Following Euros journey suggestions from Switzerland and Arsenal midfielder Lia Walti

No one has been a greater ambassador for the European Championship in Switzerland than Lia Walti.

A key a part of Arsenal’s midfield for almost a decade, Walti is much more essential to the Swiss nationwide staff. She captains the facet and is without doubt one of the solely girls to have began each sport in a significant event for Switzerland. She made her debut at 18 years previous and helped the nation to its first World Cup (2015) and Euros (2017) appearances.

However, final yr, the 32-year-old took on a brand new position as an unofficial journey agent.

Before the Euros began, Walti created an Instagram account, referred to as @lias_switzerland, during which she went via the highlights of her nation, together with a breakdown of all eight host cities. Eventually, her Arsenal and Swiss team-mates received concerned.

This summer season, Switzerland made it out of the group stage earlier than in the end falling to Spain within the quarter-finals. Before Germany’s efficiency within the semi-final, Switzerland had one of the best defensive efficiency in opposition to the World Cup winners, holding them scoreless till the 66th minute. Despite the exit, Switzerland could have loads of positives to remove, from report crowds to the inevitable internet hosting bump that England and the Netherlands noticed in 2022 and 2017 respectively.

In the run-up to Sunday’s last between England and Spain, The Athletic made it to all eight host cities, every with its personal distinctive view. However, for the sake of brevity and leaving a purpose to return again, we’ve got narrowed our listing to 4 cities to focus on.

Forgive us, Walti, for leaving off the next. Sion and Thun have been charming excursions through the group stage. Geneva was bustling with life, chocolate and water spouts, however a lot of that have was watching England and Italy go right down to the wire within the semi-finals. Basel, a metropolis identified for its artwork and the thrilling quarter-final between France and Germany (made all of the extra thrilling resulting from its proximity to each international locations), will host the ultimate. Walti suggests a swim within the Rhine, although the climate may not be so sort. Still, the cobblestone streets and stadium constructed to seize all of the noise can be a becoming send-off.

Alongside our soccer protection, our writers discovered a technique to flip climbing mountains, visiting fairytale-like cities and swimming in pristine rivers into soccer protection.

As Euro 2025 involves an finish, listed here are 4 cities that left an enduring impression on our writers.

Lucerne

Matches: Wales vs Netherlands, Poland vs Sweden, Poland vs Denmark

Like a sturdy Walti problem within the first 5 minutes of a sport, Lucerne’s beauty lets you know it’s there from the off.

Lake Lucerne is ready instantly as you exit the railway station, a sprawling physique of shimmering turquoise. Like a lot of the water in Switzerland, it’s outrageously clear, blue and alluring, and also you do marvel what the Swiss should assume in the event that they rock as much as a UK seashore, the tough, gray English Channel evident again at them.

As per Walti’s directions, I take a stroll alongside the promenade. Nestled snugly on the sting of the lake is a fleet of pedalos. Walti has, in any case, prompt a river cruise, and this may be a cruise, of kinds. I skim The Athletic’s bills coverage, however a bit concerning the rent of pedalos and different leisure human-powered watercraft is notably absent. Making a psychological word to boost this with HR, I take the journey on foot as an alternative.

Most cities could be content material with only a lake, however Lucerne goes above and past. The lake is about in opposition to the backdrop of the Rigi and Pilatus mountains, and is surrounded by buildings with turrets and spires, shuttered home windows and pink wood beams — the kind of locations I’d assumed solely existed on Christmas playing cards. Lucerne’s like your one mate who in some way at all times seems effortlessly good in photographs, regardless of the angle.

Next on the agenda is the Museggmauer, and I stroll there through the Kapellbrucke, which Walti has reliably knowledgeable us is “the world’s oldest surviving wooden bridge”. Dating again to the 14th century, the bridge arches are adorned with work depicting scenes from Swiss historical past — a lot of which have been restored following a hearth in 1993. The lake is on one facet, the Reuss river on the opposite. It’s prime picture alternative territory and it’s bustling with guests.

The Museggmauer is Lucerne’s medieval metropolis wall and consists of “nine towers you can actually climb”. With my legs feeling contemporary following an absence of pedalo motion, deliver on the 9 towers.

An indication outdoors the primary tower — Mannliturm — explains which you could solely climb three of the towers proper to the highest, earlier than including ominously: “Visit at your own risk.”

Undeterred, I assault the primary staircase with goal, however the spring in my step has waned because the staircases simply hold coming. One fellow tower fanatic pauses on the descent to stretch her quadriceps muscle. A younger youngster, no older than three or 4, exclaims “phew” after scaling one significantly steep, slim set of stairs, shaking his head and wiping his forehead with all of the world-weariness of a person 50 years his senior.

It’s 125 stairs to the highest, however while you attain the summit, your shortness of breath and that twinge in your thigh are immediately forgotten. It’s an incredible view. I believed Lucerne was gorgeous on the bottom, however from up right here, it’s fairly frankly exhibiting off.

I meander again alongside the town partitions and across the lake — taking one final, lingering have a look at the pedalos — earlier than heading for the practice dwelling.

Ali Rampling

St. Gallen 

Matches: Germany vs Poland, France vs Wales, England vs Wales

I’m going to exit on a limb right here and counsel Walti did not make her hiking recommendations for St. Gallen with the concept of it being barely 10C (50F) and raining. But right here I’m, on the high of a mountain, waving at some non-plussed cows and questioning how you can heat up my toes as they cold-plunge in my boots.

“Chill in Drei Weieren (the scenic ponds above the city) or take in a panoramic view with a hike up to Freudenberg.”

These have been Walti’s challenges I accepted on a Tuesday morning forward of the Group D match between France and Wales, armed with a peanut butter Cliff bar and then-dry socks. I’m lactose illiberal and (an tried) vegan, that means Walti’s suggestions for bratwurst have been a no.

While I can’t converse for a sunny day, a gray and wet one nonetheless does this hike to the highest greater than sufficient justice. I meander out of the previous city’s cobblestones and climb flights of wood stairs, whose tops disappear into thick fog. The impact is Led Zeppelin (Gen Z, Google this). Upon reaching the highest, there’s St. Gallen beneath, a compact Christmas city to pack up and construct underneath the tree in December. At the highest, there’s a pond with lily pads, the rain parachuting down atop their pink flowers. Beside it, a makeshift pool with diving boards, designated lanes, and bleachers for a swim competitors.

(Megan Feringa/The Athletic)

At this level, I’m fairly rain-drenched, so I determine chilling in that water is overkill. But my iPhone climate app (rookie error) tells me the rain is clearing up, so I determine to maneuver into the forest and scale the seeder paths to the highest to see the fuss about Freudenberg. The miles-high pine timber provide some reprieve from the drumming rain. I ought to point out at this level, I’m clearly the one human dumb sufficient to make this journey in these situations.

Companions consist of 1 scampering squirrel and some flitting birds the scale of my fist. As the rain continues and fog begins to roll via the branches, the woods really feel enchantingly brooding. I’ve a principle that inexperienced seems higher in opposition to gray, its effervescence extra said. In St. Gallen, I really feel I’ve sufficient proof to christen my principle factual.

Eventually, my climb leaves me staring on the treetops I as soon as craned my neck upwards to think about. The rain is belting it, little rivers sluicing via my trails. I want I had extra photographic proof, however I opted in opposition to waterboarding my solely type of communication in case of emergency. To make a protracted story quick, there are non-plussed cows on the high of St. Gallen, and the view is enrapturing, even within the cascading rain.

The medieval Abbey library of Saint Gall (Imagno/Getty Images)

As far because the Abbey library, one other of Walti’s suggestions whereas in St. Gallen, goes: gorgeous and, extra importantly, dry. 10/10. The Abbey just isn’t actually a library however a literary oasis. Apparently, it’s gained 1,000 library awards. If you need to fake you’ve traded your self into the city’s native monster to safe your dad’s security after which sing to some speaking humans-turned-pieces-of-furniture, that is arguably as shut as you’re going to get. Everything is gilded. There is a globe the scale of my toilet again dwelling. It is prettier than all the things I’ve ever and can ever personal.

The remainder of St. Gallen is charming. Quaint and intimate streets soften into one another earlier than rising excessive into previous, quintessentially Swiss buildings. To stroll via the previous city is to stroll via not simply historical past, however peace. It is tough to think about feeling careworn a couple of water invoice right here.

Megan Feringa

Zurich

Matches: France vs England, England vs Netherlands, Sweden vs Germany, Sweden vs England, Germany vs Spain

“What you can do today, do tomorrow. Go for a swim, have a drink,” learn an indication within the industrial quarter, to the north-west of Zurich’s metropolis centre.

Mission accepted.

I jump into the deep, greeny-blue water of the Limmat river. Its temperature just isn’t the freezing sort that takes your breath away, however a cool tonic to the blazing warmth. Watch out for rogue bits of foliage, and after rainfall, the present is powerful, making swimming upstream an actual exercise. When you flow, nonetheless, you’re feeling like superwoman propelled by the river’s drive.

Indeed, some Swiss residents use the present to commute to work. Using a water-resistant bag as a pillow, they float down on their backs, passing by different locals who’re studying, sunbathing, doing yoga or enjoying volleyball on the adjoining river banks. It’s a really outdoorsy, chilled vibe. Lifeguards are readily available and the river is closed to swimmers when the present is deemed too harmful.

(Charlotte Harpur/The Athletic)

I can’t fairly erase the picture of taking a breath to the facet as I entrance crawl, placing my head down and seeing a floating whitish gray blob with a protracted tail inches away from me. Walti failed to say the prospect of encountering a lifeless rat within the river, however I suppose that’s the great thing about swimming within the wild. I used to be in Zurich for a lot of the event as a result of it was closest to England’s base, and that encounter with the rat didn’t deter me from returning day-after-day. Overall, a high advice and a event game-changer.

Replenish your vitality shops in one of many bars and cafes lining the river. Keep strolling and also you go via Altstadt (Zurich’s previous city). The bells of the majestic church buildings Fraumunster (Women’s Minster) and Grossmunster (Great Minster), positioned on both facet of the river, ring out whereas small motor boats coated with beige and blue jackets bob up and down on the water. There’s a captivating miniature bronze mannequin of the previous city, which provides you a way of the town’s scale.

(Charlotte Harpur/The Athletic)

Walk up the extensive, cobbled streets to Linderhof gardens, the place locals play on gigantic chess boards and the view beneath captures the previous city and river resulting in Lake Zurich, one other haven for swimmers.

Charlotte Harpur

Bern

Matches: Spain vs Portugal, Switzerland vs Iceland, Italy vs Spain, Spain vs Switzerland

I owe Bern an apology. For some purpose (not price me starting to justify now I’ve realised I’m fallacious), I at all times imagined Bern to be a boring, businesslike capital metropolis, a la Brussels, and thought the principle Swiss points of interest have been to be discovered elsewhere within the nation. But no! Bern is without doubt one of the most putting, elegant capital cities conceivable. Especially within the sunshine and with Italy and Spain followers bringing additional color forward of their Group B finale, all blues and reds, to the town centre.

On a day like this, you merely don’t need to be inside. So forgive me for ignoring Walti’s tip of Einstein Haus and the Einstein Museum, which I’m positive are fantastic, however I stroll previous. I’m largely committing to Walti’s first tip:

“Strolling through the arcaded Old Town — 6km of covered walkways and medieval charm.”

This is my pure strategy to a brand new metropolis, simply wandering round, and I’ve clocked up 8.4km by the point I head in direction of the stadium so I’m assured I’ve accomplished a very good proportion of these 6km.

The previous city is magnificent, filled with grand buildings, elegant retailers, and eating places that really feel calmer than their equivalents in, say, Florence or Munich. There’s minimal site visitors. It is sort of encircled by a meander of the Aare river, making it really feel like an island metropolis. The river, like many in Switzerland, is impossibly blue due to the glacial flour within the water coming down from the Alps. Having swam within the river again in Zurich on a number of days to this point, I don’t really feel a lot want to “swim in the Aare river — or float with the current like a local”, though I deeply admire the locals’ religion within the waterproof baggage that they throw their pockets, telephone and sun shades into, earlier than sweeping across the bends, swimming extra to remain afloat than to truly propel themselves.

(Michael Cox/The Athletic)

Strolling up the Kramgasse, one of many predominant streets within the previous city, I attain one other of Walti’s suggestions nearly by chance.

“Visit the famous Zytglogge (clock tower) and watch the figures dance on the hour.”

I arrived at 2:53pm. This was fairly promising; cometh the hour, cometh the boys. I’m sorry to say that it was considerably underwhelming and 200 or so fellow vacationers assembled to take movies, then regarded round at one another, questioning if that was it.

But, peeling again in direction of the river, I come throughout a scene that sums up this event: an Italy supporter and a Spain supporter, sitting on some stone steps within the shade, having a beer collectively, and simply admiring the view.

Michael Cox

(Top picture: The Athletic, Getty Images)