The Alps by Automobile
In January of 2019, Rebecca and I decided to embark on the ultimate road trip and explore the Alps by automobile. We began our crazy adventure in northern Italy, but before it was all over we had traveled through the snowy passes of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria. This post serves as a photographic diary of our scenic journey along the way.
We entrusted this little French 5-speeder, a Citroën, to carry us safely through the Alps. (more…)
Posted in Europe, Adventurous Places and tagged Alps, Austria, Italy, Switzerland by Big John with no comments yet.
Big John Storms the Castle of Montebello
Lying east of the Ticino River at the foot of the Alps is the Swiss village of Bellinzona. There are many things that make this city a fantastic place to visit. There’s its abundance of orchards and vineyards, its thick forested hills, and sprawling green alpine pastures. There’s Bellinzona’s fascinating Roman history, as well as its undeniable Italian influence and its proud Swiss heritage. Yet, out of all the things that make Bellinzona a must-see place, there is still something else that really makes this place stand out on a map. The thing that makes Bellinzona such a fascinating place is it has, not one, but three magnificent castles all within the boundaries of its city! The Castelgrande, the Montebello, and the Sasso Corbaro have been a part of the UNESCO world heritage sites since 2000.
The Swiss city of Bellinzona shares much of that old world charm with its Italian neighbor. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe and tagged castle, Montebello, Switzerland by Big John with no comments yet.
The Medieval Charm of Lucerne, Switzerland
On the shores of Lake Lucerne, within sights of mounts Pilatus and Rigi, lies the medieval Charm of Lucerne, Switzerland. Out of all the places that Rebecca and I visited within the Swiss Alps, this German-speaking village was probably one of our favorites.
This quaint farmhouse is another example of the charm of Lucerne. A shout out goes to Pius Hofer for providing us these gracious accommodations through Airbnb.
Our little Alpine adventure began here in the upstairs apartment of this charming farmhouse. Even though we were close to the city, we were far enough removed to enjoy the peace and serenity of the Swiss countryside. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe and tagged Lucerne, Switzerland by Big John with 2 comments.
Zermatt and the Matterhorn
Straddling the border of Switzerland and Italy, with a summit reaching 14,692 feet high, rests the most easily recognized feature in all of the Alps – the Matterhorn. Our travels to this monumental alpine peak would prove to be a journey Rebecca and I would not soon forget!
Big John braves the cold outside a Swiss train depot.
We set out on our snowy road trip from Lucerne, Switzerland with a distance of 110 miles to cover before reaching our final destination. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe and tagged Matterhorn, Switzerland, Zermatt by Big John with no comments yet.