London As The Gateway To Zurich for a Multigenerational Vacation With Abundant Chocolate Experiences and A Surprise of Four Countries in One Day. Part II ZURICH AND SWITZERLAND WITH GRANDCHILDREN
- Mema
- Jul 7
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 11
Part II ZURICH AND SWITZERLAND WITH GRANDCHILDREN With Abundant Chocolate Experiences and A Surprise of Four Countries in One Day.
Two grandchildren, ages fourteen and seventeen, and their seventeen year old family friend joining us, had never been to London, and the seventeen year old grandson always craved Switzerland. I found that Zurich is number two of twenty three choices of weekends from London! See, “23 Quick And Affordable Weekend Trips You Can Easily Take From London,” by AnaMaria Glaven, on Buzzfeed who began with: “Plane tickets are affordable and time spent en route is reasonable — which means you can spend three days in, say, Sweden without feeling like you've lost two days traveling. Below, we've rounded up some of the best destinations for a quick weekend (or long weekend) getaway.”
So, after a fabulous time in London, we were on our way to Zurich. Zurich was recommended as just a short flight from London. Surprises awaited. We were able to visit two major chocolate factories, and be introduced to a chocolate that we had never known about before (and became addicted to). We were able to visit four countries in one day from Zurich. We visited the beautiful old city of Lucerne from Zurich and Old Town Zurich. We got to see so much of Switzerland in just a few days.
Using the following itinerary, you too can duplicate the Zurich stopover from the two blog posts of London As The Gateway To Zurich for a Multigenerational Vacation With Abundant Chocolate Experiences and A Surprise of Four Countries in One Day.
Our choice Zurich hotel was just ten minutes from the airport and walking distance to the center of town:
HOTEL: Zurich Marriott Hotel Neumuehlequai 42 Zurich, Switzerland +41 44 360 70 70
After researching the available guides in Zurich, we found a perfect guide for the five of us, wonderful with our teenagers:
GREAT ZURICH GUIDE: Samantha Aegchbach The Zurich Insider +41 76 464 54 88
Here is our three day very busy Switzerland itinerary:
DAY 1: ZURICH WITH SAMANTHA: ZURICH HIGHLIGHTS AND HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE IN ZURICH, ZURICH OLD TOWN, NOON LINDT HOME OF CHOCOLATE AND MUSEUM TOUR; PM SHOPPING: BAHNHOFSTRASSE DESIGNERS DISTRICT AND CHOCOLATE Confiserie Sprüngli; DINNER 6 pm #1 STEAK HOUSE IN SWITZERLAND: WILLIAM BUTCHER’S TABLE
Highlights of Samantha’s morning tour of Zurich included a private viewing of the model of the city in City Hall, views of the city from the highest hilltop, and a private visit to the underground beginnings of Zurich.
Lindt Home of Chocolate and Chocolate Museum for an immersive Swiss chocolate experience.
The visit to the Lindt factory let us experience the biggest Lindt Chocolate Shop, the spectacular Lindt chocolate fountain, and an interactive chocolate museum all about the Swiss cultural heritage of chocolate. In the museum, you journey back to the origins of chocolate and experience how cocoa conquered Europe, are introduced to the Swiss chocolate pioneers and their inventions, and follow the chocolate manufacturing process in the modern test facilities. We sampled all different types of chocolates along the way.
Bahnhofstrasse in the Swiss city of Zurich is the city's main downtown street and one of the world's most expensive and exclusive shopping avenues. In 2011, a study named Bahnhofstrasse the most expensive street for retail property in Europe, and the third most expensive street in Europe. Bahnhofstrasse is a catwalk for big-name designers, such as Cartier, Prada, and Chanel. Located 500 meters northwest of Münsterhof, it’s widely known as Zurich’s upmarket shopping avenue. Beautiful to walk, but too expensive to buy!
The southern end of Bahnhofstrasse is where you can visit Paradeplatz, a town square closest to Lake Zurich. The square is known for Confiserie Sprüngli, a luxury chocolatier dating back to 1836.
SPLURGE FOR DINNER: #1 STEAKHOUSE IN SWITZERLAND
William Butcher’s Table am Hegibachplatz Neumünsterstrasse 34, Zürich, ZH 8008, CH
Hearing about different cuts of steak from around the world at a butcher’s counter, and getting and tasting small amounts of the varied chosen cuts was a delicious learning experience.
DAY 2: LADERACH CHOCOLATE FACTORY AND FACTORY STORE, PRIVATE DAY TRIP TO 4 COUNTRIES: VADUZ LIECHTENSTEIN, BREGENZ AUSTRIA, CABLE CAR RIDE TO PFANDER, LINDAU, GERMANY AND RHINE FALLS SWITZERLAND: EUROPE’S LARGEST WATERFALL
On Tripadvisor, I found Alp Excursions, which offered a four country tour in one day from Zurich, and added, at Samantha’s recommendation, a stop for a tour of the fabulous Laderach Chocolate Factory and Factory Store.
Yes, this is a long 11-12 hour day, but well worth it. Each stop is only 45 minutes to an hour drive to the next stop.
From Samantha who recommended: stopping at the Läderach House of Chocolate in Bilten en route to Liechtenstein. Not only is this my favorite chocolate factory so far, but it offers the opportunity to see artisanal Swiss chocolate-making and take home freshly crafted confections directly from the source. Additionally, you may participate in a "Make Your Own Chocolate Bar" experience, a fun and interactive way to create a personalized Swiss chocolate souvenir.
We loved our self-guided visit of the Läderach Chocolate Museum, tasting at the chocolate fountain with four delicious chocolate flavors—being introduced to Läderach BLOND CARAMEL chocolate (we discovered it is available in the U.S. after buying so much in Switzerland), decorating our own molds of chocolate of our choice (white, milk, dark) in the Chocolate Atelier.
We shopped at the Läderach largest fresh chocolate counter in Switzerland with over 20 different varieties. In addition to the entire product selection of chocolates, pralines and truffles we had the advantage of the special factory pricing --exclusively in Bilten, Switzerland!
NOW ON TO OUR FOUR COUNTRY TOUR:
VADUZ, LIECHTENSTEIN:
We began by exploring Vaduz in Liechtenstein, including the Cathedral of St. Florin, the Government House, and the City Hall. Vaduz castle is not open to the public as it is still occupied by the princely family. While in Vaduz, we obtained a passport stamp from the Vaduz Tourism Office. My grandson was able to get a Liechenstein license plate!
Vaduz is not only the capital of Liechtenstein, but also the seat of the national parliament, a magnificent building. The village, which is located along the Rhine, had 5,696 residents. The country has a strong financial sector centered in Vaduz. We loved the huge outdoor artist sculptures along the main street.
BREGENZ, AUSTRIA
Bregenz is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switzerland in the west and Germany the northwest. The first settlements date from 1500 BC. There are town walls and town hall, tower built by the Romans and ruins from the 13th to 16th C.
CABLE CAR RIDE TO PFANDER
The Pfänderbahn, a cable car in Bregenz, Austria, offered a scenic ride connecting the shore of Lake Constance to the mountain station near the Pfänderspitze, with the trip lasting about 6 minutes. The Pfänderbahn is an aerial tramway that connects the shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee) at 419 meters (1,375 ft) above sea level with the 1,022 m (3,353 ft) high mountain station near the Pfänderspitze. It provided the best views of the Allgäu Alps and the Rätikon mountain range, Silvretta. You can even see as far as the Black Forest. The view was spectacular lying on lounge chairs overlooking the Alps and walking the trails at the top of the mountain.
LINDAU, GERMANY (A STOP IN BAVARIA)
Following that, we visited Lindau in Germany, admired the ancient beautifully decorated Mangturm Tower and enjoyed strolling along the shores of Lake Constance. Lindau, a major town and island on the eastern side of Lake Constance (Bodensee in German) in Bavaria, Germany, is best known for its charming medieval (the period from the 5th to 15th centuries known as the Middle Ages) and Baroque (1600 to 1750, elaborate ornamentation) architecture and stunning lake views. The ancient walled harbor is spectacular.
RHINE FALLS: EUROPE’S LARGEST WATERFALL
Last, the tour culminated with a visit to Europe's largest waterfall, the Rhine Falls, and its stunning Laufen Castle, overlooking the falls, which dates to the year 858, over 1,000 years old. The falls are located on the High Rhine at Neuhausen am Rheinfall Village and just below Schaffhausen in the north of Switzerland. The Rhine's waters flow at the rate of 23 meters over a breadth of 150 meters. The Rhine Falls (Rheinfall) is breathtaking and the largest plain waterfall in Europe. There are levels of viewing platforms right to the edge of the falls.
Exhausted, we ate dinner very near the hotel. Pizzeria Veneziana Stampfenbachstrasse 102, Zurich 8006 Switzerland
DAY 3: WITH SAMANTHA: LUCERNE HIGHLIGHTS AND OLD TOWN; ALPINE VIEWS; LUCERNE SHOPPING; ZURICH OLD TOWN SHOPPING. DINNER AT ZURICH OLD TOWN FONDUE RESTAURANT LE DEZALEY
Morning: Lucerne’s Iconic Sights: Lucerne, Switzerland is famous for its striking beauty, historic preservation, and many attractions. One of Switzerland's prettiest cities, Lucerne is a medieval Swiss town known for its beautiful cobalt blue lake, well preserved architecture, iconic wooden bridge, 19th century chapels, fabulous Swiss views and delicious alpine cheese.
We enjoyed a scenic drive with hidden gems along the way. We hiked to the top of a vantage point with the ruins of an old castle. We visited a church made entirely of translucent marble and enjoyed the lakeside drive to Lucerne, where we visited the Chapel Bridge, Switzerland’s most famous wooden bridge, explored the Lion Monument, and learned the history of this moving tribute carved into the rock. We strolled along the picturesque lakeside promenade and through Lucerne’s charming Old Town. Yes, we had time for Starbucks, and souvenir shopping. The older teenager collected souvenir beer glasses stamped from each town and location we visited.
Afternoon: Scenic Alpine Viewpoints. We drove to one of Lucerne’s stunning vantage points, a castle turned into a hotel, for breathtaking panoramas of the Alps.
At the end of Lucerne travel day: OLD TOWN ZURICH
On our walking tour of Old Town Zurich, Samantha pointed out the streetwear stores (yes, Zurich also had streetwear stores, not nearly as much as London, and much more expensive as is everything else.)
Website of stores within five minutes of the restaurant. .
Streetwear stores:
diallo the store Schoffelgasse 6, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Titolo. Niederdorfstrasse 10 8001 Zürich Switzerland
FONDUE DINNER: Restaurant Le Dézaley Römergasse 9, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland Phone +41 (0)44 251 61 29
Whitewashed restaurant open since 1903, serving Swiss dishes like fondue, rösti & sausages. Waiters speak English and explained fondue choices for the teens.
After a multigenerational spring break travel trip to London and Zurich, we headed home with many wonderful memories,* and for this Grandma, extra weight after eating what seemed like pounds of delicious Swiss chocolate, with
Joy,
Mema
*As with every multigenerational trip our family takes, this Grandma gathers together all of the photographs each member of the group has taken, and creates a Shutterfly book. Fortunately, now Shutterfly offers a service where one just uploads all the pictures, answers a set of questions, and Shutterfly staff create the book for you. Wait until the frequent sale of unlimited free pages to buy the copies of the book for each member of the family.
