Switzerland, Slovenia | the quest for the Swiss Dream and the fairytale lake that I had never heard of
From Zürich’s crystal rivers to Slovenia’s Alpine gem—an unexpected journey through order, beauty, and surprise
I started ideating this sabbatical trip with a bittersweet feeling.
I’d be going to many places I dreamed of going and seeing many friends along the way. Sweet.
I’d also have to make choices and, with each choice, give up on a wish. Bitter.
The most obvious option I had to renounce was the somewhat expensive lifestyle I had adopted over the years.
Anyways, I’ll stop being pedantic. I’m on a budget.
And someone who is on a budget doesn’t go to Zürich. Period.
So I carried on with carefully outlining the high-level itinerary of my trip. I’d go from Italy and skip Switzerland altogether, which was a bit of a shame, on my way to Germany.
Previous Zürich Trip
I don’t say this lightly. A couple of years ago I traveled to Europe for two weeks. It was a mini-Euro trip, perhaps a prelude to my travels this year.
I hurried through Belgium, visiting family there, then went to Amsterdam for a day. From there I flew to Berlin, where I met my cousin who had just moved there (yes, the same one from this year’s Easter) and caught another flight to Zürich.
The funny thing is that I almost didn’t go there. I was originally thinking about finishing the trip in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, as I was seeking a “non-traditional” stop to make the trip a bit more unique.
The flights from Tallinn, however, were scheduled for times that didn’t really work for me and a friend who was joining for these last few days of the trip.
So I optimized… and landed in Zürich. It worked and it was a new destination for both of us.
Though it has been close to two years, I remember those days very vividly.
I got to Zürich in the afternoon, intrigued by what Switzerland would offer me. After all, I had heard mixed things about it.
Some condemned it:
“Switzerland is nice, but everything is very expensive. The people are also not the warmest and it is a bit boring.”
While others praised it:
“Switzerland is an amazing place. Everything works and the train is always on time. It is a wealthy nation of hardworking people, beautiful landscapes, and accessible nature.”
I thought I’d see it for myself.
My plane had arrived punctually and the airport was very impressive, with breathtaking views, and it gave me the impression that it likely functioned like clockwork.
I then proceeded to buy my train ticket to the main train station, which was within walking distance from the hotel in which I was staying.
After a few minutes aboard the train, nothing happened… we didn’t move, and then I heard some policemen come in and give out some instructions, in Swiss-German, which I, of course, did not understand at all.
I asked someone next to me for a quick translation. “Oh, he said the train is broken. We need to move to the next one.”
Wow, for real? Out of all countries known for their rail network, Switzerland was most definitely number one on my “I don’t expect to hop on a broken train” list.
I switched to the next main station-bound train, hoping this was just an unlucky event and not a presage to a couple of dreadful days, which turned out to be accurate.
The Limmat River and the Floaters
Upon arriving at the station, I exited and started walking to the hotel, crossing the Limmat, a beautiful alpine river that flows from immense Lake Zürich. I then started noticing people swimming in the river, usually with a floater tied to one of their wrists.
I dropped my bags off and went for a walk along the river. It was a scene. I was there in the middle of July: peak summer.
The river bank was lively, with people tanning, picnicking, and enjoying the warm weather.
I sat there and watched the people as I tried to understand a few questions that were coming to my mind.
Why do they have these floaters? Perhaps as a way to show rowing boats that they are also there? Why is no one blasting music from a music box?
Wow, it does feel nice to only hear the sound of nature, chatter, the swim strokes, and, yes, the eventual teenager jumping from the bridge into the river.
Without answers, I headed back to my hotel and asked the concierge (different times) about the floaters. He then explained:
“No, the floater is, in reality, a bag. You put all your belongings in it, fold it three times, buckle it at the top, and then you can swim and have everything with you once you leave the river. Some people in Zürich even commute to and from work by swimming in the river during the summer.”
Very interesting, I replied. And what about the music box? Is there a law prohibiting people from playing music in public spaces? I asked.
“No, it is not prohibited, but it is not nice as it may disturb others, so here in Switzerland no one plays loud music in public areas”
Wow, what a slap in the face. Of course, the next day I went back to the same spot, with one of those cool floater bags the concierge had gifted me (it really works!), and there was a group of Brazilians playing music. My fellow compatriots, be better.
Zürich’s Charm and Wealth
Zürich intrigued me. People, though indeed a bit cold, were polite. The Old Town was very charming, with amazing views of Lake Zürich and a backdrop of the Alps, and well-preserved buildings blended with the modern and luxurious shops, hotels, and businesses.
Bahnhofstrasse, which linked the train station to the lake, is full of stores that get progressively more expensive as you get closer to the lake.
It starts with H&M and it ends with the likes of Chopard, Rolex, Breitling, and Tag Heuer.
Switzerland is wealthy and the sky is blue. But how did they get to this position?
Learning About Switzerland’s History
One morning, I visited the Landesmuseum. Or… the Swiss National Museum. While there, I spent hours trying to understand what made Switzerland so special.
At least, from their perspective.
In a nutshell, Switzerland is a sort of an “endgame EU”. Its formal name is the “Helvetic Confederation”, or “Confoederatio Helvetica”, in Latin (hence their two-letter code is CH).
Switzerland was first formed as an alliance, over 700 years ago, so that 3 different cantons would stop fighting with each other and to better protect themselves from other invaders.
It progressively expanded, as neighboring cantons realized it was a better deal to be friends than to live with the looming possibility of conflict.
A small nation in territory, Switzerland today has 26 cantons, each with their particularities and administrative autonomy.
There are 4 official languages. Though Swiss-German is the most spoken, there is a significant number of French and Italian speakers as well. Romansh, the other official language is only spoken in the Graubünden canton, and not by many people. I still wonder what it sounds like.
But you probably knew about this too. I was, however, impressed to learn that the Swiss as a state was a collective effort and slowly built over time. There are no stories of demigod-like founders. There is no adulation of a single or a few historical figures, who are held on a pedestal without space for questioning their acts and biographies.
There was one particular painting showing the Swiss “founders”. I counted over 100 people there, from different centuries and walks of life, and each could claim a small contribution to shaping Switzerland as the country it is today.
I also learned that Switzerland was once a pauper country. In the mid-1800s, many people have to leave it in search of a better life, going to different places in search of opportunities. The “New World”, albeit not so new at the time, was one of the places the Swiss migrated to, some inclusive going to Brazil, dreaming of a more prosperous life.
Those who stayed worked in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and finance, with the country soon modernizing and becoming a trading hub and financial center.
It also stayed out of the big European conflicts of the 20th century, perhaps questionably, but it gave them a post-war edge as they didn’t have to rebuild like other neighboring countries.
Today, Switzerland enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the world, the population is highly educated, and it is also one of the wealthiest countries on a per-capita basis.
Being there makes you feel like you’re in a fully functional society. There is no sense of political anxiety or tribalism. People just seem at ease with each other.
It feels calm.
Politics and Direct Democracy
Switzerland’s politics is organized in a very unique way. There is no unique figure leading the executive branch. Instead, there is a Federal Council of 7 members, which rotates every two years, with a different member of the council leading up the Executive power.
Do you wonder who is leading up the Federal Council right now? Me too. Unless you live there, it is highly unlikely you’ll know.
In other words, Swiss politics sounds very boring and uneventful.
Big questions are also at times left to the general society, with referenda being common. These instances of direct democracy work there, though it is important to remember that the Swiss are a fairly homogeneous group with high levels of education. I don’t believe this would work in most places in the world.
What Could Have Been
I ended my summer trip in 2023 highly impressed with Switzerland as a country and eager to explore more of it. A few days after I was back, I had a call with my immigration attorneys in the US to discuss my impending visa deadline.
I was told there would be delays, and that it would be wise to look for opportunities in other countries to gain time in the immigration process.
I told them: “No problem. I just came back from vacation in Switzerland and would love to live there for a couple of years”.
As you may know, that didn’t quite work out and I stayed in the US just until my visa was about to expire.
Oh, the attorneys also very eloquently asked if marriage would be an option for me, as this would be the best option to obtain the Green Card.
While the answer to the question was “no”, it did not go unnoticed by me how this was very sound legal advice.
Nonetheless, even though I didn’t end up packing my belongings and living in Zürich for 1 or 2 years, I knew that eventually I’d be back there.
Again, I was a bit bummed I wasn’t planning on going there. It just wouldn’t be wise given that I need to make my money last for one year.
The Unexpected Alps Hike
After I had already forgotten about visiting Switzerland on this trip, a friend of a colleague of mine, with whom I had been in touch to get recommendations for my days in Prague, invited me to go on a hike in the Alps.
I was concerned about my budget, but I could crash on the couch for a couple of days and then there would be a cheap cabin for the hike. It was hard to say no!
On Saturday, we took a few trains to go to the mountains in the Bern canton. Trains in Switzerland (and Austria too, for that matter) are simply awe-inspiring. At most times, you’re next to a dramatic mountain, often snowcapped despite being already in May.
The 3-hour ride passed by very quickly and it even included a panoramic train! Once we got off at the train station close to our Hütte, we had to wait a couple of hours for the next bus or walk our way up to our base.
We decided to walk along the bus route, hopping on it once it was nearby.
We were going for a hike, after all, so I didn’t mind the extra steps. While the views were gorgeous, I thought it was insightful to see a bit of the rural life in Switzerland and a bit of the countryside, which I hadn’t been able to do on my last time there.
Everything looked pristine, but what struck me the most was seeing that the big wealth inequality in Switzerland doesn’t seem to be an inequality problem, at least not in the same way as in many other countries.
Switzerland is “full of billionaires”, due to the tax advantages estate planners may enjoy, but at the same time you walk around in the rural area and the houses look comfortable. People in the countryside are well-dressed and they are mostly fit.
I asked my new friend how she liked living in Zürich. The response: “Switzerland is great if you like sports and the outdoors.”
This resonates with what I saw in my short time there. I saw plenty of hikers, bikers, and even paragliders. On my train back to Zürich, I also saw a couple of guys with their skis, catching a bit of the last powder of the season.
The impression it gave me was that you don’t have to be in a certain income bracket to have a healthy lifestyle in Switzerland. Food, though expensive, is very high-quality, and there is easy access to activities year-round and all around.
The Hütte
Once we got to the Hütte, it was time to unpack. We had brought groceries with us, along with some blankets. Hütten are a type of cottage lodging, with no insulation. It gets chillingly cold at night, and there were a couple of fireplaces to warm the place. The stove was also wood-fired, which was fun for one day.
The Hütte we stayed was a 4-dorm accommodation, with each room packed with bunk beds, some of it fitting 6 to 8 people side to side.
It is not a lot of privacy, but it is cheap and accessible. Luckily, we had the place all for ourselves during our brief stay.
Surprisingly, everything was high-quality and well-maintained. The kitchen was well-equipped and the impression it gave me was that every single guest had taken good care of the facilities, like it was their own.
My stay at the Hütte made me feel appreciative of this authentic Swiss experience. I felt like a traveler.
From there, we hiked in the mountains that surrounded it. Once we got back to the lodge, my new friend’s friend had also joined us (she had missed the first train) and we cooked dinner, using the wood-fired stove, of course.
It felt a bit like camping, but I wasn’t brave enough to go outside and see the stars along with the full moon. It was too cold for that.
The Swiss Dream
Once dinner was served, we started chatting about our experiences as expats living in different countries. They are also immigrants, from the Czech Republic and Sweden. I asked them if they were living in Zürich to chase the Swiss Dream.
“But what’s the Swiss Dream?”, they asked me to clarify.
I told them: “I don’t know. You’re the ones living here. You tell me: what’s the Swiss Dream?”.
After a few minutes in which they pondered, they replied: “I don’t think the Swiss Dream exists”.
Would that be perhaps because the Swiss Reality is already good enough?
I left Switzerland wondering what the Swiss Reality feels like if you live there. Boring? Safe? Prosperous? Healthy? Annoying? Cold? Adventurous?
If you’re from Switzerland and are reading this, I would love to read your thoughts on the Swiss Dream and the Swiss Reality. Don’t be shy! 😊
From Zürich, I started to fall back on track with my travel schedule. As it turned out, I took a train for almost 8 hours heading west, from Bratislava all the way to Zürich, and I was supposed to be in the Balkans already.
I went to Munich for a couple of days, which was nice since I had rushed through it in April, and I now had time to see other parts of town. In the end, I was feeling a bit under the weather and didn’t do much. A nice stroll in the Englisch Garten did the trick for me.
From Munich, I took 5 trains and a replacement bus to get to my next destination, Lake Bled. I had never heard of it, and it was most definitely not in my plans. I was told in a hostel that it was a place worth checking out, so I saved it as an idea.
Well, I’m glad I decided to go there!
Slovenia’s Fairytale Lake
A pristine lake in the Julian Alps, in Slovenia, Lake Bled just seems straight out of a fairytale. The water glistens in turquoise when the sun is shining, and there is an island right in the middle of the lake, with a beautiful church dating from the 17th century.
It is also surrounded by mountains, which make a scenic backdrop and provide incredible views once you hike up a few hundred meters in elevation. There is also a massive cliff with a castle built on top of it.
The lake is not that big. Its perimeter is only about 6 km, which is perfect for jogging. The water felt refreshing and I can see this place being very busy in the summer, when the temperatures are a bit warmer.
For now, I was content to enjoy the spring, with flowers blossoming on trees left and right, and my imagination telling me that Rapunzel was trapped inside the castle, waiting for Prince Charming to come for her rescue.
Upcoming Itinerary
📍May 18th-19th: Zagreb, HR
📍May 20th-22nd: Sarajevo, BA
📍May 23rd-25th: Belgrade, RS
💬 Are you from Switzerland or Slovenia—or have you been? I’d love to hear your take on the Swiss Dream (or Reality). Drop a comment below!
Bio
Hi, I’m Guido, a Brazilian traveler who spent 13 years in the US before life nudged me toward a long-awaited dream: a year of exploring the world. I started this page to share my journey with family and friends, but if you’ve found your way here, I’m grateful you came along!
Hey
I‘m Nina we met in Krakau:)
I think there is no swiss dream because you‘re live can be so diffrent depent where in Switzerland you live.
Living in Zürich is eventfull and every one is always a littel bit under stress then you go to Bern also a City but you don’t feel stressd at all the people are just more relaxed.
I am born in Switzerland and I think swiss reality is working hard and make you live around working what is okey but you really need to love your job.
But for me its okey because for the weekend it‘s so easy to go to the mountains going for a hike or bike ride what you prefer and all the stress is away.
So i can say I love Switzerland but we could work on our work life balance.
And i don’t think there is a swiss dream because as small Switzerland is, it is it‘s also so diffrent depend on the part your in.