Jessie Leong travels from Zurich to Lugano on a four-day supported tour with Eurotrek from North to South of Switzerland.
An adventure writer with extensive experience trudging round mountains in the UK and in the Alps, I was quite happy to take one of the more adventurous itineraries, combining both hiking & e-biking with Eurotrek to get from Zurich a Swiss- German speaking city to one of the most southerly points, Lugano in the Italian-speaking part of the country. If you can’t sit still on your holidays and love being out in nature and being active – then good news, Eurotrek are the perfect company to help you get the most of your travels. Not only did I have an adventurous itinerary available, but Eurotrek ensured all my luggage transported from one end of Switzerland to the other to smoothly get our whole groups bags from each accommodation before delivering them to our destination at our hotel for the Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) in Lugano.
Pedalling the cobblestones to Airolo on the Gotthard Pass
With the world passing below my pedals – a mixture of silky asphalt, tarmac, cobblestones, and rural backroads – my love letter to Switzerland couldn’t be dampened by something as trivial as a bit of wet weather. Despite a summer of scorching heat, our adventures coincided with a week of wet weather forecasted, with snow settling on the higher plateaus.
Featuring fields, hills, lakes, streams and even rural rustic villages in sun streamed Italian style settlements, the geology and the terrain vastly changed in mere hours as we travelled through cantons of Zurich, Zug, Luzern, Schwyz, Uri and Ticino, the itinerary started in the grey slick streets of Zurich filled with umbrellas, finishing on the sunny streets of Bellinzona before we boarded a train to get to Lugano. Thanks to the Swiss Travel Pass, our route choice meant we would be getting our money’s worth using all kinds of transportation to combine our adventures from the city into the countryside almost wholly on public transport.
Close up of the luggage tags that accompanied our bags across our trip
Welcome-drinks at the Restaurant Viadukt, Viaduktstrasse with Zurich Tourism
We met our guides - Otto and Ariane, whose cheerful optimism told us we would try out best to still follow our cycle – hike-hike-cycle itinerary. Arriving at Zurich, we stayed at the Hotel Züri by Fassbind and had a city tour that involved full waterproofs and umbrellas, sampled some local alcohol-free beer whilst others sampled wines at Restaurant Viadukt. With a slight hint of reluctance to enter the outdoors, we zipped our coats up and wandering on foot through West Zurich, past Zuri-Brunnen and on a train to Zurich HB towards the iconic square of Lindenhof, its name given due to the yellow hued trees that overlook the river Limmat. We walked past the Schanzengraben, to the trendy Kraftwerk restaurant on the river. What greeted us as we stepped in were stacks of colourful, jewel toned containers on top of one another, a delicious menu of provincial autumn flavours was sampled in this unique urban location that also doubles as a theatre and co-working space. In keeping with the theme of sustainability, a wholly vegetarian menu was decided for us for the next week or so. Tiny pumpkins, mushrooms, and delicious spiced fruit was on the menu that was a taste palate that not only warmed our rain-soaked bodies but also food for the soul. A quick and speedy tram returned us back to our hotel, as we marvelled at the smoothness of Swiss public transport getting us back home on a night out.
Sheltering from the rain in Lindenhof square, an area of Swiss national heritage
Kraftwerk, a co-working space will containers, served us a menu full of autumn-inspired produce, Selnaustrasse, Zürich
Warmed through, our first day of the tour was curtailed shorter as the weather put a dampener on things - and after a meal of soup, slabs of aubergine on risotto, we clambered onto bikes powered by carbs to get a long ride in.
Unloading a set of Flyer E-bikes off the back off a trailer, we had the option to load up red and black waterproof Vaude panniers – stuffing them with waterproofs, a flask of hot drink and spare gloves – our pre-summit adventure with Eurotrek was about to begin.
Starting from Zug train station, we pedalled on flat gravel tracks quickly escaping the city and joining onto well signposted paths around Cham before we took the regional cycleway, Route 94 northwards and out to the countryside of Sins, Ballwill and Hochdorf.
Getting the bike ready outside of Zug Train station, ready to cycle the Route 95 to Hochdorf
Despite the drizzle, there were moments of joy – fields of maize, polytunnels bursting with rows of apples and barns specialising in organic produce, it was through a blissfully quiet part of Switzerland. A whole field of sunflowers in bloom, the clouds shrouding the mountains at the foothill of the Alps. Traffic was no more than tractors trying to overtake us, or a child using the cycleway to commute to school. It was a rural little-known part of Switzerland to cycle tour through, and it was full of postcard perfect memories. Our route started from Zug, but the route also had the option to start from Zurich through Sihlwald forest, an area of wilderness at the gates of the city and along the scenic hills before winding into the centre of Zurich by Zurichsee.
Exploring the country roads following numerous cycle paths and cycleways opened my eyes up to the huge network of cycle friendly routes Switzerland has. Using the Switzerland Mobile app, we could easily switch between mapping tiles to find routes well suited for cycling only or hiking only – something we discovered was rather critical to make sure we didn’t accidentally pedal back on gravel / rocky bridleways! The roads were quiet only for the occasional car, and even when we left the cycle way, the ‘exposure’ of joining the main country road was only for a short section with a hill climb up to Neudorf before a fast descent to Sempach. With time pressing on, we built some speed up as we approached the more built-up city areas of Rothenburg, Emmenbrucke and swooping in and out of the Route 3 and 9 cycleways into the centre of Luzern. Criss crossing paths that wove round the city, a bit of zig zagging on cycleways along with sections on road made for some exciting cycling, but we emerged into Luzern, grins on our faces as we went from the city – countryside and back into the city.
Heavenly glazed chestnuts crown our plate at Restaurant des Alpes, Rathausquai, Luzern
A delicious dinner at Restaurant des Alpes with Manuela from Visit Luzern tourism board – a porcini mushroom soup with carefully balanced flavours (and a sneaky bit of venison chorizo) was the highlight of the evening, along with a wild meal of traditional autumn fare that really gave us a full sample of what it was like to sample traditional Swiss fare. It was perhaps not the healthiest meal – but our craving for warming, hearty food was met with a feast. Buttery, fried Spätzli, Rotkohl aka red cabbage served with tender Brussel sprouts – Rosenkohl, and Birnen mit Preiselbeeren: poached pears filled with cranberry sauce followed by the jewels in the crown - Glasierte Marroni: glazed, caramelly chestnuts. We felt wild at heart – and with the delicious Swiss autumn food, we also felt wild in the belly.
Mud splatters, drizzle and fatigue couldn’t take away the sense of pride we felt arriving at Luzern, and we slept soundly in the Hotel Ameron Flora with a unique sleep menu that allowed us to personalise our sleeping space – with additional wool blankets, sleep spray, eye mask and different thickness of pillow! The wood lined interior of the main reception space, with cleverly lit spaces to meet were also a charming, cosy yet modern addition to our stay, followed by a delicious range of food that allowed us to choose from locally collected honeycomb to carefully baked pastries. It was a delight to the senses before we ventured back out into the wild weather of Switzerland.
Travelling by boat on Lake Luzern
Day 2 of our adventure was completed on the widest range of transport yet. Getting the boat from Luzern to Weggis, we watched as the mountains swirled with low hanging cloud, which very much dominated the day. Even the water on the boat’s seats couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm to get into nature – and we were all too keen to see Switzerland’s autumn colours come through. A cable car ride up took much of the uphill drag as we started at Mount Rigi before picking up the easy gravel paths that turned into a short ridge climb onto Rigi Scheidegg at 1656m. It’s fair to say that if a trip doesn’t have many mountain views, there will sure to be many mushroom views, as we spent a lot of time locating mushrooms on every hewn log, clump of earth and protruding from the turf in the forest.
We struck gold – and amongst the many ambiguous edible and poisonous mushrooms – our guide proudly found two real porcini mushrooms and although no views were to be had, it was worth observing the change in trees, colour, and life. We saw many red kites swirling about, a reminder that the landscape we were travelling through was abundant with food. Descending through the treeline, we got to Urmiberg, a cable car that steeply descended into Brunnen. Our traverse of the hills into the new canton of Schwyz, meant we felt we had covered a lot of ground, even if we hadn't consumed our share of the mountains that day, it still felt like an achievement to make the most of a wet and windy day.
The slightly claggy conditions of Rigi Scheidegg, 1656m
But our adventure wasn’t over yet – a further two buses into a remote alpine valley of Muotathal, where children and families lined the streets and local school kids shared seats with us on the bus. Waterfalls and cascades lined our route – which was just standard views for most of the bus passengers – but as we reached our final stop, we were greeted with the most bizarre and delightful living tradition that commences the start of autumn – Alpabzug in Swiss German, or désalpe in French – the traditional act of the alpine descent of cows bedecked in flowers from the mountain pastures has been taking place since 3000 BCE. After spending the summer grazing on meadows with fresh herbs, the cows were being herded down from the mountains to spending the rest of the winter in the barn, and the event was a way of bringing the community together, an opportunity for the local farmers to praise their beloved cows. By decorating and dressing them up with the biggest bells, the farmers showcased their beauty and agricultural achievements to the people who live in villages close to the mountains. It was a spectacular event to behold and be a part of.
Alpabzug – the celebration of cows coming down from the mountains, signifying the end of summer
Our accommodation was accessible by public transport – the husky lodge in Muotathal, which had beautiful modern pine wood rooms and recently fitted bathrooms. Food, which so often takes pride of place, was a thoroughly regional fare, with pumpkin soup and although lacking the flavour palate of the previous evening, we were offered fondue made from local cows’ cheese and vegan option fondue which had some novelty. It would have been great to have sampled food on the menu rather than being given a set menu all vegetarian as it was a shame not to try a meat- based dish of the region.
Day three was our day of transition – with plans being altered due to the beckoning snow line, we left Muotathal by bus and went back to Brunnen, boarded a boat to Rütli and did a short hike on good tracks through the forest in numerous curves to the Seelisberg, an open ridge with views over Lake Uri before descending to Bauen. Sadly, due to the wet weather, we cut our route short, before admiring the impressive mountains rising out of the glacially formed lakes. Walking along the lake would have been a normal extension, but the rain had turned into a mood-zapping downpour, so we opted for another shorter version by going by boat to Altdorf then a minibus organised by Eurotrek to get to Gotthard pass.
Hiking up and looking over to the mountains of Klein Mythen and Gross Mythen
What a change in landscape! As we clambered out of the minibuses, together with our luggage that had been collected from Muotathal and electric bikes from Luzern, we felt the remoteness of the location. Dinner was a rustic affair, with vegetable soup, followed by Rösti, mushrooms and a thick layer of cheese and a scoop of ice cream to finish.
Gotthard Pass accommodation
As we made our way back to the Gotthard accommodation – a striking, old hospice building perched with white stonewashed walls - was accessed via old wooden door, the warm, wooden interior of the rooms we stayed in were a complete contrast to the fierce weather brewing outside. Once we ascended the historical staircase, the interior accommodation was a cross between a mountain refuge and a pared back Scandi style accommodation, with rooms heated using geothermal water showed a brilliant combination between historical preservation and meeting the needs of modern tourism to the area.
If one dared – opening the modern fit square windows which allowed to open out or up – reminded us that we were very much in a hostile mountain location and a steady stream of mountain air whistled into the room. Once the window was closed, a simple bed tucked into a wooden lined alcove and black touch lamps made it a much needed comfortable to grab a book and read in the warmth of the room as the weather raged outside.
Equipped with a few sparse drawers and hooks, it was a spacious room that felt clean and simplistic, harking back to a time when the house would have been a welcome sanctuary and guesthouse for visitors using the historic route between the German speaking Switzerland and Italian speaking canton.
First dry day in the Swiss Alps
Morning awoke, and weather checking frantically took place – a fair day at last! We could finally see the mountains peeking through the clouds and noted the temperature difference – it would be 3 degrees when we set off in Gotthard pass, and nearly 22 degrees in Bellinzona at the end.
“The Tremolastrasse” – an impressive sweep of hair pin cobblestones that descends 300m of height over 24 bends and over a mere four km, with each bend given its own name - is Switzerland’s longest road construction monument. Built between 1827 and 1832 to plans by Ticino engineer Francesco Meschini, the snaking, light-coloured ribbon road was studded with granite cobblestones from the Gotthard Pass to Airolo.
The fierce hair pin bends on the Tremolastrasse from Gotthard Pass to Airolo
With much excitement, we packed many layers and spare gloves and set off - down the cobblestones, hoping we wouldn't encounter a patch of ice on the way down. Yet we were given the opportunity – on hybrid e mountain bikes - to descend, for more than 78km from 2100m to just under 300m at our end destination. Even the most austere lycra clad cyclist couldn’t help but whoop and cheer as bend after bend came, with cobblestones to test our technical handling of the bike, with a sheer drop studded with granite blocks on the sheer original drystone rock walls warning us of the steep cambers. It was certainly an adventure, and due to the curvature of the route, it was never steep enough to feel like we were going to lose control. As we picked up speed off the cobblestones and onto tarmac, Airolo felt comfortable going in fast, before we picked another cycleway, Route 3 to join onto Faido, Giornico, and through the valley Leventina to Bellinzona following the river Ticino. The headwinds that we cycled into felt rather ferocious – it was after all a steep descent from the mountains into the valley floor – and we were grateful for having the e-bike as it meant taking some of the pressure to keep pedalling on the extra flat sections towards the end. It felt a huge achievement – to get into the canton of Ticino, from Zurich, via public transport and be solely reliant on a mixture of human power and public transport to get there.
The Tremolastrasse largely retains the appearance of when the reconstruction was completed in 1951 and is six to seven metres wide and bordered by retaining walls up to eight metres thick.
Was my trip Swiss-stainable? Yes – if you count how many times, we used the Swiss travel pass travelling on the SBB network, or when we got into the minibus, it also happened to be the transport for our bikes and luggage, thereby reducing the number of cars used on the roads. We ate food that was in season and sourced what was available locally – our only concern was that it was designed as vegetarian for the whole group rather than what we had personally opted for. I would have loved to have done some of my trip on bike from Zurich, which has been originally planned but curtailed due to the weather and did a class on foraging and cooking my own food to really highlight the emphasis on provenance. But as far as adventures go, it was unique to find myself on a tour with other like-minded journalists and folk who wanted to experience Switzerland up close no matter what the weather brought.
Group Photo at Urmiberg cable car station – a fast way of descending
Day 1- Zug - Hochdorf- Luzern – 54km, ↑560m ↓350m
Transport used: Foot, Train, Bike, Foot
Day 2 – Luzern - Weggis – Rigi Scheidegg 1656m - Urmiberg – 16km, ↑630m ↓700m
Transport used: Foot, Boat, Cable Car, Foot, Cable Car, Bus, Bus, Foot
Day 3 – Rutli – Bauen – 8.4km, ↑520m ↓520m
Transport used: Foot, Bike, Bus, Boat, Foot, Boat, Train, Minibus
Day 4 – Gotthard Pass to Airolo to Bellinzona – 79km, ↑180m ↓1700m
Transport used: Bike, Train, Foot