Switzerland and Liechtenstein
In September 2013, we explored Switzerland and Liechtenstein with our friends, Michelle, Jeff, Gabi, and Pete.
The six of us covered a lot of ground in three days!
John and I flew into Zurich and drove to Bakery B. Steiner in Meilen where we met the other four for breakfast.
Gabi pre-ordered Chäschüechli for us:
Or as I like to call them, Little Cheese Tarts of Heaven.
After breakfast, we all drove to Maienfeld to Johanna Spyri’s “Heidihaus” (Heidi’s House).
The theme of Heidi’s Village is “Heidi: yesterday – today – tomorrow”.
Heidi’s Village offers tours of the original Heidihaus:
And a petting zoo.
There is also a trail you can hike, but we didn’t go too far.
Just high enough to enjoy the view.
And take a few pictures, of course!
Our next stop was Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein.
Vaduz Castle is the most prominent landmark of Vaduz and is the residence of the Reigning Prince.
We stayed at Landhaus am Giessen, a short walk from the center of town.
The stunning view and balconies at Landhaus am Giessen made for a picturesque picnic lunch.
We had a few Chäschüechli leftover from breakfast, meat, cheese, and Bündner Birebrot:
Bündner Birebrot is a specialty from the canton of Graubünden made essentially from dried pears, nuts and spices.
Think fruitcake, but WAY better.
Later that night we ate at Michelin star restaurant, Marée.
It is located in the Parkhotel Sonnenhof Hotel.
Dinner started with a delicious amuse-bouche from the chef:
And after that, it seemed every bite was better than the last!
Two kinds of goose liver with plums, apples, and cinnamon crumbles:
Warm smoked trout with pickled beetroot, wasabi, and celery foam:
Roasted deer filet with red cabbage, apple, cranberries, and butter spätzli:
Tender ray wing with capers, brown garlic-butter, and crispy breadcrumbs:
And last, but certainly not least:
Basil soup with berries and lemon sorbet.
It was so good we asked if the chef would be available to tell us more about it.
Never in a million years did we think he’d actually come to our table and talk to us!
Thank you, Chef Hubertus Real!
Your family’s gracious hospitality and your delectable creations made for the perfect ending to an already wonderful day.
Before leaving Vaduz the next morning, we went into town to get our passports stamped.
It’s one of the things you have to do when visiting Liechtenstein.
About an hour from Vaduz is Berggasthaus Aescher-Wildkirchli, a 170-year-old guest house and restaurant tucked into the side of a mountain in the Appenzell Alps.
You can read all about how we got up there and our scrumptious chäsrösti lunch HERE.
After lunch we explored Appenzell’s car-free village.
And then we were off to Baden!
We stayed at Atrium-Hotel Blume, a historic hotel with a unique atrium where guests dine.
Gabi’s grandfather, Karl Friz, was a citizen of the City of Baden. He bought this house on Aug. 25, 1921.
It was built in 1565.
The sign reads: Zufrieden sind in diesem Haus all die da gehen ein und aus.
Loosely translated it means: Content are in this house all those who go in and out.
The next day, we drove to Fribourg and ate Fondue Vacherin at Café du Midi.
You can read all about our afternoon in Fribourg HERE.
The last stop on our adventure was Gruyères.
Gruyères is a medieval town in the canton of Fribourg.
I talk a lot about Gruyère cheese on here and it is named after the town of — you guessed it — Gruyères!
The first time John and I were in Gruyères was September 2009. It was one of the stops we made on our BMW European Delivery trip.
We were so excited when we found out we could squeeze it in on this trip — everything is better with friends!
The Castle of Gruyères was built between 1270 and 1282.
Admission is 10 CHF, about 11 USD.
And it is worth every cent.
Our last bite together was at Restaurant Chalet de Gruyères for crème de Gruyère and raspberries.
Crème de Gruyère is only available in Gruyère and is as loved as their cheese.
It is a deliciously thick cream famous for its high butterfat content.
There is nothing in the world like it.
What a luscious treat to end our time together ~ Wow!
As much as we hated to part ways, we knew the memories we made would fuse us together . . .
Until next time!
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Be sure to read about our lunch at Berggasthaus Aescher-Wildkirchli:
And Fondue Vacherin in Fribourg, too!
