[BlackPearl]

It was indeed a grand tour! 6000 Kms of pure driving pleasure over 15 days in a beautiful country with stunning vistas and a competent vehicle that can take everything in its stride and yearn for more, it could not be more grand for us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cti8PgkNWfw

Switzerland has that special place in our lives who have grown up in the 80s and 90s with every big budget Bollywood film showcasing the beauty of the place. Then we all know a few people around us who would vehemently argue, as if their lives depended on it, that the Himalayas are more beautiful than the Swiss Alps and a few people who would disagree. It would be a never ending fight. Anyways, without digressing further, let me start writing down about the trip.

The Itinerary

Day 1 and 2 - Trubschachen
Day 3 - St Gallen
Day 4 and 5 - Fanas
Day 6 - Müstair
Day 7 - Lugano
Day 8 - Vergeletto
Day 9 - Randa
Day 10 - Zermatt and Gornergrat
Day 11 - Randa and Grimentz
Day 12 - Aigle via Gd St Bernard Pass
Day 13 - Montreux and Gruyeres
Day 14 - Lauterbrunnen
Day 15 - Jungfraujoch
Day 16 - Lauterbrunnen and Furka Pass
Day 17 - Champagne
Day 18 - London

A rough route outline from Google Maps -



A detailed map from Grand Tour website -



The Plan

I had very little input in this department. All the planning was done by Rajsri. My part was to get the vehicle ready and drive as per the plan. But I must say that it was an ambitious plan. Most of the planning was done based on this website - https://grandtour.myswitzerland.com/en/



The Uncertainty

Hotels and BnBs were booked, the Eurotunnel shuttle for crossing the English channel was booked, stuff were bought, everything was going as planned when suddenly things started getting escalated. Covid was creating a lot of trouble, France was changing rules every day, Switzerland was planning to close borders. The chance of our vacation going smoothly was looking bleak.
We started contacting the embassies, desperate for information. The Indian embassy in Switzerland was not at all helpful, they just said that it will not be possible for Indians to travel to Switzerland. We contacted the Swiss embassy and the lady over the phone said the same thing. She mentioned that only British passport holders are allowed to enter Switzerland in the current situation. Then she said we will not be allowed to board the flight in London without a British passport. I told her that we were planning to go by road. There was a pause and then she replied - "this changes the whole equation. There is no border check between France and Switzerland, you can enter Switzerland if France allows you. So you need to find out if you will be allowed to enter France". This was a bit of comforting news and we decided to go ahead with our plan.

Preparation

This was our 3rd trip to mainland Europe, so we were already aware of the rules and regulations. Still needed to study about Switzerland specific rules. RAC has got some great online materials to go through - https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/travel/country/switzerland/

The Vehicle: Range Rover Sport SDV6 HSE



All things packed and ready for the trip!

[BlackPearl]

Day 1 - London to Gläislishaus,Trub, Switzerland

Distance: 1033 Kms

Time taken: 13 Hours



This was the first time we took the Eurtunnel and it was very convenient.

Waiting for our number at the Euroshuttle parking lot


After getting down at Calais it took a bit of time to get used to driving on the right side of the road and the increased speed limit. For the first few minutes it felt like the other cars were shooting past me! Difference between 112 Kmph and 130 Kmph i.e. between speed limit in UK and the speed
limit in France is substantial. We took a few breaks on the way for food, bio and fuel stops. Tension regarding the France-Switzerland border was at the back of both of our minds and their was a strange silence inside the vehicle. As we approached the border we realised that the lady at the embassy had not been entirely correct. There is a border check post and there was a personnel standing on the road like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Rajsri got excited and started whispering only two words - "Don't stop".. "Don't stop".. "Don't stop". By that time we were bang in front of that personnel and I had come to a complete halt as was expected. The officer saw us and gestured us to proceed. It was just a little nod of the head but a huge sigh of relief for us. If I had listened to Rajsri at that point, I might still be sitting in a jail somewhere in Switzerland. Later, when I asked her why she behaved like that, the answer was "extreme desperation under uncertainty, she wanted to get into Switzerland by hook or crook".

After entering Switzerland we stopped at a store to get a vignette.

Swiss vignette

You must purchase and display a vignette (sticker) to travel on Swiss motorways or face large fines. You can buy a vignette at most border crossings, petrol stations, post offices, by phone (+800 1002 0030) and online. The price of a vignette is currently CHF 40.

A few pictures on the way to Trub after entering Switzerland.



Stopping for a quick photoshoot





There are chateaus everywhere in France and Switzerland. This was looking especially beautiful.





We reached Trub in the afternoon. Trub is one of the largest municipalities of Switzerland in size, but not in population. It is located in the Emmental region of the canton of Bern. The original Emmental cheese was produced here and the place is famous for pottery as well. The region is not well known for tourism and we hardly saw any tourist during our stay.

Our BnB



View from the balcony



Look who came to visit us at night!

[BlackPearl]

Day 1 continued..

In the evening we went out for a drive to explore the places nearby. Found a lovely serene place on a hilltop and spent a few hours. The sunset was beautiful. Reminded us of the endless hours we spent watching sunsets in the Himalayas.

This lonely house on the hilltop looked beautiful.



Since I had bought the drone for this trip, I was flying it wherever I could











The sunset was looking beautiful and I kept on clicking pictures.









While returning from this place I had made a big blunder that could have led to a terrible accident. It has been a very long time since I had seen an unmanned or open railway crossing and I had completely forgotten that they are still there in some places. While approaching one such crossing I could see the red lights flashing and I knew I had to stop. But I kept on driving thinking that there will be a gate where I would have to stop. By the time I realised that it was an open railway crossing we were hardly a couple of feet from the rail lines. I looked on the right and could see the lights of the oncoming train. My heart must have skipped a beat and I was hunting for the gear lever to put the vehicle in reverse, forgetting that I was driving an automatic. Somehow I gathered my senses and put the car in reverse and went back a few meters. It was a close escape.

[BlackPearl]

Day 2 - Trub, Sarnen, Lucerne, Weggis ...

In the morning we went to Emmental and nearby places. Did a bit of trail driving, crossed a dry riverbed and reached a sequestered place with no one around.







Then we went to Sarnen.

Sarnen is a small historic town, a municipality, and the capital of the canton of Obwalden situated on the northern shores of Lake Sarnen (German: Sarnersee) in Switzerland. It has a population of just over 10,000 and is surrounded by countryside and mountains. Sarnen is located 20 km south of Lucerne.

On the way -











Sarnen Lake or Sarnensee can be seen at distance in this picture



Sarnen Lake



Next stop was Sankt Niklausen







After that we went to Weggis via Lucerne



On the way back to Trub

[BlackPearl]

Day 3 - The roaring Rhine Falls

They call it Europe's mightiest waterfall, the Rhine Falls or Rheinfall.

The Entrance



View from the top deck













After a round of clicking pictures, we went down towards the river. There is a viewing deck below and it is a must visit.



The view of the waterfall gushing towards you is so intimidating for the first few seconds that my heart skipped a couple of beats when I looked at it!



Then we took a boat ride and it was a lovely experience.

The man on whom our life depended!


At one point he took the boat so near to the waterfall that I thought he was planning to commit suicide. I won't lie, I was extremely scared. When the boat started going back it was a huge sigh of relief.









From Rhine Falls we went towards Rheineck where we had a booking for the night. On the way we stopped at Steckborn for a cup of coffee.







Being a Defender fan I had read a lot about similar cars and Iveco Massif was one of them. This was the first time I saw one in flesh. So I had to stop and take a picture.



The place where we halted for the night

[BlackPearl]

Day 4 - St Gallen to Fanas via Liechtenstein and Bad Ragaz

We started from St Gallen in the morning and the drive to Fanas was beautiful. First stop was at Vaduz, capital of Liechtenstein.

Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, sits on the Rhine River near the Swiss border. On a hillside overlooking the town, Vaduz Castle dates back to the 12th century and is a royal family residence.

From Vaduz we went to Bad Ragaz and visited the gorge called Taminaschlucht. The Tamina river meets the Rhine river near Bad Ragaz.





We stopped near a small airport on the way -



We reached Fanas in the evening and were greeted Babs, the lovely owner of the BnB. The house where we stayed was built in the 1650s and was beautiful.



The view from the drawing room -



Had a refreshing cup of tea



In the evening we chatted with Babs for almost 3 hours! Got a lot of insight into the Swiss way of living, specially in the rural areas.

[BlackPearl]

Day 5 - Fanas, Schiers-Pusserein, Arosa and Bad Ragaz

I woke up quite early in the morning and went for a drive nearby. The early morning light was beautiful and I kept on clicking pictures. Posting a few of them.

















Saw a lot of these Ladas and Rextons in Switzerland -



After breakfast we went to a place called Schiers-Pusserein. There was not a single soul around and we flew the drone as well did a bit of offroading. We went as far as we could go along the route and reached a point where the road was washed out by the river. I was tempted to venture out further but refrained as it would be very difficult to get help if we got stuck.







Can you spot us?





Next stop was Ruinalta. From Wiki -

Ruinaulta is a canyon created by the Anterior Rhine between Ilanz/Glion and Reichenau in the debris of the Flims Rockslide just upstream of its confluence with the Posterior Rhine at Reichenau in the Grisons, eastern Switzerland. It is sometimes known as the Rhine Gorge, or sometimes rather ironically called Swiss Grand Canyon. Protected by cliffs several hundred metres high, the area is forested and a haven for wildlife. It is a popular location for rafting.

From here we went towards a place called Arosa. Saw this beautiful church on the way and a lot of new Defenders in a place called Chur





Arosa was a highly recommended place, but I will not suggest the place to anyone if one is short on time. The road to Arosa was beautiful though.





Arosa -









continued...

[BlackPearl]

Day 5 continued...

It was quite cold in Arosa and we had a few cups of coffee before heading back towards Fanas.











After reaching Fanas we thought of going to Bad Ragaz once more as we had liked the place when we stopped there the day before.

[BlackPearl]

Day 6 - Fanas to Müstair via Flüela Pass

Müstair is the easternmost village of Switzerland located in Val Müstair municipality. The route from Fanas to Müstair via the Flüela Pass goes through the beautiful Swiss National Park. Of all the places in Switzerland we liked the Swiss National Park the most because of the raw beauty of the place.

The route -



A few clicks on the way -






We stopped at Flüela Pass, the summit of which has a lake on either side, Lai da la Scotta and Lai Nair. Unfortunately we could not fly the drone as it was windy. Otherwise we could have a clicked a picture of the pass with the lakes.















After Flüela Pass we took a bit of detour as shown in the map to visit the beautiful old town of Guarda.

In 1975 the Swiss Heritage Society awarded Guarda the Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architectural heritage. The award notes that it is one of the best preserved and characteristic villages of the Unterengadin. It notes that the municipality struggled with a harsh landscape and the demands of tourism as well as the migration of young people from the village into the cities of Switzerland.

From Guarda we went towards Scuol before going back towards Müstair.













The hotel in Müstair



We were famished after a long day and I was trying to find the largest portion of meal from the long menu list



Finally settled for free range venison sausage and it was fantastic

[BlackPearl]

Day 7 - Müstair to Lugano via Bernina Pass and San Bernadino



We woke up quite early as it was going to be quite a long drive to Lugano. The view from the hotel balcony was amazing.



We went for a short drive to the town of Mustair and drove till the Switzerland Italy border. Came back to the hotel, packed the things and started for Bernina Pass. The route was extremely scenic.





We stopped at the historic village of S-Chanf. It is called the door to the Swiss National park.







On the way to Bernina Glacier we stopped at Berninabach





A very happy me after flying the drone!



Next stop was the Bernina Glacier.











On the way towards Viamala we saw this beautiful lake called Silvaplana and an old monument





Viamala that means Bad Path in Romansh is a narrow gorge along the river Hinterrhein between Zillis-Reischen and Thusis.





San Bernadino Pass

From Wiki -

San Bernardino Pass (2,066 metres) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the Hinterrhein and the Mesolcina (Misox) valleys between Thusis and Bellinzona. It is located in the far eastern side of the Western Alps. The top of the pass represents both the Italo-German language frontier and the watershed (drainage divide) between the Po basin and the Rhine basin. Marscholsee is within the pass at an elevation of 2,053 m (6,736 ft)

From San Bernadino pass we went towards our final destination for the day, Lugano.

On the way -


Lugano is a town and a municipality in southern Switzerland in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino bordering Italy. The town lies on Lake Lugano, surrounded by the mountains of the Lugano Prealps.

Lake Lugano


The vehicle parked in front of the hotel in Lugano



We went to a nearby restaurant in the evening and I had one of the best carbonara pastas in a long long time.

[BlackPearl]

Day 8 - Lugano to Vergeletto via Lavertezzo





From Lugano we went to Lavertezzo, a municipality in the district of Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It is famous for the 17th century double-arched Ponte dei Salti on the Verzasca river. We reached there in the afternoon but could not click a picture of the bridge as there were thousands of people. Here is a pic from the internet -



We went to a restaurant for lunch. The view from there was fantastic. The 18th century Madonna degli Angeli Parish Church can be seen in this picture.





After lunch we went towards our destination for the day, Vergeletto. But we got stuck at a place called Cavigliano for almost 4 hours due to an accident. Just before we reached the place a cyclist had fallen over the cliff. His friend, another cyclist, had called the emergency services. The doctor and other personnels came by two helicopters, but the man had succumbed to his injuries by the time he was pulled up from the ravine.



By the time we reached Vergeletto it was almost evening. The owner of the BnB took us for a small hike to see an old roman bridge.







Late in the evening we went to a lovely place by the river for dinner.



The steak was amazing!

[BlackPearl]

Day 9 - Vergeletto to Randa via Gotthard Pass, Andermatt, Realp and Furka Pass





Gotthard Pass or Tremola San Gottardo

The Tremola San Gottardo, located in the Canton of Ticino, is the longest road monument in Switzerland and is listed in the inventory of the historic Swiss roads (IVS).[1][2] It connects the municipality of Airolo to the Gotthard Pass. One of the highest paved roads in Europe, located on the left side of the Val Tremola, it was constructed with the opening of the roadway of the Gotthard Pass. In its most important stretch, over a length of four kilometers it climbs a height of 300 meters in 24 hairpin bends.

It reminded us of the hairpin bends of Zuluk in East Sikkim.



After crossing Gotthard pas we reached the beautiful town of Andermatt and had breakfast

Andermatt


We saw this waterfall at Realp and stopped to click a few pics



Furka Pass

Furka Pass, with an elevation of 2,429 metres (7,969 ft), is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting Gletsch, Valais with Realp, Uri.

The Furka Pass was used as a location in the James Bond film Goldfinger. One curve on the east side of the pass is even named "James Bond Strasse". At the sign, there is a lookout point with a small parking area.

We did not spend too much time at the Furka Pass because the sun was beating down really hard and we wanted to come back early in the morning. The plan was to visit Furka pass again during our stay in Lauterbrunnen.

We reached Randa in the evening and went for a bit of trail driving in search of a good view. Unfortunately could not get any view of the peaks.



However we saw this river and a waterfall





The place where we were staying in Randa.



The view from the balcony.



The next day was going to be very exciting. We were going to Gornergrat to see Matterhorn!

[BlackPearl]

Day 10 - Zermatt, Gornergrat, Matterhorn

The view from the room early in the morning was beautiful





Zermatt is a combustion-engine car-free zone. All vehicles in Zermatt are battery driven except for a few special purpose vehicles. Electric vehicles are allowed for local people. So we parked the car in Täsch and took a train to Zermatt. Zermatt is a mountain resort famous for skiing, climbing, hiking and of course for the view of Matterhorn. Matterhorn is one of the most dramatic peaks that we have seen. When we reached Zermatt we got a glimpse of the peak, but I did not click any picture as I thought we would get a lot of opportunities once we reach Gornergrat. That was a mistake as the peak got shrouded in cloud for the rest of the day.





We had a lovely brunch in Zermatt







From Zermatt we took the Gornergrat Railway (Gornergrat Bahn). Gornergrat Railway is the second highest railway in Europe after Jungfrau.



A patch of cloud covering the Matterhorn







Gornergrat Station



We spent the next 4 hours in Gornergrat. Unfortunately we could not see the Matterhorn peak, but we still had a lovely time in that beautiful place.





























I really liked this picture taken with the drone -



Soon it was time to go back to Zermatt. The memories of Gornergrat will be etched for a long time to come, though we promised to go back again to get a proper view of Matterhorn!



We spent some more time in Zermatt, had ice-cream and then went to Täsch where our car had been parked for the day.

[BlackPearl]

Day 11 - Randa, Grimentz and nearby places

This was a relaxing day. We went to the picturesque village of Grimentz. There was a nice surprise at the parking lot of Grimentz. It was the most expensive parking lot I had ever seen!



We spent a a couple of hours roaming around in Grimentz, soaking in the beauty of the idyllic village situated in the lap of the Alps.











After lunch at a restaurant in Grimentz we went to explore the nearby areas.





Twinning

[BlackPearl]

Day 12 - Randa to Ormont Dessous via Gd St Bernard Pass and Gruyères



Today's highlights were the St Bernard Museum at the Grand St Bernard Pass and the dinner at Gruyères.

The route to St Bernard Pass was stunning to say the least.















The tour of the St Bernard museum was fantastic. So many St Bernard Dogs all around and some of them even showed a few tricks.







The statue of the Saint was on the Italian side of the pass.







From St Bernard pass we went to the town of Gruyères.

Gruyères is a medieval town in the Fribourg canton of Switzerland. It's known for production of the cheese of the same name.

We spent the rest of the day in Gruyères. It was a wonderful experience.









We had fondue and beef steak for dinner. It was fabulous.













From Gruyères we went to the final destination of the day, Ormont Dessous.