39 replies to this topic

[ICT]

Then you have plenty of interesting cities (near and far) to choose from. But you shold also have a look at the alps, the lovely (and icy) mountain lakes, beautiful chateaus and castles.

Edited by ICT, 15 June 2014 - 09:13 PM.

[Mathijs]

Definitely. The alps are wondrous. 

[Bart]

While not distinctly European, if you like, you could go to Disneyland Paris (combined with Actual Paris ).

Cologne is nice, and if you're nearby at the right time (are you staying a whole year?), you could visit Gamescom.

 

There are many more interesting places nearby, e.g. Munich, Basel, Geneva, Turin, Prague, but I haven't been to any of those myself.

[Pasidon]

I would recommend places in France only to my worst enemies.  Frog swamp...

[Pasidon]

Is Brennenberg castle real?  That would be cool.  Guesty, go visit the castle, walk right in, and shout, "It lies beneath the very stone of Brennenberg!"

[Bart]

It's across the valley from Castle Wolfenstein

[Pasidon]

Alexander and Hitler must get together for tea and waffles every Sunday then.

[The Best Guest]

I wont be there for a full year. Probably only 2-3 months :/

[Gen.Kenobi]

How come no one said chocolates, watches and banks?

[Mathijs]

Because this isn't a word association game?

[Pasidon]

If someone from Switzerland offered me chocolate and watches, I'd probably go there immediately.

[Gen.Kenobi]

If someone from Switzerland offered me chocolate and watches, I'd probably go there immediately.

 

Who wouldn't?

[Mathijs]

If someone from Switzerland offered me chocolate and watches, I'd probably go there immediately.

I offer you tulips, wooden shoes, a block of edammer, and 1 drug to your liking. Come on over.

[Pasidon]

Sold.  I hope I'm still not banned from solid land...

[Phil]

Hey guys!

 

I'm studying in Switzerland next year. What are fun things to do in the area. I'm already planning on going to see my favorite soccer (Fußball) team play aka Bayen Munchen. I'll be working on the Zurich Stock market so after market times I basically have unlimited time to do whatever.

 

Alright, here goes:

 

The coolest part about staying in Switzerland is that everything is so close by. You can reach most interesting points in Switzerland in 1-3 hours by train. Flights to most Western European cities take about 1 hour. Going to Paris (a must) you can even save yourself the hassle of air plane security bullshit and take the train (4.5 hours). If you wish to go to Munich, it's worth taking the bus by Deutsche Bahn at an unbeatable price of around €20 (4 hours). If you can, also check out Berlin, Vienna and Rome.

 

Depending on how long you're staying in Switzerland, it might be worth getting a Halbtax (half fare card), which will reduce the cost of almost all public transport (train, tram, bus, boat, cablecar, ...) everywhere in Switzerland by 50%. Sometimes private operators also give a discount with that card. Most Swiss have one. Public transport can get quite expensive if you have to pay the full fare. Also never, ever travel without a valid ticket. The staff frequently check, don't have mercy with tourists and will fine you at least 100 Swiss Francs (€80).

 

If you have problems or questions, it might be worth checking out the English Forum Switzerland, a forum for expats by (mostly) expats. They have some very helpful people there. Most Swiss (in cities) also speak decent or at least basic English so you should be fine.

 

 

Zurich is very nice to live in with good public transport, decent restaurants, great nightlife. It's also safer than most European or American cities. I don't think it's that amazing for tourists because you've seen all the main sights after a day. Doing the "short round trip" on the Lake of Zurich is nice if you want to chill out,  see the lake and have a coffee; I've done it with everyone who visits and never get bored of it. If you're the nature-loving type you can also take public transport from any point in the city and you'll be in a forest within 20-30 minutes. Or go for a swim in the lake.

They used to have the slogan "Little Big City" a while ago and that really captures its charm: Zurich feels like a town, but you can get absolutely everything you want, like in any big Western city.

November until February is usually grey, cold and wet. People work and stay home (or party). The rest of the year is okay.

 

Lucerne is a must-see, if only to claim you've been there. Because everyone visiting Switzerland has. Walk over the Kapellbrücke, take a boat tour and get up on one of the surrounding mountains. This is where the post cards are made. If you have time and money, you can also see a concert in the KKL, a concert hall built specifically with acoustics in mind. 50 minutes from Zurich by train.

 

Bern is our capital city and has one of the nicest old towns in Switzerland. It's also famous for it's many old and iconic fountains. If you're into politics and wish to see where the "gold standard of democracy" takes place, you can visit the Swiss Parliament building (I think they have English guided tours, check the schedule). They use the river as a public swimming pool, I believe entry is (or was) free. 1 hour from Zurich by train.

 

Basel is another nice town worth a visit. It has a somewhat multicultural vibe because its influence extends into the neighbouring regions of Germany and France and Basel draws a lot of its people from there. Also has a very nice old town. 1 hour from Zurich by train.

 

Lugano is very nice if you wish to get a feeling of Italian culture without the associated chaos It's a beautiful town with very good food and a beautiful lake. 3 hours from Zurich by train.

 

The locations in the mountains are also very nice in Winter if you're into skiing or snowboarding. Davos is my favourite, but there are many popular destinations like Arosa, Flims/Laax/Falera, St. Moritz, etc.

[The Best Guest]

That was amazingly well put together and thought out! Thank you so much Phil. Im really excited to visit and work there! Maybe I might even consider staying for work after college at Leica if the Swiss let me

[The Best Guest]

I might be staying even longer than I thought, I might be there all next summer working at Leica GeoSystems in Heerburgg

[HeadClot88]

Visit the Chocolate Factory!

 

[The Best Guest]

Flying into Zurich on Saturday! Really excited for this adventure!

[Phil]

Good luck and all the best! PM me if you have any problems.