We arrived in Zurich from Mumbai on Swiss Air. The flight was uneventful. We started to get a feel for the much acclaimed Swiss hospitality and efficiency on this 9 hour flight. We landed at 6.15 am, 15 min ahead of schedule. We were received at the airport by our friend M, who we had recently got introduced to. M, his wife and daughter live in Olten, a small town, in the suburbs of Zurich (about 40 min by train from Zurich). A few weeks earlier, when we were planning our visit to Zurich, we were introduced to A and M. They gave us a lot of suggestions and ideas on how best to plan this short Swiss Yatra, a short detour on our way back home from India. They were extremely gracious and generous in offering to host us in home in Olten. We had planned a short outing for the day today as we were all very tired from the long flight from Mumbai.

After a sumptuous brunch of vadas and Idly with sambar (and a cup of the finest South Indian filter coffee prepared by A), we were ready to head out. Our first stop was the Rhine Falls. We had to take 3 trains to get there from Olten, but it all seemed so easy and seamless.

The Rhine Falls is the largest plain water falls in Europe. As we stepped off the train, you could hear the Falls, and that roar gets your adrenaline pumping. It turned to be a fantastic weather day, the sun was out shining bright. The temperature was in the low to mid 60s, just a perfect day to be outdoors.

After a steep climb to the top from the train station (you ride an elevator too) we go to the main attraction level where we got our tickets to begin our tour. There are several viewing platforms that offer a panoramic view of the Falls. The bright sunny day made this scene picture perfect. The boat tours were on the other side of the Rhine. The setting reminded me of the Niagara Falls, though by size and magnitude there really no comparison.

A couple of hours and many many pictures later, we decided to move on to our next destination, downtown Zurich. As we stepped out the Zurich HB Bahnhoff, we were in the heart of the bustling city of Zurich.

The city of Zurich, a global center for banking and finance, lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland. The picturesque lanes of the central Altstadt (Old Town), on either side of the Limmat River, reflect its pre-medieval history. Waterfront promenades like the Limmatquai follow the river toward the 17th-century Rathaus (town hall).

We decided that we would take a tram car ride along the famous Bahnhofstrasse all the way to the lake front. 

Lake Zürich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich.The views from the water front were lovely. I had heard that on a clear day, you could see the Alps from the lake. We had a nice warm sunny day, but there was a bit of haze on the skies. We could not see the alps, but the views were breathtaking nevertheless.

We started working our way back to the Zurich HB Bahnhoff through the streets and the canal. It was nice relaxing walk, we captured many pictures of the famous landmarks in downtown. There’s a lot of history to many of these buildings.

The Grossmünster is a Romanesque-style Protestant church in Zurich, Switzerland. It is one of the four major churches in the city.

We were tired by the time we reached home. It was a crazy 24 hours that started in the bustling streets of Mumbai and was coming to an end in the small, quiet village of Olten. More excitement to come tomorrow … we will be heading out to Interlaken and Lucerne.