Different places to travel » Trekking

Travel – Coclé, Panama – on the southern coast of the nation

Traveller — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:28:19 +0000

Coclé is located in Panama and is one of the provinces. The city of Penonomé is the capital of this province and is located on the southern coast of the nation. It became a province on October 20, 1985. This province is primarily an agricultural area, with sugar and tomatoes being the major crops. It has beaches with the names of Santa Clara, Farallon and Rio Hato.
The time periods of the history of the province are divided into La Mula period that ranged from 150 BC to AD 300, Tonosi period that is from AD 300 to AD 550 and the Cubita period, that is from AD 550 to AD 700.
Cocle is a host to research and conservation in the form of the La MICA Biological Station.
This province is basically divided into six districts and they are:
• Aguadulce. Corregimientos that includes Aguadulce (capital), El Cristo, El Roble, Pocrí and Barrios Unidos.
• Antón. Corregimientos that includes Antón (capital), Cabuya, El Chirú, El Retiro, El Valle, Juan Díaz, Río Hato, San Juan de Dios, Santa Rita and Caballero.
• La Pintada. Corregimientos that includes La Pintada (capital), El Harino, El Potrero, Llano Grande, Piedras Gordas and Las Lomas.
• Natá Corregimientos that includes Natá (capital), Capellanía, El Caño, Guzmán, Las Huacas and Toza.
• Olá. Corregimientos that includes Olá (capital), El Copé, El Palmar, El Picacho and La Pava.
• Penonomé. Corregimientos that includes Penonomé (capital), Cañaveral, Coclé, Chiguirí Arriba, El Coco, Pajonal, Río Grande, Río Indio, Toabréand Tulú.

Attractions of the Cocle Region:
• Beaches: There are number of beaches in Santa Clara, Farallon and Rio Hato. These beaches offer tourists relaxation, and they can enjoy the beach retreats.
The Juan Hombron Beach: This beach is ideal for swimming, boating, and fishing and just relaxing. This beach is also known as the best spot for surfing or windsurfing, diving and also for horse back riding along the beach.
• Royal Decameron Beach Resort & Casino: This is located in Farllon and ninety minutes from Panama City. This resort has water sports, golf, good nightlife and family activities to enjoy.
• The Royal Decameron Resort: This resort holds a championship of golf at its golf course.
• La Pintada: This is to the north of Penonome. It is about 20km to Penonome.
• Nata de Los Caballeros: This is an old church back to 1500s. It is an old Spanish church of those times.
• The boat tours: Some of the companies offer boat tours to some of the Cocle’s most famous beaches of Farallón, Playa Blanca, Buenaventura, Palo Seco, Juan Hombrón, Boca Nueva and Los Azules. One can enjoy the diverse marine life of Panama here.

• Food: There is great seafood to be found on the edge of Río Farallón along with enjoyment in the form of genuine Cocle folklore.
• Hiking: The mountains of Cocle is a treat for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. The hiking regions are on El Valle and the top of “La India Dormida” or “Cerro Gaital”, El Cope and the Omar Torrijos National Park.
• El Valle de Anton: This is a picturesque town which is 123km to the west from Panama City. This is about two hours away from Panama City. This city is inside a 5 km wide 3 million year old crater of a Volcano. This is at an altitude of 600metres above sea level and hence one can experience pleasant weather. The city of El Valle de Anton is a seven square mile town. It is surrounded by a volcanic caldera which was a deep lake. The crater spits out rich volcanic soil onto the valley floor which is known as tierra negra or black earth. This place is known to to be the cultural, environmental and culinary bounty of Old Panama. One can ride or walk to waterfalls, square trees, mud baths, a zoo, a museum, the forest canopy tour, pre-Columbian petro glyphs, farmers market, tours of the local organic farm, coffee roaster, artisan bakery, and guided birding and fauna surveys, El Nispero – a local private zoo, a large waterfall called “El Macho”, and a grove of square trees, a museum, mud baths, a etched hieroglyphic rock, lots of birds, bugs, butterflies, animals or cooking school. El Valle houses an orchid conservatory and the amphibian rescue station that are two world class eco sites in town.
• “El Valle’s Sunday Market”: It is the town’s public market, which is open 7 days a week, located on Avenida Central or Calle Central to the east-west of the town.
• “El Nispero”: This is a zoo as well as a historical and geological museum and a small serpentarium and an orchid garden that houses local orchid species.
• Cerro Gaital National Monument: It is a house for Panama’s 10,000 plants, 1500 trees, 1000 birds, 220 mammals, and 354 amphibians and reptile species.
• El Valle Amphibian Conservation Centre, EVACC: Over 200 frogs, salamanders and toads are saved from an unstoppable fungus that has been known to be hit them. They are maintained in micro climate and treated and detoxed. This center also houses exhibits like the local golden frog, a cultural icon and the republic’s emblematic conservation symbol.
• El Nispero Zoo-Nursery: Have examples of the local fauna, flora and wildlife.
• El Valley Orchid Nursery: This is an eco-site where the orchidophile can experience orchidelirium. There are about 1300 varieties and 200 endangered samples housed here. The JICA, COSPA, APROVACA center is one sponsored by a consortium of Japanese and Panamanian orchid growers.
• Three Sisters Cooking School: This is a cooking school giving insight of history and culture of food ways of the place.
• Alquiler de Caballos: This is a stable that houses 30 horses about and which are used for exploring the mountains that are nearby. One can enjoy the horse ride over the mountains.
• Canopy Adventure: This is a gliding adventure that uses cables, pulleys and harness to glide and view the rainforest from above the jungle which is a magnificent experience.
• Chorro de las Mozas: This is a waterfall or set of waterfalls that cascade down the hill sides into the valley. These falls are also called Young Women’s falls.
• Chorro El Macho: This is the popular waterfall of El Valle which is 85-high. Below the falls there are swimming pools for swimming, made out of rocks with the surrounding area being the rainforest and water of river is fed into the pool. There are hiking trails also available here.
• Handicrafts Market: This is a popular market, one of Panama’s largest handicrafts markets which is a great tourist attraction.

Best time to visit / climate:
The best time to visit Cocle is from February to August as the climate is ideal for the activities.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
There are flight services to reach the capital of the province, Penonome.
There are bus services from Panama City to Penonome and cabs are also available from Panama to Penonome.
To go around, one can take a taxi or rent a car from the airport.

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

• Hotels at virtualtourist
• Hotels at kayak
• Hotels at maplandia
• Hotels at virtualpanama
• Hotels at costaricalink
• Hotels at prontohotel

Blogs / Sites about Cocle, Panama:

• Blogs and reviews at travelblog
• Blogs and reviews at travelpod
• Blogs and reviews at realestate-panama

Images and photos of Cocle, Panama:

• Images at google
• Images at travel-images
• Images at superstock

Videos on you tube:

Cocle

PENONOME, PANAMA TOURS BY VILLA MICHELLE A TRAVEL GUIDE IN PANAMA

SUPER WHITE GRINGO – Cascada Las Yayas – Barringon – El Cope, Cocle, Panama

HD – Farallón, Coclé, Panamá

Travel – Cerro Punta, Chiriqui, Panama (a small village)

Traveller — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 18:02:51 +0000

Cerro Punta which is also known as Cerro de Punta is a very small village / city in Panama. It is in the western highlands in the province of Chiriqui, at an altitude of 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level. This place is also known as “The valley of Clouds”, because of its high elevation. The inhabitants of the place are Native Americans. This land is said to be the best for cultivating strawberries and also for mixed vegetable gardens. This place can be reached by going towards north from the Pan-American Highway. This place is named after a grade school teacher and the Chircana poet named Caval Beatriz Miranda who taught in Cerro Punta.
The landscape is a rugged terrain with small plains and widely spaced city and cultivated land. The city is divided into villas, The Miranda, Guadalupe, Las Nubes, and Bajo Grande which are known to be located above 2,000 meters. Some of them are good hiking trails as well. The climate is tropical with a short dry season and rainy season which is almost about 9 – 10 months of the year. The temperature during night time is often cool due to high elevation.
The main economy of the place is agriculture due to its fertile land, formed due to dormant volcano and its high elevation. This place has a weather that is different from the rest of the country. Tourism is another rich source of money for the local economy. Ecotourism is also open in this place. The ecological trails, hiking, rafting (the rivers flowing of the great mountains are conducive to the sport) and the rugged geography is best for tourism. Horse racing is famous here.
The popular attractions of the place are: Finca Dracula Orchids farm, Sendero Los Quetzales Parque, Internacional La Amistad and Parque Nacional Volcan Baru.

The nearby cities to Cerro Punta are:
• Limon, Costa Rica: This city is about 76.1 miles.
• Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica: This city is about 50.4 miles.
• David, Panama: This city is about 28.3 miles.
• Boquete, Panama: This city is about 10.2 miles.

The popular events of the place are as below
• FLOWERS AND COFFEE FAIR (Boquete): January 7 to 17
• LA CANDELARIA FAIR (Bugaba): January 28 to February 7
• BOQUETE JAZZ FESTIVAL (BOQUETE): FEBRUARY 25-28
• DAVID INTERNATIONAL FAIR (David): March 11 to 21
• ORCHIDS FAIR (Boquete): April 8 to 12
• SAN ANDRES FAIR (Bugaba): November 27 to 30
• THE CHIRICANO DRUM FAIR (David): November 28
• HIGHLANDS FAIR (Volcán): December 16 to 20

Attractions of Cerro Punta and around:
• FINCA DRACULA ORCHIDS FARM: This farm is five minutes from the Los Quetzales Lodge in Guadelupe. It houses one of the complete orchid collections that are found in Latin America.
• SENDERO LOS QUETZALES: This is also known as the Quetzales Trail. This is a Natural trail which is a link between the Boquete and Cerro Punta villages through La Amistad International Park.
• PARQUE INTERNACIONAL LA AMISTAD: This is also known as the Friendship International Park. It is a bi-national (Panama-Costa Rica) natural reserve which falls in the mountains of the provinces of Chiriquí and Bocas Del Toro which is on the Panamanian side.
• PARQUE NACIONAL VOLCAN BARU: This is also known as the Baru Volcano National Park and is the core of the reserve. This core is the highest mountain of Panama which is known as the Baru Volcano.
• Coffee Plantation of Boquete: This region is famous for gesha coffee which can be visited and enjoyed and one can buy coffee that is grown on volcanic slope. Cafe Ruiz and Kotowa are for touring.
• Whitewater River Rafting on the Chiriquí Viejo: River tours that is about 1/2 day and full day rafting excursions. Among them are:
o Chiriqui River Rafting
o Panama Rafters
o Boquete Outdoor Adventure
• Visit Paradise Garden: This is a Wildlife Rescue Center in Panama which takes an entrance fee in order to support the centre.

Best time to visit / climate:
The climate is tropical with a short dry season and rainy season which is almost about 9 – 10 months of the year. The temperature during night time is often cool due to high elevation. The best time to visit this place would be December through March, which can be considered the dry season.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

• By Plane: From Panama City one can take a flight which is about one hour from David and then take a bus to the valley of clouds in about one hour and a half.
The services of flights are also from San José, Costa Rica, three days a week, also one hour, to David.
• By Car: From Panama City it is about 440 kilometers to David and Cerro Punta is about forty kilometers and the drive is through landscapes and scenic beauty.
The drive from San Jose, Costa Rica is more or less 300 kilometers to David which crosses the border in Paso Canoas.

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

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Cerro_Punta#Sleep
• http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-487658-cerro_punta_panama_vacations-i
• Virtualtourist
• Frommers.com

Blogs / Sites about Cerro de Punta:

• http://cerropunta.chiriqui.org/
• Travelblog.com
• Travelpod.com
• Travelpost.com

Images and photos of Cerro de Punta:

• http://cerropunta.chiriqui.org/ch-cerropunta-fotos.htm
• Google Search
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g612409-Cerro_Punta.html
• http://www.summitpost.org/cerro-punta-bar-west-route/images/p-495882

Youtube videos:

Cerro Punta – Panama

“Guadalupe – Almost Paradise” Lobo’s photos around Cerro Punta, Panama

Virtual Tour Road VOLCAN – CERRO PUNTA – Chiriqui, Panama

Driving through Cerro Punta,Panama

Travel – Gstaad, a good place to go for skiing, in Switzerland

Traveller — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 17:10:30 +0000

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

Travel – Spiez, located on the south shore of Lake Thun

Traveller — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:54:02 +0000

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

Travel – Arosa, with some great slopes for safe skiing

Traveller — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:13:49 +0000

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

Travel – Andermatt, a ski resort in Switzerland

Traveller — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:16:58 +0000

Andermatt is in the canton of Uri, Switzerland. It is a ski resort and town and is a municipality of Uri and is located in the Urseren valley with Realp and Hospental which is 22 km (14 miles) from south of Altdorf. They are are located in the heart of the Gotthard holiday region. Andermatt is the largest of the three villages in the valley. Andermatt has an area, as of 2006, of 62.2 square kilometers (24.0 sq mi).
This place offers many sports for both the weathers, winter and summer. It offers a ski area for skiing, hiking, and other activities that can be done are biking, golfing, mountain climbing, fishing, playing tennis, camping and paragliding. The place is full of Alpine scenery, a perfect place to relax and enjoy. The area of Gotthard is Europe’s “moated Castle”. It has 40 lakes and a valley.
The major rivers of the Gotthard include rivers of the Rhine, Rhone, Reuss and Tessin. Ther is also a 60 km long themed footpath in the Göscheneralp valley. The place is full of museums like Talmuseum, Gotthard museum, Festungsmuseum and churches like Church St. Kolumban, Parish Church St. Peter and Paul and Mariahilf Chapel and many passes.
The passes in Uri are
– Kanton Uri
– Gotthardpass
– Furkapass
– Oberalppass
– Sustenpass
– Klausenpass.
The Ursern valley is ideal for all people travelling from the north, south, east or west. It takes 90 minutes for Basel or Lugano on A2 motorway. At the Goschenen exit, arrive in 15 minutes to Andermatt. By train transfer at Goschenen to cog-train of Matterhorn-Gotthard-Railway and arrive at Andermatt.

Places of see
• Talmuseum: The Talmuseum is a chalet type of house. It is located in Ursern valley. It was built in 1786. The museum is fully decorated and gives insight to the customs and housing history of those times of Ursen valley. It is open from Wednesday to Saturday.
• Gotthard museum. At an elevation of 2100metres, Gotthard pass has a museum named Gotthard museum. It covers the entire history of the Gotthard pass. The museum is open as long as the pass, that is from June to October.
• Festungsmuseum: It is part of the Nationalen St.-Gotthard-Museums.
• Town: The main street of the village centre has stately houses with Rococo interiors. It is special with its timber construction, open arches and free standing stone stairways. It has granite flagstone of the Gotthard era. In the Town hall, Guildhouse of Urseren bearing the history and historical documents is present.
• Church St. Kolumban: This church is an 11th century monastery of Ursern. It is a Romanesque sacral building in Uri.
• Parish Church St. Peter and Paul: The most noteworthy Catholic Church in the Ursern valley is the Parish church. It was built in 1602. The church is a work of the renowned Valaisian sculptur Johannes Ritz. The Baroque chapel of St. Michael was built as an ossuary in 1640.
• Mariahilf Chapel: The Mariahilf Chapel was built for protection against avalanches, in 1735/36, above the village.
• Devil’s Bridge: This bridge in Schollenen was built for commercial traffic. It was given its name because it was really impossible over the dangerous ravine.
• Suworow monument; This monument was built in 1898. It was built in the honor of the Russian General and his soldiers. They passed Andermatt battle in 1799 during the French Revolution.

How to get there

• By car
There are roads in all four directions to Andermatt. The town is surrounded by mountain passes. The highest, Furka, to the west is situated at more than 2400 meters and Andermatt itself is more than 1400 meters over the sea level. Alpine passes has spectacular views.
• By train
Andermatt connects to the Swiss national railways SBB Davos Platz, Göschenen and Visp. The Glacier Express from St.Moritz also stops at Andermatt.
• By plane
International passengers often arrive in Zürich International airport.
• Andermatt serves as a crossroads between southern Switzerland and the North as well as between eastern Switzerland i.e. Graubünden/Grisonsand Western Switzerland, i.e. Valais, Berne and the Swiss Romande. The town is thus connected by four Alpine passes: the Oberalp Pass (6,706 ft; 2,044 m.) to the East, the St. Gotthard Pass (6,909 ft; 2,106 m.) to the South, the Furka Pass (7,992 ft; 2,436 m.) to the West, as well as the Göschenertal Pass (4,652 ft; 1,418 m.) to the North. The Schöllenen Gorge in the Reuss Valley between Andermatt and Göschenen is the location of the infamous Devil’s Bridge.

Best time to visit / climate:

There are activities for both the weathers – summer and winter.
Hiking, biking, golfing, paragliding, climbing, fishing, tennis etc., are the various activities that are right for summer. Take the steam train over the Furkca or bike over the Gotthard. Enjoy the Alpine scenery at the place.
In winter, enjoy the endless snow and skiing, snowboarding, sledging, cross-country skiing.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

• Booking.com (link)
• Hotel.info (link)
• Eurobookings.com (link)
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• http://realtravel.com/dh-15989-andermatt_hotels
• http://www.laterooms.com/en/k15990549_andermatt-hotels.aspx
• http://www.travellerspoint.com/budget-accommodation-en-ci-6227.html
• http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Switzerland/Andermatt-692748/TravelGuide-Andermatt.html

Blogs / Sites about Andermatt:

• http://homeboyski.com/2010/03/19/andermatt-trip-report/
• Travelpod
• http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/62696/Geneva-Montreux-Interlaken-1
• http://www.travellerspoint.com/budget-accommodation-en-ci-6227.html
• http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Switzerland/Andermatt-692748/TravelGuide-Andermatt.html

Images and photos of Andermatt
• Google Search
• http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l3668-Andermatt_photos.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g198795-Andermatt_Uri_Swiss_Alps.html
• Virtualtourist
• http://www.travelpod.com/photos/0/Switzerland/Andermatt.html
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/56222160kGufVi
• http://www.zoover.com/switzerland/central-switzerland/andermatt/photos
• http://pt.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/East/Uri/Andermatt/

Videos of Andermatt (link)

Ski race in Andermatt

Andermatt Swiss Alps

Swiss Alps above Andermatt

Andermatt

•

Leukerbad in Switzerland – famous for its hot springs

Traveller — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:48:24 +0000

Leukerbad is in the district of Leuk and is a municipality located in the canton of of Valais in Switzerland. It is situated on an altitude of 1411 meters above sea level. The place is surrounded by imrpressive cliffs and comes into the secluded valley from the south and the town of Leuk in the Rhone valley. It is famous for its hot springs for a long time, the Romans were the first to recognize them and their healing properties.
There is a thermal spa resort that lies in a Valais side valley. Every day 3.9 million liters of hot water gushes from 65 thermal springs in the mountain spa resort of Leukerbad. There are thermal baths open to public. There are many sporting activities in the area. Skiing in winter and hiking in summer are the popular ones. In winter, snowmaking, snow boarding, sledging etc., are also part of winter sports here. After which one can regenerate in the warm, relaxing water of the thermal baths. The centre of Leukerbad is traffic-free. Leukerbad Sports Arena offers plenty of indoor sports facilities irrespective of the weather to enjoy.
To the east, the Daubenhorn at 2942 m. above sea level; to the north the Gemmi Pass (2322 m.) and the Balmhorn (3698 m.); to the west the Torrenthorn (2998) are there. For skiing, this place has two drag lifts from the village, or the cable cars can also be taken to get to skiing areas of Torrent and Albinen. The heart of the ski area is the Rinderhutte, above the tree line at 2340m in the centre of a giant powder field, where seven lifts arrive or depart, including the top of the main cable car up from resort. There are plenty of off piste and tree skiing opportunities around Leukerbad’s slopes. Leukerbad operates an 18km high altitude cross country loipe at Gemmipass at 2350m, served by its own cable car separate to the downhill ski area. There are three different access points to the main slopes, a cable car and a gondola at separate departure points. Now, a new detachable six-seater chairlift has also been introduced for convenience. This is a replacement for the two existing ski lifts.

The Top Events
• Varner Weinwochen (Aug – Sep)
• 10th Gemmi Triathlon (Sept)
• Alpine Descent of the Sheep (Sep )

Places to see:
• Gemmi Pass: It is accessible from Leukerbad by cableway. It is steep cliff path and one can view the Bernese and Valais Alps. It is at an altitude of 2322m. The region is known for hiking trails to Kandersteg, Adelboden or the Wildstrubel. There is “Daubensee”, a beautiful lake which is ideal for walks and picnics. This lake is also perfect for cross-country skiers. Other than that snow-shoe trail or sledging downhill or just a walk can also be done. Gemmi Pass also has access to the longest climbing path in Switzerland, with long, vertical ‘ladders’ on the Dabenhorn, almost 3000 meters high (2943 m).
• Torrent Alp: The Torrent Alp can be reached by a cable-car. This brings to the Rinderhütte, which is at an altitude of 2313 m. above sea level. For skiing, over 50km of runs is available and also provides network for hiking and mountain bike trails. From the Rinderhütte, spectacular view of the 4’000 m. peaks of the Valais, French and Italian Alps is enjoyable.
• Burgerbad: It is the biggest alpine thermal spa complex in Europe. It has ten thermal baths.
• Lindner Alpentherme: It is a Wellness and bathing complex with Roman-Irish bath.
• Leuk: This is a town that is located on the southern slope of the Rhone Valley. It has many historic buildings that belong to the diocese of Sitten. It is also equipped with 18-hole golf course.
• Pfyn Forest: It is a meadow landscape and the biggest pine forest of Switzerland that is located on the border between the German and French-speaking Valais.
• The Swiss ski resort of Leuerbad: It has 18 individual pistes and 16 ski lifts. Each ski lift can uplift 12,000 skiers / snowboarders per hour.
• Skiing: There are two airports within two hours drive. One can enjoy ski weekends, snowboard breaks and short ski holidays to Leukerbad. Sion Airport is just one hour to drive from which one can be on the piste quickly.

How to get there:

By train: Trains arrive in the lower town from where one can catch bus to reach the town of Leukerbad.
By Bus: Buses leave every hour to the upper town and spas.
On foot: One can go to Leurkerbaud over the Gemmipass from Kandersteg by hiking.
Get around: The Ring Jet bus which is local to the town goes around the town every 30 minutes.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Leukerbad is winter, if one wants to enjoy the skiing, cross-country ski trails, sledging, snowmaking, snowboarding, indoor skating, ski pistes and above all thermal baths of the place.
One has activities for summer too like hiking and mountaineering. One can enjoy the hiking trails of the Gemmi Pass and Torrent and Albenin along Daubensee to Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland and can reach by cable ways.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Directions from Geneva to Leukerbad on Google maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants):

• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• http://www.travelpod.com/hotels/Leukerbad.html
• Booking.com
• Leukerbad.ch
• http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/leukerbad.htm
• http://www.hotelclub.co.uk/Switzerland/Leukerbad-hotels/

Blogs / Sites about Leukerbad:

• Tripadvisor
• Travelpod
• http://realtravel.com/de-16308-leukerbad_real_trips
• Travelbuddy
• Wunderground.com
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leukerbad
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Leukerbad

Images and photos of Leukerbad:

• Google Search
• Tripadvisor
• http://switzerland.europe-mountains.com/valais/leukerbad-gallery.aspx
• Travelpod
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/550886482zdOUzM

Videos of Leukerbad (link)

Leukerbad on youtube:

Thermal Spa in Leukerbad

Incredible snowdive in Leukerbad

Travel – Neuchâtel – a small town with a rich architecture

Traveller — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:36:35 +0000

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)

Travel – Davos, one of the highest cities in Europe

Traveller — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:36:45 +0000

Davos is in the district of Prattigau/Davos in the Landwasser valley. It is a municipality in the canton Graubünden, Switzerland and lies along the Landwasser River in the Swiss Alps. Davos lies between the Plessur and Albula Range. It is at an altitude of 1,560 meters (5,118 ft). It is considered the highest city in Europe.
It is famous for the World Economic Forum (WEF), an an annual winter gathering of international politicians and financiers who represented a transnational elite. And of course, Davos is the largest ski resort in Switzerland. It is also a place for the annual Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament, hosted by the HC Davos local hockey team.
The area of Davos is 254.5 square kilometers (98.3 sq mi). The attraction of Davos is the off-piste skiing and it is a resort village. Davos offers a wide variety of winter sports activities, and summer hiking trails, set amid stunning Alpine scenery along with its neighboring town of Klosters.
The main ski areas and resorts are:
• Parsenn / Gotschna
• Jakobshorn
• Pischahorn
• Rinerhorn
• Schatzalp
• Madrisahorn
• Valais and Vau,
• two in Bernese Oberland,
• three in Central Switzerland,
• four of Graubunden
• Five of Eastern Switzerland.
Sites in Davos that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance are the Town Archives, the Kirchner Museum, the Grosses Jenatschhaus (a type of charity house known as a Pfrundhaus) and the Forest Cemetery (Waldfriedhof), Berghotel Schatzalp (hotel), the former Grand Hotel Belvédère (hotel)and the Zürcher Höhenklinik von R. Gaberel (hotel).
Davos has some resorts that are close by which include: Klosters (5 km), Arosa (12 km), Fideris – Fideriser Heuberge (15 km), St. Peter – Pagig (15 km), St. Antönien (18 km). Davos is a skier’s town with 61 lifts and 318km of prepared runs.

Places to see:
• Schwarzsee (Davos): Schwarzsee is a lake at Laret that lies between Davos and Klosters in the Grisons, Switzerland. It is at an altitude of 1504 m.
• Lake Davos: Lake Davos is a small natural lake at Davos, Switzerland. Its surface area is 0.59 km² and the maximum depth is 54 m. This lake is a hydropower reservoir which is fed by Flüelabach, Totalpbach and other mountain creeks. Earlier its water flowed to the Landwasser River but now it is channeled into the Landquart River at Klosters.
• Kirchner Museum Davos: This museum was built in honor of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, the German Expressionist painter. It was opened in 1992. It holds the world’s largest collection of the artist’s work. The architecture of the museum building was designed by the Zürich architects Annette Gigon and Mike Guyer.
• Winter Sports Museum: This museum holds a large collection of winter sport equipment and documents donated by the Jürg Kaufmann family. The well-preserved exhibits (sleds, bobsleds, skis, skates, curling material, etc.) document the history of winter sports.
• Zügenschlucht—it has a spectacular railway line and a mining museum at the Schmelzboden at 1340 m. There is a Geology Trail between Davos-Monstein and Wiesen.
• The Schatzalp: This is at an elevation of 1861m. It is an alpine botanical garden that is scenic. It contains around 800 different species of plants from all over the world. In June and July, when flowers are in bloom, it’s most beautiful.
• Sertigtal: The mountain scenery of Sertigtal is spectacular. One can go for a ride by horse-drawn carriage or sledge.
• Bier Vision Monstein (Monstein Brewery): One can learn fine points of beer making, if interested.
Events
• O’Neill SB-JAM Davos—this is a freestyle snowboarding event takes place every year in Davos in December/January.
• Young Artists in Concert— this concert takes place in July and August. This concert is for young musicians from all over the world who are interested to perform as solo artists or in chamber groups at the Davos Conference Centre, in the Kirchner Museum and in various churches.
• International Hiking Rally—this take place annually in September. This hiking rally covers four routes in the mountains around Davos.

How to get there:
Davos is accessible by train, bus or car. The nearest commercial airport with scheduled airline service is Zurich.
By train: From Zurich, it takes three hours to reach Davos. From Zurich’s Hauptbahnhof (main station), the train connections are available. Zurich Flughafen (airport) or Zurich HB (city) is the departure point and reach Davos Platz or Davos Dorf. 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. It is free for tourists with the inclusive Davos/Klosters visitor card (Gästekarte).

Train Connections in Switzerland:
• 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
Buses travel from Zurich airport to Davos Dorf or Davos Platz every Saturday and return from Davos Dorf or Platz to the airport every Saturday in December through April within two hours with a pickup at the train stations three times daily.
By car: It will take about 2 hours (160 kilometres/103 miles) to get to Davos by car from Zurich. 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.
To Get Around, one can take municipal bus system or cabs. One can take Gastekarte with which all local buses, local trains and lifts are free.

Best time to visit / climate:
Davos is a winter and summer resort village located in the heart of the Graubünden in the east of Switzerland.
But preferably, the best time of year to visit Davos is in the winter as this town is high up in the Alps and being primarily a ski resort. The main attraction of the town is the skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports like skating on some ponds is a great way to spend the day. To visit the town in the off season, the spring, summer, or fall, there are activities like hiking, mountain biking, etc., to do in the place.

Location on Google Maps:

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Driving directions from Zurich to Davos on google maps:

View Larger Map

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

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Davos#Eat (list of restaurants with details)
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Davos#Sleep (list of hotels from cheap to high)
• Booking.com
• Tripadvisor (hotel, restaurant)
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/hotels/index.cfm/graubuenden/davos
• http://www.agoda.com/europe/switzerland/davos.html (hotels at discounted rates)
• http://switzerland.europe-mountains.com/davos-hotels.aspx
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Davos-hotels-1308661 (list of hotels)
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Davos-restaurants-1308661 (list of restaurants)

Blogs / Sites about Davos:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davos
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Davos
• http://www.forumblog.org/
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Davos-travel-guide-1308661
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Davos-travel-blogs-1308661
• Forrester.com
• http://blogs.wsj.com/davos/
• http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=443722771&blogId=527850767
• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g188090-Davos_Grisons_Swiss_Alps.html

Images and photos of Davos:

• Google Search
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.webcamgalore.com/EN/webcam/Switzerland/Davos/428.html
• http://www.picsearch.com/pictures/travel/cities/western%20europe/switzerland/cities%20a-h/davos.html
• http://www.inewscatcher.com/2010/01/davos-at-davos-experts-see-global-dip-ahead.html
• Placesonline

Videos on Davos:

• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/VideoGallery-g188090-Davos_Grisons_Swiss_Alps.html

Travel – Kandersteg – a municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland

Traveller — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 18:11:33 +0000

Kandersteg is in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district. It is a municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is along the valley of the river Kander. Kander is in the west of the Jungfrau massif. It is located in Bernese Oberland, 1200 meters above sea level. It is a view point of mountain scenery and alpine landscapes. It is at the foot of the Lotschen Pass. It is an ideal resort and special with its wooden chalets. It is a perfect hiking place and ideal for mountain climbing and skiing. In winter the emphasis is on Nordic ski sports. It has good transport links and is linked to northern entrance to Lotschberg tunnel.
All kinds of accommodations are available here right from 5-star hotel to holiday apartments and camping sites. At the edge of the village The International Scout Centre is present which is famous as more than 10,000 scouts from all over the world visit each year. There are mountain huts of Swiss Alpine Club are located in the valley.
For hiking the most famous routes are those that lead to the canton of Valais. Across the Gemmi Pass that lead straight to Leukerbad (with cable cars operating at each end) is another option for hiking or through the wild Gastern valley across the higher Lötschen Pass to the Lötschental is another.
These places have 50 kilometers of skiing tracked trails. Small ski areas (downhill) are located near Lake Oeschinen and Sunnbüel. A winter trail network connects the village to Blausee and to the Gemmi Pass. Other winter activities include skating, curling, ice climbing and ice fishing. The Kandersteg artificial ice rink is ideal for skating and curling. For ice climbers there is the Kander Valley. In summer, hiking and walking trails of Kandersteg are popular. The most famous routes lead across the Gemmi Pass straight to Leukerbad in the Valais, to Lake Oeschinen or through the wildly romantic Gastern Valley and finally over the 2690-metre-high, historically important Lotschen Pass to the Lotschen Valley.

Events:
Märchenwochen 2010: in october.
Pelzmartiga in December
Pelzmartiga
All Top Events in Kandersteg : in January

Places to see:
• Lake Oeschinen: This is considered to be the most attractive in Switzerland. It can be accessed by the Sesselbahn Kandersteg-Oeschinen chairlift from Kandersteg. There are other cable cars serve the areas of Sunnbüel and Allmenalp. The deep blue mountain lake is spectacular and one can enjoy a fast toboggan run.
• The Allmenalp: This is accessible via ferrata and is one of the most spectacular in the Alps.
• Ricola Alpine garden: It is located near Kandersteg.
• Parish church; It is a 16th century church.
• Blausee – It is a small lake used as a fish farm in the Kander Valley. It has very clean water which looks deep blue because of the refraction of light.
• Gastern Valley – It is an almost closed off valley with a unique flora. It is a hiking trail area on the way to the Lötschen Pass.
• Waldhaus: It is a typical hotel as it is a candle hotel that runs without electricity.
• Gemmi Pass – It was formerly a historic pass trail. It is an important transport route linked the Cantons of Berne and Valais. Today it is one of the passes that are open in winter and can be accessed by foot.
• BLS Railway experience trail – It is exciting and informative railway experience trail along north ramp of the Lotschberg Railway.

How to get there:
Trains to Kandersteg run from Thun in the north and Brig in the south. It has transport links at the northern end of the Lötschberg Tunnel, which is part of the Lötschberg line, a major railway line across the Alps.
Trains run for 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) to emerge at Goppenstein in eastern Valais. Road vehicles can be carried through the tunnel to Goppenstein by open sided car shuttle trains.
The new Lötschberg Base Tunnel has connected Frutigen with Raron. The regional express trains operate between Bern and Brig via Spiez, and freight trains continue to run on the mountain railway.

Best time to visit / climate:

Kandersteg is an ideal place for both the weather with its activities. These places have 50 kilometers of skiing tracked trails. Small ski areas (downhill) are located near Lake Oeschinen and Sunnbüel. A winter trail network connects the village to Blausee and to the Gemmi Pass. Other winter activities include skating, curling, ice climbing and ice fishing. The Kandersteg artificial ice rink is ideal for skating and curling. For ice climbers there is the Kander Valley. In summer, hiking and walking trails of Kandersteg are popular.
The most famous routes lead across the Gemmi Pass straight to Leukerbad in the Valais, to Lake Oeschinen or through the wildly romantic Gastern Valley and finally over the 2690-metre-high, historically important Lotschen Pass to the Lotschen Valley.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Zurich to Kandersteg on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

• Booking.com
• http://www.lastminute.com/site/travel/hotels/?mpch=sem
• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• http://www.kandersteg.ch/english/plan/unter_hotel.html
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/hotels/index.cfm/berneroberland/kandersteg
• http://www.travelpod.com/s/hotels+in+kandersteg+switzerland

Blogs / Sites about Kandersteg

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Kandersteg
• http://www.isyours.com/e/guide/berner_oberland/kandersteg.html
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Kandersteg-travel-blogs-1191085
• http://blogs.statravel.co.uk/2ndseftoneast/blog/switzerland/kandersteg/
• http://www.globenotes.com/travel-blog-entry/Switzerland/Kandersteg/18086/Kandersteg–countdown-IRC-CH-09/
• http://realtravel.com/d-18179-kandersteg
• http://www.travelpod.com/s/hotels+in+kandersteg+switzerland

Images and photos of Kandersteg:

• Google Search
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g198863-w3-Kandersteg.html
• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/kandersteg.html
• http://www.photographersdirect.com/stockimages/k/kandersteg.asp
• http://www.zoover.co.uk/switzerland/berner-oberland/kandersteg/photos

Videos of Kandersteg:

• Google Search

Kandersteg – Watching the trains on Youtube:

Paragliding – Kandersteg

Ice Climbing festival – Kandersteg