Some UnTours stories are about lifelong friendships. Others are about moments so perfectly timed—and so perfectly Swiss—that they stay with you forever.
UnTourist William McClements shared this memory from a return trip to the Swiss Heartland in 2014. It’s a reminder that when you slow down and settle in, the magic often arrives quietly: over an unforgettable bowl of soup, a lakeside stroll, and a roar that ripples through an entire village at once.
William will share it. Take it away, William!
William’s Story: The Heartland
In 2014, we made a trip back to the Swiss Heartland. Returning to Reuti was wonderful. The biggest change from my previous trip was that orientation was no longer a class on how to read the huge Swiss train schedule tome—smartphones and “apps” had replaced it.
On the 15th of June (I’ll explain the specificity later), we had dinner at the Restaurant Bahnhöfli in Lungern. We had eaten lunch there a few days earlier and were served the best soup I have ever eaten. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what it was, and my long-ago high school German (Hoch, and definitely not Schweizerdeutsch) did not serve me well.
All that aside, dinner was very good—but it did not reach the level of that soup!
Now, the reason for the specificity of the date: in June of 2014, the World Cup was on, and Switzerland was in it.
We were in a small dining room next to the main one, where a television was showing the Swiss–Ecuador match. We could hear some polite (Swiss!) responses to the game, but nothing raucous. Dinner ended with the score at 1:1, and because the train back to Brünig was an hour or so away, we strolled through the town toward the lake on a beautiful evening.
Suddenly, as we turned back toward the train station, a roar went up from every open window in Lungern. The Swiss had scored. The final was 2:1!
Days later, when we were flying home, Switzerland had been eliminated—but the chocolates on the Swiss flight to New York were wrapped in soccer-ball foil. It was a sweet memory that has stayed with me.
Photos all courtesy of William McClements.
Why This Story Feels So UnTours
William’s story is about being in the right place—not because it was on an itinerary, but because he was there long enough to belong, even briefly.
This is the Swiss Heartland UnTours loves: A quiet village, a memorable meal (especially the soup), a shared national moment echoing through open windows and chocolate—always chocolate.
Got a Moment Like This?
If you’ve traveled with UnTours and have a story—funny, subtle, unexpected, or unforgettable—we’d love to hear it. These moments are the heart of UnTours, and they’re even better when shared. Send us your UnTourist story and help us celebrate the places, people, and perfectly timed moments that make travel linger long after you’re home.