Switzerland Winter Vacation

SWITZERLAND WINTER VACATION | January 2020 | Zurich, Zermatt, Luzern

Andrew and I try to take two big vacations each year, right around our birthdays in November and April (last year: Arizona!). This year we decided on a Switzerland Winter Vacation! The views were magical, the food hearty + delicious, the cities clean, the transportation affordable and always on time, and the skiing was spectacular.

A dear friend of ours grew up in Switzerland and still visits frequently; along with her and a few photographer friends who had already visited Switzerland, we had a great set of recommendations for our Switzerland Winter Vacation! We flew direct from Boston to Zurich with SwissAir and landed with plenty of time to grab our rail passes for the week and head into Zurich to explore.  The main highlight of our time in Zurich was exploring Old Town. We stayed just outside Old Town at Hotel Swiss Night. I spent a lot of time walking the cobblestones and photographing the charming cafes, historic church steeples, and watching as the light changed hues across the buildings with the Alps in the distance.

ZERMATT

That second day we had a leisurely morning enjoying the Old Town before getting on the train for Zermatt. Zermatt was the highlight of our Switzerland Winter Vacation! This charming ski resort town is nestled in the Alps with the iconic Matterhorn towering overhead. One of the charming things about Zermatt is that it is a car free town. Everyone walks or takes their little electric taxes or even better, a horse drawn carriage! Our hotel, Matthiol, picked us up at the train station and took us in their shuttle to our secluded spot below the Matterhorn. I could not recommend this hotel enough – great service, very clean, quietly nestled outside the town, and a 3 minute walk to the main ski lift! We spent 5 nights here and absolutely loved every minute.

We spent 3 of our 5 days in Zermatt skiing. And we had blue-bird days every single day!! No fresh snow, but you cannot beat the views of the Matterhorn on a clear, sunny day. We became instantly spoiled by the gondolas, chic lunch stops, wide open slopes, and well groomed miles of trails. I found it hard to concentrate on skiing because every stop looked photo worthy. Every stop was a postcard. The photos don’t quite do it justice, though I tried! We were totally mesmerized by Zermatt – from our fondue dinner in an igloo, to the Veuve champagne bar on the far left slope, to the fresh made chocolates in the shape of Zermatt on our pillows, to our favorite restaurant Gitz Gadi!

LUZERN

We spent our last 2 days on our Switzerland Winter Vacation in Luzern. Luzern used to be the travel destination for the rich and famous in the late 1800s, early 1900s. The most famous of those places was the Burgenstock Hotel, originally built in 1873. Audrey Hepburn married Mel Ferrer in the Bürgenstock chapel in 1954. We booked a 4 hour stay at their spa for our last day and it was nothing short of spectacular. Recently renovated in 2017, the Burgenstock Hotel has one of the most impressive spas in the world. Overlooking Lake Luzern, we watched the sunset from the infinity pool and then enjoyed time in their saunas, steam rooms, infra red rooms and other pools. What a way to end our Switzerland Winter Vacation!!

I cannot recommend this vacation enough – just the right amount of adventure, outdoors, relaxation and indulgence. We are already scheming all the ways that we can get back for 2020! Here were some of my favorites views and moments from our trip – I hope it inspires you to take a Switzerland Winter Vacation!