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If you’re a fan of the castles and dungeons and are looking for authentic places to visit in Switzerland, take a day trip to Castelgrande, an authentic medieval castle in Bellinzona.
As dramatic as its placement atop Old Town, this fortress is the city’s most evident icon. You can also head to Lucerne to visit the Lion of Lucerne, a memorial honouring the martyrs of the French Revolution. This sculpture is also known as the saddest stone in the world as it reminds us of the sacrifice of over 700 Swiss soldiers. The Lion of Lucerne evoked the emotions of many a greats, including poet Mark Twain who interpreted the pain of the statue which depicts a lion dying from a harpoon injury. Carved from stone in the 1820s, this 6-meter monument bears the inscription, ‘HELVETIORUM FIDEI AC VIRTUTI’, which is Latin for ‘To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss’, along with a list of names of the departed majors.
