This October, I’m spending two beautiful weeks between the cities of Amden, Zurich, and Lucerne, here in Switzerland. I feel so inspired by the autumn light, the changing landscapes, the different colors, and the sensations this magical place brings me.
Yes, the best word to describe Switzerland is: magical! It’s impossible to fully express how much this country cares about details. Organization and excellence are present in every corner. The Swiss are extremely demanding when it comes to public spaces and the way they experience their cities. And for a photographer like me, whose goal is to offer experiences of ever-higher standards, this is a great reference as well.
Now, almost at the end of my trip, I’ve decided to immortalize here a collection of photographs that I loved capturing. It’s how I see the beauty of this place. And I hope you enjoy them from the other side of the screen, and hope you can feel a little more of what it’s like to experience this country.
In the Mountains of Amden
In my first week of this autumnal season in Switzerland, we spent a week in the mountains of Amden, specifically in the Arvenbüel district. This region is above Lake Walensee, and you can enjoy a fantastic view of the lake while going up and down to the district.
I highly recommend taking the bus route. The windows offer an almost uninterrupted panoramic view (you can see in the photos below). Plus, public transport in Switzerland is excellent, easy to use, and extremely punctual.
The Arvenbüel district is an incredible place to relax and slow down from a hectic routine. For the second time, I experienced the feeling of diving first into Swiss nature and silence before descending into urban life.
(If you don’t know, I was here in May 2024, just a few months ago. There’s no blog post, but there are many posts on my Instagram. You can access it here.)
Everything moves at a different pace when you’re in the Alps. Our routine is slow and consists mainly of waking up without an alarm, having a leisurely breakfast, working or studying for a few hours, walking through the forests, cooking, spending time by the fireplace, and sleeping. The absolute silence of the region complements our need for contemplation and slowness.
Honestly, I could do this for the rest of my life. Haha.
By the way, one impressive thing about Switzerland is the silence. I never knew a country could be so audibly comfortable until I was here. For anyone with sensory sensitivities to noise, like me, you’ll definitely feel good here.
Two activities stood out for me in the mountains. First, getting close and petting the cows (with care and respect, of course). And also having the time to observe the yellow leaves gradually arriving for the autumn spectacle, along with the characteristic changes in light during this season.
Below, you can see many photos from the day when the light was extra special. I got so excited that it was the day I took the most pictures during the entire trip.
Urban Life in Zurich
For the second week of my trip, I stayed in Zurich. It’s no secret that I’ve been in love with this city since I first set foot here. I especially love how beauty and functionality coexist here.
It’s definitely a different kind of beauty than what we see in Swiss nature. What stands out most in Zurich is how extremely clean, organized, punctual, and easy to navigate it is. Everyone is polite, and everything works perfectly. It’s also a very international and multilingual city — a city made for people!
Interestingly, though, I didn’t take many photos with my camera here. Between social commitments, work, and the activities we chose to do, it was harder to carry my camera around. I saved a lot of moments in my Instagram stories, but those were taken with my phone. (Check them out here.)
Below, you can see a few shots I took during a night walk. Yes, the city is so safe that I could do this—walking around with my camera, capturing photos. Something I love doing but can’t always do.
My favorite is the one of the bridge, where you can see the lights reflected in Lake Limmat.
Road Trip to Lucerne
A new experience this season was visiting the city of Lucerne. We took a car and drove 50 minutes from Zurich.
We spent almost the entire afternoon walking around the old town, Altstadt, and I think it was enough time to get to know the city. It’s quite small, so a day trip was enough.
This is definitely one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. The architecture is stunning, and the Reuss River is considered the cleanest in Switzerland (Spoiler: all rivers are clean). The light reflected on the water illuminates the buildings in a unique way.
And walking through the streets with a historian boyfriend by my side made everything more interesting. In fact, he graduated in history from the Universität Luzern and made sure to show me around the campus.
Lucerne is one of the oldest cities in Switzerland, with many medieval details preserved. For example, the wooden bridge, Kapellbrücke (shown in the photos below), was built around the year 1400.
And with everything I’ve mentioned here, don’t be surprised if you encounter many tourists along the way. Even in autumn and on a cloudy day, the bridges are full of people taking photos and enjoying the city.
Indeed, Lucerne is extremely charming and inviting.
While I write this trip summary for you, I’m preparing to return to Brazil. I hope you enjoyed seeing the details of my autumn season in Switzerland. Next year, there will be more, but in a different season.
Best regards,
Mari.
