Crash Landing on You in Iseltwald

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I guess one of the reasons why Switzerland tends to be so popular among the visitors lately is due to "Crash Landing On You", which has officially claimed to be the second highest rated drama in Korean TV history. Apart from South Korea, majority of the shooting scenes were filmed in Switzerland and this causes the TV fans all over the world to fly in Switzerland and travel various locations in order to recreate the scenes from the show.     

#1: Small village of Iseltwald on the southern shores of Lake Brienz 

One of the most renowned shooting scenes is in the small village of Iseltwald, roughly around 20 minutes from Interlaken. Right after we done with the paragliding, we took bus 103 towards Iseltwald, Dorfplatz (you can catch this bus from both Interlaken OST and Interlaken West station) and drop off at Iseltwald Dorfplatz, the last bus stop.  

#2: Bus 103 towards Iseltwald Dorfplatz 

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Ri Jeong Hyeok's sorrowful, yet mesmerising piano scene (played by Hyun Bin) was filmed in front of a private residence which is just right next to the port of the Harbour Iseltward. But no worries as the landing pier is a public place and all visitors are free to walk pass through it. Just that you might need to wait patiently if you want to take photos cause there are some people who never satisfied with their photos (if you know what I mean).  

#4: Image credit to tnV

One more thing - do not expect the piano will be there cause, it's not. Luckily both of us didn't put any higher expectations prior to this trip, or else, for sure we will be disappointed for it. Thankfully too by the time when we're there, the queue was kinda short and less than 10 minutes, we managed to shoot few photos. 

#5: CLOYing in Switzerland 

Apart from taking the bus, you can even hop on the ferry to get back to Interlaken and this is what we did. This ferry ride is covered under Swiss Travel Pass and both of us were trying hard to utilise the pass as maximum as we can. No regret for taking the ferry ride back to Interlaken cause we're rewarded with awesome and breathtaking scenery.

#6: Hop on the ferry to get back to Interlaken and this ride is covered under Swiss Travel Pass

#7: Every ride in Switzerland is rewarded with this kind of amazing view 

#8: You will not easily get lost in Switzerland cause almost everywhere is with a clear signboard

#9: Before we check-in into our accommodation in Interlaken, dropby at Coop supermarket right opposite of Interlaken Ost station to prepare our dinner for the night. 

In case you want to know more of Crash Landing on You filming locations in Switzerland, you can check out here. 

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Scenic Train Ride From Lucerne to Interlaken & We Did Paragliding

 << Previous Post: Half Day in Basel & Bern <<

After based in Lucerne for 3 nights, now we're ready to pack our bags and moved to the next destination where we're going to stay there for another 3 nights. My husband doesn't like the idea of frequently checking-in and out, hence we decided to pick few spots as our based. For our second stay, we decided to stay in Interlaken.  

As usual, I woke up super duper early, like around 4 to 5am for the sake of preparing our hearty breakfast and lunch. Thankfully, most of the accommodations we booked do have kitchenette with basic cooking facilities for us to prepare most of our meals. 

#1: Preparing breakfast and lunch before departing to Interlaken 

We took the scenic train ride from Lucerne to Interlaken on the Golden Pass Line and this train line will directly alight at Interlaken Ost station. This line tends to be quite popular among the tourists because during this roughly two-hours train ride, passengers will surely astound with the breathtaking landscape of the crystal clear mountain lakes and if you want to get the best views, remember to sit on the right side of the train. Great news for those who are holding the valid Swiss Travel Pass as this line is covered too. 

#2: We took the 6.06am direct train from Lucerne towards Interlaken Ost 

#3: Normally, there are plenty of empty seats if you are travelling pretty early

#4: Remember to sit on the right side for the best views 

ARRIVING IN INTERLAKEN 

Apparently there are two stations in Interlaken; Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West, the latter is much more closer to the city centre. Most of the trains stop at both stations, except for trains from Lucerne and the trains to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald which stop only at Interlaken Ost station. As for our accommodation, it's situated closer to Interlaken West and in order to get there from Interlaken Ost station, one can either take a bus (10 minutes journey) or walk for a little over 20 minutes. 

#5: Interlaken Ost station, one of the main stations 

EXPLORING INTERLAKEN 

Since it's pretty early and we're not allowed to check-in into our accommodation, therefore we wandered around this small little town in the region of central Switzerland to kill the time. Interlaken is relatively small enough to get around on foot. 

#6: It's spring season during our visit and look how lovely all these flowers were 

#7: Interlaken is popular among the Korean visitors due to the Korean Netflix series "Crash Landing On You" were filmed here, particularly at this 150-year Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel. 

#8: So surprised to spot casino in Interlaken 

#9: Dubbed the Garden of Friendship, this garden is a gift from Interlaken's Japanese twin town of Otsu.

PARAGLIDING IN INTERLAKEN 

Looking for more adrenaline rush activity? Then, you shouldn't miss out the seamless paragliding adventure in Interlaken (provided that the weather is permitted). We're blessed with great weather by the time we arrived in Interlaken and immediately we signed up for this one in a lifetime activity. You can even sign up from Klook as the price is more or less is the same as the one we signed on the spot. 

#10: Paragliding is one of the things you must try when in Interlaken 

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#12: This is not my maiden experienced as I tried in before in Pokhara, Nepal but of course, Switzerland offers undoubtedly breathtaking view. 

#13: This is where we signed up for paragliding by just walk-in and thankfully, there are two spots left

OUR ACCOMMODATION IN INTERLAKEN 

CityChalet historic

Date Stayed: 29 April - 2 May 2022 (3 nights)

Room Rate: RM1,822 (Booked from Booking.com)

Things I Like About This Accommodation: 

• A kitchenette well-equipped with basic utensils, fridge, and oven
• A washing machine and the host provided us detergent too 
• Free parking space provided (although we don't have car) 
• A small grocery just outside of this accommodation and for just a short 5 minutes walk away, there is plenty of shops, restaurants (McDonald's), post office and souvenir stores. Love the location so much.   
• 7 minutes walk to Interlaken West Station 

Things I Dislike About This Accommodation: 

• There is no microwave provided but for us, this is just a small little issue. 

Overall, my husband and I love this accommodation and will definitely pick to stay here if we're coming to Interlaken again. 

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Half Day in Basel & Bern

 << Previous Post: Colmar, A French Fairytale <<

Since we're back to Basel from Colmar, therefore we decided to have a brief and short trip of this town lies in the north-western corner of Switzerland. Bear in mind that the train tickets to and fro Colmar don't cover under the Swiss Travel Pass and therefore, you have to purchase a separate ticket at the ticket counter or office. 

EXPLORING AROUND BASEL
Apparently, Basel has two main railway stations and majority all the trains run from Basel SBB which is about 1km south of city centre. And when we were in Basel, we rely on the tram to get from one point to another point.  

#1: In Basel, we took tram to explore the town. 

From Basel SBB, we took tram to Marktplatz, the market square in the old town of Basel. Numerous of fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, pastries and flowers are sold in the market and on every Saturday mornings are the busiest. Situated just besides the market place is the Rathaus or Town Hall which is the home to the Basel government and parliament. Currently, it's still in official use, but visitors are allowed to wander into the courtyard, or if you are interested to know more, you can join a guided tour with Basel Tourism. 

#2: The Rathaus or Town Hall, home to the Basel government and and parliament 

#3: Visitors are allowed to enter and visit the courtyard for free. 

How To Get To Basel Marktplatz (Market Square) & Rathaus (Town Hall):
From Basel SBB Station, take tram T8, T11 and B30.

Opening Hours for Rathaus: 8am to 5pm (Closed on every Saturday)

We continued with our exploration to Markthalle, an indoor food market that serve wide range of international cuisines from the various stalls such as Thai, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Afghan, Peruan, Argentinian and more. Price wise, it ranges between CHF15 to CHF25 which I found it's pretty fair. 

 

#4: Markthalle, a covered market that serves various of international cuisines under the roof.

How To Get To Basel Markthalle:
3 minutes of walking from SBB Basel station. 

Opening Hours: 8am to 7pm on Monday

                           8am to 12am on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

                           8am to 2am on Friday and Saturday 
                           8am to 5pm on Sunday

There are many things to do and see in Basel but because we're pressed for time, we only managed to visit 2 places only before we move on to Bern. From Basel, it takes roughly an hour by train to Bern and this route is covered under Swiss Travel Pass. 

 

EXPLORING AROUND BERN
In order to get around Bern, we took both buses and trams. 

#5: Bahnhof Bern 

From Bahnhof Bern (the main train station), we took bus to Rosengarten, a lovely park with a view overlooking the Bern town. This place can be easily reached by bus #10 where you can catch it from the Bern railway station in direction of Ostermundigen Rüti and the bus ride takes roughly 10 minutes plus. There were lots of a group of families and friends gathered together to have picnic or even sunbathing when we're there but I still found this place to be peaceful and relaxing. Wish I could spend more time here! 

#6: Bern has officially become one of my favourite cities/town in Switzerland.  

#7: Rosengarten, a lovely park with a view overlooking the Bern town

From Rosengarten, we walked down the hill to the bear pits which is not far away - less than 10 minutes of walking. This is one of the coolest attractions that I came across cause first, it's open to public. Secondly, the bears are so adorable, though they were lazing around. Apparently, bears are the symbol of Bern and you can see this on their flag. 

#8: Bear pits right in the middle of the city where visitors can sight the bears for free

A trip to Bern is incomplete without visiting the old town which has earned a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It features 4 miles of arcaded walkways along streets decked out with fountains and clock-towers.  

#9: Bern's Old Town has been listed as part of UNESCO World Heritage 

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#11: Zytglogge, the clock tower built in the center of the old town is another thing you shouldn't miss when in Bern. 

By the way, do you know that Bern is the capital city of Switzerland?

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Colmar, A French Fairytale

<< Previous Post: Lake Lucerne Cruise & Mount Rigi <<

Originally our trip to Switzerland is just to fully focused on exploring the nation but being me, I wanna do some cross-border trip. While browsing some Instagram stories, I came across Bibie Karim where she travelled to Colmar from Basel. This fairytale town in northeastern France has always been one of my wishlists to go ever since I came back from Bukit Tinggi, Pahang. Coincidentally, I have added Basel in our Switzerland plan and the travel time from Basel to Colmar only takes less than 50 minutes (better than taking train from Paris as it will takes nearly 3 hours to Colmar). 

HOW TO GET TO COLMAR FROM LUCERNE & BASEL

We began our trip from Lucerne and from there, we took train to Basel. As usual, both of us always kick off our trip as early as we can. The journey from Lucerne to Basel takes roughly an hour plus for the direct train. For your information, ticket to Colmar is not covered under Swiss Travel Pass and you can't purchase it from the ticket machine. So once you arrive at Basel Station, immediately head to SBB ticket office in the main hall to get the ticket to Colmar. And don't forget to bring along your passport. One way train fare from Basel to Colmar costs CHF17 (approx. to RM77).  

#1: We began our journey from Lucerne as we're based there for 3 nights. 

#2: Ticket to Colmar can only be purchased at SBB Ticket Office and must bring along your passport with you. The ticket is not covered under Swiss Travel Pass. 

ARRIVING COLMAR 
The train to Colmar from Basel was incredibly fast and we're almost missed our station. There is no border control as France and Switzerland are part of the Schengen area. We alighted at Colmar Station and from there, we walked to the magical fairytale town which is about 10 minutes of walking. Luckily the Sim Card we bought from Shopee was workable in France too. 

#3: Colmar Station is 10 minutes of walking to the magical fairytale town. 

THINGS WE DO AND SEE IN COLMAR  

1) La Petite Venice (Little Venice)

This is the first place we visited before the crowds arrive. A definitely spot you must dropby no matter how short your trip is as this area is lined with colourful houses and buildings along the river. Not just that it's feast for the eyes but perfectly feast for the Gram too. 

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2) Marche Couvert (Colmar Covered Market)

Not far away from the Little Venice is the indoor market features various stalls selling meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, pastries, coffees and more. 

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3) Historic Centre of Colmar 

The historic centre of Colmar is undeniably one of the most beautiful historical centres in Europe. This area has kept its authenticity where everything is unique and can only be found and see in Colmar town. One of the buildings you shouldn't miss is Au Vieux Pignon, one of the oldest houses in town. Every year this building was decorated regularly and renewed decorations. 

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#11: One of the buildings you shouldn't miss is Au Vieux Pignon, one of the oldest houses in town

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4) The Pfister House

One of the symbols of the city of Colmar is the Pfister House. It is an example of Renaissance architecture in Colmar. The scenes, paintings are inspired by the Bible and the Old Testament but there are also portraits of Germanic emperors on its facade. "Pfister House" got its name three hundred years after it was built when François Joseph Pfister became the owner of the house. It is an emblematic place in Colmar and classified as historical monument. 

 

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5) St. Martin's Church 

This Roman Catholic Church is a huge striking edifice set in tiny of Colmar old town streets. It dominates the town skyline with its lavish Gothic beauty. 

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6) Best Croissant and Pastries at Gilg 

A trip to Colmar is incomplete without savour one of the French's most popular pastries, which is the croissant. And Gilg claimed to be one of the best pastries in Colmar.  

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Colmar is quite popular for Christmas holiday and if you are planning to visit Colmar, perhaps you can plan on this festive season.  

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