Swiss Alps to Paris 2023

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This is our itinerary for the next couple of weeks. It includes 2 nights in Zurich, 7 nights on the Viking Hild and 4 nights in Paris. We’ll start this blog post with Zurich and try to post from each port of call.

Toward the end of a restless overnight flight to Zurich, Switzerland we opened the shade to catch our first glimpse of the Alps. Not gonna’ lie, it was pretty thrilling!

View of the Alps from our Swissair flight

With only two days in Zurich, we had to make the most of our time there. It’s a very beautiful, clean, safe place with a rich history, interesting architecture, and lovely people. On our way into the Old Town, we caught a glimpse of the more contemporary side of life.

A park at the confluence of the Limmat and Sihl Rivers which flow through Zurich
Very clever use of containers to build the
Freitag Flagship Store
Excellent public transportation, including the Tram which took us all over town

Although it was chilly, we donned our foul weather gear for a delightful boat ride on Zurich’s namesake lake to take in some of Switzerland’s stunning lakeside sights.

From top left: A little soggy; windsurfer; Tina Turner’s house (the grey one…caretaker lived in the boathouse!); small towns; lakeside churches;
the Alps

Zurich is home to many churches. One with a particularly interesting history is Fraumunster. Founded as a Benedictine convent in 853, the nuns’ influence grew as evidenced by the fact that they had the right to mint coins on behalf of kings, collect tolls, and hold markets from the 11th century. In addition, the head abbess was the official ruler of Zurich, holding the title Royal Princess. Sadly, this era came to an end in 1524 with the Reformation.

However, in 1967 the priest approached artist Marc Chagall to design a set of 5 stained glass windows for the church. An anonymous donor paid his fee and all production costs, and in 1970 the pictorial symphony of biblical images was inaugurated in the presence of the then 83-year-old Chagall. They are breathtaking.

L to R: Window of the Prophets, Window of Jacob, Window of Christ, Window of Zion, Window of Commandments

St. Peter’s Church boasts the largest clock tower in Europe.

St. Peter’s Church with Fraumunster’s steeple in the background

The culinary scene in Zurich is heavily influenced by its German and Italian neighbors, and chocolate is everywhere! We sampled our fair share, but our favorite restaurant was Zeughauskeller. Built in 1487 as an arsenal storehouse, legend has it that the Swiss national hero William Tell was issued his crossbow there. Today it’s a large, friendly place serving large portions of delicious food and drinks.

Zeughauskeller busy Sunday afternoon

Street food, sweets, and fondue are also very popular in Switzerland, and the displays are irresistible!

From top left: warm pita bread, macarons, chocolate delights, roasted chestnuts, al fresco fondue restaurant

Tomorrow we’re heading to the Alps, so check back for more to come, and as always, thanks for coming along!

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Published by deniseanddoug

We're a "timeless" retired couple who are grateful for every opportunity to experience life as long and as fully as we can! Time with our family and dear friends means everything to us, and although we love our time on two or four wheels, on the rails, in the air, or at sea, we're happiest when we're spending time with those we love the most. So this blog will reflect some of the timeless moments in our life, and we hope you'll enjoy spending some time with us.

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14 thoughts on “Swiss Alps to Paris 2023”

  2. I was excited to see your first entry pop up in my email today. Your photos are wonderful and I am happy to be traveling vicariously with you once again. On to the Alps!

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  5. As always your photos are great!! Sounds like a delightful, educational journey we are so happy to enjoy with you! Travel safe, enjoy every moment! Love,Ed and Bev

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  7. What a wonderful trip and travel log of your time in Switzerland! And what an excellent itinerary you have up the Rhine and over to Paris! My wife, Jill’s, family came to the US from Pintheville, France which is just about halfway between Strasbourg and Reims! Her 2nd Great Grandfather came to New Orleans then to Darke County, Ohio (Greenville in about 1840) where they heard the farmland was like what they tilled in Pintheville! So much World War I and II history in that NE portion of France.

    It’s great you and Doug are back on the road. Thank you always for taking us with you through these wonderful updates!

    Paul Clark

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