Welcome to Wander We Go. I’m Alex.
I write about life in Zürich, travels throughout Europe, and musings on both.
All tagged train travel
Our 11-day summer road trip through Slovenia that hit all of the highlights: Lake Bled, Triglav National Park, Soca Valley, Logar Valley, Bohinj, Vingtar Gorge, Vrsis Pass, Kranjska Gora, and more. One of the most beautiful countries in Europe!
One afternoon after Biennale, we were walking back to our apartment from Arsenal just as the sun was setting. The whole sky turned pink, then a fiery orange, outlining the gondoliers heading back to the grand canal and the distinctive domes and towers of the Venetian skyline. There is really no other city like this.
Now, I knew the Germans were serious about their beer. In order for it to be even called beer in Germany, it must be brewed according to the Reinheitsegot (literally, the “Bavarian Beer Purity Law”), which only allows for the three ingredients of water, hops and malt. It’s been brewed this way for centuries. Breweries started in German monasteries, back when drinking beer was safer than drinking water. The monks knew their stuff (and how to start a lucrative international business). I knew German beer was a point of pride. I just didn’t know why.
From here on out, whenever I hear the phrase, “a city nestled in the Alps,” I will always think of Innsbruck. You hear that phrase a lot, mostly in travel writing, especially in articles about Switzerland or Austria. But if there was ever a place that accurately embodies this phrase, Innsbruck is it.
Nuremberg. Famous (more like infamous) for yes, the WWII war crimes tribunals and hosting massive Nazi party rallies, but also more breweries per square capita than anywhere else, a charming medieval old town, teeny tiny little sausages, and an area literally named after Switzerland (Franconia Switzerland) because it, well, looks just like Switzerland.
A ride on the Glacier Express is anything but fast. The 290-kilometer trip through the Swiss Alps, from Zermatt to St. Moritz, takes over 8 hours, with 291 bridge crossings, 91 tunnels, 2000+ meters of elevation gain. It’s essentially the length of a transatlantic flight (but without any turbulence!), all within little landlocked Switzerland. We rode the #glacierexpress around this time last January, and I wrote about the whole experience: each major leg of the journey, what to expect, and probably more train facts then you needed to know
In a country like Italy where the city competition is truly fierce, I came to really appreciate Milan. It feels like an authentically Italian, no-BS working city, gritty and filled with contrasts, contemporary and up-and-coming, with undeniably great food and superbly cool style.
It’s easy to get caught up in Zermatt’s appeal, from the Matterhorn to the world-class skiing to the wintry charm of the village itself.
