Discovering Southern Switzerland

As a child, I would often dream about flying. Whether it involved imagining I was a superhero, who oversaw a whole city, or imagining I was piloting a plane, and overseeing entire counties. I would be dreaming of a time such as this.

The cantons of Vaud, Valais, and Ticino make up the southern belt of Switzerland, with Italy just miles away. The pandemic held me back from crossing the border into Italy this year, but I was yearning for immersing myself in a tropical ambience, and these cantons would be the closest I could get to achieving it.

Ticino

The abundance of palms, the green and luscious mountains, the warm and humid air made me believe I was in the tropical jungles of southeast Asia – while we were rather only a few hours away from our home, engulfed by the valleys of Ticino. The canton is known for having more annual sunshine than anywhere else in the country – a fact that was difficult to keep in mind during the 3-day weekend we spent there together with over 80-mm of rainfall. We spent our evenings in the village of Osognia, in the Sopraceneri area. Only having lived in urban cities before, this was the first time in my life that there was a waterfall and a pizzeria closer to where I lived than a grocery store.

We spent our days making good use of our car and umbrellas as we explored the area around Valle Maggia. The quaint, idyllic hamlets, and their stone houses, with waterfalls towering over them, made the drive through the valley feel like something out of a fairytale. The narrow, winding roads led past the towns of Lavertezzo, Corippo, and finally to Foroglio in Val Bavona: a tranquil, unspoiled haven.

We were greeted with sunshine on our last day, as the rainy clouds dispersed, leaving no trace of the mess they had previously created. We took advantage of this by spending the day in the city of Ascona - a city situated along the coast of Lago Maggiore, with a lake promenade that is dotted with several street cafes, gelaterias, and the Latin ambience I was yearning for all along.

Valais

Although the neighboring canton of Valais was just west of us, its lofty mountain ranges demanded us to bypass them by taking the Furka mountain pass. The drive along this 2,200-m altitude pass left us in awe, as we meandered through tight curves along a steep terrain of meadows, the Rhone glacier, and several snowy peaks. Even if the Furka pass is out of your way, I’d still strongly recommend driving through this unforgettable experience (*bear in mind that several of the mountain passes here can be closed off in the winter time, up until May as they are covered in snow during the winter months - see more information here*).

It wasn’t long before we parked our car in Täsch, which was where a train was waiting to take us to the car-free opulent town of Zermatt. This small village, together with its several lodges and many (many) tourists, and the backdrop of the Toblerone logo-inspired, 4,478-m tall Matterhorn mountain reminded me of Whoville.

With several hiking areas to choose from, we decided to choose the one that would give us the best view of the famous mountain – the 5-lake hike. This area really is a summer paradise for hikers, and a winter paradise for skiers, albeit an expensive one.

Vaud

“If you want peace of soul, come to Montreux” – Freddie Mercury

The canton that is interposed between France and Italy must mean that it will be famous for one thing – its wines. Soon after the snow melted in late April, I took my bike on a train to Morges, which was the starting point of my 42-km bike ride that day to the city where Mercury spend his last years.

It was hot that day. I could feel myself sweating, and my heart starting to race, yet there was a breeze coming from Lake Geneva, along which I would be riding.

The lake shore was filled with other cyclists, as bike lanes lay adjacent to every sidewalk and street. I passed through several cities, starting with Lausanne and its polytechnic, EPFL, whose campus lay directly on the lake shore. I stopped by at Glaces Veneta Ouchy for a lemon sorbet, before beginning my ascent up the steep slopes of the Lavaux region’s vineyards.

The UNESCO-listed Laveaux region stretches out from Lausanne to Vevey-Montreux. It’s made up of several steep, breathtaking terraces, including the famous Dézaley vineyard. You can enjoy yourself here by registering for a wine tour, or by going to one of the several wine bars which overlook the beautiful lake down below, and the French Alps just on its opposite end. All the wine bars were closed when I was there, but I was lucky enough to have met a winemaker after ringing their doorbell. While showing me around their shop, he told me stories and the history of his family’s wine fields, and I was sold on buying 2 of their wines – I would have gotten more if I had more than just a backpack and a bike.

With only a sharp descent to the towns of Vevey and Montreux I had in front of me, I could enjoy the calmness of the solitude around me, the sun’s radiant heat on my face, and the views from high altitude I was biking along.