On the rails between Chur and Zürich.

We started the day exploring the lovely Altstadt (Old Town) of Chur. They were setting up for what looked like a very impressive city-wide festival, too bad we can’t stay.

Then back on the train for a short, hour and a half, trip to Zürich. The scenery was exactly what you would expect to see in the Swiss countryside, pastoral green hills, cows, small quaint villages, clear lakes and the occasional castle.  In fact, this is Heidi territory.

Once at the Hauptbahnhof in Zürich, we made a quick transfer to an airport train and checked into our hotel to drop off our bags.  We are leaving for England at dawn tomorrow so we wanted to be on-site to make things as easy as possible at that inhuman time of the day. Then back into central Zürich.

There was no real agenda today, just walking around and taking it easy after the last few hectic days. We enjoy the Old Towns in European cities, and this one was no exception.  Larger than many such districts, we found its sister cobbled-street neighborhood of Niederdorf across the River Limmat even more charming and definitely more upscale.  Being ever-minded of equal opportunity, we visited cafes on both sides.

It was fun to walk along the beautiful high-end shops on the Bahnhofstrasse, and to hang out in the park at Bürkliplatz and watch the people, boats and swans on the sparkling glacial lake Zürichsee.

Prost!

Kirche St. Martin in Old Town, Chur.

The Rhine River in Chur, Switzerland’s oldest city, was inhabited since the Neolithic era in 2500 BC and settled by the Romans in the 1st century BC.

Along the Zurichsee.

The Fraumunster Church, one of the four major churches in Zürich.