Natale

The Christmas season has arrived! Here in Ticino, our gorgeous autumn folded beautifully into a crisp winter nights. The clear evenings have been perfect for stargazing while the daytime sunshine wraps us in faux fur coats.

In November, my friend Katie arrived from Boston for a visit. We took the train(s) from Lugano to Zermatt, enjoying bright orange larch trees blanketed the valleys surrounding us. Reminiscent of fall foliage season back in New England, It was a lovely last hurrah for fall, as the days continued to grow shorter and cooler.

Without a Thanksgiving holiday to celebrate in late November, the festival of lights starts quite early in Switzerland. From tree lightings to Santa parades, there is no shortage of buon natale to go around. First up, the Christmas markets!

My friend Monique arrived from Turkey ready to enjoy all that Switzerland has to offer, from brats to glühwein to brioche. We started off strong in Lucerne with pretzels and sausage at Rathaus Brauerei before watching the skaters near the train station.

We were absolutely spoiled by the blue skies on the second day of our journey. We enjoyed views for days from the bar at the Hotel Château Gütsch. Fun fact: Michael Jackson enjoyed this hotel so much that he once tried to buy it (his bid fell through).

For lunch, we met up with Monique’s good friends from Istanbul. So warm and welcoming, they hosted us for tea at their home along the lake with sunset views of Mt. Pilatus. The icing on a truly spectacular day.

We arrived to our next destination, Bern, in the evening. Bern is the Swiss capital – the federal city. We stayed in the Old Town area, within walking distance of the Christmas markets.

Bern hosts five Christmas markets. Some markets are full of food trucks, while others had cozy cabins to enjoy glühwein. My favorite was located at Münsterplatz, in front of the Bern cathedral. An actual artisan market with shopkeepers proud to share their creations, we circled back to this gem a number of times.

A day of clear skies and sunshine helped to ward off the winter chill. Drinks in the park with views of the distant Alps couldn’t be beat. Bern was a real winner.

For my last Christmas event, a friend organized a visit to the town of Küssnacht-am-Rigi for Klausjagen. Before the parade, men cleared the streets by cracking their whips (terrifying). Over 1,500 men marched with cowbells and lanterns to celebrate St. Nicolas Day. The huge cowbells had our ears ringing. Once the lanterns arrived, we could relax and marvel at the gorgeous handmade designs – with most featuring actual candles burning atop the head of their dancer.

It was a magical night. Very Swiss! In the morning, we enjoyed the opening weekend of the Lucerne Christmas markets.

With choirs of men singing carols to glass ornaments and even an advent calendar on the windows of a building, Lucerne proved a charming venue.

With just one week of school to go until break, it is time to send 2025 on its way. Wishing you buon natale and auguri per un anno pieno di gioia – a joyful and prosperous new year to come.