Trip - Switzerland, Austria, wow!!

On the fourth day of the trip I went from Bern to Zurich to Liechtenstein to extreme western Austria to Munich and then a night train all the way up to Denmark. Yes, Denmark. I hadn't originally planned on going to Leichtenstein, Austria, or Denmark, but I did it partly to feel better about missing Spain. So this trip covered 8 countries, 7 of which were new to me.

The ride from Bern to Zurich was foggy so I didn't see much. But I love fog, as it's very much related to my research, so I didn't mind. I stopped in Zurich for a while and walked around. The fog was half broken by then which offered some very nice views of the city. And the city itself was very attractive.

Then I headed east (first southeast) from Zurich toward Austria. At first I had no idea that I was about to see some of the most incredible scenery in the entire world. I know the expression "breathtaking scenery", but never thought it could be literal. Well, the scenery between Zurich and western Austria literally affected my breathing. Maybe part of it was the fact that I was very anxious about getting pictures.

The mountains in that area would put most other mountain ranges to shame. The only thing I can compare them to are the Tetons, Wasatch, and the Sierras near Kings Canyon. In other words, extremely tall, rugged, and steep. But there was a big difference. These mountains were mostly covered with deciduous trees! And I was there at just the right time of year for them to be bright yellow, orange, and red. You can see these colors in the Appalachians and a few other mountain ranges in the U.S., but those look like ant hills compared to these. And not only that, but the countryside and architecture were spectacular as well. I can say more, but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.


(click to enlarge)


I stopped in an Austrian town called Bregenz. There I got of the best sandwiches I've ever had, and it was quite cheap. I didn't see very much of Munich, but Bavaria in general was a little disappointing after being where I was. If I had gone there first, I probably would've been in awe. But I think any place would be disappointing after where I was earlier.

I took an overnight (11-hour) train up to Padborg, Denmark, but wasn't able to sleep on the way. So I was very tired when I arrived in Padborg.

posted by Matt @ 11:59 PM