Jared Ning

Travel

Lucerne

2012-11-13

My 2nd stop in Switzerland was Lucerne. It didn't start off well because the weather was a bit cold and rainy. If it's cloudy, it can really ruin your trip up to the mountains of the Alps, my top priority in Switzerland. As soon as I stepped out in Lucerne, I could tell it was going to allow me to do what I came to do.

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The first day I spent walking around Old Town. Not quite as dense with unaffordable stores, but still lots of shopping. However, they have a unique site that I really liked: the monument of the dying lion. Mark Twain (my travel hero) called it "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world".

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The next day, the weather cleared up a bit. So I decided to go to the mountains. I took the train up most of the way to Mt. Rigi, and then hiked about two hours to the peak. This is what I came to see in Switzerland.

On the advice of my host, I took the scenic route to Berne, my next destination. I passed through the Alps along tiny towns surrounded by grass-covered hills and crystal clear lakes.. The train rides in Switzerland have been the most beautiful in Europe.