Different places to travel » Lake http://travel-spots.com All the information you want about different travel locations. Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:41:25 +0000 en hourly 1 Travel – Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes in Cuba http://travel-spots.com/2011/09/travel-%e2%80%93-gran-parque-natural-topes-de-collantes-in-cuba/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/09/travel-%e2%80%93-gran-parque-natural-topes-de-collantes-in-cuba/#comments Mon, 05 Sep 2011 06:45:25 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=439 Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes is in Cuba, in the Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, and Sancti Spiritus provinces. During the long fights first by Castro’s men, and then by rebels against him, the men hid in the Escambray mountains. The mountains are Limestone Mountains called mogotes. The national park has “mogotes” and waterfalls and cave. [...]]]> Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes is in Cuba, in the Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, and Sancti Spiritus provinces. During the long fights first by Castro’s men, and then by rebels against him, the men hid in the Escambray mountains. The mountains are Limestone Mountains called mogotes. The national park has “mogotes” and waterfalls and cave. Pico de San Juan, at 1150 meters (3773 feet) is known to be the highest mountain of the place which one can’t hike.

Attractions of Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes:
• Parque Altiplano: The main hotels are located here. There are places such as the Museo de Arte Cubano Contemparano (“Museum of Contemporary Cuban Art”); the Casa de Café and the “Mi Retiro” restaurant located here which are popular. The De Gigantes (“Giants Garden”) and a short hike to Salto Vega Grande (“Vega Grande Falls’) are small hiking trails.
• Salto de Caburní (“Caburní Falls”): These falls are a hike of 7 kilometers on a roundtrip basis and starts to the east of the Kurhotel. One can also swim in the large pool that is below the falls. It is a waterfall that is about 35-meters high.
• Sendero La Batata: This is another hiking trail that is about six kilometers long. It is a hike to a cave which also has an underground creek. One can also swim in the cave. The hike trails begins at the Casa de Café.
• Parque Codina: This serves as the starting point for hiking trails to caves, waterfalls and other viewpoints along with bird watching and camping and it is near the Parque Altiplano.
• Parque Guanayara: This hiking trail is to the Cascada El Rocío waterfall, swimming, hiking trails, camping.
• Parque El Nicho: These are series of waterfalls with clear blue waters. This is a drive about two hours. One can even go for horse back riding.
• Parque El Cubano: This is the part closest to Trinidad, and this site includes waterfall, swimming, camping, bird watching, horseback riding, and a restaurant and a trail from the Mirador de Caribe to Topos de Collantes.
• Embalse Hanabanilla: This is to the north of the national park and is a large reservoir which is near to the town of Manicaragua. There are offers for hiking, horseback riding, boating, and fishing.
• Mirador de Venus: This is a mountain top and one can on a hike to the top which is about two hours from El Salto.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes is between December and April. One can avoid the horrendous storms and hurricanes and avoid the sticky heat of the Cuban summer which can be unbearable for some.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

How to get there:
The road to Topos de Collantes is fifteen kilometers and has a steep incline.
By plane: One can reach Cuba from Canada, Mexico and Europe by arriving at Jose Marti International Airport (located outside Havana). Cubana de Aviacion is the major carrier in Cuba and connects to Mexico, South and Central America, Canada and Europe. One can either take a taxi to Havana centre or take a bus service.
By boat: There are no regular boats or ferries to Cuba but private vessels may enter the marina Hemingway in Havana or marina Aqua in Varadero.

Get around
By bike: One can use a bike to go around but one has to get one’s own bike for that.

By plane: Cubana de Aviacion or Aero Caribbean covers larger distances and operate on routes:

Cubana de Aviación
Havana – Camaguey – Havana, Yakovlev Yak-42D
Havana – Santiago – Havana, Yakovlev Yak-42D

Aero Caribbean
Havana – Camaguey – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Guantanamo – Havana, ATR 42-300/320

Aero Caribbean
Havana – Baracoa – Havana, ATR 72-212
Havana – Bayamo – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Cayo Coco – Cienfuegos – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Cayo Largo del Sur – Varadero – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Cienfuegos – Cayo Coco – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Las Tunas – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Manzanillo – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Moa – Holguin – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Nueva Gerona – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Santiago – Havana, ATR 42-300/320
Havana – Varadero – Cayo Largo del Sur – Havana, ATR 42-300/320

Global Air (Mexico)
Havana – Cayo Coco – Holguin – Havana, Boeing 737-200
Havana – Holguin – Cayo Coco – Havana, Boeing 737-200
Havana – Santiago – Havana, Boeing 737-200

By train: The main line runs between Havana and Santiago de Cuba. It stops at Santa Clara and Camagüey. Cienfuegos, Manzanillo, Morón, Sancti Spiritus, and Pinar del Rio are the other cities that can be reached by train. Tren Frances operates between Havana and Santiago de Cuba alternately.

By bus: Viazul is the bus service in Cuba for public transport to tour the island. Astro is another bus line for touring in Cuba.

By boat: Cienfuegos or Trinidad incorporates the Canarreos Archipelago and the Juventud Islands or Jardines de la Reina Archipelago. Windward Islands is the bases for boat rides.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Wikitravel.org
• Moon.com
• iGuide
• Travelbuddy.com
• Tripadvisor Hotels

Blogs / Sites about Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes:

• Travelpod.com(1, 2)
• Travelblog.com
• Eurekamag.com
• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cuba/travelblogs

Images and photos of Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes:

• Google Search
• iguide
• http://www.cubatravelphotos.com/

Videos of Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes from Youtube:

Cuba: Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/09/travel-%e2%80%93-gran-parque-natural-topes-de-collantes-in-cuba/feed/ 0 Travel – Spiez, located on the south shore of Lake Thun http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-spiez-located-on-the-south-shore-of-lake-thun/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-spiez-located-on-the-south-shore-of-lake-thun/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:54:02 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=385 Spiez is in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district. It is a city in the canton of Bern in Switzerland and is located 11 kilometers on the south shore of Lake Thun. It is known for its waterside castle and lake views. It is a resort village surrounded with mountains. The Old town or Stadtli and the [...]]]> Spiez is in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district. It is a city in the canton of Bern in Switzerland and is located 11 kilometers on the south shore of Lake Thun. It is known for its waterside castle and lake views. It is a resort village surrounded with mountains.
The Old town or Stadtli and the train station are a major shopping area of Spiez. One can find boats from Thun and Interlaken. Schloss Spiez, which is a medieval castle, is a fifteenth / sixteenth century castle. It is usually open from April to October. This castle was the residence of Stretlingen family and then passed to noble dynasties of Bernese. Spiez is also having a renowned sailing school. The town has tiny lanes and yachts are filled in the bay.
The place of Spiez is populated with Germans and Swiss-Germans. The lake is surrounded with restaurants, tearooms and pizzerias.

Things to do:

• Hiking: Homebase Spiez
The peaks around Spiez are good for hiking. One can take a train or bus to reach the area. The right peak behind is Nisen which can be reached by a post auto. One can get to or back by train and enjoy the view around.
Stockhorn is another alpine mountain to hike. The starting point is Erlenbach which is 15 minutes from Spiez by train. Take a ride towards Zweissimen. To go to the peak, one can take a cable car or hike or reach there and hike. This hike is unique as the peak is above 400 metre cliff.
There are a few fantastic peaks that will definitely be great hikes starting from Spiez (by train or bus). The peak right behind Spiez is the Nisen. A post auto (bus) can take you to a variety of base locations, and there is a train that can take you down at the end of a tired day, or take you up just for the view.

• Cruising-day tickets in spring for both lakes
In spring one can get a day ticket for Thunersee and Brienzersee.
This ticket will include all of the cruises. Take the train between Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West.

Places to see:

• Schloss Spiez – a great medieval palace
The Schloss or the castle of Spiez is a medieval palace known for its architecture dating back to 10th century. It has old walls of the century. It has the 18th century architecture now because of the renovations taken place. It has fancy baroque furniture and ornate decorations, lovely stucco-works and frescos now.
• Step up the tower
A set of steps leads upwards to the tower of the castle of Schloss Spiez. The tower is 39 meters high and belongs to the year 1200. These steps have a panorama-view of the vineyards that are next to the castle, the village of Spiez with the Niesen and the lovely Thunersee.

• Lovely house
Next to the chapel of St.Columban, there is a house with a great balcony facing the Thuner See and a nice painting behind that balcony. One can view this on the way from the lake.

• Festsaal / the hall for festivities
One of the largest and spectacular rooms of the Schloss Spiez is the Festsall, which means the hall for festivities. The sidewalls, the ceilings have unique stucco-works all over it and they are believed to be made by Antonio Castello from Melide. These are unique and original as they have not been renovated or disturbed.

• Great interior of the Schloss Spiez
The interiors of the castle are open in the summer season. It opening starts on Friday before Easter. There is a medieval bed which is unique in style.

• Interior of the castle
In the castle one can see interesting exhibits. These exhibits belong to different centuries. There is a giant painting, wooden ceilings, spinning-wheel, painting of Swiss history etc.

• Spiez & its flowers
The lovely flower-arrangement of Spiez is one of the things you should not miss. This can be watched only if you take the path to the castle as it is in midway to castle. One can see some great wooden houses in the old Swiss style.

• Ship to Schloss Oberhofen
Take the ship from Spiez to Schloss Oberhofen in summer as it gives one a view of the castle and the surrounding park. The museum there is open between mid of May and mid of October.

• St.Columban – a popular wedding-chapel
Just a few meters from the castle of Spiez are the St. Columban chapel. It belongs to the 10th century. This church is a place for marriages in Switzerland and hence known the wedding-chapel.

How to get there

• Cisalpino (CIS) tilting trains
The Cisalpino Company is an Italian-Swiss joint venture with the Italian and Swiss railway systems as equal partners. Cisaplino tilting trains have been running through the Alps between Switzerland and Italy. These tilting trains can lean on curves and ideal for mountain routes rather than normal trains.
The trains between Switzerland and Italy are operated directly by the Swiss and Italian railways, mainly under the name “EuroCity”.

• Transportation hub:
Spiez is a major transportation hub. Two important rail routes meet her: the Lötschberg-Simplon route from Germany through Switzerland (Basel – Bern – Brig) to Italy and the Golden Pass trains from Montreux via Gstaad and Interlaken to Lucerne (continues to Zurich).

• Veloland Switzerland
There are two different bicycle routes, one for normal bicycles and one for mountain bikes.
Spiez is on the Swiss national cycling route number 8, called the “Aare Route” because it follows along the Aare River from its source to the Rhine, and number 9, the “Montreux–Rorschach” route. And there is a mountain bike route going to Leissingen, Krattigen and Aeschi.

• InterCityExpress (ICE) trains from Germany
Within Germany there is one ICE train per hour on most routes. Five of these ICE trains per day go beyond Basel into Switzerland, stopping at Olten, Bern, Thun, Spiez and Interlaken. For connections to Italy, you have to change trains at Spiez, at the latest.
The journey from Frankfurt to Spiez takes four hours and forty-one minutes.

• Take the train to Spiez
Spiez has its own train station and from Interlaken to Bern, almost all the trains halt here.

Best time to visit / climate:

The place is ideal to visit in summer as the castle is open in summer and you can see the interior of the castle as well. The other places, lake, cruising, hiking are all ideal in the weather of summer. The right peak behind is Nisen which can be reached by a post auto. One can get to or back by train and enjoy the view around.
Stockhorn is another alpine mountain to hike. The starting point is Erlenbach which is 15 minutes from Spiez by train. Take a ride towards Zweissimen. To go to the peak, one can take a cable car or hike or reach there and hike. This hike is unique as the peak is above 400 metre cliff.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website):

• Travelpod
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• http://www.kayak.com/Spiez-Hotels.48838.hotel.ksp
• Booking.com
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/hotels/index.cfm/berneroberland/spiez
• http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/spiezhotels/
• http://www.eden-spiez.ch/de_neu/
• http://www.switzerlandhotel.net/spiez_hotels.html
• http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-489208-spiez_switzerland_vacations-i
• Virtualtourist (list of restaurants, list of hotels)

Blogs / Sites about Spiez:

• Travelpod
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/AllReviews-g580339-Spiez.html
• Travelpod.ca
• lonelyplanet
• http://realtravel.com/dm-22015-spiez_maps
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Spiez-travel-blogs-1192293
• http://lerlop.com/2009/07/berner-oberland-switzerland/
• http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-mountain-scene-spiez-switzerland-image15439233

Images and photos of Spiez:

• Google Search
• Travelpod
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/West/Bern/Spiez/
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g580339-Spiez.html
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/eaglesky/4863206230/
• schweiz-bilder.ch

Videos of Spiez (Google Search)

The Trip Chicks in Spiez Switzerland

Morning Bells, Spiez, Switzerland

A beautiful scenery of Spiez

Switzerland.Spiez

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-spiez-located-on-the-south-shore-of-lake-thun/feed/ 0 Travel – Brienz, the Swiss center for woodcarving http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-brienz-the-swiss-center-for-woodcarving/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-brienz-the-swiss-center-for-woodcarving/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 18:25:20 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=349 Brienz is in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district and is a municipality located in Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland. Brienz is actually a small village and is famous as the Swiss centre for woodcarving. Brienz has an area, as of 2009, of 47.99 square kilometers (18.5 sq miles). This village is on the north bank of [...]]]> Brienz is in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district and is a municipality located in Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland. Brienz is actually a small village and is famous as the Swiss centre for woodcarving. Brienz has an area, as of 2009, of 47.99 square kilometers (18.5 sq miles). This village is on the north bank of Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland at the foot of the Brienzer Rothorn Mountain. It has 3000 inhabitants approximately. It is located right in the middle of mountains and at the end of Lake Brienz. This place also leads to the Bernese Oberland, the Ballenberg Open-air Museum as well to Lucerne or Interlaken or across the nearby Alpine passes.
This village is surrounded by different communities. On its upper end is Lake Brienz. To the north it includes the Aare River and the village of Kienholz. On the left bank it has Engi and Schwendi. From the right shore the land rises to the Rotschalp, Planalp and Giebelegg before reaching the Brienzer Rothorn (2,351 m (7,713 ft)). From the left shore it rises over the Brienzerberg and Giessbach Falls, Tschingelfeld, Hinterburg and Axalp until it reaches the Schwarzhorn (2,928 m (9,606 ft)).
The parish church of Brienz includes Oberried am Brienzersee, Schwanden bei Brienz, Hofstetten bei Brienz and Brienzwiler. Brienz is also known as the “village of carving”. It is known for its wood processing and violin-making. It also has a school for carving.

The Top Events located here:
• Exhibition entitled Swiss traditions: chalets – costumes – folk music (May – Oct )
• The Ballenberg Country Theatre ‘Farinet, der Falschmünzer’ (Jul – Aug )
• Day of folk music from Central Switzerland (Aug )

Places to see:
• Brunngasee: It is the most beautiful part of Brienz. It is a street with the houses in the street dating from the 18th century. The houses have beautiful decorations and full with wood carvings. The houses have a traditional look with their overhanging roofs and heavy wooden balconies.
• Ballenberg Open-air Museum – This museum has collection of old buildings which are hundred centuries old from all over Switzerland. Others include farm animals, gardens, workshop demonstrations and cozy guesthouses. The Freilichtmuseum at nearby Ballenberg has some 80 typical houses and farm buildings from all over Switzerland scattered across its alpine pastures. Traditional crafts are demonstrated by costumed workers during the season, which runs from mid-April through October. Admission is 12 francs for adults, half-price for children.
• Brienzer Rothorn: This is at an altitude of 2350 meters above seal level. It is accessible by only rack-railway in Switzerland which is regularly powered by steam. The steam train runs 8 to 11 times a day from the end of May through late October. The roundtrip fare is 62 francs, but one can try to save money if one can do hiking one way, riding up and hiking back down.
• Lake Brienz Shipping – This Lake has steam cruises on the lake Brienz in Switzerland.
• Swiss School of Wood Sculpting – This is a Wood Carving School and there are examples of this art – in the shape of figures or signposts which are dotted around the whole village.
• Giessbach Falls – These falls are thundering waterfalls. This waterfall is accessible with the Giessbach-Bahn, the oldest Funicular in Europe. You can drive to the falls, or, even better, take a boat from Brienz. A funicular (opened in 1879) hauls you up the rocky hillside in four minutes, or you can hike 20 minutes to see the seven waterfalls that total 980 feet (278m) in height.
• Church of Brienz: This is a church with a carved altar of 1517. It dates back to the 12th century.
• The Brienzersee or Lake Brienz: It is the Brienz’s main attraction. This clear lake is 8-3/4 long and 1/5 miles wide (15 x 2.4 km), with a maximum depth of 860 feet (262m). This lake is surrounded by forested mountains.
• Lake Promenade: It was built around World War that leads along the village to the lake shore. It is magnificent with its flower beds and tree plantings.

How to get there:
• By rail: Brienz is on the railway line between Lucerne and Interlaken. Brienz can be reached by a 30 minute rail journey from Interlaken Ost- all the Luzern trains stop at Brienz. Brienz is located on the narrow-gauge railway line which links the famous holiday destinations of Interlaken, Meiringen-Hasliberg, Brünig, Lucerne and Engelberg. The other station is the small base station of the steam rack-railway up the Brienzer Rothorn panorama and hiking peak.
• By boat: take a 1.5 hour boat journey from Interlaken – the boat leaves frequently behind Interlaken Ost railway station.
• To go around: Brienz has only one main street Hauptestrasse. One can go on foot. To walk the full length of the street will take only15 minutes.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Brienz is summer that is around May, June and August. Walking along the Lake Promenade, playgrounds, swimming, lake viewing, cruising, visiting the hallmarks is nice and pleasant in summer. The fares are also worthy at this time with deals. But the wintertime is not a losing time either with winter sports in Axiland. Also there is the Meiringen-Hasliberg ski region which is also easily accessible.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Road journey between Zurich and Brienz on Google Maps;


View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants)

• Europeforvisitors
• Hotels Combined (list of hotels with reviews)
• Booking.com
• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• Hotels and more
• My Switzerland
• Travelpod.com

Blogs / Sites about Brienz:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brienz
• http://europeforvisitors.com/switzaustria/articles/brienz2.htm
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Brienz
• Tripadvisor
• Travelpod
• Travelbuddy
• http://realtravel.com/d-15339-brienz

Images and photos of Brienz:

• Google Search
• http://freelargephotos.com/?subject=Brienz
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.panoramicearth.com/1788/Brienz/Brienz_Rothorn_Railway
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/bods/2802208659/
• http://www.360cities.net/image/switzerland-axalp-brienz

Videos of Brienz:

• Google Search

Boat ride from Interlaken Ost to Brienz, Switzerland

Train arrival in Brienz, Switzerland

Brienz and Rothorn Bahn Mountain Railway. Part 1

Brienz, Switzerland

Driving along Lake Brienz

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-brienz-the-swiss-center-for-woodcarving/feed/ 0 Travel – Neuchâtel – a small town with a rich architecture http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-neuchatel-%e2%80%93-a-small-town-with-a-rich-architecture/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-neuchatel-%e2%80%93-a-small-town-with-a-rich-architecture/#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:36:35 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=346 Neuchatel is in Western Switzerland and is a small town with rich architecture and culture. It is a part of French speaking area of Switzerland which is also called “Suisse Romande”. The famous landmarks are The Castle and Collegiate Church. These date back to the twelfth century. Neuchatle, means “Castle” in German. It has approximately [...]]]> Neuchatel is in Western Switzerland and is a small town with rich architecture and culture. It is a part of French speaking area of Switzerland which is also called “Suisse Romande”. The famous landmarks are The Castle and Collegiate Church. These date back to the twelfth century. Neuchatle, means “Castle” in German. It has approximately 32,600 inhabitants. It is also called as Neuenburg. Neuchâtel is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission Intercultural cities programme. Neuchâtel’s Old Town is extremely attractive and walking into its steep alleys rich in beauty and the architecture. The 140-odd street fountains are a reminder of the past as they date from the sixteenth century.
One can view black fir tree forests, bluish rivers, deep lakes and green pastures, covered in snow when winter comes. One can consider the Neuchâtel Mountains, a paradise in winter. There are villages, vineyards, a university and the city has medieval touch. Following are lakeshores, lakes reflecting country landscape. The Neuchatel lakeshore is one of the valley gems. The place provide entertainment with all kinds of festivals in film and street music, to wine harvest, antique fairs and exciting other events. This place is also famous for its wines, white, and red and rosé wines, all very different in taste, go very well with local cheese, sausage and lake or river fish.

Top Events

• Swiss cheese Awards 2010, Neuchâtel
• The festival of the Fête des Vendanges, representing the wine harvest, is held traditionally in early fall.

Places to see:

• The university town of Neuenburg: It lies on the northern shore of the eponymous lake.
• The Museum of Art and History in the “Palais des Beaux-Arts” (Palace of the Fine Arts): This museum comprises of four thematically separate collections: fine arts, applied arts, numismatics and history. It includes collection of Jacquet-Droz.
• The Laténium: This musuem is the largest archaeological museum in Switzerland and has exhibits over 50,000 years of regional history.
• Old town – The Castle and Collegiate Church date back to the 12th century, Hôtel du Peyrou dating from the 18th century and Place des Halles are worth seeing in the Old town.
• Neuchâtel farmhouses comprises of a whole lot of dry stones walls, houses designed by Le Corbusier, native of La Chaux-de-Fonds, an Art nouveau touch.
• Chaumont – Neuchâtel’s ‘house mountain’: This mountain is at an altitude of 1100 metres above sea level. One can enjoy spectacular all-round view of the Bernese Alps, Montblanc Massif and three Jura lakes.
• Jacquet-Droz automata collection – It comprises of collection of the world-famous watch and automata production of the 18th century at the Musée d’art et d’histoire (Art and History Museum) Neuchâtel.
• Cruising on Lake Neuchâtel – It is the biggest lake located in Switzerland that offers a chance to go on a three-lake-cruise.
• Papilliorama-Nocturama in Kerzers – It is worth visiting and beautiful with its exotic butterflies and a lot of nocturnal animals.
• Watchmaking: The Neuchatel mountains offers a collection of wonders of precision set in the magnificent International Watchmaking Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Château des Monts Watch Museum in Le Locle.
• Sports and leisure: The Neuchâtel Mountains offers hiking, cycling, mountain biking, swimming, canoeing, hockey playing, skating, rock climbing.
• The Lake of Neuchâtel: It has all water activities and has about 15 km of accessible shores, beaches, picnic areas and exclusively pedestrian, cycling paths and beautiful boat trips.

How to get there:

• By train: The major train line for Neuchatel is Jura. From all major Swiss cities like Bern, Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich, trains connect to Jura almost hourly. The city is linked to the TGV (High Speed Train) with direct train link from Neuchâtel to Paris in four hours.
• By air: The centre of the city is connected to Neuchatel’s airport that is about 6km or four miles away. It does not have commercial flights. Neuchâtel is also linked to four international airports: Bern, Geneva, Basel and Zurich which are respectively 58 km (36 mi), 122 km (76 mi), 131 km (81 mi) and 153 km (95 mi) away by car. Geneva and Zurich airports both have direct trains to Neuchatel, connecting the cities respectively.
• To go around the region, many modes of transport such as the Bus, trams and trains are available for public. All buses are available at the main square of the city, Place Pury. On foot and bicycle also, one can move around as they are available for rent from two stations in the city centre. Walking trails help to move around. The public transport is provided by Les Transports Publics du Littoral Neuchatelois which has Trolleybus network, a Funicular and an Interurban light rail line to Boudry.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit is June to August, the summer season as the temperature is around 21 to 23 degree C. The entire place is almost accessible and enjoyable in this weather. One can go for hiking, cycling, mountain biking, swimming, canoeing, hockey playing, skating, rock climbing and walking.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Driving directions from Geneva to Neuchatel on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• Travelpod.com
• Booking.com
• Eurobookings.com
• http://www.neuchatelhotels.com/
• http://www.laterooms.com/en/r10959_hotels-in-neuchatel.aspx

Blogs / Sites about Neuchatel:

• Tripadvisor
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuch%C3%A2tel
• Britannica.com
• Travelpod.com
• realtravel.com
• Travelpost.com

Images and photos of Neuchatel:

• Google Search
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_neuchatel_4253.html
• http://www.travel-images.com/switzerland14.html
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/tambako/3000484040/

Videos of Neuchatel:

• Google Video Search

From Zurich to Neuchatel by Train

A Walking tour of Neuchatel, Switzerland (link)

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-neuchatel-%e2%80%93-a-small-town-with-a-rich-architecture/feed/ 0 Travel – Ascona, in the district of Locano in Switzerland http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-ascona-in-the-district-of-locano-in-switzerland/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-ascona-in-the-district-of-locano-in-switzerland/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:46:07 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=342 Ascona is in the district of Locarno, and is a municipality in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The official language spoken here is Italian and German. The village is located on the delta of the river Maggia that flows into the Lake Maggiore. Its average population is just about 5000. The village comprises of [...]]]> Ascona is in the district of Locarno, and is a municipality in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The official language spoken here is Italian and German. The village is located on the delta of the river Maggia that flows into the Lake Maggiore. Its average population is just about 5000. The village comprises of beautiful colored houses and hiking in valleys is one of the famous activities of the place. This place is scenic and beautiful. It is said to belong to Roman times. This place is actually located on two hills. It was once a small fishing port. Now it is a popular and sought resort. The city is filled with art gallerie and antique stores along with shops.

Places to see:
• Monte Verita: It is a hill above Ascona. It has a Lebensreform vegetarian artist colony of the 20th century. There are two museums comprising of art works in it. Anatta Casa Casa Selma is also located on Monte Verita.
• Brissago: It is a cigar factory that produces the thin-Virginia cigars. It is only ten minutes drive from Granzdorf to Ascona.
• Brissago Islands; the two islands of Brissago are of the Swiss lake basin. The biggest island comprises of a garden with many tropical plants. Over 1500 different plant species are there in this botanical garden. This garden has Mediterranean and subtropical flora. It can be reached within 10 minute by boat from the centre of Ascona.
• Cannobio: This is situated on Lake Maggiore and is a northern Italian town. It has a typical Italian market.
• Ronco: This town is small and is above Lake Maggiore and just 18kms away. It is located between Ascona and Brissago. It has a beautiful view point from Piazza by the church. One can go for a hiking trail from Roncho enjoying the mountain views of Ascona and Lake Maggiore.
• Erich Maria Remarque, the German author of All Quiet on the Western Front is said to have lived here and there is his commentary of the church.
• Bagno Pubblico – It is a public sandy beach. It is an ideal spot to enjoy with family and children.
• Locarno: It is four kilometers away for Ascona. This is another place to visit and enjoy the trails and scenic views.
• Mount Conero: This is also nearby to the south and contains three resort towns, including the pretty seaside village of Sirolo with its medieval centre, Roman ruins and pristine beach.
• Lugano is a lakeside city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of southern Switzerland and is a border of Italy. Lugano offers palm trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and the Alps, and plenty of opportunity for outdoor and indoor activities. The climate of Lugano is moderate to temperate.
• San Ciriaco: It is the medieval cathedral with decorated interiors. It comprises of Byzantine art and a pagan temple.
• Teatro delle Muse: It is a museum that belongs to the nineteenth century.
• Palazzo Bosdari: It is an art gallery.
• Cappelleis Coliegio Pontificio Papio: It dates back to1584. It comprises of one of the most beautiful renaissance courtyards in Switzerland.
• Casa Serodine (also called Casa Borrani): It was constructed in 1620. It has one of the most richly embellished façades of the city.
• Museo Comunale dArte Moderna: This museum holds exhibitions of modern art, as well as a permanent collection by Klee and Utrillo.

Things to do:
• Golf – On the delta of Ascona, there is a golf course
• Water sports – One can go for the Scuola Vela can sail; in addition, you have motor boats for hire and water skiing are driven.
• Hiking: A particularly nice walk is the nearly hour-long hike halfway up with grandiose Bilck Ronco direction of Lago Maggiore.

How to get there:
Car: From the north, drive either through the St. Gotthard tunnel or through the St. Bernard and take the exit to Bellinzona.
For Switzerland, however, you need the vignette, which can be bought at border crossings and at most petrol stations.

Train: From the north, the trains run through the St. Gotthard Tunnel to Bellinzona. One needs to change trains for departure. The nearest train station is located in Locarno from where regular buses to Ascona can be taken.

Plane: The nearest major airports are in Lugano and Milan to reach Ascona. In Ascona there is a boat landing. One can regularly commute by buses between Locarno and Ascona.

Best time to visit / climate:
Since the location is in the Swiss Alps and the weather in Ascona is fairly cool year-round, summer weather is generally cool and clear with low humidity and the best time to visit Ascona. Winters in Ascona, in December and January can get quite cold. The temperatures can average as low as the teens. By April, spring is usually in full swing in the region, temperatures are right enough for touring.

Location on Google Maps:


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Driving directions between Zurich and Ascona, Switzerland:


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Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Travelbuddy.com (list of hotels)
• Booking.com
• Tripadvisor (Hotel, Restaurant)
• Ascona Hotels (link)
• http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/asconahotels/
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Ascona.htm
• Travelpod.com (link)

Blogs / Sites about Ascona:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascona
• http://www.ascona.ch/?lang=en
• http://wikitravel.org/de/Ascona
• Travelbuddy.com (link)
• Tripadvisor (link)
• Travelpod.com (link)
• http://realtravel.com/e-215733-ascona_entry-ascona
• http://www.perfspot.com/blogs/blog.asp?BlogID=133059

Images and photos of Ascona:

• Google Search Images (link)
• Tripadvisor.com (link)
• picsearch.com
• Placesonline.com (link)
• http://www.earthtv.com/en/camera-destination/ascona-switzerland
• http://www.findtarget.com/pictures/opel_ascona.html

Youtube videos from Ascona:

Ascona city (The Pearl of Ticino)

Tourist train in Ascona

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2010/11/travel-%e2%80%93-ascona-in-the-district-of-locano-in-switzerland/feed/ 0 Berner Alpen – on the foothills of the Alps http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/berner-alpen-%e2%80%93-on-the-foothills-of-the-alps/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/berner-alpen-%e2%80%93-on-the-foothills-of-the-alps/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:27:51 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=286 The Bernese Alps lies in the cantons of Bern and Wallis of Switzerland. It is a subgroup of Western Alps. In terms of glaciers, the Aletsch and Fiescherglestscher flowing are the longest rivers of ice and are in the south side of Bernese Alps in the Valais. The southern end of canton Berne has the [...]]]> The Bernese Alps lies in the cantons of Bern and Wallis of Switzerland. It is a subgroup of Western Alps. In terms of glaciers, the Aletsch and Fiescherglestscher flowing are the longest rivers of ice and are in the south side of Bernese Alps in the Valais. The southern end of canton Berne has the tallest and famous peaks. The Finsteraarhon is of a height of 4274m, which is the highest peak.
Switzerland has four main languages. In Berner Alpen mostly Swiss-German (Alemannic) is spoken but the official language is German. English is also spoken but not by a majority of the population.

The nine Four-thousanders (mountain peaks), the Bernese Alps on the whole are as below:
• Finsteraarhorn, 4274 m
• Aletschhorn, 4195 m
• Virgo, 4158 m
• Monk, 4107 m
• Schreckhorn, 4078 m
• Gross Fiescherhorn, 4049 m
• Lauteraarhorn, 4042 m
• Gross Green Horn, 4043 m
• Behind Fiescherhorn, 4025 m

There are other major mountain peaks which are as below in order of height
• Glacial horn, 3983 m
• Eiger, 3970 m
• Ebnefluh ( Ebnefluh ) , 3963 m
• Agassizhorn, 3946 m
• Bietschhorn, 3934 m
• Gross Wannenhorn, 3905 m
• Small Fiescherhorn ( Ochs) , 3895 m
• Mittaghorn, 3892 m
• Nesthorn, 3822 m
• Schin Horn, 3797 m
• Lötschentaler Breithorn, 3785 m.
• Lauterbrunnen Breithorn, 3780 m
• Saddle horn, 3745 m
• Balmhorn 3698 m
• Wetterhorn, 3692 m

Cities and villages around to see:
• Interlaken –This is a higher ski village.
• Spiez — a town surrounded by picturesque scenery.
• Gimmelwald, it is a Swiss mountain village on a Cliffside.
• Grindelwald, this is a resort town in a valley.
• Lauterbrunnen,This is a town in the valley that leads to Murren and Gimmelwald.
• Murren This is a resort town in Lauterbrunnen valley.
• Some other are Thun, Gstaad, Wengen, Niederried, Kandersteg

Places to see :
• Kleine Scheidegg: It is a hotel and train station for the highest railway in Europe.
• The Jungfraujoch: Is the endpoint of the highest railway in Europe. In Jungfrau Mountain sledding on the glacier is done. The ice palace is beautiful. One can shop & dine in the complex built right into the side of the mountain. The train stops at view stations inside the mountain giving a view point to the glaciers.
• The Truemmelbach Waterfalls: The Truemmelbach Fall is the sole outlet for glacial melt in the area. The inside of the mountain can be accessed on foot using a lift. One can reach by bus to these falls.
• The Brienzer Rothornbahn: Train runs up the mountain overlooking Brienz, with fantastic views of the Brienzersee. It is also the last mountain railway in Switzerland to exclusively use steam engines (although they also have one diesel unit).
• Lake Cruises: The clarity of the blue water and stunning mountain scenery make cruising on either the Thunersee or Brienzersee is great.
• Cable cars: Another great thing to do is ride the many cable cars that cress-cross the valleys, providing awesome vantage points.
• Biking: One can rent a bike in Murren and ride down the valley. On way back up ride the cable car.
• Hiking: One of the best is hiking a mountain ridge parallel to the Brienzersee.
• Chair lift: 100s of chair lifts, gondola, funiculars, drag lifts, button lifts all over the Alps. They work in the winter and open in the summer for walkers and for viewing from top.
• Snow Train: The overnight snow train can be picked up in Waterloo, London to all the way to the Alps. It stops at stations local to various ski resorts.
• Walking: Walk to the hills and stay overnight in a tent if one wants and enjoy the view.
• Canoeing down the Ardeche River: This ride is very laid back and serene, fantastic scenery.

How to get there:
There are many transport links to the city of Berne by road, rail and air. Direct trains are available from Zurich and Geneva airports to the city.

By car: The city is linked both to the European long-distance E4 motorway.
Basel is 60 miles away; from Basel, take the A2, which connects to the A1 and the A6 for Berne. Zurich is a little less than 80 miles away; take the A3 and connect to the A1 just after Wettingen. Geneva is around a 1-hour, 30-minute drive from Berne via the A1.
Southern Switzerland and Italy can be reached via the Lötschberg Tunnel or the St Bernard road tunnel.

By air: Berne is connected by a small airport, Berne Belp from other major cities. This is six miles from the city centre. From Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, London, Munich, Paris and Vienna there are a few international flights to and fro. The regular shuttle of buses and trains to the city from the airport, and taxis that are available outside the terminal can help with the transportation to reach Berne.
From Zurich and Geneva international airports, there are hourly trains to Berne. One can find more flights for Zurich and Geneva.

By rail: Berne connects to the international rail network. It is the only capital city in Europe which has the route of the three high-speed trains – TGV, ICE and Cisalpino. From Basel, every hour there are two quick trains. It takes below one hour to Berne. From Zurich also there are many trains with the journey of 1 hour. From Geneva there is a faster train every quarter to the hour and the journey will take about 2 hours.
There are trains from Paris (5-7 hours), Lausanne (5hours) also.
From Milan to Berne there are five trains a day, and the journey time is 3 to 4 hours.

By bus: Berne is on the Euro lines route and so bus is the best way to reach the place. There is one bus a day from Munich and services to Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Spain. Buses can be used especially for reaching mountains.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Berne is summers which are generally mild and very pleasant around.
Mild summers: The best of the weather is in July and August and busiest in the place. The other time is June and September as weather is still pleasant and above all hotel prices are cheaper and tourists are less.
Cold winters: If one is interested in enjoying white snow Christmas, December to February would be the right time. It is rather important to know that temperature can fall below zero because of snow. It would nice to enjoy with a warm coffee and a view of snow falling. People also come in early February to Easter and enjoying skiing in the region.

Location on Google Maps:


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Directions to Berner Alpen from Geneva on Google Maps:


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Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Restaurants at Virtualtourist.com (list of restaurants)
• Virtualtourist.com
• booking.com
• gtahotels.com (hotels for a cheaper rate)
• ebookers.com
• http://www.tripwolf.com/en/guide/show/145674/Switzerland/Bern/Bellevue-Palace-Bernerhof

Blogs / Sites about Berner Alpen:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bern
• http://nature.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/38324/
• http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Berne/blog-293644.html
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berner_Alpen
• http://www.isyours.com/e/guide/bern/index.html

Images and photos of Berner Alpen:

• Google Images (link)
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188052-Bern.html
• http://realtravel.com/dp-15338-0-berne_photos
• http://realtravel.com/dp-15338-0-berne_photos
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/3725673NldiCdzips

Videos of Berner Alpen (link)

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/berner-alpen-%e2%80%93-on-the-foothills-of-the-alps/feed/ 1 Montreux – at the foot of the Alps on Lake Geneva http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/montreux-%e2%80%93-at-the-foot-of-the-alps-on-lake-geneva/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/montreux-%e2%80%93-at-the-foot-of-the-alps-on-lake-geneva/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:40:22 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=284 Montreux is in the district of Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a municipality and is situated at the foot of the Alps on Lake Geneva. This place is known for hosting several festivals. The most famous one is the two week Jazz festival. It is a tourist spot with lakes. [...]]]> Montreux is in the district of Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a municipality and is situated at the foot of the Alps on Lake Geneva. This place is known for hosting several festivals. The most famous one is the two week Jazz festival.
It is a tourist spot with lakes. As a popular pastime, one can take a walk along the lake from Villeneuve to Vevey.
The main square of the town, Place du Marché, features a statue of Freddie Mercury (who was famous for his love for singing) along with his band. Strolling along the Riviera and going hiking are other options for enjoyment. There are many small villages around Montreux that include La Tour-de-Peilz, Clarens, Territet, and Villeneuve. The Chateau of Chillon gives a view of the entire Lake of Geneva. One can go by bus, walk or boat. Montreux is also famous for its recording studio called “The Mountain Studios”.

Some of the festivals in Montreux are:
• Freddie Mercury’s Montreux Memorial Day: is held annually in the first weekend of September in the memory of long-time resident, Freddy Mercury.
• The Montreux Jazz Festival: is held annually in July (since 1967) at the Montreux Music & Convention Centre. This centre was built in 1973.
• The Golden Rose Festival: is held annually in spring. This festival was awarded the Golden Rose of Montreux, an international award for television.
• The Golden Award of Montreux: is held annually in April (since 1989). It is the first in International advertising and multimedia Competition in Europe.

Places to see in Montreux
• Chateau de Chillon: It is a historic castle on a small island in Lake Geneva which is only a few meters from the shore. It was actually meant for taking a toll from people and goods passing between Italy and the rest of Europe on the road north from the St. Bernard pass. This castle is just 45 minutes walk from Montreux along the lakeside. One can reach in 4 minutes by train. One of the most famous people here was the Prisoner of Chillon was a political prisoner from Geneva who was released in 1536.
• Marmots’ Paradise: The Mountains around Hauts-de-Montreux are full of forest trails, caves, grottos, and wildlife, and surrounded by isolated villages. It is said that marmots from all over the world live in an observable system of underground burrows here. It’s a natural reserve. It also has an amusement theme park in there to enjoy.
• Corniche Lavaux Vineyards: It’s a Natural trail which has mountains views and lakes. It is a historic site and is a winery too.
• Rochers-de-Naye; it is a mountain with an observation tower and deck. One can view Lake Geneva from high above which is very beautiful. It a truly spectacular viewpoint.
• Freddie Mercury Memorial: It’s a memorial of a long-time resident, Freddy Mercury. He was also a member of the band “Queen”, a lover of songs. It has his statue.
• Swiss chocolate Train: It is a scenic railroad trip.
• Musee du vieux Montreux: It is a historical museum. It gives an insight to the life of Vieux Montruex.
• Montreux Old town: Promises a beautiful walk through the old town along the side of Lake Geneva. The streets and locality depicts the old times.
• Lakeside Promenade Fleuri: A place for hiking lovers, having a nice hiking trail.
• Casino Montreux: It is a casino for casino lovers. It has three restaurants, 379 slot machines and 22 table games.
• Clinique La prairie: If you want to relax, then this is the spa for you.
• Gstaad: It is a historic village.
• Golden Pass Line; this is another scenic railroad ride.

How to get there:

By plane: Geneva Cointrin International Airport is the major airport to Montreux. It has direct flights from most cities of Europe, Canada and United States, North Africa and the Middle East. It will take around an hour from Geneva by car. Geneva is connected to Geneva International Airport by its Railway Station.
By train: From Geneva, Lausanne, and Brig-Glis, Montreux is connected by direct rail services and is easily accessible via rail connection from anywhere in Switzerland.

Get around locally (local transport): Montreux-Oberland-Bernois or MOB is one of the longest established of the Swiss narrow gauge railways and runs from platforms 5 and 6 of the town’s main line station to Zweissimmen via the resort town of Gstaad.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Montreux is March and September. The best time to visit because of the weather and lack of tourists. One will be able to experience the summer swimming days along with cooler Montreux nights in September. It is a great time for hiking, biking, and swimming. Somewhat unpredictable in the sense that it’s always better to be prepared for both summer and winter weathers in all the times.

Location on Google Maps:


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Driving directions from Geneva to Montreux on Google Maps:


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Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Topbooker.com (list of hotels along with the prices and ratings)
• http://realtravel.com/dp-18206-0-montreux_photos (has popular hotels)
• http://realtravel.com/df-18206-montreux_restaurants (has restaurant details)
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants (list of restaurants)
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/accommodation.html?gclid=COjZj6SMsaMCFcRA6wod1Rf24A
• Octopus Travel

Blogs / Sites about Montreux:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Montreux
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Montreux/tpod.html
• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland/lake-geneva-region/montreux/travelblogs
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Montreux-travel-blogs-1191517
• http://www.expat-blog.com/en/blog/europe/switzerland/www.montreux-life.com

Images and photos of Montreux

• Google Images
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_montreux_4377.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188108-Montreux_Vaud.html
• http://www.travel-images.com/switzerland.html
• Picsearch
• http://realtravel.com/dp-18206-0-montreux_photos

Videos of Montreux (link)

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/montreux-%e2%80%93-at-the-foot-of-the-alps-on-lake-geneva/feed/ 0 Locarno – an older town, great to visit http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/locarno-%e2%80%93-an-older-town-great-to-visit/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/locarno-%e2%80%93-an-older-town-great-to-visit/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:30:32 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=281 Locarno which means “Lion’s Flesh” in Latin is located in the Swiss canton of Ticino. It is on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore and is the capital of Locarno district. The language majorly spoken here is Italian. Locarno is the third biggest populated city of canton Ticino (with the first and second being Lugano [...]]]> Locarno which means “Lion’s Flesh” in Latin is located in the Swiss canton of Ticino. It is on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore and is the capital of Locarno district. The language majorly spoken here is Italian. Locarno is the third biggest populated city of canton Ticino (with the first and second being Lugano and Bellinzona).
To enjoy Locarno, one can walk or rent a bike. One can rent a bike from the train station of Locarno. Lacarno is otherwise a walk able city with all its visiting centres at few distances. This old town is having all sorts of locations, from castles to lakes to views of the mountains to a botanical garden. It is also famous for the Treaty of Locarno which was signed by the European powers to ensure peace after world war I. Locarno is now primarily a tourist spot.

There are many places to visit in Locarno, since you will find a combination of art, tourism and nature.
• Astrovia Locarno: It’s a 1: 1,000,000,000 scale model of the Solar System. Just like the solar system the Sun can be found at the end of Via Gioacchino Respini that runs along the river Maggia. 6 km away from this starting point in the village of Tegna, Pluto, the final planet is found.
• Madonna Del Sasso, Cardada and Cimetta: The sanctuary of Madonna Del Sasso is the pilgrimage in Orselina and is above the city. Its interior decoration is highly splendid and gives a perfect view of the city. A gondola runs to the top of Cardada from Orselina (1, 340 m (4,396 ft)). There is a rare chair lift that goes further to the top of Cimetta (1,671 m (5,482 ft)).
• Castello Visconteo: Castello Visconteo is a 12th century built. It was the residence of a Captain Orelli, a true faithful to the Emperor. After changing hands like Ghibellines and Visconti in a war, only a fifth of the original structure remains today. It is a castle. This is now a Municipal and an Archeological Museum. It’s also known as The Castle of Locarno. It has the historical monuments in the city and depicts Italian architectural styles.
• Cimetta, Locarno: This place is for the trek enthusiasts. Cimetta is situated at a height of 1672m and the alpine mountains. It is covered with snow during winters, which is a magnificent view to look at. Hence it is a desired spot for skiing and other winter sports.
• Ascona, Locarno: If one wants to explore the small villages near Locarno, then Ascona village is one of them. This village is filled with natural beauty and art. There is an old museum in Ascona, which depicts devotion to art.
• Morcote, Locarno: Morcote is a scenic village in Locarno which is filled with nature. It has a park with a wide collection of plant species and the reproduction projects from all around the world.
• Funicular ride: The funicular railway up to the old monastery and cable car station is worth a ride.
• Piazza Grande: This is a park that has a wide collection of plant species like gardens of palms, camellias, bougainvillea, cypress, oleanders and magnolias etc., from all over the world. It is also a major shopping area and is in the heart of the centre.
• One can also walk to the Lake Maggiore promenade or take boat trips on Lake Maggiore.

Festivals in Locarno:
• Moon and Stars Music Festival; is held in July that attracts international acts.
• Locarno International Film Festival (Festival Del Film internazionale): is held in the first two weeks of August on Piazza Grande. It has one of the biggest open air screens in Europe.

How to get there:

• By car: Take highway A2 Baselto Chiasso from the east, exit at Bellinzona South, direction Locarno. After the Magadino airport, take the A13 highway,direction Loscarno. After the tunnel, the first exit will bring you in the center of Locarno.
Take the road coasting the Lake Maggiore, from Verbania trough Cannobio and the Brissago customs from the west. Then take the A13 highway, direction Locarno. An alternative, from Simplon and Domodossola, is the Valle Vigezzo and Centovalli road, direction Locarno.
• By train: Locarno is directly linked with Zurich, Basel, Lucerne, Milan and Bellinzona by regular trains. The Centovallina train line connects Locarno and the Simplon line (from Geneva or Bern).
• By flight: Take a flight from any major city to Lugano airport and take the bus to Locarno. One can take train also instead of bus to Locarno.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Locarno is all round the climate. In summer, biking, hiking, mountain viewing etc., are available. For persons interested in skiing, snow surfing etc., winter is the best time.
It’s best to go in a time that is matching with the festivals held in Lacarno, i.e., July-August, to fully enjoy the area activities.

Location on Google Maps:


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Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Travelpod (list of hotels with reviews)
• TripAdvisor
• Booking.com
• http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/booking/hotels-list.shtml
• http://www.hotelclub.co.uk/SearchResults.asp?id=10941
• http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/locarnohotels/

Blogs / Sites about Locarno:

• http://www.travelpod.com/hotels/Locarno.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locarno
• http://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland/ticino/locarno/travelblogs
• http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-512743.html
• http://www.fest21.com/blog/locarno
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Locarno-travel-guide-1191324
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locarno_Treaties

Images and photos of Locarno:

• Google Search
• TripAdvisor
• Picsearch
• http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Locarno/gallery
• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/locarno.html

Videos of Locarno (link)

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/locarno-%e2%80%93-an-older-town-great-to-visit/feed/ 0 Thun – located on the shore of Lake Thun http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/thun-%e2%80%93-located-on-the-shore-of-lake-thun/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/thun-%e2%80%93-located-on-the-shore-of-lake-thun/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:03:11 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=279 Thun is in the canton of Bern and is a municipality in Switzerland. It is located 30km south of Bern and here River Aar flows out of Lake Thun. The food industry and publishing are of economic importance here along with tourism. Machine and apparatus engineering is also well known here. Hiking, mountain biking, water [...]]]> Thun is in the canton of Bern and is a municipality in Switzerland. It is located 30km south of Bern and here River Aar flows out of Lake Thun. The food industry and publishing are of economic importance here along with tourism. Machine and apparatus engineering is also well known here. Hiking, mountain biking, water sports, swimming etc., are some of the activities one can enjoy.
There are beautiful views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau and, the giant pyramidal Niesen (2362m) and flat-topped Stockhorn (2190m). Obere Hauptgasse, and the tranquil, cobbled Rathausplatz at its northwestern end were once flooded and the new one is the renovated one. There are many places to visit. The Swiss Gastronomy museum, Muehleplatz, Aare River, Lake Thun, Wocher panorama etc,
• Schadau Park and Castle: This is the Castle of the twelfth century. It also a history museum which has medieval armors and weaponry. Built in 1190 and occupied by the Bernese in 1386. Schadau Park is at the lakeshore, but on the station side of the river. This has tended flowerbeds and views across the water to the mountains
• The Rathaus (town hall): This was erected in the 16th century.
• Lake Thun: This is the lake with a view of Bernese Alps along with Niesen, Stockhorn and Jungfrau peaks. Lake Thun is the largest lake in Switzerland. It is surrounded by green mountains and Jungfrau snowy summit. There are water-sports and swimming, if interested. One can just walk or else, enjoying the view.
• The Wocher Panorama, the oldest remaining panorama drawing in the world. It’s a part of the Kunstmuseum Thun. The name is originated because of the painting of the artist Marguard Wocher. His painting depicted small town of Thun. It’s of the nineteenth century and one can view an intimate view into living-rooms, classrooms and narrow streets. The paints have marvelous mountains, mirrored in the blue of the lakes and are beautiful. The panorama shows view from the quays along the river Aare to Niesen, Blüemslialp, and Jungfrau peaks and back to the castle.
• Niederhorn (1954 m/6411 ft): One can get by rail, boat or by bus. The other modes of transfer are by funicular and by aerial cableway. This is a vantage point in the Bernese Oberland. Lakes of Thun and Brienz to the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau can be viewed from this vantage point.
• Kunstmuseum Thun Concept and Program: The Kunstmuseum Thun is in the former Grand Hotel which has all the collection of the city of Thun since 1949. In five to six large exhibitions per contemporary art trends at international levels are shown. The collection embraces important minor masters, a large number of Swiss pop art works, classical modern Swiss art and works by all the renowned artists of the region. Among the artists represented in the collection are: Cuno Amiet, Ferdinand Hodler, Paul Klee, Franz Gertsch, Balthasar Burkhard, Claudia & Julia Müller, Chantal Michel and Shirana Shabhazi.
• Project room enter: The project room “enter” is a special platform for young innovative art. The small exhibitions held there offer scope for artistic experimentation and exciting insight into current, not yet fully formulated positions in art.
• Museum shop and Café Thunerhof: It is the best art book store in the region. It has a large selection of original art books for children. The Café Thunerhof serves warm and cold snacks.

How to get there:

• By Train: The Berne S-Bahn operates from Berne to Thun. The suburban trains are connected to the Berne metropolitan area. Non-S-Bahn suburban trains operate from Thun to Hasle-Rüegsau.
• By Car: From national motorway A6 from Berne or Spiez, Thun can be reached. This highway has two exits (Thun South, Thun North).
• By Foot: Thun can be got around by walk.
• By Bus: Thun has a local bus-system. The STI brings around the city.

Best time to visit / climate:
The place of Thun is best to visit during the summer. Thun is full of flower blooms and its scenic views, lakes are best enjoyed. Hiking, biking etc., are the best things to do.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Zurich to Thun in Switzerland, on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):
• Booking.com
• Restaurants on World66.com (list of best restaurants in lauterbrunnen)
• http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/booking/hotels-list.shtml
• Restaurants on TripAdvisor (list of restaurants)
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g188053-Thun-Hotels.html
• Virtualtourist.com
• http://www.thun.ch/en/tourism/accomodation/hotel.html

Blogs / Sites about Thun:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/thun
• http://www.isyours.com/e/guide/berner_oberland/thun.html
• http://www.magicswitzerland.com/thun.htm
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Thun
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Thun/tpod.html
• http://www.travelpost.com/EU/Switzerland/Bern/Thun/2105725
• http://www.yukiba.com/1446-thun-switzerland-europe-trip.html

Images and photos of Thun:

• Google Images
• http://switzerland.europe-mountains.com/bern/thun-gallery.aspx
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_thun_4296.html
• http://photobucket.com/images/Ao%20thun%20nu/
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/West/Bern/Thun/
• http://realtravel.com/dp-18993-0-thun_photos
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_thun_4296.html

Videos of Thun (link)

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/thun-%e2%80%93-located-on-the-shore-of-lake-thun/feed/ 0 Lugano – a city by the Lake in Southern Switzerland http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/lugano-%e2%80%93-a-city-by-the-lake-in-southern-switzerland/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/08/lugano-%e2%80%93-a-city-by-the-lake-in-southern-switzerland/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:30:23 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=270 Lugano is a lakeside city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of southern Switzerland and near the border with Italy. Some of the pleasures of Lugano include palm trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and the Alps, and plenty of opportunity for outdoor and indoor activities. The climate of Lugano is moderate to temperate. [...]]]> Lugano is a lakeside city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of southern Switzerland and near the border with Italy. Some of the pleasures of Lugano include palm trees, picturesque boulevards, stunning views of the lake and the Alps, and plenty of opportunity for outdoor and indoor activities. The climate of Lugano is moderate to temperate. The city is on Lake Lugano and has given it a nickname “Monte Carlo of Switzerland”. It is the 9th largest city of Switzerland by population. It is surrounded by mountains with enchanting viewpoints.
The origin of the name is possibly the Latin word Lucus, meaning wood or sacred wood, or Gaulish locovanno “lake dweller”. It is the third most important financial centre and a conference, banking and business centre, but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings. Lugano offers all the advantages of a world-class city, combined with the cachet of a small town.
The city is traffic-free and has a historic town centre, numerous buildings in Italianate Lombardy style, exclusive museums, view of the mountains, a lake and a packed calendar of events all invite visitors to see the sights. The two closest mountains to Lugano, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè, give you an outstanding panorama of the town, Lake Lugano and the alpine scenery. From Monte Brè there is a walk down to the village of Brè, which has preserved its typical Ticino village centre, and enhanced it with works of art. From the San Salvatore, another popular walk leads down through the beautifully situated Carona to Lake Lugano at Morcote. Taking a boat trip back to Lugano is a splendid way to round off the day. Other excursions are to the fishing village of Gandria, up the Monte San Giorgio or the Monte Generoso or to the Lilliput world of Switzerland in Miniature at Melide

The popular buildings in Lugano are
• St. Lawrence Cathedral (9th and 15th century)
• St. Mary of the Angels Church (16th century) with the fresco of the Christ’s Passion from Bernardino Luini
• Parco civico – Villa Ciani
• Piazza della Riforma
• Villa Favorita
• Piazza della Riforma

The Poular Museums are
• Art Museum
• Museo delle Culture (Museum of Cultures)
• Cantonal Art Museum
• Foundation Aligi Sassu and Helenita Olivares
• Historical Museum
• Cantonal Museum on Natural History
• Swiss Custom Museum
• Municipal Art Museum
• Wilhelm Schmid Museum
• Gottardo Gallery
• Hermann Hesse Museum

More things to do:
• Lake Lugano: The best and the beautiful lake of the city.
• Cattedrale San Lorenzo
The cathedral in Lugano is standing above the city centre. There has been a church on the same site at least since 818, but it was not until 1888 that the church became a cathedral. San Lorenzo has got a tall bell tower and a renaissance façade from the year 1517. It has a mix of medieval, baroque and rococo styles and great artwork.
• Parco Civico
Parco Civico is a 63, 000 square metre big park by the lake. It is often called Parco Ciani after Villa Ciani, which is a mansion in the park. This villa is now housing the Museo Civico di Belle Arti, a museum with a collection of 15th – 20th century paintings.
• Pedalo: Take a Pedalo and enjoy by going on the Lake Lugano and have a grand view of the city.
• Parco Civico: Is a 63,000 square meter beautiful Park located on the lakeside from central Lugano. It is also known as Parco Ciani, after the Ciani brothers who bought and restored the estate.
• City Tour by the “Red Arrow”: This little tourist friendly train is the convenient way to see the hidden beauties of Lugano in 40 minutes.
• Monte Tamaro: It is a biking trail (mountain); Cross-country ski area; Downhill ski area; Mountain; Other; Snowboard ski area.
• L’Enoteca di via Cantonale – Le Cantine Lucchini
The enoteca is the first local reality which includes almost the whole wine production of the canton Tessin. The Enoteca is a wide open door for the exploitation of the ticinese territory and of the wine.

How to get to Lugano:

By plane: Lugano has a small international airport with flights arriving from many European cities especially Italy, England, France and Germany. The airports is 1 1/2 hours away by bus or train and are served by easy Jet and Ryanair.
Swiss International Airline, Flybaboo and Darwin Airline offer discount web special prices to Lugano from many parts of Europe.
By Train: Trains leave for Zurich (3hr) and Milan (40min-1hour) as well as Geneva (via Zurich or Locarno-Domodossola: 5h30′ with 1 or 2 train-change, 6h30′ via Milan with 1 train-change). Note that getting to Geneva or points west it is faster to go via Zurich or Locarno as the trains are more frequent and faster.
By Bus: There are two shuttle services (Star Bus, Malpensa Express between Lugano and Milan – Malpensa Airport) and a daily bus service during summer to Tirano (Italy) with train connection (Bernina Express) to St. Moritz (Switzerland).
By boat: Since a small part of the lake is actually in Italy it is advisable to bring your passport if you plan on exploring by ferry. Lugano is small enough to get around on foot, and many of the streets are pedestrian-only, but the hills above the lakefront are very steep so the bus or the funicular from the center of town might be a better option on the way up to the train station if you have a lot of bags. Taxis can be found on the main roads. Ferries and Funiculars are great options for seeing the views.

Best time to visit / climate:

Lugano has mild climate and is considered a popular tourist destination in the spring when the camellias are in bloom. Some believe the best time to visit Lugano to see the sites and enjoy its beauty is in October, when the summer crowds have thinned and winter crowds have not yet arrived. The weather is cool, but not yet cold and everything takes on a quiet, peaceful feel.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Driving directions from Milan to Lugano:


View Larger Map

Driving directions from Zurich to Lugano:


View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Tourism
• Tripadvisor (list of restaurants with addresses and ratings)
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g188095-Lugano_Ticino_Swiss_Alps-Hotels.html (list of hotels)
• Booking.com
• Venere.com
• otel.com

Blogs / Sites about Lugano:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Lugano
• http://lugano.arounder.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugano
• http://www.lugano-tourism.ch/en/36/what-to-do.aspx

Images and photos of Lugano:

Google Images

http://goeurope.about.com/od/luganotravelguide/ig/Lugano-Pictures/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188095-Lugano_Ticino_Swiss_Alps.html

http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_lugano_4366.html

http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/travel/cities/western%20europe/switzerland/cities%20i-o/lugano.html

Videos of Lugano

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