One of the three remaining city gates, the Gate of Spalen dates back to 1400. There was a time that…read moreBasel was surrounded by walls but most of them are gone. This memorializes those times. Through this gate, a great deal of vital supplies and provisions that had come from Alsace entered the city. You can still see square main tower which is flanked by two circular towers on either side. The figures of the Madonna and two prophets decorate the façade that faces away from the city. Access is free and you can walk right through the gate today. [Review 21216 overall - 66 in Switzerland - 181 of 2024.]

The Spalentor was one of the first things we saw in Basel and it was definitely one of the most…read morememorable. It's a beautiful city gate that stands in the middle of a bustling intersection. It's mind-boggling to think how many centuries old this structure is. It used to help surround the city with walls, but those have long since been removed. The green roof is decorated with an interesting pattern and it looks similar to the ones I saw at Basel Minster. You can walk around and through this structure at all times of the day so definitely come back for some great night pictures as well. There are lots of intricate details to study and appreciate if you take the time to look.

I have not visited many castles that date back from 1036 but this was a special treat! This castle…read moreis up on the hill in Lenzburg and overlooks the town and serves as a point of reference for it's location. We made a hike up the hill to the castle after landing in Zurich and let me first say I do not recommend this is you have a health condition or did not sleep on your flight over to Zurich as I did! Oh boy...what a good hike! I felt like I was going to be sick a few times up! The castle is used for business functions, concerts and weddings. On this day they were preparing for a wedding in one of the rooms! One adult cost 14 CHF and one adult and up to five children cost 25 CHF. This was for a tour of the museum and area where you can dress up in period pice costumes, take a picture and get a good laugh at each other for how silly you look! You walk upwards and the museum is decorated in period from oldest at the bottom to newer periods as you escalate upwards! They were doing (what appeared to be) reconstruction of the outer wall as there was scaffolding on the outside. In the evening there are sheep which graze across the castle as the sun goes down to get their food. They meeeehhh beeeee and make lots of other interesting sounds! A fantastic family activity and great way to get an introduction to Swiss cultural plus get a great view of Lenzburg!

This castle just keeps going, it seemed without end. So…read moreallot a chunk of time to visit, my castle-going friends. It's so easy to get to from Brugg, Zurich, and Aarau too, by train, bus, or car, I'd recommend them all to you. Only 20 minutes walk from the bahnhof to the schloss, (but the way there's uphill, so it's kinda tough!) Or you can take the bus in only 8 minutes time, and avoid the longish walk and the uphill climb. We were there on a weekend of costumes and crowds, knights, swords, and reenactments were all around! Got a discount for my parents with the Swiss pass, and I didn't pay so much, averaged 'bout 8 franks per guest. We enjoyed burgers and bratwurst in the hof, then some ice cream cones to top it all off. There were no English tours, only German ones here- but at almost all exhibits, English signs did appear. Tons of stuff for young ones: a dragon center and kid's museum. For grown-ups: knights, courts, history-and the videos, you should see 'em! So stop on by Schloss Lenzburg for a dive back in history, You'll be so glad you visited, you'll shout a grand YIPEE!

This hill is located in the the oldest part of Zurich (near Schipfe). It was once a Celtic…read moresettlement and then it became a Roman fort. The stone wall of the fort is what you see today. There's more history there that is still being uncovered. Some items found around the Lindenhof date back to the 1st century BC. Today, it's a large park with incredible views of Zurich and the Limmat River. We saw groups of people playing boules in the grassy area on a Sunday, as well as people playing chess. There's a fountain in the middle of the square that pays homage to Hedwig's women who wore battle gear to defend the city during the seige of Zurich in 1292. It's worth seeking out as it can be quite peaceful up there even though it's a tourist hot spot. The walk up the somewhat steep pathway and steps to get there from the city center is worth it. I've read that there is an elevator for those with mobility issues, but I didn't see one. There are benches as well as places to sit along the wall. It's shady and breezy up there. A great place to relax and enjoy the view.

This was a part of a self guided walking tour recommended by our hotel; we only had one night in…read moreZurich and wanted to see what we could without overdoing it. We stayed at a hotel on the other side of the river and walked across a lovely bridge to get here. You start at the bottom of the hill where there is a one lane road. While there are cars (or were, when we visited), mostly there are pedestrians and bicyclists. The lane is full of little shops and restaurants all vying for your attention and money. Eventually you come to a wide and tall (long) staircase going up. At the top is what is considered Lindenhof Hill, a quaint park with gorgeous views across the river and towards Lake Zurich. There is a fountain and old pumping station, as well as some Roman artifacts. It's a nice park to just sit and take in the views, or play a game of giant chess/checkers. The streets are all narrow in this area, but once you leave the hill, you need to find Thermengasse. It is a covered pedestrian walkway with grating for a walkway. Underneath the grating is an exposed archeological dig of a Roman heating system. There is signage throughout the passageway telling you all about it. As night began to fall, we made our way around the area, just taking everything all in. We ended up by the Fraumuenster church and walked across the Muenster bridge towards the Niederdorf area. If we had had more time, we would have explored the area more, but we were happy with the highlights we did see. It was a nice little introduction to the city. 78/2025

Spectacular old Swiss bridge crossing a river in Luzern. In its center there is a wood chapel…read more Review: 5

This old wooden bridge crossing over the Reuss River may be smaller than the more popular Chapel…read moreBridge, but it definitely has more personality. It's the one with the triangular-shaped Kaspar Meglinger "Dance of Death" paintings. I'm guessing that they've been restored over the years. They actually looked well-preserved considering they've been exposed to the elements under the trusses of the bridge since the mid-17th century. The skeletal death guy in all the paintings is kind of creepy. Oh, and there is a Grim Reaper too. Can you imagine walking over this bridge at night while looking at all those spider-webbed paintings? We decided to take this route on the way to visiting the towers along the Musegg Wall that once fortified the city. It also happens to be the site of the hydroelectric plant and the beaver ramp. I'm not sure if beavers actually use it, but it's there in case they need to pass over the rough downstream water to get to Lake Lucerne. It's all explained with descriptive informational markers. That whole area is kind of cool. It was interesting to see even though half the bridge was under construction at the time we were there (Sept 2025). You can still see the paintings above the scaffolding. It's definitely worthy of a cross over at some point during your stay in Lucerne.

Originally a Catholic Church in 1019 AD, the Ptarrant Munster has since the 1500's been a Reformed…read moreProtestant Church The earthquake of 1358 wrecked havoc on the red sandstone construction but reconstruction efforts were successful. The church has elements of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture and is considered a heritage site of significance. The two towers of the church standout on the cities horizon . One tower is dedicated to St. George (1372), he is slaying a dragon, albeit small. the other tower is dedicated to St. Martin (1340), who is displayed riding a horse. Entrance to the church is free. however if you wish to climb the 242 steps to the top of each tower it is 4CHF. The staircase is narrow and not always lit adequately. At the top there is a viewing platform. It is an excellent view of the city, Mittlere Brucke and Rhine river. Take note of the statue of Henry the II at the main entrance. There is a crypt which holds the tomb of Gertrude of Hohenburg, who died in 1281 in Vienna. Also in the crypt is the Tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam. The attached cloister is worth exploring, as is, the Kreuzgang which leads to the Hall of Shields.

A must see, beautiful at night especially at Christmas time. This is in walking distance if you're…read morein the old town area