Basic info for the day
- The last day of the tour! Return to Zürich traveling right underneath the Alps via the Gotthard Base Tunnel, currently the longest train tunnel in the world. After exiting the tunnel on the north side of the Alps, the onward journey to Zürich takes us along the shores of Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug, and Lake Zürich.
- In Zürich, take a short guided tour and have some lunch before taking a quick train connection to the famous Lindt Home of Chocolate, a must for all chocolate lovers, where you can take yourself on a self-guided tour.
- In the late afternoon - check into your downtown hotel to freshen up.
- Meet for our last group dinner together reflecting on the many great memories (and photos) we have created.
Gotthard Base Tunnel
Opened in June 2016, claiming the title of "World's longest and deepest railway tunnel" at 57 kms (35 mi), at 550 m above sea level underneath 2'450 m (8'040 ft) of mountain. A massive engineering project that took 12 years to complete.
After a goods train derailed in the tunnel in Aug 2023 causing massive damage and closure of the tunnel for 2 years, it showed just how dependent the tunnel has become as a transit route for goods and cargo for European countries. In 2022 more than two thirds of all rail traffic through the Alps passed through the Gotthard Base Tunnel.
ZÜRICH
Population - 450'000 - largest city in Switzerland but not in the list of largest 50 European cities.
Business capital of Switzerland - headquarters of large banks, insurance companies, and research arms of tech giants (Google, Microsoft).
Founding - Neolithic and Bronze Age settlement known as 'Turi'. The Romans arrived in 15 BC and romanized it to 'Turicum'.
Zürich HB train station - built in 1847 to receive 4 trains per day; now serves close on 3000 trains per day on 26 tracks; the busiest train station in Europe.
Free water - over 1200 public water fountains and you can drink from every one of them.
Largest church-tower clock - the world's largest clock face on a church tower is on St Peter's church originally built in 1366.
Center for tertiary education - city has 7 universities and around 50'000 students; the ETH Federal Institute of Technology is consistently listed as Europe's top university.
Major center for museums - over 50 museums in and around the city.
Notable residents - Carl Jung, Johanna Spyri (author of Heidi), Albert Einstein, Lenin, James Joyce.