The Official Blog Of Ritam Saha

Interlaken is located in the Canton of Bern The town of Interlaken developed its reputation as a tourist destination. Located in a narrow stretch of valley between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, Interlaken serves as a popular base for tourists visiting the mountains in the Jungfrau region. The peaceful little town is served by two stations, Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West, the Ost (German for east) being the main station. Trains continously serve the Lauterbrunnen valley station from here, carrying large crowds of tourists who then ascend the mountains towards Grindelwald, Schilthorn or the Jungfraujoch. The Interlaken West station is calm and peaceful Interlaken, as a town, is strikingly pretty, with its several short, neat buildings making up the bulk of the settlement. Ferries operate on both lakes, sailing down to Brienz and Thun, stopping at occasional villages like Merligen, Gottigen and towns like Spiez. If you're spending more than two days at Interlaken, as...

Basel's City Hall is as colourful as the events held in it The city of Basel is on the northern frontier of Switzerland, and very near to the tri-junction of international borders of Switzerland with France and Germany, its northern neighbours. The city is significant due to its massive historical past, preserved in its old city. Its very presence serves to remind the traveller of the wonderful cultural heritage that inhibits the country. When I visited, Basel offered me its wonderful crêpes, its stunning 17th century European appeal and a marvellously cold weather that ensured I did not remove my windcheater. We used a Eurocity Express train bound for Frankfurt HBF to travel from Bern to Basel. This was right after a city tour of the Swiss capital itself - an experience that I have shared here . This high speed rail pulled in on Track 4 in Bern, and we boarded. Sitting right opposite to us in the coach was a Swiss couple, who, after a few minutes of silence began to in...

Zürich is Switzerland's gateway to the world The city of Zürich is probably the most famous in all of Switzerland. It stands on the northern banks of the Zürichsee, or Lake Zürich , in north central Switzerland. It claims its place as the largest city in the Swiss Confederation and as the capital of the Canton of  Zürich. The city is home to Switzerland's largest airport, Flughafen Zürich (ZRH)  and is therefore Switzerland's gateway to the rest of the world. The airport is situated at the north of the residential areas, in an area called Kloten. Apart from the massive air connectivity that the city boasts about, there is much to its credit that allows it a separate place on a trip to Zurich HB is the largest and busiest station in Switzerland Switzerland. It is the commerce capital of the country, far more modern and swift than ancient Bern, which is more engaged in its regal past than in the swiftness of the twenty first century.  Zürich is se...

Europe's best mountains lie in the Alpine state of Switzerland, a country that boasts of the whitest peaks and the most picturesque landscapes. However, Switzerland stands apart for another reason - the Swiss know just how to civilise the mountain tops. They introduce connectivity to inaccessible regions, ensuring high tourist activity and stunning Alpine experiences. Perhaps the most visited of all is the Jungfraujoch, a saddle connecting the Mönch and Eiger peaks in the Bernese Oberland. I travelled to this very place during the month of May in 2018 for the third time and was not disappointed. It seemed all new. Scores of tourists were flocking to Jungfraujoch, all riding the train right up into the tunnel. The old Bollywood restaurant was still serving hot Indian food while the open area and glacier park looked as thrilling as ever. To reach the Jungfrau region, one must take the train from Lauterbrunnen station in the valley. It is a beautiful place, this valley - and ...

The Last Train Ritam Saha 22nd February 2018 The last train stood on Platform 3 with it's lights on and thick smoke rising in a single black column from the funnel on top of its engine. A young boy in shorts stood in the smoggy night, his eyes hooked onto the last crowd of office-goers boarding the train to go home. At any minute now, they would all depart on this last train and the station would be quiet for the night. From his position in the corner of the platform, he had a fairly good view of the entire train. It's doors were open. Typical . Doors were never closed on these local passenger trains. He watched as people crammed into the compartments, pushing and shoving their way through. Like every other day, this last train too, was chock full. The digital clock on the platform read 11.27 PM. The train was due in 3 minutes. His attention was suddenly diverted by the sight of the portly stationmaster sauntering onto the platform from his room in the station ...