Switzerland: An afternoon in Zürich (November 8, 2011)

As soon as we got back from Vaduz, Liechtenstein, we made our way to the historic center of Zürich, Switzerland. The charming buildings along Limmat River and Zürichsee (Lake Zürich) are a must-see.

We had a traditional local dinner which included Ganze Schweinshaxe (ohne Schwarte) mariniert mit frischen Kräutern, im Ofen gebraten, abgelöscht mit dunklem Fassbier. Serviert mit frischem Kartoffelsalat / Whole pork (without rind) marinated with fresh herbs, roasted in the oven, deglazed with dark beer. Served with fresh potato salad; and Burgermeister Schwert - 400 gr marinierte Babybeef-Paillards um die Schwertklinge gewickelt und fettarm gebraten. Dazu eine grosse Schüssel Mischsalat oder Rösti oder Pommes frites, sowie Knoblauchcurry und Barbecuesauce / Burger Master Sword - 400 g marinated Babybeef-Paillards wrapped around the sword blade and fried in fat. Served with salad or French fries or hash browns, garlic and curry and barbecue sauce, which was indeed served with a long sword. Check out the Zürich, Switzerland album in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Liechtenstein: Walking around Vaduz (November 8, 2011)

If you happen to be in the area of Zurich, Switzerland and are the type who wants to visit new countries or get your passport stamped, then a trip to Liechtenstein is definitely for you. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the world with an area of just 160 square kilometers.

The drive to Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, from Zurich is just one hour and thirty minutes. By public transport, you will have to take a train to Sargans or Buchs in Switzerland and catch a bus to Vaduz from there.

Vaduz is quite easy to explore and you can easily cover it in two hours. The main attraction of Vaduz is the Vaduz Castle (Schloss Vaduz). To get your passport stamped, simply proceed to the tourism office and pay €2/CHF3 for it. Visa requirements for Liechtenstein are the same for Switzerland. See more photos of Vaduz, Liechtenstein at the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Switzerland: Driving through Sargans & the Canton of St. Gallen (November 8, 2011)

My Europe trip began with a disaster that turned into a blessing in disguise. I had purchased a Eurail Pass the day before I left for Europe. But to my dismay, when I tried getting seat reservations in Paris, there were no more allocations for pass holders. We ended up renting a car!

We drove from Paris to Zurich. As soon as we arrived in Zurich and found our hostel, we decided to drive to Vaduz, Liechtenstein which was just an hour and 30 minutes away. We stopped by the town of Sargans to take photos of Schloss Sargans (Sargans Castle). On the way back, we went through one of the stopover areas to enjoy the picturesque view of Walensee (Lake Walen). Here is the album from the canton of St. Gallen on the way to Vaduz. Read more...