3 Countries, 1 Weekend

Our travel is restricted to the weekend, so we really have to map out our routes so we can make the most of our time. This weekend we got creative and were able to venture to three countries, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.

Day 1: The first stop was at a hotel just across the Austria, Germany border in the small town of Dornbirn, which sits at the foothills of the Eastern Swiss Alps. The hotel restaurant had an amazing 360 degree view of the foothills and the mountains. They also had a locally brewed Hefeweizen beer that was awesome!


Day 2: After indulging in the complimentary breakfast buffet and taking in the gorgeous Dornbirn scenery, we jumped back into the car and headed over the other border to Switzerland.

The first Swiss stop on our list was St. Gallen and the Stiftsbibliothek, or Abbey Library. This library was unlike anything I had ever seen. It is perfectly preserved, so much so that shoes and photos were not allowed inside the main hall- Baroque Hall. Here is a link to the professional pictures.

The exhibit on display was of medicinal herbs and gardens. It was amazing to see how advancedmedicine was with the use of herbs so long ago. The doctors in our families would have been fascinated by these books, though surely it’s taught in medical school.

Rodin's Gates of Hell

Next up was Zurich where we headed over to the Kunsthaus Museum in the 95+ degree weather. This museum was very impressive and housed some of Monet’s Water Lily Ponds- which are my favorite! I also was able to stand in front of Rodin’s Gates of Hell (blog picture)and hope it is the only gates I face!

After the museum we wondered around town, explored the streets and sampled the local sweets! If we had planned ahead, we could have swam in the crystal clear river to cool off. Instead, we spent 10 Swiss Francs on bottled water. Zurich is outrageously expensive! A value meal at McDonald's would set you back $11!


Another attraction we missed in Zurich was the Lindt Chocolate Factory. I am still upset over this, although the extra sugar was probably not necessary.

That night we watched Germany take 3rd place at the World Cup in the Zurich West bar district. Not too shabby, Germany!

Amazing Zurich chocolate shop

Day 3: We headed out of Zurich and onto Basel, Roger Federer’s hometown. While there we toured the Kunstmuseum Basel. Here we saw the fantastic collection of Chagall’s Rabbis. They also had several Picassos of which I took photos of before I got in trouble... Oops!

While in Basel we also saw a group of kids doing Parkour. Justin got some cool shots which can be seen here.

Last, we stopped in Baden-Baden, Germany. This is a town located in the spectacular Schwarzwald or Black Forest- which is possibly the only type of cake I am not a fan of. (Here’s a recipe if you feel differently!)

Baden-Baden is famous for it’s mineral baths and fancy spas. President Clinton was quoted saying Baden-Baden is “so nice that you have to name it twice.” I would have to agree. We took in the sights and explored the ancient castle that is set atop a hill overlooking the forest. It was just gorgeous!

We also found the International Oldtimers Auto Show. I’m not a huge car buff, but I was very impressed with some of the cars on display! Check ‘em out here.

See all of 3 Countries, 1 Weekend pics here!