Dive into Switzerland’s summer magic and discover how locals embrace the season by the water, with sunshine and scenery.
St Gallen – a hidden corner of Switzerland
Having landed in Zurich just as the sun was coming up, a short train ride later, I arrived in St Gallen, once renowned for its textiles and lace, and now, for its stunning Abbey precinct, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In its traffic-free Old Town, cobblestone lanes lined with medieval homes lead to the towering cathedral. Of the many sites that are part of the monastic complex, the most incredible is the Abbey Library established in the 8th century BCE with its collection of over 160,000 books. From rare bible editions, legal documents, books on architecture and astronomy to medicine, an Egyptian coffin and globes, there’s a lot to take in but that’s if you can take your eyes away from the grandeur. With an elaborate ceiling adorned with stucco and frescoes, burnished wood-panelled bookshelves and a parquet floor made of 30 kinds of wood, the library is a Baroque rococo masterpiece.
Find serenity, splendour and surprises with our guide to the best things to do in Switzerland.
Switzerland in summer promises water-based adventure
On a dreamy June morning with a group of colleagues, I head up on the Mühleggbahn funicular to the town’s enchanting recreational area and find another unlikely link to the textile trade. Drei Weieren, a collection of five ponds, was created to supply St Gallen with water required for bleaching fabric. Three of the remaining four ponds have now been converted into public swimming pools. When we got there, the ponds set deep within thickly wooded grounds were abuzz with schoolchildren taking swimming lessons.
I am not sure if it was the setting or the mood but I couldn’t wait to get right in. Fear gnawed away at my initial enthusiasm as I neared the bottle-green pond, the edges marked by tall grass crowded with small spiders. I don’t know what changed but eventually, I took the plunge. As I look back, the thrill of wild swimming is as much about the surroundings as it is about pushing your boundaries, and I am so glad I didn’t let self-doubt get the better of me.
Lake Constance – endless options, endless fun
I found myself again on the water’s surface on a paddle board on the mirror-like bed of Lake Constance or Bodensee in German. Spanning over 64 km, the lake sits at the tripoint of Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Come summer, day trippers and holidaymakers take to its shores to enjoy water-based activities and sublime views.
Explore more with our selection of countries where you can walk across international borders.
We met the lake at the harbour town of Rorschach, perched on the southernmost end. Dario Aemisegger, our SUP coach, took us through the basics before leading us out onto the water. Stand-up paddle boarding, as I learnt that day, looks deceptively simple but requires immense balance and core strength. Those watching might not have registered my fleeting 10-second vertical act, but for me, the moment will be etched in my memory forever along with Bodensee’s desktop wallpaper good looks.
Lucerne, Switzerland’s best summer destination
The thing about Switzerland is there’s never anything like too many spell-binding views. Travelling across the country on the incredibly efficient rail network lets you take it all in with comfort and style. Onboard the Voralpen Express, we left St Gallen and arrived in Lucerne two hours and 16 minutes later, passing bucolic villages, shimmering lakes and iridescent green hills.
Embraced by the mighty Alps and strung around the curvaceous banks of Lake Lucerne, the city of Lucerne was destined to be magnificent even before the first medieval houses and charming wooden bridges were built here. The legend goes that the early settlers saw an angel holding a lamp at the same spot night after night, and taking this as a divine sign, built a chapel there. Lucerne takes its name from the Latin word Lucerna, meaning ‘oil lamp’. Lucerne became a popular tourist destination in the early 20th century, attracting visitors from all across Europe. Even Queen Victoria was recommended a sojourn here while she was grieving the passing of her husband, Albert.
Future forward
In Lucerne, the lake is at the centre of all life. On a site visit to the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company, Pius Barmet, Director of Marketing and Sales, highlights the features of the first carbon-neutral boat on Lake Lucerne developed by the company – the MS Diamant. As we troop through the luxurious interiors of the vessel, Barmet proudly remarks, “It’s more of everything but uses 50 percent lesser resources.”
Lake Lucerne isn’t crumbling under the weight of ecological damage, but Switzerland aims to protect its natural resources well ahead of time, leaving nothing to chance. With this intention, Switzerland is also actively investing in clean hydropower. We chug along a train originally used to transport materials to the hydropower station at Grimselwelt, now used as a passenger locomotive. Located at the eastern edge of the Bernese Oberland, we see firsthand how electricity is generated for nearly a million households.
The historic Grand Hotel Giessbach
From the red metallic balcony of my room, the roaring Giessbach Waterfall, falling 1,640 feet into Lake Brienz, felt almost an arm’s length away. I sat in silence watching nature’s spectacle in my little private cocoon. The Grand Hotel Giessbach’s location is hard to beat, wedged between Lake Brienz and the Giessbach Waterfall up on a mountain. In a country combed through by Bollywood location scouts, I wondered how this beauty was missed.
Even arriving here had ample drama: we cut across the icy Lake Brienz on a boat and took a funicular – the oldest in Europe – to the hotel. One of Europe’s last remaining historic hotels, Giessbach once faced a precarious future, but luckily, it stands to tell its remarkable tale.
Lake Brienz – a piece of Switzerland’s precious natural history
From viewing Lake Brienz from afar, we glide over it on kayaks. As we followed our guide, Andrés de la Torre, deeper into the lake, he pointed to the magic around us – “Millions of years ago this was a glacier. This is the closest one can come to something so old, so reach out and touch it.” My arms hurt from the rowing and my body felt the physical strain, yet I was immersed in calm and quiet. We go through much of life without waking up to the wonder around us and these experiences in Switzerland had coaxed me to slow down and wake up to the life force around me. On my fourth visit to the country, the usual suspects of snow, chocolate or cheese didn’t feature in bold. Instead, I came back with memories shaped by water and I know I will savour these for a lifetime.
Read also : Top 7 Spellbinding Places to Explore in India
Read also : Places to Visit in India for a Summer Vacation