FINALLY Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz!!! The markets open around 10am-11am ish I believe and they are filled with cute decorated houses that remind me of gingerbread houses. There are lights everywhere and all of the streets nearby are filled with lights too. I liked the markets better at night but it was nice to stroll through them with no crowd in the day time. I enjoyed Barfüsserplatz a little more because they had more food but honestly, both markets are pretty much connected and make one big market. I loved getting the hot wine with the cute glass cup. If you return the cup to any vendor, you will get 3 Swiss frank back. I went to a money exchange place to get cash because most of the vendors only took cash. I also tried authentic eggnog at Münsterplatz but it was very potent and the whiskey was way stronger than I was expecting. I loved the aura of the markets and strolling through them was so fun while eating food and trying their christmasy drinks. I went through both of the markets faster than I expected but I am still very grateful to have gotten the true Christmas experience. It even snowed on one of the days which made it all so magical.
Here is more information on both Christmas markets and Basel: https://www.basel.com/en/events/christmas/christmas-market
0 Comments
I wanted to stay a little longer in Switzerland compared to my friends so I researched the best Christmas markets in Switzerland and found that Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz in Basel is considered to be the pretties and largest Christmas markets in Switzerland. I was really excited to do one last solo trip in Europe. I stayed at a really cozy airbnb which was the perfect size for me and the bed was extremely comfortable. Unfortunately the hot water heater was broken so the shower was rough to use. Apart from that, I was happy that both of the Christmas markets I wanted to go to were only a 10 minute walk from my airbnb. The surrounding areas in that neighborhood felt very safe and I felt comfortable going around at night since there was a lot of people out at the markets and getting food/drinks. I actually went to a pub on my own to watch the France vs Morocco World Cup game. It was so fun to be front row and watch on a big screen. I was also able to explore the streets of old town Basel and through cute gift shops. It was easy to get from one place to another using the tram and my airbnb host got me my own Basel card which allowed me to use any mode of transportation for free. They were very helpful and responsive if I ever needed anything. Basel was a cute little town and I loved the mellow Christmas vibe it gave off. I strolled through the Fine Arts museum Basel and the Kunstmuseum Basel which is connected by stairs on the lowest floor. It was fun going through every exhibition and seeing the unique painting and interesting sculptures. Apparently the painting in the middle is famous called "The fate of the animals" by Franz Marc. These museums were perfect for me to go through to pass time, and I love looking at artwork.
When I was researching the best places to ice skate in Zurich, Dolder Sports was one of the top rated places to go. (But I was most inclined to go here because of the huge Christmas tree they set up at the center of the rink). When we were making our way to the rink we had to walk through a dark winter wonderland neighborhood and forest. At first it was a little sketchy but we found our way and made our way to the entrance. There were not as many people as I thought there would be which was nice because we had more space to skate. The Zamboni had just gone over the ice when we arrived so I was excited to skate on the smooth surface. This rink gave student discounts so if you go to this rink remember to bring your ID and as for the discount! The ice skates they provided were high quality and you had to wrap your laces through to each hook. You want your ankles to feel secure, but you don't want your foot to feel as if it is suffering either. I ended up taking off my thick socks which made my skates way more comfortable. The skating area was big and there was a separate area where advanced skaters were practicing their jumps and dances with their coaches. It was really inspiring to watch them skate. On the other side of the wall there was a hockey ice court where little boys were practicing too. Adriana used to skate before so she was really good and looked so elegant skating. We stayed for around two hours before all of us were tired and ready to rest our legs. Ice skating take a lot of balance and leg muscle/stamina, it looks a lot easier than it is.
As we were walking to the Lindt chocolate factory we could smell the sweet chocolate from a few blocks away. The building was so big and the gold letters "Home of Chocolate" made me feel as if I was in the Willy Wonka movie. The inside of the building had a large whisk in the center with chocolate flowing down to the bottom of the pedestal. Before we started our tour, we grabbed an electronic voice over guide that would talk to us on the excerpt we tapped the device with. It was really efficient and we learned how chocolate is made and how the Lindt brand name came to be. On the tour we were able to try spoonfuls of white chocolate, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate that we could pour ourselves. My favorite was the dark chocolate because it was not too sweet. They also had motion censored stations that dispensed blocks of chocolates. The machine was so high tech and neat. My favorite piece of chocolate I tried was the orange flavored one. As our tour came to an end we were able to grab as many pieces of wrapped Lindt candies as we wanted. (We all grabbed 2-3 pieces of each...). The final interaction we had with their technology was an obstacle course this ball went through to finally dispense our surprise chocolate at the end. There were so many chocolates to choose from at the chocolate store we went through at the end. I ended up buying three bars of chocolate to bring home to my family. Additionally, Kaylee, Kaycee, Adriana, and I went to their cafe to sip on hot chocolate before heading back to the hotel.
Lucerne was our first stop on this day tour to Mount Titlis. On our tour bus, Adriana and I sat in front of this couple who was also from London. They were really funny and fun to talk to. I noticed the question we got a lot everywhere we went in Europe was, "You're from Hawaii??? You live in paradise, why would you want to come here?" I do feel that after traveling around Europe and studying abroad in London, I grew to really appreciate home. I never take Hawaii for granted and I know how blessed I am to call Maui my home. Upon arriving near Lucerne, we got out for 30 minutes to take pictures at a pitstop overlooking the water and houses in the distance. It was beautiful. Once we arrived in the actual town, we were dropped off by the bus driver and headed into town following our tour guide who was holding a stick. The first sight we saw was the water running through the town, sun beaming down on the houses on the hills, and this long wooden bridge that connected the two sides of town across the river. Our guide took us to the bridge, then Kaycee, Kaylee, Adriana and I split off from the group and walked along the wooden bridge. The view over the water was straight out of a movie scene. Afterwards, we continued to walk around town and visit this church and a few other neighborhood areas before heading back to the coach. Mount Titlis is a popular skiing resort. Being up in the Swiss alps was absolutely amazing and I am so happy we were able to go on this tour. When we pulled into the parking lot, we could immediately see all of the huge mountains covered in white snow all around us. The first thing we did was wait for our guide to get our tickets before using the cable car to take us all the way to the top of the mountain. Mount Titlis is over 3000 meters above sea level. The cable car had two stops but the one we needed to get off at was the second stop. It was interesting because anyone can just hop in the cable car with you so a few snow boarders/skiiers would just hop in with our group. After getting off at the second stop we waited in line one more time to hop on the final cable car. The final cable car was much bigger and around 50 people squeezed in together standing up. It was a little claustrophobic the first time since I got stuck in the middle.
The there things we were able to do on the mountain was first ride the ice flyer chairlift. It was a normal open seat that seated up to six people. The handle pulled down over our heads and then we were off! We soared over the mountain and watched all of the snowboarders and skiers make their way down the mountain. It was so beautiful with the sun out too. The ice flyer quickly took us down the slope and we stayed on to circle back up to the top where we first got on. The second thing we did was the Titlis cliff walk which was on a long metal bridge that was held up by wires. We dangled over the cliff and it was so scary looking down over the edge because the bridge also swayed every time a lot of people would pass by. Im usually not scared of heights but thinking about falling down at this height was terrifying. Finally, we walked through the ice cave which was so pretty. All of the walls were ice and they added in pretty purple and blue lights to lead the way. The ground was also a tad slippery and we were able to glide along the pathway. For lunch we were able to eat at the restaurant at the top of the mountain. In the coach, our guide mentioned that we may get dizzy and have to sit down for a little bit due to the elevation. I did not understand what she meant until we sat down for lunch on the mountain. First off, we stood in line to get chicken nuggets and bangers and mash for 30 USD! (I ordered the bangers and mash because I was not going to pay 30 dollars for regular chicken nuggets. They were the most expensive chicken nuggets I ever seen on a menu. (You also have to may for the packets of mustard and ketchup which was 75 cents each). After getting our food, we sat down and I suddenly felt tired and a little light headed. I soon understood what our guide meant and we made sure to sit down for a little bit. At the end of our day we rode back to our meeting point on the coach and every single one of us passed out. It was a long day but it was so fun and worth every moment. As soon as I landed in Switzerland, I could see it was snowing outside of the airplane window. I have seen snow before but the way it snowed here was so magical and the snowflakes were a lot thicker than the ones I have seen in California. I got so excited being in the snow. I was also a lot more prepared with my wardrobe so I was warm even in this cold weather. I also loved how aesthetic the snow caps were on top of the trees and bushes around the hotel. We also got to experience thick snowflakes falling from the sky when we went to the Zurich Christmas market. Watching the snow fall so elegantly as I looked up at the giant Christmas tree in the center of the market was perfect. The Christmas market we stumbled upon in Zurich was so cute and filled with lights and many vendors selling food, hot cider and wine, random shaped hand candles, clothes, wooden trinkets, and much more. There was also a seating area in the center that looked cozy. Everything about the snow on this first day in Zurich made our experience so fun. Getting around in Zurich was really easy. We would just hop on the designated tram our city mapper app suggested then hop off and walk to our destination. The 72 hour Zurich pass we purchased covered all modes of transportation in Zurich which was nice.
Upon arriving in Zurich, we did some research on the best way to get around and which trains to take etc. Kaylee found that purchasing the 72 hour Zurich pass was the most efficient and cheapest way for us to get around Zurich without worrying about buying tickets every time we went into the city since we decided to stay close to the airport at Movenpick hotel. After purchasing the ticket, it is best to download the app to get your QR code and the app has really good recommendations on activities to do in Zurich. I want to note that you need to purchase a train ticket or you risk paying a 200 dollar fine if the officials catch you on the train with no ticket. We witnessed a lady who did not have proof of a ticket and she was fined immediately (We timed our 72 hours from when we landed to when we left Zurich). Additionally, the pass allows you to do special activities of your choice. That night we decided to do a pub crawl around town with a guide for 12 USD. Our first stop was McGee's Irish pub where we were able to watch the World Cup where England and France played in the quarterfinals. We then went to two other pubs before heading back to the hotel. This was a unique and fun experience for me and I would do it again.
|