Different places to travel » Skiing 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 – Pontresina, a place known for hiking and climbing, in Switzerland http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-pontresina-a-place-known-for-hiking-and-climbing-in-switzerland/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-pontresina-a-place-known-for-hiking-and-climbing-in-switzerland/#comments Sun, 06 Feb 2011 17:28:48 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=390 Pontresina is in the district of Maloja and Oberengadin sub-district. It is a municipality in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is at an altitude of 1820 metres. It is on the highest side of Engadine on the upper side. In medieval times, this city was known as “Pontem sarasinam” and later as “de [...]]]> Pontresina is in the district of Maloja and Oberengadin sub-district. It is a municipality in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is at an altitude of 1820 metres. It is on the highest side of Engadine on the upper side. In medieval times, this city was known as “Pontem sarasinam” and later as “de Ponte Sarraceno” and “ponte sarracin”. Pontresina has an approximate area of 118.2 square kilometers (45.6 sq mi). Pontresina has approximately a population size of about 2,004. The official languages of Pontresina are German; Italian is the second most and Portuguese is the third most spoken language.
It is in the highest altitude valley of Val Bernina. This valley branches off the Upper Engadin Valley. Its neighbour is St. Moritz. It is on a south-west facing just 7 km from St. Moritz. This village has sections of Laret, San Spiert as well as Giarsun including Muragls.
Pontresina has pine and larch forests around the Engadine resort and this spa town.
The Morteratsch Glacier and the Roseg Glaciers are the nearby glaciers of Pontresina. As a matter of convenience, there is a ski lift in Morteratsch. There is a cross country ski trail along the Roseg valley. Among the Swiss heritage sites of national significance are The Church of S. Maria, Grand Hotel Kronenhof and the Spaniola tower. There is a village church which was a parish church in old times which has a Ramanesque structure. It has paintings of those times. The walls, north and west and the tower date back to the 12th century.
This place is also known for hiking and climbing. The architectural blend of fine old Engadine houses with their typical “graffito” (decorated walls) dated back from the 17/18th centuries are worth seeing. The hotels are elegant and in Belle Epoque style.
The Bernina railway line is about 2330 m high on Bernina Pass towards Italy and this rail ride passes the Morteratsch glacier. From the station of Bernia, the view is spectacular of the mountain lake of Lago Nero and Lago Biasnco. A wide variety of Puschlav valley that is in southern Grisons can be seen from the Alp Grum stop.

Highlights
• Diavolezza – It is a panorama mountain which has a mountain restaurant at a height of 3000 m, skiing area and via ferrata climb. There is also a high-altitude cross-country track and glacier walks.
• Rosegtal (Val Roseg) – this is a car-free valley which is a delightful route for walking, biking or cross-country skiing. One can also go for trips on a horse-drawn carriage. There are options for sledge through beautiful larch woods. There are beautiful views of the peaks and glaciers of the Bernina range.
• Bernina railway line – The Bernina railway line is about 2330 m high on Bernina Pass towards Italy and this rail ride passes the Morteratsch glacier. From the station of Bernia, the view is spectacular of the mountain lake of Lago Nero and Lago Bianco. A wide variety of Puschlav valley that is in southern Grisons can be seen from the Alp Grum stop. There is a narrow gauge route across Bernia. This railway line goes into the Veltlin over the Italian border.
• Muottas Muragl: This is a funicular railway that takes to the 2453 m peak. This peak is right for walking and panoramic views, between Samedan and Pontresina along with views over the lakes of the Upper Engadine.
• Upper Engadine – This is an extremely popular holiday region. There is alpine setting at an altitude of 1800 m. There is a world-famous resort of St. Moritz.
• Museum Alpin in Pontresina – This museum is about the development of summer and winter tourism, hunting, wildlife and the environment, with collection of minerals.
• Touring in Engadine: The road trip to Engadine has beautiful and magnificent view of the trail heads, villages.

How to get there
There are several bus lines of the Engadin Bus Company and a chair lift for skiing. Pontresina can be reached by reaching St. Moritz from where it is only 7 kilometers. St. Moritz has its own railway station and a small airport where mostly all links of trains are available.

From St. Moritz to Pontresina
By car:
The route goes from Zurich to Chur, via Thusis and Tiefencastel, either crossing the Julier pass or the Albula Pass to St. Moritz to Pontresina.

By train: From Zurich one can take a train to Landquart and change to St. Moritz. The trains are available from Zurich each hour.

By air: One can fly to Zurich International Airport. From there either take a car route or train route to reach Pontresina.

The best way to reach the resort is to use the plane-car or plane-train combination. Zurich is the most convenient and closest airport.

Directly to Pontresina.
By car:
From Zurich take the road to Chur and there drive south on the A13. It will take you on the route 417/3, which goes to Pontresina. A second option is to take the A3 or A1 autobahn from Zurich International Airport, which go to Chur. From Chur continue following the above-described directions.

By train: There are four connections from Zurich to Pontresina and takes up to four hours.

Best time to visit / climate:
The place is right for both the weathers.
Summer
There are funicular railway rides to Val Roseg (Rosegtal) and the Muottas Muragl (2453 m), tours to upper Engadine, the alpine walk from Muottas Muragl to Alp Languard and the Nordic walking trails etc., to enjoy in summer at Pontresina with each of them having spectacular mountain views. Biking is another option.
Winter
The ski area on Piz Lagalb (2959 m), the Diavolezza (2973 m), with its 3 lifts and 9 km of slopes and other skiing areas in the Engadine, offering over 50 lifts and about 350 km of slopes, 200 km of cross-country skiing track and the high-altitude track on the Diavolezza that is 12 km long along with 45 km of walking trail are the places for enjoying a perfect winter in Pontresina.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

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

• Booking.com
• Myswitzerland.com
• tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• Virtualtourist (list of restaurants)
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Pontresina.htm
• http://www.albris.ch/
• http://www.allegrahotel.ch/
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Albris-Hotel-Pontresina-v137334
• Wikio.com

Blogs / Sites about Pontresina

• Tripadvisor
• Travelpod
• http://realtravel.com/d-33997-pontresina
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Albris-Hotel-Pontresina-v137334
• http://www.travelpost.com/hotels/Pontresina/d47345/p2
• Virtualtourist

Images and photos of Pontresina:

• Google Search
• Tripadvisor
• http://en.escapio.com/hotel/hotel-saratz/pictures
• europe-mountains.com
• http://www.zoover.co.uk/switzerland/graubunden/pontresina/photos
• Trekearth
• http://wiki.worldflicks.org/pontresina.html
• Virtualtourist

Videos of Pontresina (Google Search)

PONTRESINA SWITZERLAND-1

Pontresina is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.

Sunset Trail Pontresina

Pontresina and its high standing events

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-pontresina-a-place-known-for-hiking-and-climbing-in-switzerland/feed/ 0 Travel – Gstaad, a good place to go for skiing, in Switzerland http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-gstaad-a-good-place-to-go-for-skiing-in-switzerland/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-gstaad-a-good-place-to-go-for-skiing-in-switzerland/#comments Sun, 06 Feb 2011 17:10:30 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=388 Gstaad is in the Canton of Berne, located in the southwestern part of Switzerland. Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of Berne. It is a municipality of Saanen. It is a very famous ski resort. The Institute le Rosey’s winter campus is held here every year. It is located 1,050 meters (3,440 ft) [...]]]> Gstaad is in the Canton of Berne, located in the southwestern part of Switzerland. Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of Berne. It is a municipality of Saanen. It is a very famous ski resort. The Institute le Rosey’s winter campus is held here every year. It is located 1,050 meters (3,440 ft) above sea level. Gstaad has a population of approximately 2,500. It is known for its luxurious hotels, chalets and costly shopping, dining and international stars. It is the home for skiing in the Alps, located in Berner Oberland. It has exquisite shops and gourmet restaurants. It also has hiking and walking trails with enjoyment of mountain air and view. The Gstaad-Saanenland region comes in pair for touring. Gstaad is known for its international celebrities like actresses Julie Andrews and Elizabeth Taylor, legendary French actress Jeanne Moreau, French singer Johnny Hallyday, violinist Yehudi Menuhin, Prince Rainier and author Richard Scarry etc.
In summer, Gstaad offers hiking trails of over 300 kilometers, mountain biking, paragliding and golf. Take a ride on river Saane, cross-country skiing in the glacier and toboggan run in Schönried via ferrata and the Lake Lauenen are other places of interest in summer.
In winter, 250 km of pistes at altitudes of up to 3000 meters above sea level attracts skiers and snowboard riders. The snow parks and toboggan runs of about 80km trails and skating, curling and skiing are the winter attractions of the place. This place is also known for Bavarian curling in the centre of Gstaad and glacier- and heli-skiing and riding a horse-drawn sleigh.

Top Events
In Gstaad, the following regular events are held:
• “ProCivitas week” 10-17 February
• International Balloon Festival in Châteux-d’Oex – This event takes place in January and is the most important Alpine balloon event with about 90 hot-air balloons in a variety of shapes and colours.
• The Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad tennis tournament: – This event takes place in July and is an international ATP Tennis Tournament with elite players.
• Davidoff Saveurs Gstaad – This event takes place in July and is a celebration of authentic flavors from kitchen, cellar and humidor.
• The “Menuhin Festival” classical music summer series: – This event takes place from July – September and is a summer music festival in honor of the great violinist and conductor.
• The “Hublot Polo Gold Cup” polo tournament: – This event takes place in August and features an international team riding fiery Arab horses fighting for victory.
• Country Night Gstaad – leading country event encompassing a wide musical spectrum (September).
• Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad or the “1to1 energy open” beach volleyball tournament: – This event takes place in February – March and is an intimate festival of classical music in spring.
There are many neighbouring resorts of Saanen, Rougemont, Schönried, Saanenmöser, Zweisimmen, Gsteig and Lauenen. The Saanenland is the nature preserve by Lake Lauenen with its waterfalls and high moors, the narrow streets in the historic village centre of Saanen.
The Saanenland ski and hiking arena has more than 60 transport facilities which can be accessed from several villages. The Montreux-Oberland-Railways (MOB) and buses connect Gstaad with other base stations in Saanenmöser, Schönried, Zweisimmen, Gsteig, Reusch, Lauenen Rougemont and Château-d’Oex in the French-speaking neighbouring region of Pays d’Enhaut.
Highlights
• Gourmet restaurants – There are almost thirteen renowned restaurants in the gourmet’s paradise of Gstaad. This includes the Restaurant Chesery which has been awarded 18 Gault Millau points.
• Lake Lauenen – This is an idyllic mountain lake. One can take a dip in or just walk along it. It also has a restaurant for mountain bikers and walkers.
• Scooter fun – Wispile-Gstaad or Sparenmoos-Zweisimmen offer fast descents on special scooters.
• Golden Pass panorama railway – The journey from Montreux on Lake Geneva via Gstaad to Lake Thun and from there on to Lucerne in Central Switzerland can be taken by the Golden Pass railway.

How to get there:

Gstaad is in the MOB (Montreux Oberland Bernois) railway line which runs from Montreux to Zweisimmen. The other trains are Golden Pass Panoramic or Classic trains. These Panoramic carriages enables one to see the splendid views of Lake Geneva.The Classic carriages are all wood-lined and with service. The trip from Montreux to Gstaad is beautiful with the scenery. During the Montreux Jazz festival there is a special jazz train with live music in dedicated carriages.

Best time to visit / climate:

In summer, Gstaad offers hiking trail of over 300 kilometers, mountain biking, paragliding and golf. Take a ride on river Saane, cross-country skiing in the glacier and toboggan run in Schönried via ferrata and the Lake Lauenen are other places of interest in summer.
In winter, 250 km of pistes at altitudes of up to 3000 meters above sea level attracts skiers and snowboard riders. The snow parks and toboggan runs of about 80km trails and skating, curling and skiing are the winter attractions of the place. This place is also known for Bavarian curling in the centre of Gstaad and glacier- and heli-skiing and riding a horse-drawn sleigh.

Location on Google Maps:


View Hallenbad im Sportzentrum Gstaad in a larger map

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

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Gstaad#Eat (list of restaurants)
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Gstaad#Sleep (list of hotels)
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/hotels/index.cfm/berneroberland/gstaad
• Booking.com
• http://www.gstaad.ch/en/
• http://www.palace.ch/
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• http://www.frommers.com/destinations/gstaad/2582_inddin.html (list of restaurants with reviews)

Blogs / Sites about Gstaad:

• http://www.gstaad.ch/en/
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Gstaad/tpod.html
• http://ladyantebellum.com/media/videos/blog-gstaad-need-you-now
• http://www.hereorthere.com/members/charlotte/experience/356
• http://www.travellerspoint.com/budget-accommodation-en-ci-475.html
• Virtualtourist

Images and photos of Gstaad:

• Google Search
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.picture-newsletter.com/country/index.htm
• worldtravels.com
• mlmagazine
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/West/Bern/gstaad/
• virtualtourist.com

Videos of Gstaad (on Google search)

Gstaad Palace, Hotel, Schweiz – Magic in the Mountains

GSTAAD – Skiing

Extreme skiing in Gstaad, Switzerland

Gstaad Switzerland

Snowboarding in Gstaad

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/02/travel-%e2%80%93-gstaad-a-good-place-to-go-for-skiing-in-switzerland/feed/ 0 Travel – Samnaun – located as a duty free area in Switzerland http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-samnaun-%e2%80%93-located-as-a-duty-free-area-in-switzerland/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-samnaun-%e2%80%93-located-as-a-duty-free-area-in-switzerland/#comments Wed, 19 Jan 2011 05:56:47 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=383 Samnaun is in the district of Inn in the Swiss Canton. It is a municipality in Canton of Graubunden in Switzerland. This is a valley for the villages Tschlin and Ramosch and was used as a pasture. In the 12th century, farm houses and fields were gifted to Marienberg Abbey by the counts of Tarasp. [...]]]> Samnaun is in the district of Inn in the Swiss Canton. It is a municipality in Canton of Graubunden in Switzerland. This is a valley for the villages Tschlin and Ramosch and was used as a pasture. In the 12th century, farm houses and fields were gifted to Marienberg Abbey by the counts of Tarasp. It is spread from 1,700 and 2,900 meters.
Located close to the Austrian border, this place is a duty-free area for Swiss customs.There are four villages, Samnaun-Dorf (at the end of the road going through the area), Compatsch, Laret and Ravaisch, inside the Samnaun area. Ischgl is a ski centre in Sumnaun on the Austrian side on the border. It is the largest, as well as the liveliest ski area in the Eastern Alps.
It has an area of 56.2 square kilometers (21.7 sq mi) and has a population of approximately about 813. The official language of Samnaun is German and Portugese is the second and Serbo-Croatian is third most speaking language of Sumnaun. Bavarian dialect is the form of German spoken by Samnaun residents. Samnaun has known for its world’s first double-decker cable car which was the biggest ever of the time and the capacity is to carry over 180 skiers at a time.
This is a Swiss ski resort which has access to 200km of downhill skiing, with 70 individual pistes, served by 40 ski lifts. It is at an altitude of 1500 meters skiing is ideal and with pistes above 2500metres, snowboarding and skiing is perfect. There are two skii schools in Samnaun and they are the First Ski- and Snowboard School Samnaun and Swiss Snowsport School Samnaun.

Things to do:
Snowmaking: – Samnaun has 260 Snow Cannons and hence snowmaking is one of the best deals in winter.
Ski Lift Capacity: – The 40 Ski Lifts of Samnaun can carry or uplift up to 78,500 skiers / snowboarders per hour.

Skiing in Samnaun and Snowshoe trekking:
Samnaun offers good skiing. Swiss ski resort which has access to 200km of downhill skiing, with 70 individual pistes, served by 40 ski lifts. It is at an altitude of 1500 meters skiing is ideal and with pistes above 2500metres, snowboarding and skiing is perfect. It offers a total of the 235 piste kilometers for skiing.

Cross-Country Skiing: Samnaun has a total of 7 kilometers for cross-country skiing.

Snowboarding in Samnaun: Boarder’s Paradise is one of the biggest snow parks in Europe, ideal for Snowboarding. Along with this, 1500 meters ski area and 2500metres areas of pistes give a broad chance of Snowboarding.

Ice sports: There are many opportunities on the natural ice field “Clis da Ravaisch” between Samnaun village and Samnaun Ravaisch.
Winter Hikes. There are about 40 km of winter hiking paths with beautiful views of the Samnaun landscape.

Tobogganing: There are two natural tobogganing tracks with a spectacular view of Samnaun valley.

The Top events of Samnaun:
Clau Wau – This event occurs at the beginning of December. This event is Clau Wau Santa Claus world championships that take place every winter. Every Christmas, the Santa Claus has to drag sack full of gifts through wind and weather, to all, young and old and the best becomes the champion of the year.

Spring Snow Festival: This festival takes place in the last week of April. This is an international spring snow festival in the midst of the Silvretta Arena Samnaun/Ischgl. It is a rock music celebration and electrifying concerns.

International Silvretta Schüler-Cup: This international competition takes place in April where more than 500 kids take part in a ski race. This takes place at the Alp Trida in the Silvretta Arena Samnaun / Ischgl.

Synchro Ski world cup: This event takes place in January at the Musella-Hang in Samnaun Dorf where groups have to ride down the steep hill Musella. This is an exciting event of the year.

Moonlight skiing: Skiing under the moonlight is a special experience in the the Silvretta Arena Samnaun / Ischgl, up the alp Trider Sattel. There is a ski run to Skihaus Alp Trida and is supposedly the first to be known in moonlight. Moonlight is the only source of light for the ski run.

Places to see:
Alpenquell experience bath: The valley offers a visit to the Alpenquell experience baths. It is the highest situated bath centre of Switzerland that is 1,715 meters above. It also has sport swimming pool, ice-cool springs, whirlpool, massage jets and steam cabins.
Library: This is a well known Samnaun library with huge collections of books and best sellers. It is situated in the school premises of Samnaun Compatsch.
Butts: The House Panorama in Samnaun village offers shooting bull’s eye. If one is interested a rifle-range (butts), this place is the right one to try.

How to get there
By Air: The two nearest major airports are in Zürich and Innsbruck from which Samnaun can be reached by bus.
By Bus: The Swiss part of the valley is served by a frequent bus which can be used free of charge.
By Car: To reach Samnaun there are two roads-one that comes from Austria and the other is Swiss road, from Engadin.
The easier one is from Austria which comes from Landeck. When coming from Landeck, about a few km after the village Pfunds the road begins and a few meters before the road to St. Moritz – Engadin, there is the Austrian side of the Samnaun. The Swiss road is from Engadin road, starting at Martina, is considered difficult with tunnels, traffic etc. The biggest possible car coming across here is the Swiss post bus.

Double Decker Gondola: Samnaun had the world’s first double Decker Gondola. It carries 180 people up to the skiing area.
Ski bus: Samnaun has got a free Ski bus which connects the villages with each other and the gondola station. There is an “Ortsbus” too, it connects all the villages (incl. the villages which can’t be reached with the ski bus because the streets are to narrow). This service is free for guests of Samnaun.

Public Transport: Samnaun can be reached easily from Switzerland and Austria by public transport. A bus connects Samnaun with Scuol-Tarasp and Landeck about 4-6 times a day. Scuol Tarasp can be reached from any part of switzerland via Zürich-Landquart and the Vereina Tunnel. Landeck is on the Arlberg Mainline.

Best time to visit / climate:

The place has its own activities for summer and winter. But the ideal time is winter as there are many events and sports to enjoy.
In winter, Sumnaun is a place for skiing cross-country or snow-shoe trek, snowboarding and sledging. It lasts from the end of November to early May. In summer, shopping jewellery, Swiss watches, alcohol and tobacco and viewing the nature and mountains is ideal in Sumnaun along with sports like hiking, biking or tennis. Ischgl is a ski centre in Sumnaun on the Austrian side on the border. It is the largest, as well as the liveliest ski area in the Eastern Alps.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Directions from Zurich to Samnaun:


View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants):

• Booking.com
• MySwitzerland
• http://www.samnaun.ch/en/navpage-AccSAMN.html
• Tripadvisor (list of hotels)
• http://www.ski-austria.com/ischgl/samnaun.php
• http://www.samnaunhotels.com/
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Samnaun.htm
• Hotel-Homann
• Virtualtourist (list of restaurants)
• Virtualtourist (list of hotels)
• Samnaun.ch
• http://realtravel.com/dh-34546-samnaun_hotels

Blogs / Sites about Samnaun:

• Tripadvisor
• Travelpod
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Post-Hotel-Samnaun-v138670
• http://www.kosmix.com/topic/samnaun/Blog-Posts
• onthesnow
• http://realtravel.com/d-34546-samnaun
• http://blog.eurail.com/index.php/2008/eurail/in-samnaun/
• Virtualtourist

Images and photos of Samnaun:

• http://realtravel.com/dp-34546-0-samnaun_photos
• Google Images
• Virtualtourist
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/17259476@N00/4500219187/
• http://www.webshots.com/explains/sports/samnaun.html
• http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Samnaun

Videos of Samnaun (link)

Samnaun 2010

Samnaun 2008

Skiing in Samnaun – The black summit @ 100+ km/h

Slalom Samnaun

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-samnaun-%e2%80%93-located-as-a-duty-free-area-in-switzerland/feed/ 0 Travel – Davos Platz, famous for the meetings of the World Economic Forum http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-davos-platz-famous-for-the-meetings-of-the-world-economic-forum/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-davos-platz-famous-for-the-meetings-of-the-world-economic-forum/#comments Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:15:54 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=381 Davos Platz is in the valley of the East Grisons. It is a municipality and a part of the village of Davos, located in the canton of Graubunden. Davos is located at an altitude of 5,105 feet above sea level, in eastern Switzerland, on the Landwasser River. This place is considered healthy due to dry [...]]]> Davos Platz is in the valley of the East Grisons. It is a municipality and a part of the village of Davos, located in the canton of Graubunden. Davos is located at an altitude of 5,105 feet above sea level, in eastern Switzerland, on the Landwasser River. This place is considered healthy due to dry air and sunshine which is good for patients with chest and lung diseases. Davos has become famous for its meetings of World Economic Forum (WEF), an annual meeting of global political and business elites. It is also known for winter sports, the annual Spengler Cup for ice hockey tournament.

The six main ski areas are:
• Parsenn / Gotschna
• Jakobshorn
• Pischa
• Rinerhorn
• Schatzalp
• Madrisas

Davos Platz is the largest summer and winter resort village in Alps. With varied winter sport activities and hiking trails in summer, in totally splendid Alpine scenery. Davos Platz has skiing and snowing areas between the altitudes 1124 and 2844 m. It has 54 ski lifts, 320 km of slopes, 75 km of cross-country ski tracks, two artificial ice-skating rinks and the largest natural ice rink of Europe skating . It also has almost five sledging runs. The Parsenn and Weissfluhjoch area which connects up with the neighbouring resort of Klosters, are the best places to ski. The Jakobshorn is the right place for snowboarders. The four hiking trails can be accessed by cable cars. The trails are the Jakobshorn (2590 m), Parsenn including the Weissfluhjoch und -gipfel (2844 m), Pischa (2483 m), Rinerhorn (2490 m) and Schatzalp/Strela.

Places to see
• Kirchner Museum Davos: It is Open on Tuesday through Sunday. It was built in the honor of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, the German Expressionist painter. It was opened in 1992 and considered to be the world’s largest collection of the artist’s work. There is a wide variety of architecture in the museum, which attracts general and architectural circles. The design of the building was done by the Zürich architects Annette Gigon and Mike Guyer.
• Winter Sports Museum: This museum comprises of a large collection of winter sport equipments. It also has a collection of documents donated by the Jürg Kaufmann family. The winter equipment includes the exhibits (sleds, bobsleds, skis, skates, curling material, etc.) and the documents of the history of winter sports.
• The Davos Lake: It has a swimming area and a sailing and surfing centre.
• Zügenschlucht: This a gorge that has a railway line with a splendid view on the way. It also has a mining museum at the Schmelzboden which is 1340 m away. One needs to explore the Geology Trail also that is between Davos-Monstein and Wiesen.
• The Schatzalp: This is 1861m alpine botanical garden with magnificent scenery. This botanical garden has almost around 800 different species of plants from all over the world. To see the true garden, June and July is the right time as the flowers are in bloom.
• Sertigtal: This place is full of alpine sceneries and with natural beauty. One can ride a horse-drawn carriage or sledge and enjoy the surrounding beauty along with the ride.
• Bier Vision Monstein (Monstein Brewery): This is the highest brewery in Europe where one can also learn beer making, if interested.

Important events in Davos Platz:
• O’Neill SB-JAM Davos— this is a freestyle snowboarding event. This even takes place every year in Davos and open in December-January for everyone.
• Young Artists in Concert— this concert opens in July and August for young musicians from all over the world, for soloists and for singers in chamber groups and in churches.
• International Hiking Rally—it takes place in September annually. This is a hiking rally that covers four routes in the mountains around Davos.

How to get there

By train: One has to take train from Zurich to reach Davos. It takes 3 hours. There are train connections from Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof (main station) to Davos every hour. Zurich-Kloten Airport has its own railway station with train connections throughout Switzerland. The train journey between Klosters Dorf and Davos Platz, stopping at Klosters Platz and Davos Dorf on the way, takes just under half an hour. With Davos/Klosters visitor card (Gästekarte), it is a free ride.
Train Connections in Switzerland to Davos along with time taken is as follows:
Zurich-Landquart-Davos: 2 hours 45 minutes.
Geneva-Zurich-Landquart-Davos: 5 hours 15 minutes.
Buchs-Landquart-Davos: 2 hours.
St. Margrethen-Landquart-Davos: 2 hours 30 minutes.

By bus during ski season
From Zurich airport to Davos Dorf or Davos Platz every Saturday, there are buses running. To return from Davos Dorf or Platz to the airport, buses are available every Saturday in December through April. The bus goes three times a day.

By car
From Zurich-Kloten Airport: take A51 to Zurich and look for the road signs to Chur (Expressway A), take Exit “Landquart-Davos” and follow road signs to Davos. It will take two hours to reach to Davos from Zurich.

Get around
The municipal bus system and the cabs are the best modes of transportation around.

Best time to visit / climate:
Davos Platz is the largest summer and winter resort village in Alps. with varied winter sport activities and hiking trails in summer, in a totally splended Alpine scenery. The Parsenn and Weissfluhjoch area which connects up with the neighbouring resort of Klosters, are the best places to ski. The Jakobshorn is the right place for snowboarders or one can just take a ride by horse-drawn sledge into the snowy side valleys and view the Davos Mountains from 84 km. The foot paths are filled with snow and one can go for snow-shoe trails.
The four hiking trails can be accessed by cable cars. The trails are the Jakobshorn (2590 m), Parsenn including the Weissfluhjoch und -gipfel (2844 m), Pischa (2483 m), Rinerhorn (2490 m) and Schatzalp/Strela. They have a total of 450 km of marked footpaths. One can go by foot, by bike or by horse-drawn carriage too, if one is not interested in hiking the valleys of Sertig, Dischma or Flüela. The other options are hang-gliding and paragliding and mountain bike and inline skating routes.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Driving directions from Zurich to Davos:


View Larger Map

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

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Davos#Eat (list of restaurants)
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Davos#Sleep (list of hotels)
• Booking.com
• Hotels and more
• http://www.orangesmile.com/booking/en/switzerland/davos-platz.htm
• http://www.venere.com/hotels/switzerland/davos/davos-platz/
• http://www.booked.net/City-Davos-Platz-18077/
• http://www.hotel-rates.com/switzerland/davos-platz/
• Starwoodhotels
• http://www.wikio.com/hotel/davos-platz-reviews-3558-page1-sort0,h.html

Blogs / Sites about Davos Platz:

• Travelpost
• http://realtravel.com/de-30589-davos_platz_real_trips
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Davos/tpod.html
• http://www.frommers.com/destinations/davos/2605010031.html
• http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/pb/a8fc6/
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Davos
• http://www.wikinfo.org/index.php/Davos

Images and photos of Davos Platz:

• http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/pb/a8fc6/
• Google Search
• Travelpost
• Travelpost Hotels
• http://realtravel.com/d-30589-davos_platz
• davos-platz-ch.com
• http://www.webcamgalore.com/EN/webcam/Switzerland/Davos/428.html
• Weblo.com

Videos of Davos Platz (Google Search link)

Skiing in Davos, Switzerland

International Sports Night Davos Switzerland

Snowboarding, Raceboarding in Davos Switzerland

Davos Snowboarding 2

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-davos-platz-famous-for-the-meetings-of-the-world-economic-forum/feed/ 0 Travel – Gimmelwald – a small mountain village in Switzerland http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-gimmelwald-%e2%80%93-a-small-mountain-village-in-switzerland/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-gimmelwald-%e2%80%93-a-small-mountain-village-in-switzerland/#comments Sat, 15 Jan 2011 19:14:28 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=379 Gimmelwald is midway of the mountain, between Stechelberg and Mürren. It is a small mountain village in Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. Gimmelwald is situated on the western ledge of Wiesse Lutschine valley. It is only visitable by cable run or by foot and is a car- free resort. This village has a Mountain hostel, for [...]]]> Gimmelwald is midway of the mountain, between Stechelberg and Mürren. It is a small mountain village in Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. Gimmelwald is situated on the western ledge of Wiesse Lutschine valley. It is only visitable by cable run or by foot and is a car- free resort.
This village has a Mountain hostel, for which it is famous. It has 50-beds in it. The main occupations of this village are Farming and tourism. It has a few hotels and is not a ski resort as it was falsely said to be avalanche zone. It offers magnificent views taking train, Post bus and gondola. The whole village takes only 30 minutes to be explored. The laid back attitude is the best part of the village.
There is a path accessible by only foot between Gimmelwald and Murren. The main transportation to Gimmelwald is the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS) which is an aerial tramway. The cable car travels down from Gimmelwald to Stechelberg on the floor of the Lauterbrunnen valley, where there is a bus to Lauterbrunnen where there are connections to the rest of Switzerland, and up to the town of Mürren and the Schilthorn.

Places to see and things to do:
• The Schilthornbahn gondola line runs between Gimmelwald and Murren, Birg, the Piz Gloria restaurant, and Stechelberg in the valley below. From Stechelberg you can catch a Post Bus that connects with other gondolas and the Lauterbrunnen train station, from which you can branch out and travel to Wengen, Grindelwald, Interlaken, etc.
• The Jungfraujoch: It is also known as the “Top of the Europe”. The train station is the highest on a peak which is 11,000 feet up. One can take a ride on the highest railway line in Europe for scenic, breathtaking, beautiful views. The Jungraujoch is a must visit place for all the tourist going to Swiss. The place is a beauty of nature with its shining snow, scenic mountains. The view from the top is a feel of never ending beauty. The highest place in Europe is Jungfraujoch, which is, 3,454 meters. The view is magnificent. This place can be visited by train from Interlaken (Interlaken Ost – Lauterbrunnen – Kleine Scheidegg – Jungfraujoch – Grindelwald – Interlaken Ost). The whole train ride is enjoyable with a scenic view.
Once you reach Jungfrau, you have some things to do. There is a sphinx observatory on the top. The view is enchanting. There is an ice cave too with exhibits and sculptures fully made out of snow, which is a rare thing to see. Adding to it there is a self service restaurant and a coffee stand. There is a snow paradise out from an opening. Sometimes it is full of fog, so check before going as if there is too much fog; one can’t take full advantage of the view. There is snow and ice that is present on the elevation of 3454 m which is the ultimate excursion destination in the Bernese Oberland. 1912, the Jungfrau railway is running through a 7-km-long tunnel to the ‘Top of Europe’ in the Bernese Oberland.
• Schilthorn / Piz Gloria – One can enjoy the magnificent views of 200 mountain summits and 40 glaciers from the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant.
• Trümmelbach falls – Trummelbach falls are in the valley and can be walked down from Lauterbrunnen, as it is 3 km behind Lauterbrunnen, with the help of the explanation signs near them. The falls are inside the rock and upon climbing on the stairs; one can experience the thunder of the fall. The railings are present to guard. These falls are open from April-November. These falls are considered to be the one of the wildest glacier ravines in Europe. Ten of the waterfalls of the Trümmelbach are hidden amongst the rocks, and are hardly visible. The wild glacier gorge and the underground waterfalls of the Trümmelbach lie hidden behind rock walls. The water flow can reach 5,200 gallons/20,000 litre per second. The source of the waterfall are the Eiger, Monch and Jungrau peaks snowmelt.
• Jungfraubahn – This route is the section that goes through rock. The ‘Eigerwand’ and ‘Eismeer’ viewing windows offer a great view.
• Hiking; the gimmelwald pass has many hiking trails. The one to the Schilthorn trail is absolute one to take for. The other one to go for is the 7-hour round trip hike from Gimmelwald to Oberhornsee. The most amazing series of flower-filled Alpine meadows, cow pastures, and waterfalls are bonuses that one gets to see during the trail.
• For a relaxing walk, take a stroll to Allmendhubel and Winteregg, a restaurant at the end.

How to get there:

• By Train/Gondola/Foot
Catch the Lauterbrunnen-bound train from the Interlaken Ost Station, and get off at Lauterbrunnen and taking the Grindelwald. Eurail/Inter-rail passes, board the train. Get to Gimmelwald, with the Post Bus and ride a gondola. At Lauterbrunnen, cross the street and board the yellow Post Bus heading for the Stechelberg gondola station, and get off there Ride the gondola up one station to Gimmelwald. One can also hike up to Gimmelwald from Stechelberg.
• Alternate Route via Mürren:
One can Catch the Lauterbrunnen-bound train from Interlaken Ost and ride Lauterbrunnen-Grütschalp cable car to Grütschalp and then get to Grütschalp-Mürren train at the same station and get off at Murren. Take 30 minute walk or ride the gondola to reach Gimmelwald.
• Get around: To get around, foot is the best option and the village is small enough to be explored by foot.

Best time to visit / climate:

The place has its own activities for summer and winter.
In summer, a cable-car takes you high over the rocks to Gimmelwald (1400 m). Hiking trails are many enough to go for. The Alpine village has 13 farms and its houses decorated with an array of flowers. Footpaths leave directly from the house and lead to green meadows, cool streams and scenery worth watching for. This place is known for its food like cheese, sausages.
In winter, skiing, snowboarding, getting on toboggans etc., are the activities to enjoy for in this place.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Driving directions from Zurich to Gimmelwald:


View Larger Map

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

• Wikitravel (restaurant, hotel)
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/RestaurantSearch?geo=1130592&pid=&q=Gimmelwald%2C+Switzerland&cat=&src= (list of restaurants)
• Tripadvisor (list of hotels)
• Virtualtourist

Blogs / Sites about Gimmelwald:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimmelwald
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Gimmelwald
• Tripadvisor
• Flickr
• Virtualtourist
• Travelpod
• Realtravel
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Gimmelwald-travel-blogs-1190794

Images and photos of Gimmelwald:

• http://www.gimmelwald.ch/pictureshow.htm
• Google Search
• Tripadvisor
• http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l3824-Gimmelwald_photos.html
• http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/switzerland/gimmelwald/
• Virtualtourist

Videos of Gimmelwald (Google Search)

Gimmelwald, Switzerland: Best of the Alps

Gimmelwald, Switzerland

Gimmelwald – Schilthorn

Cable Car to Gimmelwald

360 degree look at Gimmelwald, Switzerland

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-gimmelwald-%e2%80%93-a-small-mountain-village-in-switzerland/feed/ 0 Travel – Scoul in Switzerland, with a spa resort in summer http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-scoul-in-switzerland-with-a-spa-resort-in-summer/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-scoul-in-switzerland-with-a-spa-resort-in-summer/#comments Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:48:22 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=376 Scoul is in the district of Inn. It is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Graubunden. Its official name has undergone a change in the 20th century. Up till 1943, the official name of the municipality was Schuls, in 1943, it was changed to Bad Scuol/Schuls, in 1970 Schuls was dropped and Bad Scuol [...]]]> Scoul is in the district of Inn. It is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Graubunden. Its official name has undergone a change in the 20th century. Up till 1943, the official name of the municipality was Schuls, in 1943, it was changed to Bad Scuol/Schuls, in 1970 Schuls was dropped and Bad Scuol was left as the name and in 1999 Bad was dropped, leaving today’s name, Scuol. The official language of Scoul is Romansh. Scuol has an area of 144.1 square kilometers (55.6 sq mi). Scuol has a population of approximately 2,334.
Among the hallmarks of the place, The Baselgia refurmada, the Chasa Wieland Nr. 29 and the Kurhaus Bad Tarasp (spa Bad Tarasp) are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance. Schoul lies between the peaks of the Silvretta range and the Engadin Dolomites. In summer it provides the tourists with a spa resort, whose water comes from the village fountain, the Engadin village, which retain their identity and tradition and their true rich Romansh culture and the Engadin Bad Scoul health baths, the first Roman-Irish baths set in scenic views and sauna with view of mountains that make bath an enjoyable one.
In winter, the place is full of winter sports like the skiing in Alpine ski area of Motta Naluns, which can be reached with a cable railway, gentle pistes, connoisseurs, 12km long piste, Snow and Fun park and the health bathing centre with turkish bath. During the winter months the villages are great locations for cross-country skiing. It is fun to hike and ski to a distant village for lunch. Scuol is in the middle of mountains and it’s a long way to get there by car. It can also be dangerous, especially in winter and with bad weather.

The Top Events

• National park bike marathon (August)
• Nostalgischer Jubiläumszug 100 Jahre Bernina (Oct)

Places to see

• Wellness health and bathing experience: the first Roman-Irish baths set in scenic views and sauna with view of mountains that make bath an enjoyable one.
• Snow sports in the Jonvrai Fun Park : This place provides winter sports like skiing, pistes etc.,
• Tarasp-Vulpera sled run: This has Tarasp Castle.
• The Mountains: The highest mountains around Guarda are Piz Buin and Piz Silvretta. The Tuoi Hut is a two hour hike from the village. There are also hiking trails along the hillside connecting the villages of the valley.
• House Animals: Some of the houses in the villages have barns in the basements with cattle, goats and sheep inside.
• Street sights Another street fountain and usual house along the streets of Guarda.
• Village: One can view the most charming houses, cobbled streets, squares, the church etc, from the Roman tradition.
• Engadin Bad Scuol: This is the biggest thermal bath in Scuol. It has warm mineral water pools, Sauna, Massages, Light-Therapy, and Colors- Therapy. The core of it is the “Roman-Irish Bath” that connects two old European thermal cultures in one bath ritual: the old Romans created their thermos with hot water steam baths, while the old Irish achieved the same goal with baths in warm and dry air.
Here you start with a hot air bath (54 C), and a hotter one (70 C), get a massage, followed by two different steam baths and finally you can completely relax in two pools, one Jacuzzi filled with mineral water and the last one is just mineral water.

How to get there:

Guarda Station for bus or train:
The best way to get there is by train. To get to Scoul, it will take 2 hours from Zurich.
The car transport service will allow one to take your car in the train.
This is the tiny train station at the base of the mountain from Guarda. One can take bus from here to Guarda. The bus runs about every 30 minutes.
Gondolas, Cable cars, chair lift; In summer three lifts take you up to the mountains:
- a gondola from Scuol to Motta Naluns (1295 – 2148 m)
- a chair lift from Ftan to Prui (1650 – 2062 m)
- a cable car from Samnaun to Alp Trida saddle (2500 m)

To get around:
Local Bus: A local bus connects Scuol with the railway station, which is outside the village. The local bus stops about every 200 metres in Scuol.
In winter the skibuses are free

Railway and Postbus: It is easy to get to Scuol by narrow gauge railway (Rhaetian Railway, RhB). Postbuses take you from the railway station further to other villages, starting points for hikes etc.

There is also a regional saver pass, called “Ferienkarte Unterengadin” is offered. It covers all trains and buses in the Lower Engadine and Müstair Valley and is good for 7 days of free travel during 2 weeks.

Best time to visit / climate:

This place is ideal for weathers, summer and winter equally.
In summer it provides the tourists with a spa resort, whose water comes from the village fountain, the Engadin village, which retain their identity and tradition and their true rich Romansh culture and the Engadin Bad Scoul health baths, the first Roman-Irish baths set in scenic views and sauna with view of mountains that make bath an enjoyable one.
In winter, the place is full of winter sports like the skiing in Alpine ski area of Motta Naluns, which can be reached with a cable railway, gentle pistes, connoisseurs, 12km long piste, Snow and Fun pak and the health bathing centre with Turkish bath. During the winter months the villages are great locations for cross-country skiing. It is fun to hike and ski to a distant village for lunch.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

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

• Virtualtourist
• Booking.com
• Myswitzerland
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Scuol.htm
• http://switzerland.europe-mountains.com/graubuenden/scuol-hotels.aspx

Blogs / Sites about Scoul:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Scoul
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuol
• Travelpod
• http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-Switzerland-Scoul
• http://www.flexijourney.com/Scoul
• Virtualtourist
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Scuol-hotels-1192207
• http://realtravel.com/b-133709-switzerland_blog-scuol

Images and photos of Scoul:

• Google search
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.fotolia.com/id/10326885
• Virtualtourist
• Shutterstock

Videos of Scoul (link)

Welcome to Scoul, Switzerland

The best skiing region – Scoul, Switzerland

Airboarding Scuol, Switzerland

Nathan and Sofia Travel – Crazy Sledge Race In Scuol, Switzerland

Scuol powder run Semu Torres

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-scoul-in-switzerland-with-a-spa-resort-in-summer/feed/ 0 Travel – Arosa, with some great slopes for safe skiing http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-arosa-with-some-great-slopes-for-safe-skiing/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-arosa-with-some-great-slopes-for-safe-skiing/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:13:49 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=374 Arosa is in the district of Plessur. It is a municipality in the canton of Graubunden in Switzerland. Arosa is first mentioned about 1330 as Araus. In 1383 it was mentioned as Orossen and in 1428 it was first mentioned as Arosa. Arosa has an area, as of 2006, of 42.6 square kilometers (16.4 sq [...]]]> Arosa is in the district of Plessur. It is a municipality in the canton of Graubunden in Switzerland. Arosa is first mentioned about 1330 as Araus. In 1383 it was mentioned as Orossen and in 1428 it was first mentioned as Arosa. Arosa has an area, as of 2006, of 42.6 square kilometers (16.4 sq mi). It is a place for both the weather of summer and winter. It has 60 kilometers (37 miles) of slopes for safe skiing.
Arosa is at the top of the Schanfigg Valley with surrounding peaks and at an altitude of about 1800 meters above sea level. The town consists of Ausserarosa and the obersee lakelet. The first one is a clustered train station and the other is an older village. This village is at the end of the valley which is dubbed Innerarosa. This place is perfect for views and terraced villages. This place can be visited by rail or road. It is an alpine resort for health over 100 years. In the north side, there is plenty of snow.
Arosa has many winter sports such as skiing, sledging as well as viewing from gondola station above 2,653 meter (8,622 foot) at the summit of Weisshorn to ice skating. For skiers and snowboarders, 70 kilometers of pistes are there. The 30 kilometers area gives free ride. There are options for snow-shoe trekkers and toboggan riders. There are non-sporting options too, like picnics, relaxing and have a fun-filled tour. There are summer options like hiking, biking, mountaineering etc. This place has 200 kilometers of varied walking and hiking trails. The 15-kilometre-long ten-lake-hike leads to lakes one after another. For biking there are trails over 50 kilometers.
Arosa is basically sunny and the air is pure and hence famous for the health resort. Arosa is accessible by Rhaetin Railways from Chur. On the way one can go through several tunnels and 365 serpentines. There is a children’s programme that have been said to be exciting organized by Arosa Junior club. This club teaches skiing and riding snowboards to children. It also provides camp sites or a holiday apartments, for staying more nights in the place, mountain transport facilities up to Homli and Weisshorn, for an Arosa card, a feature of the resort.

The Top Events
• Bergrennen Chur-Arosa (29 Aug 2010 )
• Classic Car VP-Bank, international oldtimer mountain race
• Arosa Humor Festival

Places to see:
• Weisshorn This is located at an altitude of 2653 meters above sea level. It has a spectacular view of 400 peaks in Switzerland. One can also view the neighboring countries as well as down to Chur, and the capital of the Grisons.
• Untersee bathing beach – This is a sandy shore bathing beach. There is a sunbathing lawn and deck with a solar-heated paddling pool, 50-metre-slide, diving boards, table tennis and a garden restaurant.
• Obersee water display – It is the biggest water display in Europe accompanied by lights and music that enriches the night sky.
• Arosa Golf Course – This golf course is in a fabulous Alpine setting in one of the highest 18-hole golf courses in Europe. This is situated at an altitude of 1850 meters above sea level.
• Alpine Health resort: This resort is famous and landmark of the place.
• Arosa Junior club: This club organizes a children’s programme that is said to be exciting. This club teaches skiing and riding snowboards to children.

How to get there

• By train: One can reach Arosa from Chur by train. Train takes one hour to reach to Arosa. From Zurich, it takes three hours.
• By air: The closest airport to Arosa is Zurich Airport.
• By car: one can take a car to reach to Arosa via chur. It is a steep and curvy road. It is better to take gauge railway as the road could be icy.
• Getting Around: One can use a taxi or the night express which goes through the centre. The night express is open from December till April. The night express is a minivan with stops.

Best time to visit / climate:

This place is ideal for all weathers, summer and winter. It has many winter sports from skiing, to sledging and viewing from gondola station above 2,653 meter (8,622 foot) at the summit of Weisshorn to ice skating. For skiers and snowboarders, 70 kilometers of pistes are there. The 30 kilometers area gives free ride. There are options for snow-shoe trekkers and toboggan riders. There are non sporting options too, like picnics, relaxing and have a fun-filled tour. There are summer options like hiking, biking, mountaineering etc. This place has 200 kilometers of varied walking and hiking trails. The 15-kilometre-long ten-lake-hike leads to lakes one after another. For biking there are trails over 50 kilometers.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Driving directions from Zurich to Arosa:


View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants):

• Tripadvisor (list of restaurants)
• http://www.switzerland-trips.com/Hotels-accommodation.html
• Booking.com
• Myswitzerland.com
• Tripadvisor (list of hotels)
• http://www.hotels-and-more.ch/en/graubuenden/arosa/
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Arosa.htm
• http://www.venere.com/switzerland/grisons/arosa/
• http://www.booked.net/City-Arosa-7441/

Blogs / Sites about Arosa:

• Tripadvisor
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Arosa/tpod.html
• http://www.oleole.com/switzerland/Arosal/tlnf.html
• http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-Switzerland-Arosa
• http://www.flexijourney.com/Arosa
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Blatters-Bellavista-Hotel-Arosa-v137814
• http://blog.eurail.com/index.php/2010/train-travel/innsbruck-to-switzerland/
• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/AllReviews-g188087-Arosa_Grisons_Swiss_Alps.html

Images and photos of Arosa:

• Google Search
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/469782304ssRGpa
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188087-Arosa_Grisons_Swiss_Alps.html
• http://realtravel.com/dp-25724-0-arosa_photos
• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/arosa.html
• http://www.onthesnow.co.uk/graubunden/arosa/webcams.html?id=830303905

Videos of Arosa (link)

Skiing at Flims and Arosa, Switzerland

Hiking with Scotties in Arosa (Switzerland)

Ski Arosa Switzerland HD, 2010

The Most Amazing Golf Courses of the World: Arosa, Switzerland

Arosa Switzerland Hornli Express

Snowboarding in Arosa, Switzerland

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-arosa-with-some-great-slopes-for-safe-skiing/feed/ 0 Travel – Adelboden, a Swiss mountain village http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-adelboden-a-swiss-mountain-village/ http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-adelboden-a-swiss-mountain-village/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:08:04 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=372 Adelboden is in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district. It is a municipality in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. It lies at the end of the Valley of Engstlige River, in the west of Bernese Oberland. The rive Engstlige flows in Frutigen and into the Kander river. It is a Swiss mountain village which has Engstligen waterfalls [...]]]> Adelboden is in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district. It is a municipality in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.
It lies at the end of the Valley of Engstlige River, in the west of Bernese Oberland. The rive Engstlige flows in Frutigen and into the Kander river. It is a Swiss mountain village which has Engstligen waterfalls towards south. The village is full of valleys of Gilbach, Stigelschwand, Boden, Hirzboden, and Ausserschwand. The alpine and sub-alpine, partially wooded, the slopes, the plateaus, and terraces usually alp meadows are the best part of Adelboden. The Engstligen River falls 600 m over rocks into the depth. There are two waterfalls overcoming a total of 600 meters difference in altitude. They are the most impressive waterfalls in the Bernese Oberland.
The important mountains are Lohner (3,049 meters (10,003 feet)), Steghorn (3,146 meters (10,322 feet)), Wildstrubel (3,243 meters (10,640 feet)), Fitzer (2,458 meters (8,064 feet)), Tschenten (2,025 meters (6,644 feet)) (mountain railway) and Gsür (2,708 meters (8,885 feet)).
Adelboden has an area of 88.19 square kilometers (34.1 sq mi) and has a population of approximately 3,615. The official language of Adelboden is Adelbodnertütsch, which belongs to the Bernese Oberland dialects with some mix from Valais dialects. It belongs to the Highest Alemannic language group. But most of the people speak German with Serbo-Croat as second most and Portuguese and third most spoken language of Adelboden.
Adelboden tour is ideal for families as this place is having 24 hotels with 1291 beds, 3800 vacation homes with 15,200 beds, 28 group accommodations with 1830 beds, 3 camp sites and forty restaurants. There is a special feature of this place and that is the model aircraft construction on Hahnenmoospass with a workshop, and wind and landing opportunities. As a part of adventure, one can take the old mountain pass route via Engstligenalp and Chindbettipass to the Gemmi Pass and into the Valais, used by hikers, and the other one via Hahnenmoospass into the valley of Lenk which was formerly used as a trade route to the lake of Geneva.
The Adelboden slalom and giant slalom are considered classic events of the FIS Alpine World Cup. The other events are Vogellisi-Festival (Live music, July), Kammermusic-festival (Chamber music, July) and 2nd Hornussing competition at Engstligenalp in which over 120 strong men get together to play the most genuine Swiss national sport. People come and try their luck to drive the puck across the green pastures of Engstligenalp.
There are activities for both the weathers – summer and winter. Hiking, biking, golfing, paragliding, are the various activities that are right for summer. There are 200 km (124 mi) of hiking trails, from sedate walks to alpine climbing-routes. Along with these there is also model aircraft station. In winter, enjoy the endless snow and skiing, snowboarding, sledging, cross-country skiing. Also there is the world-cup giant slalom run on the Kuonisbärgli and there are 40 km (25 mi) of winter hiking trails.

The Top Events
• 2nd Hornussing competition at Engstligenalp (Sept)
• Migrating birdwatching on Hahnenmoos (Oct )
• FIS Alpine World Cup alpine ski races (January/February)
• Vogellisi-Festival (Live music, July)
• Kammermusic-festival (Chamber music, July)

Places to see
• Choleren Gorge – It is a wild gorge of the Tschent Stream with waterfalls, watermills and smooth rocks.
• Schwandfeldspitz – It is a vantage point above the Tschentenalp which is at an altitude of 2025 meters above sea level that provides all-round view.
• Downhill scooter – The two routes from Sillerenbühl (5 km) and Hahnenmoos is just right for exciting downhill rides.
• Engstligen Falls –The Engstligen River falls 600 m over rocks into the depth. There are two waterfalls overcoming a total of 600 meters difference in altitude. They are the most impressive waterfalls in the Bernese Oberland.
• Engstligenalp plateau: This plateau is at 2000m altitude.
• Town church: This church has glassworks by Augusto Giacometti and date back from early to 20th century.

How to get there
• By train: Frutigen is a train station of the Lötschberg line, connecting to Bern and Brig. This station is connected to Adelboden by regular post bus services. One can reach from Berne or Brig to Frutigen at the Lötschberg line.
• By car: Adelboden has only one incoming road connecting from Frutigen. This road connects via Spiez to the N6 and Bern and there is no transit traffic.
• Get around: There are local buses all around to move around. The other alternate is by foot.

Best time to visit / climate:

There are activities for both the weathers – summer and winter.
Hiking, biking, golfing, paragliding, are the various activities that are right for summer. There are 200 km (124 mi) of hiking trails, from sedate walks to alpine climbing-routes. Along with these there is also model aircraft station.
In winter, enjoy the endless snow and skiing, snowboarding, sledging, cross-country skiing. Also there is the world-cup giant slalom run on the Kuonisbärgli and there are 40 km (25 mi) of winter hiking trails.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants):

• Booking.com
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• Eurobookings
• http://www.adelbodenhotels.com/
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Adelboden.htm (for cheap deals)
• http://switzerland.europe-mountains.com/bern/adelboden-hotels.aspx
• http://www.wikio.com/hotel/adelboden-reviews-3534-page1-sort0,h.html

Blogs / Sites about Adelboden:

• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g198862-Adelboden-Vacations.html
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/hillmanfamily/1/1280179896/tpod.html
• http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2009/01/switzerland-boutique-hotel/
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/AllReviews-g198862-Adelboden.html
• http://traveldiaries.designhotels.com/2010/01/08/2010-ski-world-cup-in-adelboden-switzerland/
• http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=737017
• http://www.wtss.co.uk/blogs/superb-piste-skiing-in-adelboden
• Virtualtourist

Images and photos of Adelboden:

• Google Search
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/West/Bern/Adelboden/
• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g198862-Adelboden.html
• Virtualtourist
• http://realtravel.com/dp-18075-0-adelboden_photos
• http://www.onthesnow.co.uk/switzerland/adelboden/webcams.html
• http://www.world66.com/europe/switzerland/adelboden/lib/gallery

Videos of Adelboden (link)

Yodel in Adelboden

45 m Jump Gran Masta Gap Adelboden

Alpine Ski Racing- Adelboden Slalom

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2011/01/travel-%e2%80%93-adelboden-a-swiss-mountain-village/feed/ 0 Saas-Fee – an attractive winter sport destination in Switzerland http://travel-spots.com/2010/09/saas-fee-%e2%80%93-an-attractive-winter-sport-destination-in-switzerland/ http://travel-spots.com/2010/09/saas-fee-%e2%80%93-an-attractive-winter-sport-destination-in-switzerland/#comments Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:33:46 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=293 Saas-Fee is in the district of Visp and is a municipality of the saastal village or the saas valley, located in the canton of Valais in Switzerland (The neighboring villages are Saas-Almagell, Saas-Grund and Saas-Balen). A point of attraction is that Saas-Fee is close to the glaciers of Dom and the Allalinhorn. And like many [...]]]> Saas-Fee is in the district of Visp and is a municipality of the saastal village or the saas valley, located in the canton of Valais in Switzerland (The neighboring villages are Saas-Almagell, Saas-Grund and Saas-Balen). A point of attraction is that Saas-Fee is close to the glaciers of Dom and the Allalinhorn. And like many glaciers, these glaciers provide winter sports. The neighboring peaks are the Weissmies, the Nadelhorn and the Lenzspitze. These peaks are popular ones for mountaineering in the summer season. The town is popular for its views of some of the tallest mountains in Europe.
Saas-Fee is considered an attractive winter sport destination in the Swiss Alps with a large number of adventure sports. The best of the activities include skiing, carving, snowshoe trekking, canyon climbing, ice climbing, snowboarding (half pipe and park), paragliding, hang gliding, and tobogganing. Saas-Fee offers 22 lifts in which are 3 cable cars, 1 funicular railway(Metro Alpin), 5 gondolas (1 dedicated to walkers), 2 chairlifts and the remaining being surface lifts (draglifts). The ski run has a vertical drop of 1,800 m (5,906 ft), a top elevation of 3,550 m (11,647 ft) and covers 100 km (30 km beginner, 45 km intermediate, 25 km advanced).
Saas Fee with its neighbor, Zermatt is a paired tour. Saas-Fee doesn’t have a railway. The best of the best one can see and explore is Architecture, Bicycling, Camping, Culture, Extreme Sports, Fine Dining, Hike/Backpack, Horseback Ride, Mountain Biking, Nature, Nightlife, Rafting, Rock Climbing, Snow Skiing, Snowboarding, Wellness/Spa, sledging and Wine Tasting.

Top events
• Horu Trophy–Open Air Curling Tournament in January.
• Raiffeisen Zermatt Open–International Tennis Championship in July.
• Folklore Parade in August.

Places to see and Things to do:
• Wander the village: its quite nice and a beautiful walk on the streets of the village.
• Ski and snowboard The skiing and snowboarding is very famous here in Saas-Fee. The Plattjen lift has the more advanced terrain. The easier trails are in the village or on Feechatz Slope, just above Langfluh. One can ski and snowboard all year but in May and June, in the summer skiing can be done on the glacier with 8km of runs.
• Snowboard Park It is popular and most liked due to the quality of the snow park. The snow park is open 10 months and also holds Snowboard camps.
• Allalin: This is the top of ski resort and for using the gondolas and the Metro-Alpin. One can enjoy the spectacular views of the Alps. There is a revolving restaurant at the top.
• Walks In the summer months walks are also popular than in the winter months. Best routes are the route from Saas-Fee down to Saas Almagell, which can be done in winter and summer. The Other route is Monte Rosa Path.
• Feeblitz: Bobsleigh but on rails is fun and enjoyable.
• Swimming Pool: One for kids to entertain.
Winter specials
• Sledging Up the Hannig lift hire out a sledge and enjoy the sledge run.
• Snow Tubing Down in Saas Grund there is a tubing area. Tubing is where you sit in a large inflatable tube of air and slide down the hill, normally spinning as you go.
• Ice Skating There are both natural ice skating ring and a man made skating in Saas-Fee. Hire a pair of skates out from one of the hire shops in the village.
• Cross Country Skiing For this it is best to go down into the valley, where there are many KM of Cross Country Skiing.

How to get there:
• By bus: Saas Fee has a bus service that runs hourly from Visp and Brig run by the Post Bus. In winter the buses increase because of the opening of the Lotschberg Tunnel. Bus connects to Visp and Brig train stations.
• By train: Visp has direct trains to: Geneva, Sion, Martigny, Montreux, Vevey, Lausanne and Geneva Airport. Brig is a large station and has direct trains (to mention a few) from: Geneva, Sion, Martigny, Montreux, Vevey, Lausanne, Geneva, Geneva Airport, Milan, Berne, Basel, Zurich and in peak season a direct train from Paris. International train times can be looked up.
• By air: The nearest airport to Saas Fee is Sion. The frequency of flights is less here. It is better to fly to Geneva Airport and take a direct train from the airport to Visp and take a bus from there. If a bus is missed then either stay the night in Brig or take a taxi to Saas Fee.

• Getting around: Walking is the best way of getting around Saas Fee. There are only milk-float-type electric buggies roaming the village as it is a car-free village. Taxis are run in Saas Fee.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Saas-Fee is both seasons of summers and winters. Summer is generally mild and very pleasant around. 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.
Walking trails, funicular rides, mountaineering, Flower panorama trail etc., are the activities in summer.
Things to do here (whether doing or admiring) relate to Architecture, Bicycling, Camping, Culture, Extreme Sports, Fine Dining, Hike/Backpack, Horseback Ride, Mountain Biking, Nature, Nightlife, Rafting, Rock Climbing, Snow Skiing, Snowboarding, Wellness/Spa, sledging and Wine Tasting.

Location on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

Driving directions from Geneva to the village of Saas-Fee on Google Maps:


View Larger Map

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

• Booking.com
• Inghams (link)
• Crystalski
• Restaurants on TripAdvisor
• Hotel.info
• VirtualTourist

Blogs / Sites about Saas-Fee:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saas-Fee
• http://www.peakleaders.com/course_blogs/Saas%20Fee
• http://www.travelpod.com/resort/Schweizerhof_Swiss_Q_Hotel-Saas_Fee.html
• http://www.globenotes.com/travel-blog-entries/Switzerland/Saas-Fee/1975/1/
• http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/471-Destination-Saas-Fee-Alpine-Mecca.html
• http://realtravel.com/e-228900-saas_fee_entry-the_ski_crazy_region
• http://www.triporati.com/guides/Europe/Switzerland/Valais/Zermatt_Saas+Fee/city?tab=whatToDo

Images and photos of Saas-Fee:

• Google Images
• Trekearth
• VirtualTourist
• VirtualTourist 1
• http://www.skisnowboardeurope.com/saasfee/photos.html
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/551772194QnfvvO
• http://www.worldtravelguide.net/ski_resort/33/images/Europe/Saas-Fee.html

Videos of Saas-Fee (link)

]]> http://travel-spots.com/2010/09/saas-fee-%e2%80%93-an-attractive-winter-sport-destination-in-switzerland/feed/ 0 Auli in Uttranchal – skiing heaven http://travel-spots.com/2008/09/auli-in-uttranchal-skiing-heaven/ http://travel-spots.com/2008/09/auli-in-uttranchal-skiing-heaven/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:51:00 +0000 Traveller http://travel-spots.com/?p=37 Altitude : 2915 mts. to 3049 mts. (expandable if you include Gorson, to 3400 mts.) Area: 5 Sq. kms. Temperature: Summer – Between 13° C and 29° C; Winter – Between 9° C and 2° C Rainfall: 180 cms. Average yearly Clothing Summer-Light woollen Winter- Heavy woollen

More and more people are starting to hear [...]]]> Altitude : 2915 mts. to 3049 mts. (expandable if you include Gorson, to 3400 mts.)
Area: 5 Sq. kms.
Temperature: Summer – Between 13° C and 29° C; Winter – Between 9° C and 2° C
Rainfall: 180 cms.
Average yearly Clothing Summer-Light woollen Winter- Heavy woollen

More and more people are starting to hear of this great skiiing location called Auli. Competitions are starting to happen over there, and with current security related problems in the ski resort type location, Gulmarg (In Jammu and Kashmir), Auli has become known as Indias skiing capital. Inside Auli, Auli Ski Resort is India’s currently best ski resort (resting at 8,200 feet), in the Chamoli district of Uttaranchal. The resort is close to China and Nepal. It is a place where you just want to ski for the fun of it. The awesome beauty around is extremely pleasing.

Map to get to Auli

The skiing opportunity in Aui is located at an altitude of 2,500-3,050m above sea level, and the 3 KM long slope in Auli offers some exciting skiing opportunities to both beginners as well as professional skiers (in these 3 km, the height drops by 500m). The background of lofty snow clad mountains heightens the sprit of the skiers.

History of Auli: Way back in the 8th century ad, the great Guru Adi Shankaracharya is believed to have tread on these snowfields of Auli and he built the temple at Joshimath, which you can still visit. For hundreds of years, the colorful semi-nomadic tribes of the Bhotiyas, of the Mongolian stock, traversed the trails at Auli, locally called Thatauli and conducted trade with neighboring Tibet, using their yaks laden with goods.
Before Auli was developed as a ski resort by the Government (including getting experts from abroad to view the slopes), its slopes were the training ground for men of valor and courage, the ski-equipped men of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force. Among the awesome, legendary peaks ranged round Auli, is the 23,490-feet-high Trishul. It 1958 in an expedition mountaineers took four days to climb the peak and only 90 minutes to ski down to the base camp.
In the summer, Auli looks down, but is nothing compared to the view and pleasures in winter. In the winter it is irresistible with some excellent snowy mountain slopes and incredible skiing facilities. From January to March, the Auli slopes are usually covered with a thick carpet of snow, about 3m deep. The stretch of 3-kms with a drop in elevation of 500m is considered to be a very good skiing ground by international standard. The skiing season starts around December and goes uptill March. It is during this time only that the resort sees maximum visitors, mainly ski lovers from across the country. It is also during this time that the ski festivals and National skiing championships start. In case you plan your visit to Auli between December and March then you may check out the ski courses conducted by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam. These courses are conducted for both amateurs and advanced learners.
An 800m long chair lift connects the lower slopes with upper slopes in Auli, making it easy for skiers to zip up in moments. Once reaching the ski start point they can ski down rapidly, while other can walk down the snow-paths at leisure. Auli has about 10-20 km of ski slopes for all elevels from beginners to advanced skiers. You can enjoy downhill skiing, cross country skiing and slalom on the slopes of Auli, (and these very same slopes also host the National Winter games in India).
Part of the reason it is even more popular is because of the surroundings; Oak and Conifer trees flank the slopes, you get a 180 degree view of the Himalayas and the prominent peaks, Nanda Devi, Kamet, Mana Parvat and Dunagiri hills. The beauty of the place is awe inspiring and this is what makes Auli ski resort such a hit with the tourists.
To get there, from Joshimath, Auli can be reached by road or ropeway. It provides an excellent panoramic view of the giant mountain peaks like Nanda Devi, Kamet and Dunagiri. The 500m ski-lift system, the longest such system in Asia, or the trolley, as it is known locally, connects Joshimath with Gorson, located above Auli. A short distance beyond Gorson lies the hill of Gorson Top, which provides excellent views of the mountains and also lies on the 24-km trek to Kauri Pass. From Gorson, Auli’s only chair lift travels to the base lodge, which is a small building that marks the starting point of all the ski runs.
By road, Auli is accessible from Joshimath through a 16 kilometer drive.
However, it is not as close as you might like, and is actually quite distant, with
the nearest railway station being Haridwar at 299 kms and the closest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun, 273 kms.
On the way to Auli there are various food-outlets private as well as government run restaurants available. in terms of equipment, tourists are advised to bring woollen clothing’s, cap, socks, dark glasses, gloves, mufflers, pullovers, wind-proof jacket, gum/snow boots and a torch light in their travel kit. These accessories are a must for the tourist, keeping in mind the weather conditions of Auli, where the temperature drops to as low as – 8 degree Celsius in winters, although it is moderately cold in the summers.

Auli – How to reach

The nearest airport is Dehradun, about 298 km away. Rishikesh, about 235 km away, is the nearest railhead. Regular road services are available from Delhi, Dehradun, Rishikesh and Hardwar to Joshimath, 16 km away. From Joshimath one can hire jeeps to Auli. One can also trek the five kilometer between Joshimath and Auli. For further information, contact the GMVN office at Rajpur Road, Dehradun or the UP tourism offices located all over the country.

BY ROAD – Regular road services are available from Delhi, Dehradun, Rishikesh and Hardwar to Joshimath, 16 km away. From Joshimath one can hire jeeps to Auli. One can also trek the five kilometer between Joshimath and Auli. For further information, contact the GMVN office at Rajpur Road, Dehradun or the UP tourism offices located all over the country.

Places to stay:

1. Cliff Top Club, Auli
2. Auli skiing resort

Places nearby:

Hemkund Sahib: Considered to be one of the most sacred Sikh pilgrimage centre, Hemkund Saheb also makes an ideal trekking spot.

Valley Of Flowers: If one is fond of flowers then is a must visit place for him.Witness the endless galore of multihued blooms and you’ll just wish to stay in this oblivion flowery world forever.

Articles:

India Travelogue (link)
India Travel Forum (link)
Skiiing in Auli (link)
Walks in India (link)
Kauri Pass (link)
Travel Pod (with lots of photos) (link)
Sankalpindia.net (link)
Travelworldzone.net (link)
Youngsters Ignited (link)
Shrirang Patil’s Blog (link)
India Travel Blog (link)
Trekking around Auli (link)

Photos (all from flickr):
Snow Boarding, Snow storm, Landscape, Sunrise, Himalayas, Rainbow, Trekking, Clifftop Club Auli

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