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Fountains of Altstadt

Seven fountains from Zürich’s old town.

The old-town area of Zürich includes many of the most dramatic and interesting fountains, some of which I’ve already shared here. Today I’m posting 22 photos from seven fountains, all within a few blocks of each other. They start here in the gallery.

The Stüssihofstatt fountain, below, was described by another blogger as “a memorial built in honor of the former Bürgermeister [Mayor] Rudolf Stüssi, killed in battle not far from here.” It is one of the few painted fountains in Zürich – which we saw to be far more common in Bern.

An impressive statue fountain in the heart of old Zürich.

Unfortunately, I don’t know the story behind any of the other fountains. The I particularly like this one, a very dynamic sculpture of a man battling a lion.

An impressive statue fountain along the Limmat in old Zürich.

And this one follows a common theme – a young maiden bathing.

A pretty fountain next to Landesmuseum and beside the Limmat river.

Finally, a more contemporary design (1932), a multi-level fountain with a statue of a rearing horse.

A grand fountain on the southern edge of Alt Zurich.

For more photos of these and three other fountains, start here in the gallery.

Return to Flumserberg

Another fine day on Flumserberg.

Tuesday’s weather was promising to be gorgeous, and I could not let such a day pass me by – despite an afternoon full of meetings. Waking early, and browsing the weather maps, train schedules, and hiking routes, I decided to return to Flumserberg – because it is close and offers many options. The catch?: the best train would leave in 13 minutes. Good thing I keep my backpack ready to go! Jump on the train with me, read on, and check out the gallery.

A marmot grazing high on the slopes of Flumserberg.

Aletsch Glacier

A beautiful hike past a massive UNESCO heritage site.

The Aletsch glacier is one of those must-see destinations in Switzerland. A UNESCO heritage site, it is the largest glacier in the Alps and is actually the combination of several glaciers draining the backside of major peaks I’d seen just two days earlier: Mönch, Jungfrau, Eiger, and their neighbors. I really wanted to hike this glacier valley before I leave Switzerland – yet I have very few hiking days left. So, I spontaneously decided to head for the Aletsch Arena instead of returning to Zürich as planned.

This is one of those hikes that is worthy of an extensive gallery – because the scenery is so dramatic I simply could not resist that shutter button. Check out that gallery and read on.

Aletsch glacier and, I believe, the Wannenhorns (big and small).

Vevey

A brief visit to the French side of Switzerland.

After visiting Grindelwald, Wengen, and Lauterbrunnen, we headed over to the French side of Switzerland for a night in Vevey. A pretty little town on the shore of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman), we had just enough time to stroll about the old town and to enjoy a sunny loop cruise on the lake aboard Vevey, one of a few antique paddlewheel boats that ply the waters on behalf of tourists and commuters. It was a beautiful morning and the views of the surrounding vineyards, chateaux, and mountains were impressive.

View of Vevey, Switzerland, from the ship of the same name.

Vevey is home to many interesting things – including Nestlé, the food company, which sponsored a food museum called Alimentarium. Out front, in the water just offshore, is a giant fork. Curious!

An unusual sculpture on the lakehore in Vevey, Switzerland.

Check out the gallery for more photos.

Lauterbrunnen

A morning’s visit to Lauterbrunnen valley, including a walk to Staubbach Falls and Trümmelbach falls.

After a beautiful view of the Lauterbrunnen valley at sunrise on Friday morning, and a hearty breakfast at the Hotel Edelweiss in Wengen, we boarded the cog train down from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen. It was a short walk to the edge of town and the famous Staubbach Falls. Impressive from above, these falls are truly inspirational in person. Read on, check out the gallery, and you won’t miss Trümmelbach Falls.

Lauterbrunnen from the trail to Staubbach falls.

Wengen sunrise

A beautiful morning view from Wengen.

On Friday morning I woke early at our hotel in Wengen, a small village overlooking the Lauterbrunnen valley, and walked to the Mönchblick viewpoint as the sun was illuminating the high peaks. I waited almost an hour for it to reach down into Lauterbrunnen before heading back to breakfast. I was treated to a spectacular view of major peaks like Mönch and Jungfrau, and their neighbors Silberhorn and Breithorn, as well as the pretty town of Lauterbrunnen down in the valley, with its famous Staubbach Falls glistening in the morning sunlight. Be sure to check out the gallery, because the small photo here will not do that morning any justice.

Morning view of Mönch, Jungfrau, Breithorn peaks. and Wengen and Lauterbrunnen villages, from Mönchblick viewpoint, Wengwald.

Grindelwald to Kleine-Scheidegg

A surprisingly challenging climb.

Seeking to maximize our final weeks in Switzerland, Pam and Andy and I headed off for another overnight trip. On Thursday we took a sequence of trains to reach Grindelwald, a delightful tourist town in the heart of the Jungfrau region, surrounded by stunning alpine peaks. Pam and I were last here in December – a quick trip on a stunningly beautiful winter day – and I hiked into Grindelwald after the incredible Faulhorn trek last fall. Check out the gallery and read on.

A field of wildflowers below the north face of the Eiger.

Basel-isk fountain

Another fountain imported from a distant city.

I came across this fountain in the newer section of Zürich’s downtown area, early one Sunday morning. It’s an unusual and intriguing figure – a sort of dragon-like rooster with a snake’s tail. It looked familiar; I later remembered that it is a fountain common in Basel, which I’d seen during my February visit (like this photo).

This style of fountain is common in Basel, but unique in Zurich.

For three close-up photos, start here.

Update June 29: a friend informs me this creature is more likely a cockatrice, not a basilisk, but then the pun doesn’t work quite as well ;-).

Utilitarian fountains

A variety of Zürich fountains.

Today I’m posting a collection of a variety of Zürich fountains, mostly utilitarian in nature. though each different in their own way. See them in the gallery beginning here.

A common two-spout large-pool fountain in Alt Zurich, with a simple post rather than a statue.

The photo above shows a common form for the fountain’s spouts – a lion blowing water through a tube whose end looks like a duck (or goose). The lion is a common symbol of Zürich and the duck/goose motif is common on many spouts around town.

Mettmen–Leglerhütte

A spectacular hike from Mettmen to Leglerhütte and Unter Chärf.

Sometimes when you go for a long hike into the mountains, you never want to leave and come back. Today was one of those days – no clouds, no wind, no bugs, and spectacular views in every direction. In fact, I would rank this as one of the most outstanding hikes I’ve had in Switzerland – second only to that amazing night on Faulhorn last fall. Today I was inspired by a post from another blogger to return to Mettmen in the Glarus region, a place I visited for my first hike in Switzerland last fall. What an outstanding day! read on, and be sure to check out the gall e ry – today was a photographer’s dream.