectacular, the room is lovely and the owner is most accommodating. The only downside is the bathroom arrangements. Our room shares a bathroom with 5 other rooms. It’s a half length bath with a shower head attachment. The old man showers cross legged holding the shower attachment above his head. He says it’s the worst shower he’s ever had. I wouldn’t know – a knee injury means I can’t actually get in and out of the half bath, so have to make do with a rub down with a flannel.

Lake Lugano

Everything in Morcote is expensive (even for Switzerland). So we buy some expensive beer from the store and spend the evening on our balcony enjoying the view of beautiful Lake Lugano, drinking our expensive beer and leftover picnic.

Switzerland Day 5 – Villigen

We get up early – we have run out of coins for the parking meter. I can’t get my head round the expense of Switzerland. For our room with 1/6 share of a 1/2 bathroom, we paid £100 a night. Plus an additional £2 an hour to park two miles away. Even the boats have Pay & Display parking in Morcote.

We descend the 142 steps to the street, hike back to the van and drive to Villigen; daughter no 2 finishes her experiment tonight.

Gotthard Tunnel

We drive north through mountains and tunnels, including the enormous Gotthard Tunnel, which is 15 km long and takes 15 minutes from end to end. Opened way back in 1882, it was once the longest tunnel in the world. I don’t like being underground so long, which is weird as I’m descended from generations of miners.

Villigen

We arrive in Villigen in time for lunch and a much needed shower. Then I spend the afternoon doing laundry. It’s a good practical test of how much German I can remember from my Uni days. I accidentally put the old man’s pants on a boil wash, but maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. So far today, my German has not gone well: in the supermarket I got a really strange look. I thought I asked for a bag (Tüte) but instead asked for a corpse (Tote). Laundry done, I walk to the synchrotron to see daughter no 2, check on the experiment and have dinner in the PSI cafe.

Switzerland Day 6 – Horgen

The experiment is over. After loading the equipment back into the van, we set off for Horgen, a town on the shore of Lake Zurich.

Sportbad Käpfnach

It’s a hot drive – the temperature is pushing 30 degrees, so once in Horgen, we head straight for the Sportbad Käpfnach; a 50 metre open air pool with adjacent lake swimming area. We relax and swim in the pool. Daughter no 2 swims in the lake, but I wuss out and make do with sitting semi emerged on the steps.

The pool is open daily between May and September. Adult entry costs CHF 5 (around £5)..

Accommodation – Apartment in Horgen

Then we check into our accommodation, which is described as ‘Nice Apartment in Horgen near lake and pool’. We have been rather concerned about this one as we read some strange online reviews. One said that the owner broke into their room and stole their chocolate! Another said the owner charged them 10 Francs for pool cleaning and then refused to let them use the pool. There’s certainly a lot of charges. Upon booking, we were charged the room rate plus City Tax and Spa Tax. Subsequently, we received an email stating we still owed money for Tourist Tax and a Pool/Kitchen Cleaning Fee.

We check into our ‘suite’, which is just a bedroom in a family home. The owner is keen to tell us she doesn’t want us in the pool we’re paying £20 to clean as they have friends coming. Then we have dinner and Prosecco. Luckily, the old man doesn’t want Prosecco as our ‘kitchen’ only contains two glasses. While we drink wine, he has a beer and eats his dinner on the solitary plate. Not surprisingly, since our visit, this accommodation is no longer available.

Switzerland Day 7 – Zurich

Today, we’re going to visit Zurich, which is 9 miles to the north of Horgen. We get up and walk to the station. I purchase 3 return tickets, which are so expensive I wonder briefly if have accidentally bought the train. The nice lady in the ticket office explains that she’s giving us tickets to Uetliberg, because they’re the same price as Zurich and Uetliberg is a nice place to visit in the mountains.

Zurich Hauptbahnhof

We arrive at Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Central Station). Dating back to 1871, the station serves up to 2,915 trains per day, making it one of the busiest stations in the world. The historic building also has some more modern additions of modern art.

Altstadt

We spend the morning in Zurich, exploring the Altstadt (Old Town) with its cobbled streets lined with old buildings.

Fraumünster

The 13th Century Fraumünster is renowned for its stunning stained glass windows designed by artist Marc Chagall.

Grossmünster

Then we cross the Münsterbrücke bridge to the Grossmünster. Founded by Charlemagne in the 9th century, the twin towered cathedral is a landmark of the city. It sits directly opposite the Fraumünster.

Kunsthaus

Next, we visit the Kunsthaus. The Kunsthaus is an excellent art gallery with lots of works by artists even the old man has heard of. My favourite is a painting of the Kunsthaus, so I am looking at a picture of people looking at the pictures I’m looking at…

The Kunsthaus is open daily except Monday, from 10 am until 6 pm (8 pm on Thursday). Adult entry costs CHF 24 (around £23). There is an additional charge to see special exhibitions.

Picnic by the River Limmat

Daughter no 2 wants to go to a restaurant for lunch. The old man moans about the price and insists on going to a supermarket and having a picnic by the River Limmat, which runs through the city. Daughter no 2 says she wishes we were a normal family. She has a point – the old man buys chicken noodles which he proceeds to eat with his fingers, before washing his hands and face in a fountain.

Lake Zurich

At the southern end of the city, the River Limmat runs into Lake Zurich. The large glacial extends two miles south east of Zurich. It dominates the city; you can walk along its shores, take a boat ride on it or go swimming at one of the Seebads lining its shoreline.

Uetliberg

We decide to take the nice lady’s advice and catch the train to Uetliberg; a mountain which rises 500 metres above Zurich. From the summit, you get a great view of the city, Lake Zurich, and the mountains beyond.

Observation Tower

A 10 minute walk up the hill from the station brings you to an Observation Tower, which you can climb for an even better view.

The tower forms part of the Uto Kulm restaurant complex. It costs 5 CHF to climb (around £5).

Planet Trail

After refreshments, we decide to follow the Planet Trail, which runs up the hill from the station. It’s a walk through the solar system at a scale of a 1:1,000,000,000. This means that we are walking at twice the speed of light and the sun is the size of a spacehopper. We set off from the sun (which is just a 4 minute walk from the station) past Mercury, Venus and Earth, which are the size of pinheads. If you want to get all the way to Neptune, it’s a 3 mile walk, so allow a couple of hours to get there and back.

We make it as far as Saturn, before catching the train back to Zurich to spend the rest of the beautiful sunny evening back at the Lake Zurich relaxing and swimming at the Sportbad.

• Trip taken: June 2019
• Updated: November 2025

I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.

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• Lucerne in 1 Day