We had the chance to get some unique views over Europe during a couple weeks of air travel, with a rare confluence of events: perfect visibility, no turbulence, window seats, and flight paths that took us straight over cities. Taking off over Valencia, we marveled at the Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias, and could even spot our apartment in the distance. Come along with us for these unforgettable flights!
Swiss Air: Valencia to Zürich
Although we live in Valencia, and have flown into and out of it more times than we can count, we rarely get the chance to really admire the city from above. Normally, the flights approach and depart from the east, directly into or out of Manises, circumventing the city entirely. But today, on our flight operated by Swiss Air on an Airbus A220, we enjoyed a long, leisurely, and low departure straight over the city center.
Since we’re always secretly praying for this scenario, I had my camera ready to go. We flew over the bull ring, the train station, and the old town — even able to spot our apartment building from above. We take daily walks in the Turia Riverbed Park, but only from above can you truly appreciate how completely it defines the city. And at the end of the park, Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences looks perhaps even more impressive from the sky than the ground; it’s evident how truly massive this futuristic architectural project is!
But there were more amazing views to come. The pilots took us toward Mallorca, flying us directly over Palma. Maybe they were in the mood for some good views themselves! From above, you can see how Palma’s old city walls wrap around this coastal city, having protected it for ages. We also got a tour of Mallorca’s beautiful beaches, before turning north.
After lunch and some time over the Mediterranean, we reached the coast of France with Marseille in the distance. Now the landscape changed dramatically, as we approached the Alps. We flew over lovely Lake Geneva, before landing at Zürich airport.
Aegean Airlines: Zürich to Athens
After spending a week in Switzerland, it was time again to board another plane; not back to Valencia, but even further east, to Greece. This flight was operated by our favorite airline, Aegean Air. It’s no surprise we enjoy flying with them so much; in 2024, Aegean won the title of Best Regional European Airline… for the 13th consecutive year!
Our journey from Zürich to Athens was just as great as we’ve come to expect from Aegean; 1059 miles of incredible views and service, on a Airbus a320neo.
As we ascended up and away from Zürich, we were presented with great views of the city. The tracks leading to the main train station are so complex, how does any train navigate its way through this jungle of steel?
The best part of flying into and out of Switzerland is almost always the Alps, which are just ridiculously picturesque. But this time, the best was yet to come. There, just in the distance! Is that… Venice? Indeed it was! This little island is such a special place, and seeing it from above was exciting. This is the only way to enjoy the city without having to deal with tourist masses which clog its streets.
Our journey continued along the Adriatic Sea, along the coastlines of Croatia, Montenegro and Albania, before flying directly over Athens’ city center. We could spot the old Olympic grounds and the hill of the Acropolis, so prominent in the center of this ancient city.
We disembarked, and as we were taking the subway into the city, I was talking excitedly about how I couldn’t wait to fly back out, just for the views. But first, we should probably try to enjoy the sights from ground level, as well — and Athens would prove to have plenty of those.
From our Travel Blog.
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