A road trip is an ideal way to romance with a place. It gives one the perfect space and pace to open up to each other. And it provides unknown vistas, unexplored nooks and corners and less-traveled paths.
The idea of a road trip in Switzerland has always been on my mind, but I have traveled have inevitably chosen trains in the past because of the convenience they offer. So, when my husband, Sai, said “Let’s do a Swiss road trip this time”, I was super excited.
We decided to cover the breadth of Switzerland, starting at Stuttgart in Germany and ending at Lugano, near Swiss-Italy border. Since we wanted to explore the diversity of Swiss landscape, we picked up places that were contrasts to each other. The route that we decided upon was nearly 1100 kms round trip – Stuttgart -> Lucerne -> Ruswil & Entlebuch -> Lugano -> Stuttgart
Before entering Switzerland, one needs to buy a vignette for the car to avoid heavy fines. Vignettes can be purchased at gas stations or online.
Below is a short description of the routes and our itinerary. Detailed posts on these places will follow soon.
Stop 1: Lucerne – Alps and Lakes
We reached Lucerne by 11 am in the morning after a breezy 3 hour drive from Stuttgart. Lucerne is a charming city on the banks of Lake Lucerne, with its iconic Chapel bridge which dates back to the 14th century.
Lucerne serves as a base for most tourists to explore the Alps and they have mountain trips starting nearby to Mt. Titlis, Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi. Since, Sai and I had been to Jugfrau, we chose not to do the mountain trips. Another highlight in Lucerne is cruising on Lake Lucerne. I had taken one such cruise to Fluelen on the other side of Lake Lucerne in my previous trip. We strolled along the banks of the river Reuss and then walked up to the old town walls, which offer a splendid view of the city, the lake and the Alps.
After lunch at the Rathaus Brauerei, we drove to explore the neighboring villages on the banks of Lucerne. The drive was scenic, with the emerald blue lake accompanying us on one side. Biking is another great way to explore these villages.
We halted at Weggis, a quaint village on the banks of Lucerne. The Alps stood towering in the horizon and the clear waters of the lake spread across our eyes. As the sun slowly started setting around 8.45 pm, we made our way to the nearby village of Ruswil where a cozy farmhouse awaited us.
Ruswil & Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve – Alpine scenery & Swiss countryside
By the time we reached our farmhouse, the sun had set and a slight chill was settling in. As we drove into the parking space, two lively puppies came barking all the way to our car. Andrea and Adrian, our hosts greeted us warmly and showed us around the farmhouse. It was a beautiful Swiss cottage, set atop a hill overlooking the Entlebuch region. The farm had few horses and llamas roaming around. After walking around the grounds, we ate a late supper and decided to call it a day.
The next day we decided to trek in the Entlebuch Biospehere Reserve. This UNESCO biosphere reserve offers surreal alpine scenery of rolling mountains, moors, rivers and grasslands. There are many trekking trails that can be chosen from easy, medium and difficult levels. We chose a 7 km trail that followed the course of river Emme, starting from Shcupfhiem to Entlebuch.
We spent the evening at Sempachersee, a lake near Ruswil, watching the sun disappear into the mountains.
Lugano
After two blissful days in Ruswil, we decided to move on to our next destination. The route from Ruswil to Lugano took us further into the Alps. But, the efficient mountain passes and tunnels made sure our driving was hassle-free.
Lugano was a welcome surprise, very different from the Alpine scenery we had left behind. Located near Swiss-Italy border, it falls in the Italian speaking region of Switzerland. Everything about Lugano was unSwiss – a sunny and hot weather, colorful Italian houses, Mediterranean vegetation like palm trees, olive trees and cacti, and lakes stretching out like seas in three sides of the peninsula with expensive yachts bobbling on the waters.
Our top-of-the list activity was hiking on the “Olive Tree Trail”. We parked our car in Castagnola and walked on the trail to Gandria. The 3.5 km long path gives beautiful views of the Lake Lugano and has multiple information boards on Olive tree cultivation culture. Winding cobbled streets gave way to steep mountain climb and colorful Italian houses on the way.
In the evening, we walked along the tree-lined promenade and in the beautifully-landscaped Park Civico. Then, we hired a boat and paddled into the sunset. We spent the second day exploring the old town at a relaxed pace and treating ourselves to some delicious pizzas and gelato.
Our road trip to Switzerland was a perfect blend of scenic drives and relaxed sightseeing. Trains are a convenient way to visit Switzerland, but if you have an option, do try a road trip. It is worth every penny.
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