which do you prefer and why.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
Neither. Switzerland is one of my favorites countries in Europe but I'm not a big fan of any of it's cities. They are nice places to live; but for a tourist they are a bit "blah". I send most all my time in the Alps enjoying the beautiful scenery, and the outdoor activities. I visited all the cities on my first trip in 1998, have been back to CH three more times, and never had any desire to revisit them.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, IL
10 posts
Well, I meant more along the lines of "to live", not to do "touristy" things.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
As this is a travel forum I assumed you meant touristy things. Zurich was named by the EIU as one of the five most livable cities in the world last year: http://tinyurl.com/2rbv5f .....so there you go.
Posted by
West Sacramento, California, USA
281 posts
Josh:
I spent seven summers in Switzerland back in my college days, and I have friends and family that live there. When my sister was going to school in Zurich, I always enjoyed visiting her, and I like the area around the lake, but the neighborhoods are just that. Like cities everywhere, some areas are newer, some more run down, some are chic, some are very "blue collar." On the other hand, Bern is a nice city, although it doesn't have the lakeside ambiance. Its neighborhoods seem more distinct, with close in "suburbs" that are within a few stops on the tram or commuter train (S-Bahn). My sister teaches in Bern, and lives in a small village about 15km out, it is like the Swiss version of Mayberry. It would be hard to compare these cities to anything in the U.S. because there is nothing in Switzerland on the scale of large U.S. cities. If I had to choose between these two cities, I would pick Bern, and then live in one of the nearby suburbs or villages. But, Zug is my # 1.
Posted by
Newport Beach, CA, USA
769 posts
Just did the alps this summer and stayed a couple days in Old Berne after - its a great old town with lots of history and lots of walking around the old inner city. There are some nice higher view points from both the catherdral tower, clock tower, and a couple hills around. Great for a full day of casual exploring if youre on your way to/from the alps. Thun is also nice along the lake area. Zurich is nice for old-town history and catherdal (Marc Chagal windows) if youre into that, but the more touristy things are in the Lucerne, Interlacken area. A day trip to one of the big mountains may be fun too (Around Thun or Lucern or Interlaken). THere are always lake cruises too (but they can take a bit of time - figure 2-3 hrs for train rides and as much for ships)/