Basel is a charming Swiss city, located near France and Germany and crossed by Rhine River. It's pretty small in size, but has plenty to offer in terms of visiting as it's a cultural hub of Switzerland. We spent one day in the beautiful city and followed this route.

We started our tour around the city with a walk on Rhine River Promenade. It'a beautiful spot where people use to gather and sit on the stairs regarding the river.

The city has an observation deck with nice views over the city and the river. 

The Spalentor is one of three remaining town gates from the 15th century ancient walls. It's a nice entrance to the old town. 

We entered the city old town and walked on the narrow alleys with beautiful century old buildings, nice squares and fine cafes till we arrived in Marktplatz, where local people come  out and sell local goods. Around the square there are important buildings like the town hall, with its imposing tower and murals.

We then visited Kunstmuseum Basel, the oldes public art museum, opened in 1661, with the biggest art collection in Switzerland. 

Basel Minster is a remarkable Protestant church, with Romanesque and Gothic architecture of red sandstone colour, twin towers, and coloured roof tiles.

In the end, we took a long walk along the river admiring the line of beautiful houses and buildings facing the river. Till we arrived at Mittlere Brücke, the historical stone bridge with more nive views over the river and the city.

One Day in Basel, Switzerland

Bern is the capital of Switzerland, but when it comes to tourism, the city is pretty much overlooked, altough it's a beautiful place. We had one day in te Swiss capital we liked it very much.

Bern is very accessible, both from other European countries or from other Swiss cities, as it is situated somewhere between Geneve and Zurich. To be honest, all I knew about Bern, apart from being the capital of Switzerland was that it's where they invented famous Toblerone chocolate.

Parliament Building. sitting right in the center of Bern, is home to Swiss Government and the building is one of Bern's landmarks. If you walk around it, you'll notice some very nice views over the river and the town from the other side of the building.

Not far from The Parliament Building, we visited Zytglogge, the clock tower of the city, with moving figures that happen once an hour. It was buil back in 1530.

We also visited Einsteinhaus, the house where famous Albert Einstein lived. Inside there are books, furniture and photographs that belonged to the physicist.

We paid a  visit to Bern Cathedral, the extraordinary Gothic cathedral with beautiful stained glass.

Very close to the cathedral, there's this platform, Munsterplattform, with wonderful views over the city and the river. We stopped there for a while and stared at the cityscape.

We descended towards the river. It's a nice place for walking or just sitting and admiring the place. People use to gather here to hang out.

We had dinner at Kornhauskeller. It's a restaurant with great local food and impressive interior.

Visit Bern

I remember reading somewhere that Geneva, the Swiss city, was named among the best European destinations for weekend trips. It has been a favourite destination long before social media and instagram, for its gorgeous architecture, perfect gardens and beautiful landscapes.

Lake Geneva is considered one of the most beautiful areas  not only in the city, but also in the country. The area around the lake in Geneva is a popular place for walking and jogging. We started our tour with a walk around the lake.

The Geneva Water Fountain is among Geneva landmarks and popular attractions. It's a remarcable water jet that can be seen from many places in the city. It's located where Lake Geneva meets the Rhône River.

Not far from the lake and the water fountain, there are the English Gardens with iconic clock flower, the bed flower that imitates a clock with its shape and numbers. And it actually works. You can read the time on the bed flower in the garden. :)

From the English Gardens, we found our way to the old center of Geneva, probably the most picturesque area in the city. The old area is filled with narrow streets, cute little squares, nice cafes and historical buildings.

Bourg-de-Four Square is the oldest square in Geneva and has been one of Geneva’s most important meeting places over the time. Now, it's a commercial center and a beautiful square surrounded by fine buildings.

We took a walk in Promenade des Bastions, a sort of park, or rather an open green space, a nice area in the city.

We moved to another part of Geneve for the last stop in the city, Parc de I’Ariana, a beautiful park with Palais des Nations at its center.

United Nations office complex is known for its white marble façade and its statues and museums around it. One of the main attractios, though, is the sculpture in front of it, The Broken Chair designed by Swiss artist, Daniel Berset,

Geneva

From Milan you can easily reach the Swiss city of Lugano, which is actually in Italian speaking region named Ticino.

Lugano is a good place for a summer weekend getaway. The Swiss city is located near the Italian-Swiss border in the mountains. There are plenty to see and do around the area of Ticino, to fill two nice days. I started my weekend there with a walk along Lugano lake.

I walked along the lake towards Parco Ciani, which is a nice lakefront park with fine paths and great views over the lake and mountains.

I explored the old centre of Lugano with its beautiful streets and plazas and Renaissance and Baroque churches, convents and palaces.

We stopped to eat at La Tinèra, In Italian rustic eatery where we had some delicious Ticinese dishes, like schnitzel covered with egg and cheese and risotto.

On the second day of the weekend we decided to try a bit of hiking. There are several hiking trails in the area. We chose to explore Monte San Salvatore.

From Lugano, we took the cable care up the mountain, to Monte San Salvatore. It's a peaceful place with nice views over the lake, the mountains and the town.

Our hiking trail was actually descending to another part of the lake, so it was not that difficult to take, we simply enjoyed the landscape, the panoramic views and the fresh air on our way down.

We descented in Morcote, a very beautiful town also on Lugano Lake. We explored the town which was voted as the prettiest village of Switzerland some years ago.

Chiesa Santa Maria del Sasso sits at the top of the village and there's a great panoramic view from there.

We descented from the church walking on narrow cobblestone streets with colorful houses and restaurants.

From Morcote we took a ferry back to Lugano and admired the area from the water as well.

Weekend in Lugano

Lucerne is a beautiful city located in the middle of Switzerland. Surrounded by mountain peaks and green valleys and situated on the shore of Lucerne Lake, it looks just as in postcards almost anywhere you are in the city.

I started my day in Lucerne with a peaceful walk along the lake. Ufschötti Park is a nice green space on the waterfront with great views of the old buildings and church towers across the water. 

I finished my stroll along the lake at Richard Wagner Museum. The beautiful villa from 15th century was once the famous composer’s home. In the museum, you can find bits of the composer's life, from letters and clothing to musical instruments and sheets.

An important historical landmark of Lucerne, Chapel Bridge is a nice covered wooden pedestrian bridge across the Reuss River. It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. Inside the bridge you can admire paintings fron 17th century with events from Swiss history.

I crossed the bridge towards the old town of the city. I walked the pedestrian streets with historic half timber houses and nice facades. 

I explored Kapellgasse, the vibrant street lined with charming shops, cafés, and restaurants.

Till I reached Kornmarkt Square, a nice square in the city center, where the Lucerne Town Hall with its old clock tower is.  

Weinmarkt is another beautiful square in the city old town with painted buildings

I stopped for lunch at Soul Chicken, a cosy place with good checken dishes.

After lunch, I continued my tour in Lucerne with Hofkirche St. Leodegar. It's a historic church in Lucerne with two Gothic towers that can be admired from anywhere in the city.

I went to see Löwendenkmal, the Lion Monument. The Dying Lion of Lucerne is an old monument carved to commemorate the Swiss Regiment massacred by French revolutionaries in 1792.

Then, I visited the ancient city walls. In Lucerne a large city wall is beautifully preserved and also a few towers that can be visited frof sprig to autumn. You have to climb a bit to the city walls, but the view from there is just beautiful.

I ended my day with a traditional Swill dinner at Reussbad, a small cosy restaurant close to the old center.

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