It’s that time of the year again! The last month of the year has arrived and, with it, the Advent season… And there’s no better place to enjoy these days than in Switzerland. I still remember the first time I visited Zurich five years ago… I was amazed! I came in December, during a very cold week. But I didn’t care about the temperature… Every day I spent in this city was magical! The Christmas markets scattered around the city centre, the pretty, simple and elegant lights adorning the streets, the smells, the festive atmosphere… I know, it is supposed to be the same in every city. But trust me, Zurich is beautiful, but during Christmas it becomes magical!! That time, I fell in love with the city. Five years after that first visit – and almost three years living in Zurich – the feeling hasn’t changed at all. Every year, I wait eagerly for the Christmas lights to be switched on in the city centre. I feel like I’m walking in a dream while strolling under the million stars of Lucy in Bahnhofstrasse. The smell of roasted chestnuts, Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and Glühwein fill the air in the streets, the choirs sing beautiful songs and cheerful Christmas carols at the Singing Christmas Tree, the Christmas markets are crowded with families and friends toasting with Glühwein and eating raclette, and the magical Märlitram rolls around the city with its angels telling fairy tales to the little ones while Samichlaus (Swiss Santa Claus) is behind the wheel . These days, I don’t see people just running to buy food and presents. Christmas in Zurich is relaxed, charming… and beautiful!! It always lifts my spirit to wander around the city, camera in hand, trying to capture all the beauty of these cold and festive days…
As this is also the last post of this year, I’d like to look back and see how this 2019 has been. Personally, it hasn’t been the easiest year. There have been a few bad moments, but there have been also many great ones to compensate. I travelled a lot! To some familiar places and to new ones too! Around Switzerland and a bit further too: Lapland, France, Spain, Ireland, Germany… Even some of my dreams came true!! This year I saw the Northern lights, I slept in a mountain refuge and saw my first sunrise in the Swiss Alps, I visited beautiful Paris and some of my photos have been published in a printed travel magazine… I took a looooot of photos and posted in the blog more than 700 of them in 42 posts!!! I learnt a few new tricks with my camera (like capturing fireworks!), a few others with Lightroom and, in general, I think my photography has improved somehow (even if I’m sometimes my most strict critic). I hope 2020 comes with more great moments, trips, hikes and lots of photos to show you here!!
I wish you all a beautiful Christmas holiday with your loved ones!!! And a great start of the new year!!! Thanks for being here one more year, reading, liking and commenting my posts and (I hope) enjoying my photos!!
And, of course, here are the photos of this Christmas season in Zurich. As always, I hope you like them!! See you next year! 🙂
The Singing Christmas Tree. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 42mm f/2.8 1/60sec. ISO640
Agustinergasse. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 53mm f/10 1/50sec. ISO6400
Christmas market in Münsterhof. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 50mm f/8 1/25sec. ISO6400
Little alley in Niderdorf. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 35mm f/9 1/25sec. ISO6400
Grossmünster. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 24mm f/8 1/25sec. ISO6400
Views of Limmat river. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 24mm f/11 8sec. ISO125
Neumarkt. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 28mm f/7.1 3.2sec. ISO125
Limmat river. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 24mm f/11 13sec. ISO100
Chirskindlimarkt in the Central Station. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 24mm f/11 1/15sec. ISO3200
Little alley in Niderdorf. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 42mm f/6.3 1/30sec. ISO5000
Weihnachtsmarkt in Bellevue. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 24mm f/22 15sec. ISO100
It does look beautiful! A good friend was in Switzerland recently for the Christmas markets and she said they were superb. But she did want snow 🙂 🙂 (not like me!) Sorry I’m so late here. It’s been a busy week. Hope 2020 brings all you want it to, and it was nice meeting you in 2019.
Thanks a mil, Jo! The last two years we’ve visited a few Christmas markets in Switzerland and around… And Zurich is always one of the prettiest for me! I just love how the city celebrates this holidays 🙂
Ah, don’t worry!! For the last two months I had a lot of problems with WordPress… it seems that nobody read my lasts posts! But I think everything works again 🙂
I hope you had a beautiful Christmas, and I wish you all the best for the new year!!