Lunch at 7000ft!

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The train journey from Berlin to Basel went by relatively quickly despite its length and following that it was a short yet incredibly hot (no air conditioning) and noisy trip to Lucerne. It may have been very noisy but the scenery was pretty amazing. Switzerland looks a lot like the South Island of New Zealand with snow capped mountains, lush green fields and sparkling blue lakes. Upon our arrival at the train station we had a short walk to what turned out to be very nice accommodation located quite close to the river and 'Old Town' area.
Our first day in Lucerne would have to one of the best we have had on the trip too. Firstly we took a cruise on Lake Lucerne which gave us absolutely stunning views of the Swiss Alps, Mt Pilatus which sits behind the town and all the little villages that line the lake. After an hour or so cruising we were dropped at a place called Alpnachstad where we took the 'Worlds Steepest Cog Railway' up to the summit of Mt Pilatus which stands at just under 7000ft. The view from atop the mountain was absolutely spectacular. We could see the Alps off in the distance, the city nestled next to the lake and many other surrounding lakes and towns. After consuming the most expensive lunch with the most impressive view I've ever had we caught an incredibly steep gondola followed by an incredibly long gondola to the bottom of the mountain. To anyone who reads this, the cruise around the lake followed by the trip up Mt Pilatus is worth every cent.
The following day was spent wandering around the 'Old Town' area which has some really impressive architecture, and we walked across the 'Chapel Bridge' which is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe. It burnt down in a fire a few years ago but was quickly rebuilt to its former splendour. After a short walk around the town walls we headed home to prepare for our next long train journey to Salzburg.

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Photos

Lake Lucerne
The view from Mt Pilatus of Lucerne and surrounding lakes.