Different places to travel

Saas-Fee – an attractive winter sport destination in Switzerland

Traveller — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:33:46 +0000

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:

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

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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)

Murren – a popular tourist site in Switzerland

Traveller — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:07:59 +0000

Murren is in Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, and is a traditional Walser mountain village. It is popular for tourism in summer and winter. It is about 1,650m (5,413 ft) above sea level high above the Lauterbrunnen valley. The village has three towering mountains and they are Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Mürren was once a farming village and now a tourist spot.
Murren has a panoramic view to these mountains. Some of these adventure sports such as Hiking, trailing, skiing, etc., are fun activities over here. It lies at the foot of Schilthorn. Murren has people living from the Lötschen valley in the Valais. They speak in a typical Mürren dialect. It lies in the canton of Bern. One of the enjoyable activities over here is a double-cable ropeway that leads up the plateau from Lauterbrunnen. The cableway runs from Stechelberg passing turbulent waterfalls and craggy rock faces. This goes into the centre of the car-free village of Mürren. Further it goes to the Schilthorn at 2970 meters.
In summer one can enjoy Murren as a mountain summit. Walking trails, funicular rides, mountaineering, Flower panorama trail etc., are the activities in summer. Also over here is a funicular that leads to the Allmendhubel is above the village at an altitude of 1907 meters. And of course, some common stuff such as playgrounds and picnics are fun for all.
There is also a natural reserve at the rear of the valley of Lauterbrunnen and through the Sefinen valley and over the Sefinenfurgge pass and Keintal, best enjoyed in summer. In winter, winter sports in the region of Mürren-Schilthorn are very popular. This region has 53 km of ski and snowboard pistes. It also has toboggan runs and a network of winter walking trails. In the Lauterbrunnen valley there are 30 or so cableways and lifts, and 160 km of pistes in the other ski areas of the Jungfrau region. In the valley between Stechelberg and Lauterbrunnen there is an 11 km cross-country ski trail. Mürren is a beautiful car-free village. Everything is accessible on foot.
The Top Events of this region are Inferno Triathlon, Cheese festival – in august, International Inferno races, Alpine skiing- in October.
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.

Places to see:
• 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.
• Jungfraujoch – snow and ice are present on the elevation of 3454 m which is the ultimate excursion destination in the Bernese Oberland. Built in 1912, the Jungfrau railway is running through a 7-km-long tunnel to the ‘Top of Europe’ in the Bernese Oberland.
• Jungfraubahn – This route is the section that goes through rock. The ‘Eigerwand’ and ‘Eismeer’ viewing windows offer a great view.
• Obersteinberg Hotel: There is a Candlelit hotel in the rear Lauterbrunnen valley – the Obersteinberg Hotel. It is beautiful to look the hotel as it is illuminated by candlelight and the specialty is that all cooking is done on a wood stove. This is at an altitude of 1800 meters. The Alpine cheese dairy provides specialties in here which were known 200 years ago.
• Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. There are spectacular views from Murren across to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. One can view either in day or night and find it spectacular in both the times.

How to get there:

There is an hourly train to Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken Ost station (the train divides at Zweilutschinen so get on to correct station at Interlaken). Follow the directions on the signs in Lauterbrunnen. Make the ascent to Grutschalp in a cable car. From Grustchalp, a train takes you along the ridge to Mürren. The view from the train is magnificient.
There are also a series of four cable cars, known as the Luftseilbahn Stechelberg-Mürren-Schilthorn (LSMS) that has transportation from Mürren downhill to Gimmelwald and Stechelberg, and uphill to the summit of the Schilthorn and the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria.
Mürren Railway Station during winter
Mürren is also connected to Lauterbrunnen by the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren, which consists of a narrow gauge railway and a connecting aerial tramway. Mürren is also the lower terminus of the Allmendhubelbahn funicular.
A total of 52 km (32 mi.) of ski runs with 14 ski lifts (6 cable cars, 7 chair lifts, 3 railways and 2 drag lifts) operate from here and there is also off-piste skiing.

Best time to visit / climate:

Normally the very best time of year to visit is September; the Bernese Oberland Weather is usually perfect and fewer visitors.
The best time to visit Murren is summers which are 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 some of the more popular activities in summer.
In winter, winter sports are very popular in the region of Mürren-Schilthorn. This region has 53 km of ski and snowboard pistes. It also has toboggan runs and a network of winter walking trails. In the Lauterbrunnen valley there are 30 or so cableways and lifts, and 160 km of pistes in the other ski areas of the Jungfrau region. In the valley between Stechelberg and Lauterbrunnen there is an 11 km cross-country ski trail. Sledging, skiing, snowboarding, winter sports etc are fun in winter.

Location on Google Maps:

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Directions from Interlaken to Murren on Google Maps:

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

• Booking.com
• http://www.hoteleiger.com/
• eurobookings.com
• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/hotels/index.cfm/berneroberland/murren
• virtualtourist.com
• http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Murren.htm (hotels for cheap deals)

Blogs / Sites about Murren:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCrren
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Murren
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/M%FCrren/tpod.html
• http://www.tripbase.com/Murren-Tourism-Switzerland.html
• http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/50924/Murren-Switzerland-2
• http://www.hereorthere.com/members/charlotte/experience/775

Images and photos of Murren:

• Google Search
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/West/Bern/Murren/
• Tripadvisor
• http://www.worldisround.com/articles/19490/
• virtualtourist.com
• http://wiki.worldflicks.org/m%C3%BCrren.html

Videos of Murren (link)

Schaffhausen – City with beautiful culture, buildings and frescos

Traveller — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:41:43 +0000

Schaffhausen is the capital of the canton of Schaffhause, and is located in the northern Switzerland. The old city has many Renaissance era buildings with frescos and sculpture and a fortress, the Munot and is famous for these very reasons. Schaffhausen entered the Swiss Confederation in 1501. Schaffhausen is mostly agricultural land. The town is located between the Black forest and Lake Constance on the upper Rhine.
Rhine Falls in Neuhausen (also known as Rheinfall) is the largest waterfall of Europe and one of the most tourist attractions of Switzerland. One has an accessibility through a train that runs out of the town to the Rhine falls. The 35 buildings in Schaffhausen are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance and they include the following: the entire old city of Schaffhausen, the city walls, the Giesserei Werk I factory, the city and cantonal archives, the Schweizersbild Paleolithic cave and the Herblingen and Grüthalde Neolithic settlements. There are four former guild houses and seven houses on the list. The two religious buildings on the list are the former Benedictine All Saints Abbey and the Church of St. John.
The town is surrounded by vineyards and excellent destination for touring. Like many towns in Switzerland, this town is traffic-free and because of its oriel windows and painted facades, the town is considered the prettiest in Switzerland. Most of the guildhouses are from Gothic and Baroque times. The old town is perfect for shopping and the street market is known as the Vordergasse. The Munot fortress, the city emblem was built and designed by Albrecht Durer between 1564 and 1589 and the huge bell of the fortress when rung is a sign of its closing. There are cycle rides one can talk or just walk on the vine-clad slope of the hilly region of the Randen.
In Trasadingen Wine Trail or in the Museum of Viticulture in Hallau, one can learn how to make wine. Along Rhine riverside, the area is ideal for for cycling, walking and boating. The Untersee Lake-Rhine boat trip from Schaffhausen to Kreuzlingen is the most popular and is nearly 50 km long. The Benedictine monastery of St. Georgen now houses the monastery museum. Over the town the castle of Hohenklingen is present.

Places to see:
• Old Town –This Old Town in Switzerland is filled with wonderful Baroque houses and 170 oriel windows and the fortress which were a status symbol on the houses of rich merchants.
• Rhinefall at Schaffhausen – It’s the Europe’s largest and most powerful waterfall, where the water crashes down 21 metres, across a width of 150 metres. In July the water levels are highest.
• The Untersee Lake – Rhine boat trip from Schaffhausen to Kreuzlingen is the most popular and is nearly 50 km long.
• Boat trip on the Rhine from Schaffhausen to Steinam Rhein and on across the Untersee to Konstanz and Kreuzlingen – one of the finest river trips in Europe.
• Former Benedictine abbey of Allerheiligen – the monastery is a church with its 11th century cloisters. It is an important Romanesque historic building, with a herb garden and museum about the town’s history and industry.
• Modern Art Gallery – This art gallery is a former textile factory houses that has large installations by internationally renowned artists.
• The Munot fortress and enjoy the view over the old city and the beautiful landscape. The Munot fortress, the city emblem was built and designed by Albrecht Durer between 1564 and 1589 and the huge bell of the fortress when rung is a sign of its closing.
Other Highlights of the city of Schaffhausen
• Fireworks Display: The Rhine Falls big fireworks display takes place every second last weekend in August. This is a time to be there in the place and enjoy the view.
• Culinary Tour Schaffhausen: Schaffhausen has its culinary side too which can be known in this tour.
• Night watchmen Tours: This tour is for the olden stories of Schaffhausen which are on the scarier side, so if you have a strong heart or like these kinds of scary stories, then go for it. At nightfall the night watchman will tell you frightening stories of terrible court sentences, hangmen, the plague, fires in town, etc.

How to get there:

• By train: From Zurich within 45 minutes to one hour one can take S-Bahn S16 or S33 vi 3 times an hour to Winterthur S33.
• By car: From Zurich one can take the A4/E41 direction north. One can reach right to the city. One shall need a vignette for all Swiss highways.
• Get around: To get around the place take Local buses or walk by foot in the old city.
Buses to all directions are available every 20 minutes when busy or else one can get in 10 minutes itself. One get can get a “Tageskarte” which is like a bus ticket that allows you to use all buses for a whole day.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit Schaffhausen is around July-August when the weather is just right for boating, viewing and the Rhine falls also at its highest during this time. The view is splendid and enjoyable at this time.

Location on Google Maps:

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Directions from Zurich on Google Maps:

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

• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• Booking.com
• http://www.lastminute.com/site/travel/hotels/?mpch=sem
• http://www.hotels-and-more.ch/en/schaffhausen/schaffhausen/
• http://www.travelpod.com/hotels/Schaffhausen.html
• Eurobookings.com
• Hotel.info

Blogs / Sites about Schaffhausen:

• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Schaffhausen/tpod.html
• http://www.travelpost.com/EU/Switzerland/Schaffhausen/Schaffhausen/4312185
• http://www.travbuddy.com/Schaffhausen-travel-blogs-1192139
• http://www.bugbitten.com/blogs/Europe/CanAm/Interlaken_Lucern_Schaffhausen.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaffhausen

Images and photos of Schaffhausen:

• Google Search
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/East/Schaffhausen/
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_schaffhausen_4256.html
• http://search.pbase.com/search?q=Schaffhausen
• http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/switzerland/schaffhausen/
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188071-Schaffhausen.html

Videos of Schaffhausen (link)

Berner Alpen – on the foothills of the Alps

Traveller — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:27:51 +0000

The Bernese Alps lies in the cantons of Bern and Wallis of Switzerland. It is a subgroup of Western Alps. In terms of glaciers, the Aletsch and Fiescherglestscher flowing are the longest rivers of ice and are in the south side of Bernese Alps in the Valais. The southern end of canton Berne has the tallest and famous peaks. The Finsteraarhon is of a height of 4274m, which is the highest peak.
Switzerland has four main languages. In Berner Alpen mostly Swiss-German (Alemannic) is spoken but the official language is German. English is also spoken but not by a majority of the population.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best time to visit / climate:

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

Location on Google Maps:

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Directions to Berner Alpen from Geneva on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

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

Blogs / Sites about Berner Alpen:

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

Images and photos of Berner Alpen:

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

Videos of Berner Alpen (link)

Montreux – at the foot of the Alps on Lake Geneva

Traveller — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:40:22 +0000

Montreux is in the district of Riviera-Pays-d’Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is a municipality and is situated at the foot of the Alps on Lake Geneva. This place is known for hosting several festivals. The most famous one is the two week Jazz festival.
It is a tourist spot with lakes. As a popular pastime, one can take a walk along the lake from Villeneuve to Vevey.
The main square of the town, Place du Marché, features a statue of Freddie Mercury (who was famous for his love for singing) along with his band. Strolling along the Riviera and going hiking are other options for enjoyment. There are many small villages around Montreux that include La Tour-de-Peilz, Clarens, Territet, and Villeneuve. The Chateau of Chillon gives a view of the entire Lake of Geneva. One can go by bus, walk or boat. Montreux is also famous for its recording studio called “The Mountain Studios”.

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

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

How to get there:

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

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

Best time to visit / climate:

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

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Geneva to Montreux on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

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

Blogs / Sites about Montreux:

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

Images and photos of Montreux

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

Videos of Montreux (link)

Locarno – an older town, great to visit

Traveller — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:30:32 +0000

Locarno which means “Lion’s Flesh” in Latin is located in the Swiss canton of Ticino. It is on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore and is the capital of Locarno district. The language majorly spoken here is Italian. Locarno is the third biggest populated city of canton Ticino (with the first and second being Lugano and Bellinzona).
To enjoy Locarno, one can walk or rent a bike. One can rent a bike from the train station of Locarno. Lacarno is otherwise a walk able city with all its visiting centres at few distances. This old town is having all sorts of locations, from castles to lakes to views of the mountains to a botanical garden. It is also famous for the Treaty of Locarno which was signed by the European powers to ensure peace after world war I. Locarno is now primarily a tourist spot.

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

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

How to get there:

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

Best time to visit / climate:

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

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

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

Blogs / Sites about Locarno:

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

Images and photos of Locarno:

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

Videos of Locarno (link)

Thun – located on the shore of Lake Thun

Traveller — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:03:11 +0000

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

How to get there:

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

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

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

View Larger Map

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

Blogs / Sites about Thun:

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

Images and photos of Thun:

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

Videos of Thun (link)

Lauterbrunnen – located in the Alps in Switzerland

Traveller — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:01:55 +0000

Lauterbrunnen is an administrative district of the Interlaken-Oberhasli. It is a municipality in the canton of Bern in Switzerland and is 10 km from Interlaken. This place lies in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It comprises of the villages Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg and Isenfluh. It is situated in the valleys in the Alps surrounded with mountain peaks and rock faces. It has 72 thundering waterfalls too. Lauterbrunnen valley is the biggest nature conservation area.
Its name is said to mean many springs or fountains. “Lauter” means many and “brunnen” means spring or fountain or well.
Interlaken is connected to Lauterbrunnen by road and rail. It is at the entrance to the valley which looks spectacular as its 400m white cliffs topped with pines and has waterfalls.
Lauterbrunnen has many gondolas, cable-cars and cog-railways to get around. One can walk along the valley wall which is one of the types. It is 400 to 800 meters from the top of the valley and going up or coming down the valley is little heavy for a walk, but the walk is enjoyed by beauty and serenity of the views around. The most famous fall of the 72 waterfalls is the Staubbach Falls, which is almost 300 meters from an overhanging rock face. Stubbach falls are the highest free-falling waterfalls in Europe. The well-known poem ‘Spirit song over the waters”, written by Johann Wolfgang is inspired by this waterfall.
The Trümmelbach Falls is in the mountain called ‘Black Monk’ and the falls are estimated to have up to 20,000 liters of water per second cascading over the ten glacier falls. The falls fall from a height of about 200 meters, but these falls can be viewed only by tunnel lift and only in summer time.
Lauterbrunnen Valley waterfalls: There are 72 waterfalls out of which Trummelbach falls and Staubbach Falls are worth visiting.
1. 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. =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.
2. Staubbach Falls: These falls can be seen from the center of town as they are on the edge of the village. The fall is 300 meters high and falls from an overhanging cliff face.

Other places to see
• Schilthorn: There is a revolving restaurant at 2970 m called Piz Gloria. Here the view is most beautiful of 40 mountain peaks and 20 glaciers.
• UNESCO world heritage themed trail: This trail is the first trail in the Junggfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn world natural heritage site. This trail is devoted to waterfalls. This trail also covers alpine farming, power stations and mountain hotels.
• Kleine Scheidegg: The north face of the Eiger can be viewed from here. Four-thousand- meter peaks of the Jungfrau and Monch are also visible from Kleine.
• Jungfraujoch (3454m): Since 1912, the Jungfrau railway is running through a 7-km-long tunnel to the ‘Top of Europe’ in the Bernese Oberland. Something worth seeing.
• Biking: Lauterbrunnen is very famous for mountain biking. One can take bikes on rent from Interlaken to end of the valley called Stechelberg.
• One can take the bike even the gondola up to Murren and from there ride the bike following the trail signs to Winteregg. From Winteregg it’s a downhill to Isenfluh or back to Lauterbrunnen.

How to get there:

Lauterbrunnen is mostly a car free village. It is easy to get around by walking. Also to get around cable-cars, gondolas etc. will be the major transportation on valleys etc.
By train: One can reach by narrow-gauge train from Interlaken Ost station. Holders of Swiss Pass travel free, and tourists are advised to take the relevant train tickets for Swiss Rail that will also cover these railways.

Best time to visit / climate:
The place of Lauterbrunnen is best to visit both in summer and in winter with its respective activities for both the weathers. But if one is not interested in skiing, then the best time is summer.
Summer: This place is an excursion destination in the Jungfrau region, just right in summer. A rack railway links Lauterbrunnen with Wengen and this is a scenic view ride. Further, the Lauterbrunnen valley is best viewed in summer.
The cableway from Stechelberg goes to the peak of the Schilthorn at 2971 m. the peaceful little mountain village of Isenfluh, is just a few kms from the valley. This village has a rock terrace. One can enjoy walks in the romantic Saustal and Mürren and the Lobhorn Mountains in summer because of the temperature. Biking also is a favorable thing and this place is famous for mountain biking in the summer.

Winter: Skiing in the regions of Wengen-Kleine Scheidegg and Mürren-Schilthorn are enjoyable in winter. One can reach here by mountain railway. Fairly large area, with 213 km of fun parks. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is also famous for its cross-country ski trails. About 100 km of winter hiking trails and 50 km of toboggan run are spread around.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Directions from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

• Book your hotel at HotelsCombined.com
• Booking.com
• World66.com (list of best restaurants in Lauterbrunnen)
• Restaurants on TripAdvisor (list of best restaurants in Lauterbrunnen)
• Hotels on TripAdvisor (list of hotels)
• Eurobookings.com
• Virtualtourist.com
• World66.com
• http://www.hotelschuetzen.com/

Blogs / Sites about Lauterbrunnen:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauterbrunnen
• http://www.isyours.com/e/guide/berner_oberland/lauterbrunnen.html
• Virtualtourist.com

Images and photos of Lauterbrunnen:
• Google Images
• http://www.lauterbrunnen.ch/portal/
• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/lauterbrunnen.html
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/230233052ItiUAa
• Tripadvisor Photos

Videos of Lauterbrunnen

Saint Moritz – one of the most well known places in Switzerland

Traveller — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:28:41 +0000

St. Moritz is a town in the Engadine valley, also known as resort town in Switzerland. The Eastern Alps lie in the south of the town and are in its highest summit. St. Moritz is in the district of Malorja. It is a municipality in the canton of Graubünden. St. Moritz is also called as Alpine Metropolis. It has several Tourist attractions. The best of them are lakes, mountains, spas, luxury hotels and shops.
The people of St. Moritz speak mostly German and Italian as second most common and Portugese as the third most common language. Saint Moritz’s scenic beauty is breathtaking and enjoyable both in winter and summer with its own uniqueness. It is a good place for hiking, biking, skiing, touring and resting.

Places to see:
• The Segantini Museum: A Swiss heritage site of national significance. Plazza da Scoulaand is dedicated to Giovanni Segantini, who was a painter. Enganide painting was his life.
• The bobsled run: It is a very rare natural bob sleigh. It runs by mid December each year.
• Glacier landscape view: This can be seen by descending from Diavolezza to the Morteratsch Glacier.
• Piz Corvatsch: The 3300 metres high Piz Corvatsch with its ice cave is splendid and beautiful. The Glacier Grotto at the summit station is another one worth visiting. Its eight-kilometer long ski slope is down to St.Moritz-Bad. There are hiking trails on the Corvatsch. From Murtèl to Furtschellas, they run past mountain lakes and Alpine pastures.
• Bernina Express – This train is the most scenic railway in Europe to the Puschlav.
• Muottas Muragl – It is most impressive view over the lake region of the Upper Engadine. In winter one can reach by toboggan from the summit to the Valley Station.
• Piz Nair Wall – This is a ski point and top skiing skills are a must and it is very steep.
• Swiss National Park – It is spread over 172 square kilometers. It is Switzerland’s biggest nature reserve.
• Olmpia Bobrun: It is a sports complex. One can have a fantastic experience here.
• Lake of Staz (Lej da Staz): This is actually a hotel with its unique mountain view and a stylish cuisine. It has a frozen lake by its side (around February) and is in the middle of the larch forest. One can walk to the hotel either from St. Moritz or through other surrounding villages. The view of the mountains, middle of the forest and the lake makes it worth it in winter.
• Engadine: It is a valley.
• Engadine Museum: This is a historical museum.
• Casino St. Moritz: This is a casino, a place to have good time.
• St. Moritz Bader (Spa Complex), Ayurvedis Medical Center, Medizinisches Therapiezentrum: These three are different types of spas and can be visited on the basis of choice of the method.
• Kulm Executive Golf Course: If one is a golf lover, this is a golf course where some sporting can be done.
• Riding Center St Moritz: This is a horse-riding stable.
• Palm Express: This express will take one on a scenic ride by bus from St Moritz – Lugano.
• Piz Bernina: This is a view point from the highest peak in the eastern Alps.
• Berry Museum, Galerie Gmurzynska: These are Art galleries, a perfect place for art lovers.
• Corviglia Tennis & Golf Center: This place features an indoor driving range. It is a sports complex.

How to get there:

One can get to St.Moritz by train, bus, car, or air.
By train: There are train connections from Chur over the famous Albulapass, from Tirano (Italy) over the Bernina Pass.
From Milano: “Bernina Express” – take train to Lecco
From Tirano – The Bernina Pass to St. Moritz is enough.
“Glacier Express” to Brig / Zermatt will take 8 hours.
By air: Basel (4 hours by car) or Zurich (3 hours by car) has International airports. There are Aeroplane connections from Zurich to Samedan, which is the local airport near St. Moritz. Samedan is about twenty minutes drive from St.Moritz
For one travelling by car from Switzerland Julierpass are the only passing which is open in winter. One has to take the highway A 13 as far as Thusis – from there the roads lead into Engadine valley over the Julier Pass. In winter, it’s one’s choice, whether to drive or take a train, which is preferable.
For people coming from Davos or Klosters , take the cartrain from Klosters through the Fluelapass.
If one is driving from Italy then drive over the Bernina or the Maloja.
The next airport is in Samedan.
There is a postbus from Lugano to St.Moritz provided one has reservations for it.
To get in and around St. Moritz, there is a very good system of Public transport.
Biking is very good around St. Moritz but in winter few parking places are available.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit in summer is from mid June through mid-October and in winter is December through early April. For skiing, skating and other winter sports and for snowy view, the time is winter and for hiking, biking, mountaineering, sailing etc., best time is summer.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

• Hilton.com
• http://www.frommers.com/destinations/stmoritz/166_inddin.html (list of restaurants)
• http://www.concierge.com/travelguide/stmoritz/restaurants (restaurants)
• http://switzerland.europe-mountains.com/st-moritz-hotels.aspx
• Booking.com
• Otel.com
• TripAdvisor

Blogs / Sites about Saint Moritz:

• http://wikitravel.org/en/St._Moritz
• http://www.world66.com/europe/switzerland/stmoritz
• http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Moritz

Images and photos of Saint Moritz
• Google Images
• TripAdvisor
• http://www.stmoritz.ch/en/summer/service/media/media-pictures.html
• http://travel.webshots.com/album/383451101bbztYt
• http://www.worldtravelguide.net/ski_resort/53/images/Europe/St-Moritz.html

Videos of Saint Moritz (link)

Grindelwald – a great place for trekking

Traveller — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:10:43 +0000

Grindelwald is a village and a municipality, located in the Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district (in the canton of Bern) in Switzerland. It is located at an altitude of 1,034 meters (3,392 ft) above sea level. Grindelwald is famous as being a starting point for Eiger and Wetterhorn. One can say it is a right place for trekking on Alps. Grindelwald is famous for its accessibility of ski lift to First. There are many spots as tourist’s attractions.
This place is also famous for INTERNATIONAL SNOW FESTIVAL that takes place in early January and is held for 6 days. People, in a team, come from the world to create sculptures from snow blocks. The best ones are awarded.

Hence it is a place for tourists in the weathers, summer and winter.
The summer is a good time for biking, hiking, view points, mountaineering etc.
Winter is a good time for skiing, snow skating, snow festival etc.

Places to visit in Grindelwald
• Maennlichenbahn Jungfraujoch: 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. Jungfrau 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. There is a sphinx observatory on the top, at Jungfrau. There is an ice cave too with exhibits and sculptures fully made out of snow, which is a rare thing to see and which children really enjoy. 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.
• The Wetterhorn Vetter horn: For an awe-inspiring view from Grindelwald, this place needs to be visited. There is a ropeway from Firusuto observatory located in the village. From this observation tower, the horn can be viewed. To the right is a nice view of the Eiger North Wall. There are hiking trails through Bahhaarupu Lake which has stunning views of the Berner Overland.
• Bachalpsee: from the “First” Station, one can reach Bachalpsee by walk. Hiking poles from Bachalpsee to Faulhorn would be helpful for hiking. The view at Bachalpsee is very beautiful. In addition, here, Faulhorn is the oldest Mountain Hotel in Switzerland. Roundtrip First to Bachalpsee to Faulhorn and down to Busalp is a total duration of five hours with beautiful scenic ride with stops.
• Firusuto Reach; The place is an observatory, with a bonus, there is a cable car from the way. One can view glaciers and peaks of the Alps, something which is enchantingly beautiful.
• Lutschine Gorge – It goes through the rock in Mettenberg. One can reach the end of the glacier by trekking.
• Jungraujoch Railway – One can take a ride on the highest railway line in Europe, famous for its scenic, breathtaking, beautiful views.
• Other places to see are Aelfluh, Schwarz horn Alpigeln, Grosse Scheidegg Pfingstegg(biker’s paradise), Bussalp(ski area).

How to get there:
• By train: A regular train can be taken from Interlaken. Grindelwald has two train stations: Grindelwald and Grund. The train station of Grindelwald is in the centre of the town. On the way to Kleine Scheidegg, in the valley floor is the Grund station. The Wengernalpbahn connects Grindelwald to the Kleine Scheidegg from where the Jungfraubahn ascends inside the Eiger to the Jungfraujoch and trains descend to Wengen. Many major Swiss cities are connected to Interlaken. The Gondelbahn Grindelwald-Männlichen connects Grindelwald with the Männlichen and with onward travel on the Luftseilbahn Wengen-Männlichen offers an alternative route to Wengens
• By road: The other best main option to get to Grindelwald is car. The other possibilities of travel are Charter/Tour buses, taxis, and car rentals. By road it takes 30 minutes by scooter to Grindelwald from Interlaken.
• Hiking: In summer and early fall, hiking into Grindelwald from Bernese Oberland trails, with the assistance of gondolas / cable-cars is an option.
• Getting around: One can take any local bus service can be taken to get to nearby destinations.
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Best time to visit / climate:
The place of Grindelwald is best to visit both in summer and in winter, it being both a winter as well as a summer tourist destination since you have both sets of activities in both the weathers. It accommodates beginners, intermediates and those experienced with skiing, hiking, and biking. During the summer, Grindelwald is full of flower blooms and its scenic views, lakes are best enjoyed. Hiking, biking etc., are the best things to do. During winter, skiing, snow skating etc., are famous. This place is famous for its International snow festival which is in winter. It is poetically described as that in the winter months it turns into a picture post card with its traditional wooden chalets and pastures. They are enchanting as they are covered with a blanket of snow.

Location on Google Maps:

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Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):
• Tripadvisor (Link 1, Link 2, list of top rated restaurants)
• Hotelclub.com
• http://www.europeupclose.com/search-hotel-prices/Grindelwald/Switzerland?gclid=CJm32sukoqMCFdFR6woddm8J5Q

Blogs / Sites about Grindelwald:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grindelwald
• http://www.ukstudentlife.com/Travel/Tours/Switzerland/Grindelwald.htm
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/destinations/resorts/holiday-destinations-in-switzerland/jungfrau-region.html
• http://www.paraglidingearth.com/en-html/index.php?site=6659
• http://www.isyours.com/e/photo-gallery/bernese-oberland/grindelwald/index.html

Images and photos of Grindelwald:

• Google Search
• http://www.isyours.com/e/photo-gallery/bernese-oberland/grindelwald/index.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188080-Grindelwald_Jungfrau_Region_Bernese_Oberland_Swiss_Alps.html

Videos of Grindelwald (link)