Our Swiss Adventure
The idea was sparked back in 1997. My future husband Kevin (who I would meet two years later) was studying in England and was told he should check out this cool ski village in Switzerland. So he and his buddy packed up their backpacks and went over to check it out while on one of their many adventures. Despite being totally broke and staying in a hostel, he fell in love with the village of Mürren, and the country of Switzerland. He vowed then and there he would come back one day with his future family.
Fast forward to 2023, with our oldest son getting dangerously close to leaving the nest, we knew it was now or never. So Kevin and I did all the planning, researching and booking last fall, with the plan of gifting this amazing trip to our boys as their Christmas gift.
On Christmas morning, Kevin and I were so excited to surprise the kids. For their winter break from school in February, we would fly to Switzerland to ski and to travel the country. They were thrilled, including our resident homebody, Sully.
A view from above the clouds of the magnificent Matterhorn, while we make a pit stop for Schokoladenmilch and Wienerschnitzel.
We departed Syracuse and drove four hours to Philadelphia, where we would take a redeye flight to Zurich. I forgot how hard overnight flights are, until I was on one again. Ugh, I didn’t sleep a wink. When we arrived in Zurich we were bone tired but determined to keep moving, train by train, until we made our way to the mountain village, Mürren.
It’s hard to describe how beautiful and charming this place is. There are no cars for starters, so everyone is walking everywhere. Many were in their ski boots, carrying their ski’s on top of their shoulders, just making their way to the lift on the other end of town. Everyone was so friendly, so appreciative that we traveled so far and chose their town to tour around. We stayed at the impeccable Hotel Edelweiss; which is family owned, modernly updated, charming and super clean. We absolutely loved it there. Each morning the owner, Daniel, would welcome us to a quintessential Swiss breakfast spread, where there was an assortment of chocolate croissants, cured meats and cheeses, soft boiled eggs, delicious local coffee and Schokoladenmilch (hot cocoa).
We skied two of the days in Mürren, and as someone that has skied my entire life, I have never experienced anything quite like this. Or even close. The photos and videos will never do it justice. To say the Alps are breathtaking is a massive understatement. It’s overwhelming how beautiful they are in person. As for the skiing itself? It was more powder than I could actually handle. I definitely could have used more pre-vaca conditioning of my thighs. At one point I just collapsed, and when Kevin turned around to ask me if I needed help, I just dramatically yelled “Go on without me!” But being up there with my four boys, and hearing them hooting and hollering as they tore through trail after trail, I will never forget it.
I think my favorite part of skiing in the Alps was lunch. One of the days we ate at a 360-degree revolving restaurant, called The Schilthorn - Piz Gloria. This place is so cool that one of the James Bond movies was filed here, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service.” One memory that moved me to tears while there was when we sat down at our table, all of a sudden the Huey Lewis & the News song, The Power of Love” came on. For a stretch of time in the eighties my dad loved this band. It was so odd that THAT song came on right then and there, that I knew this had to be a sign from dad. He would have LOVED skiing here.
Other cherished memories in Mürren were sledding, watching the boys ice skate, walking to Gimmelwald and visiting the Honesty Shop, and the many intimate dinners we had just the five of us. It was our first experience with traditional Swiss fondue and it didn’t disappoint. Kevin also found his new favorite dish, raclette, which is ,made by heating cheese, scraping off the melted part, then served over potatoes. Yum. I did struggle a little with food choices while here (see my post on living with Hashimoto’s disease- so, no gluten, no or very little dairy, no grains, no alcohol!) but I was able to find some staples to get my through.
From Mürren we traveled by train/gondola/train/train/gondola to the breathtaking town of Zermatt. I have to say the efficiency of the public transportation in Switzerland was very impressive. Super easy, very clean, and always punctual. The Swiss really know what they are doing.
Zermatt, located in southern Switzerland’s Valais canton, is a mountain resort known for skiing, climbing and hiking. The town sits below the iconic, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn peak. Its main street, Bahnhofstrasse is lined with boutique shops, hotels and restaurants. Zermatt was so picturesque and we absolutely loved it there. The boys would safely feel like they could walk around alone (making runs to Migros, the local grocer, for candy and chips.)
We skied another day here and got to see the magnificent Matterhorn up close. It’s simply astonishing. We stopped for schnitzel and to enjoy the view from the famous The Iglu-Dorf, a hotel made from ice, right on the mountain. You can actually reserve these igloos to stay in! I’m cold just thinking about it.
Fun fact: one of the runs Kevin and Lincoln took here was 8.5 MILES long!
The boys checking out the Iglu-Dorf.
Back in town we really enjoyed exploring Zermatt. We sampled the crepes, and I had the best tomato soup of my life at Soupi! One morning I walked to the Moutaineer’s Cemetery, which is a moving reminder of the accidents that have occurred in the mountains around Zermatt. The tranquil site is a memorial to all climbers who have lost their lives there. The inscriptions reveal that women and men from all over the world have died on the Matterhorn, but doing what they loved.
Being so close to the border of Italy, you can probably imagine the influence the Italians have had on the local cuisine. The boys got to experience the closest they have ever gotten to real Italian pizza. OMG. So good. I even got to indulge myself when we discovered a place called the The North Wall where they make, from scratch, gluten free pizza crust. It was so good that I asked to go thank the chefs personally for delivering on what was, hands-down, the BEST GF pizza of my life. They high-fived me ;)
Thank you to The North Wall in Zermatt for the best gluten free pizza on earth.
The the final leg of our Swiss tour, we rode part of the famous Glacier Express to eventually get us to Zurich. This little splurge was definitely worth it in my opinion. After days of skiing and walking endlessly, sitting down and enjoying the view from this pristine train was just what we needed.
We finally made it back to Zurich, where we completed our Swiss tour. I have to admit, I was blown away by this gorgeous city. I absolutely loved it. I only wish we could have been there longer.
We stayed at this cool hotel called Hotel Helmhaus right in Old Town. Oh the charm! It was right where we wanted to be, amounst the people, the architecture, the shops, restaurants and endless amounts of adorable little dogs. It was a feast for the eyes.
I signed us up for one of my favorite things to do in a new city… a walking tour. Cue the groans from the kids. But even they would admit they enjoyed it I think. Being right on Lake Zurich, with the narrow channel running through, it reminded me so much of Venice. I loved the alleyways and side streets, with laundry hung up high to dry in the breeze. I adored the colorful architecture, the old churches and the rustic public squares. One of our favorite parts was how our tour ended, with a tour of the Lindt Chocolate Factory- where we got to taste ALL the creations. SO. Many. Samples.
Lincoln and Sully zipping around on scooters in Zurich.
This trip was amazing, and once in a lifetime. We will never do it again, the five of us, in this way. Which makes me sad, but so grateful we did it. Next time I want to go back in the summer when it’s warm, to see the green hills, the wildflower meadows, the turquoise lakes, and visit historic chateaus.
Thank you for reading, friends. Danke!
Annie xo