SWISS ALPINE DIARIES

Exploring the picture perfect Swiss towns of Engelberg and Zermatt

- AKANKSHA MAKER

Cooped up at home since a few months, when I got the opportunity to visit Switzerland, it's safe that I jumped on it. The country was one of the first to open up to Indians – and those of us who are double vaccinated with Covishield can enter without an RTPCR test.

And it fits; Indians have loved this country since decades. I remember my grandparents telling me stories of their times in Switzerland and how Bollywood movies played a key role in catalysing the Swiss love affair.

My second visit to this gorgeous country came with a lot of anticipation and excitement. Boarding the Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt (I flew Business Flex on the Mumbai-Frankfurt-Zurich route) — I slept my way through the night flight, only to wake up fresh and ready for my adventurous week. Landing into Zurich Flughafen (airport) felt like homecoming; spotting Coop and Migros (the popular departmental stores of Switzerland) put a smile on my face as I reminisced my previous travels here. The signs of SBB: Swiss Federal Railways instantly a enlivened me to hop onto the quintessential Swiss train journeys again! Boasting of precision and high frequency, the Swiss train system is perhaps the most ideal way to explore the length and breadth of the country. You can access every corner of the nation via only a few train a changes. It's also extremely simple to navigate. Get the SBB Mobile app on your phone and you're good to go. Do always try to find a window seat; as every rail journey is an exhibit of classic panoramas; grazing cows amid lush landscapes with mountainous backdrops, sweeping views of tranquil lakes, architecturally vivid chalets and a charming mix of cityscape and the countryside.