Different places to travel » Adventure Sports

Travel – Mayaguana – an unspoilt island in the Bahamas

Traveller — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:41:25 +0000

Mayaguana is an unspoilt island of Bahamas, located on the easterly side of the Bahamas; it is a district of Bahamas. The place retains its Lucayan name. The population of Mayaguana is approximately about 312 with the area being approximately 110 square miles (280 km2). This island is halfway between South Florida and Puerto Rico and is about 450 nautical miles off Palm Beach, Florida. It is 60 miles (9 7 km) to the north of Inagua and 350 miles (560 km) to the south of the capital of Nassau. This island was first inhabited by Lucayans and later by Spanish. This island was uninhabited until 1812. Later people migrated from the Turks and Caicos Islands (located 60 miles (97 km) to the southeast). The uninhabited areas of Mayaguan are the Upper Point (north shore), Northeast Point, and Southeast Point and these are largely inaccessible by road. English is the official language of the place.
People living here make their living by fishing and farming majorly. Because of its fertile land and woody terrain, farming is major for its economy. The Fauna of Mayaguana includes the Bahamian Hutia, a rodent thought to be extinct, American Flamingoes, Bartsch’s Iguanas, plovers, terns, and Osprey, Nesting sea turtles and Brown Booby colonies.
The main islands included are Abraham’s Bay, Pirates Well and Betsy Bay. This island is undeveloped. Abraham Bay is a good harbor and Betsy bay is lost and secluded and there are sun-worn cottages here with hummingbirds and wild corn spread. Pirate’s Well is another place which was once occupied by buccaneers. Mayaguana passage is viewed at its best from Pirates Well and Betsy Bay.
Fishing is the best activity of the island and winters are ideal here. This island is also known as the great outback and Wild West of the Bahamas. The environment around is rugged and salty. Sailing, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, and walking are other main activities along with viewing and enjoying. One can watch for Flamingos, Iguanas and Pristine reef system which have tropical fish and larger, pelagic species lingering in deep water. One can see thousands of conch littering shallow portions of the bays.

Attractions:
• Abraham’s Bay: One can explore the reef that protects the bay. Swimming with the reef fish and around the coral heads that are huge is a great attraction. Diving gives great views of the deep water and reef system.
• Betsy bay: This bay is secluded, with sun-worn cottages here with hummingbirds and wild corn spread.
• Pirate’s well is another place which was once occupied by buccaneers.
• Mayaguana Passage: This is a beautiful, multi-hued waterway between Mayaguana and Acklins. One can view it best from Betsy Bay and Pirate’s Well.
• Curtis Creek: Swimming or paddling a canoe through the creek is enjoyable. One can watch for baby barracuda, bone fish, sharks, sea turtles, rays, trumpet fish, etc living in the tidal zone through the mangroves. The biodiversity is worth it.
• North Beaches: These North Beaches has the typical Bahamian beach atmosphere. These are white sand beaches over crystal clear water and the reef break.
• Bone Fishing – This Island is a spot for excellent bone fishing.

Major events of Mayaguana:
• There are weekly parties every Saturday afternoon at the airport. There are many varieties of local food, you can listen to a little reggae, and play some dominoes.
• Bahamas International Film Festival: 1 – 5 Dec (annual): An event where 80 international films are screened at the Atlantis theatre and other venues.
• Powerboat Adventures (Daily) – Nassau: This is an aquatic activity; a Powerboat, state-of-the-art 1000-horsepower capacity which takes off to view the Exuma Cays.
• National Art Gallery of the Bahamas Daily; (not Mon or Sun) at National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, Nassau: This holds Contemporary Bahamian art and landscapes, sculptures and textiles and ceramics.
• Pirates of Nassau: Daily at Pirates of Nassau, Nassau: This is like going back to the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1720) which is actually about the pirate ship Revenge.

Best time to visit / climate:
In summer and early autumn, temperatures can soar beyond 100°F (38°C). Winters are not cold and hence the best time to visit the place. Sailing, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, and walking are other main activities along with viewing and enjoying.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map
Or click and paste the URL below on your browser:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Mayaguana,+Bahamas&sll=23.61926,-75.969546&sspn=2.249585,3.521118&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Mayaguana,+Pirates+Well+Settlement,+Mayaguana,+The+Bahamas&ll=22.400872,-73.064575&spn=2.269992,3.521118&z=8

How to get there:

• By Plane: Bahamas Air flies to the island from Nassau which operates three times per week that is on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
• By Boat: Charter a ride or take the mail boat to travel by boat.
• Get around: Many hiking, diving, and fishing destinations are too spread out reaching on foot. Car rentals are an informal affair as the locals simply rent out their private vehicles.

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

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Mayaguana#Sleep
• http://www.frommers.com/destinations/mayaguanaisland/H49817.html
• Tripadvisor
• http://iguide.travel/Mayaguana
• http://www.planetware.com/bahamas/mayaguana-island-bah-ma-ma.htm

Blogs / Sites about Mayaguana
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Bahamas/Mayaguana/tpod.html
• mhaze.net
• http://homes.point2.com/BS/Mayaguana-Real-Estate.aspx

Images and photos of Mayaguana

• Google Search
• http://iguide.travel/Mayaguana/Activities
• http://www.bahamas4u.com/mayaguanaphotos.html
• igougo.com

Videos about Mayaguana (Bahamas) on Youtube:

Our trip with Brass Anchor Scuba on the Nekton Rorqual liveaboard to Mayaguana, Bahamas

BAHAMAS FILM CHALLENGE: 3rd Place – Mayaguana: Mark Drake ‘Blue Movie’

Shark! SCUBA Dive Mayaguana Island, Bahamas

The Best of Mayaguana with SingleDivers

Annals of Mayaguana, Part I

Annals of Mayaguana, Part II

Annals of Mayaguana Part IV

Travel – Freeport (Bahamas) – a city on the island of Grand Bahamas in the district of Bahamas

Traveller — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:07:46 +0000

Freeport is a city on the island of Grand Bahamas and in the district of Bahamas. It is located 100 miles (160 km) east-northeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This city is part of a free trade zone of the Bahamas, operated by the Grand Bahamas Port Authority (GBPA). There was an agreement signed called the Hawksbill Creek Agreement in August 1955 declaring that the Bahamian Government agreed to businesses in the Freeport area and will pay no taxes before 2054. The Pine yard of Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier, was the first development of the economy of Freeport of Bahamas. He owned 50,000 acres (200 km2) of land of this area. After the capital of Nassau, City of Freeport is known to be the most populous city of Bahamas. The Grand Bahamas International Airport serves this place.
Freeport’s land area is about 230-square-mile (600 km2). It is off the coast of Palm Beach, Florida and about 65 miles (105 km) off the coast. Many international companies use Freeport as their business sites. Tourism topped the list for quite some time but from 2004, tourism has decreased tremendously due to hurricane hits.

Things to do:
There are plenty of beaches. Diving, water biking, surfing, Parasailing and underwater cave diving are different activities of the place.

Places to see:
• The Rand Nature Centre: This Centre was named in the honor of James Rand.
• Rand Nature Centre – Bahamas National Trust, Freeport City: This is in the East Settlers Way in the Freeport City. One can take a guided tour through this tropical forest. This Centre has hanging vines, serene pools and unusual wild animals. This is the regional headquarters of the Bahamas National Trust. This centre is spread over 100-acre property. West Indian flamingoes flock to this centre.
• Petersons Cay: This is a small islet of about 300 yards off the Grand Bahamas shore.
• Lucayan National Park: This national park was found by Peter Barrat who was a former Architect. He was also the Freeport town planner. This park is spread to an area of about 40 acres (0.16 km2). This area includes five ecological zones which extend from south shore to the pine yard. There is an underwater cave beneath this park.
• Theo’s Wreck: This is the most popular diving site. This is actually a shipwreck of the ship named Theo Galanopoulos (228-foot cement hauler) which sank off the shore near Freeport in 1982. This is now laying at a depth of 100 feet right off the continental shelf. The marine life, including numerous moray eels have made their home here.
• Xanadu Beach, Freeport City: This is on the Southwest coast of Grand Bahamas Island in the Freeport City. This is a crowded beach. One can rent chairs and umbrellas and enjoy variety of fun things. Parasailing, banana boat rides and JetSkiing, enjoying tropical drinks and snacks are some of the things here. There is an international bazaar with countless eating, drinking and shopping.
• The Garden of the Groves, Freeport City: This is on the Magellan Drive in the Freeport City. This area has jungle and zoo in the 11-acre property. This garden has the most exotic wildlife. Macaws, alligators, pot-bellied pigs and pigmy goats and iguanas are few of them. There is a waterfall and tropical fruit trees all around.
• Pinetree Stables, Freeport: This is located at Little Crab Cay in Freeport city. One can gallop along the shoreline splashing in the Caribbean shores.
• Paradise Watersports, Freeport City: This is located in the Xanadu Beach in the Freeport City. One can enjoy many aquatic activities in this beachfront. Underwater marine life can be viewed by taking glass bottom boats. Reef-n-Wreck snorkeling and parasailing can also be done.
• Xanadu Underseas Adventures, Freeport City: This is located in Xanadu Marina in the Freeport City. Diving is the best here with amazing cave diving which is rare and shark diving is another attraction. One can dive in reefs, cave and tunnels.
• Grand Bahama Brewing Company, Freeport City: This is located in the Logwood Road in the Freeport City. This is a microbrewery in the Bahamas. One can taste the samples and buy too.

Best time to visit / climate:
Freeport enjoys a subtropical climate with mild winters. The average temperatures range in the low to upper 80s, with water temperatures never below 72°. The winters are usually cold and dry while the summers are usually hot and wet. This can be considered as an all year visit site.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
By plane: There are many flights available from South Florida. American eagle offers daily flights from Miami. Bahamasair, Continental Connection, and Spirit Airlines all offer daily flights from Fort Lauderdale.
By Boat: There are quite a number of cruises departing from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) that offer cheap tickets to Freeport and Nassau.

To get around: One can take rent a car to move around.

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

• Yahoo travel
• Tripadvisor Hotels
• Tripadvisor Restaurants
• Hotelclub.com

Blogs / Sites about Freeport (Bahamas):

• Lonelyplanet
• Travelpod.com
• Loadweb.com

Images and photos of Freeport (Bahamas):

• Google Search
• Placesonline.com
• Tripadvisor
• Freeportusa.com
• fotosearch.com

Videos from youtube:

Freeport Bahamas

Tour of Freeport, Bahamas

Our Lucaya Beach, Freeport Bahamas

Bahamas Jeep Safari, Grand Bahama Nature Tours, Freeport , Bahamas

Travel – Boquete – A small town in Panama

Traveller — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 18:14:30 +0000

Boquete is in western Panama and is a village or a town in Chiriquí province. It is a small town on the Caldera River which is about 60km distant from the border with Coasta Rica. The town is at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level. It is popular for its location, scenic beauty, climate and naturalists among tourists. It is a district and has an approximate population of about 19,000.
It is also known as the “Valley of the Flowers”. It is on the northern highlands of Panama and its mountain ranges are shared with the neighboring Coasta Rica along with rainforests and wildlife. This place is popular for agriculture and for its cultivations of strawberries, oranges, and coffee. The Gesha coffee of this region is very famous and also sold in auctions as they are unique in growing on rich Volcanic slopes. People from Europe, America and Asia are popular tourists here.
Among tourists activities are rock climbing, canopy fly over, white water rafting, ATV adventures, hiking, bird watching and enjoying hot springs.
The nearby cities of this highest point Cerro Punta are:
• Limon, Costa Rica
• Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
• David, Panama
• Cerro Punta, chiriqui

The popular events of the place are:
• The Boquete Community Players
• The Boquete Jazz Festival
• The Chiriqui Art Expo

Attractions of Boquete and around:
• Animales de Boquete: This is an organization for improving clinics to improve animal health and to bring in stray animals like dogs and cats.
• SENDERO LOS QUETZALES: Hike the Quetzal Trail: This is a hike from Boquete to Cerro Punta which is about 5-7 hours (usually takes about a day to complete). 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 NACIONAL VOLCAN BARU – Reach the Top of the Volcano Baru: This is a 12 hours hike on a round trip basis. 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: This region is famous for Gesha coffee which can be visited and enjoyed and one can buy coffee that is grown on volcanic slopes. Cafe Ruiz and Kotowa are for touring.
• Whitewater River Rafting on the Chiriquí Viejo: River tours that take about 1/2 day or full day rafting excursions. Among them are:
1. Chiriqui River Rafting
2. Panama Rafters
3. 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.
• Zip Line: This is a tour through the Canopy of the Cloud Forest.
• Hot Springs Caldera: One must tour and enjoy the hot springs of this place.
• Horseback Riding: One can go for a horseback ride in the mountains of Boquete which is from and through the downtown area and in Caldera which is about 40 minutes from downtown Boquete.
• Boquete Outdoor Adventures: this company offers Whitewater, sea kayaking, multi-sport and family adventure vacations.
• Boquete Mountain Safari Tours: This Company offers Yellow Jeep tours, Horseback Riding in the mountains, Hiking, Caldera Hot Springs, Coffee Adventures, and All Day Adventure Packages.
• Boquete Rock Climbing: The guided tour takes tourists to an unusual volcanic rock face just outside of town.
• FINCA DRACULA ORCHIDS FARM: This farm is five minutes from the Los Quetzales Lodge in Guadelupe. It houses one of the most complete orchid collections that are found in Latin America.
• 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.

Best time to visit / climate:
Boquete weather. The warmer dry season starts from December through March which is also known as summer, and a cooler Wet Season which starts from April through November and is known as Winter. The best time to visit this place is hence December to March which is summer.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

One can reach Boquete
? From David: Every 45 minutes until 8PM there are buses that leave to Boquete which takes one hour.
? From San Jose in Costa Rica: From Tracopa terminal a bus leaves in the morning to David and from there the above bus can be taken to reach Boquete.
? From Panama City: AirPanama and Aeroperlas offers daily flights to David which is about 50 minutes.
? From the Albrook bus terminal there are buses that are run by Panafrom, Padafront, and Terminales David to David every one hour.
? There is a shuttle available between Bocas Del Toro and Boquete.

Get around
One can either take foot or take a taxi to go around. Apart from this there are several tour companies offering packages of tour around the place.

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

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Boquete#Sleep
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g298424-Boquete-Hotels.html
• http://www.hablayapanama.com/info/boquete-hotels/
• http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-487657-boquete_hotels-i

Blogs / Sites about Boquete:

• http://www.boquete.org/
• http://www.boqueteguide.com/
• http://www.boquete4me.com/http://www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/boquete-mountain-safari
• Travelpod
• LonelyPlanet

Images and photos of Boquete:

• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g298424-Boquete.html
• http://gocentralamerica.about.com/od/panamaguide/ig/Boquete-Panama-Photos/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_sleepy/253651638/
• http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/panama/boquete/

Youtube videos:

Boquete Panama

Boquete, Panama: A “Hidden Valley” Perfect for Expats

Beautiful Boquete, Panama

“Panama” Barryandmaja’s photos around Boquete, Panama

Travel – Adelboden, a Swiss mountain village

Traveller — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:08:04 +0000

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

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

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

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

Best time to visit / climate:

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

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants):

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

Blogs / Sites about Adelboden:

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

Images and photos of Adelboden:

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

Videos of Adelboden (link)

Yodel in Adelboden

45 m Jump Gran Masta Gap Adelboden

Alpine Ski Racing- Adelboden Slalom

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

Chur – the oldest city of Switzerland

Traveller — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:33:47 +0000

Chur is the capital of Swiss Canton of Graubunden. It lies in the northern part of the canton. It is the oldest city of Switzerland. This Graubünden’s capital holds in itself Cultural events, bars, clubs, museums, shopping centers, stores and boutiques. To get to know the old town, a guided tour is the best one. The Celts, Romans, Ostrogoths, Franks, all have ruled Chur. The gateway of Chur is an important route to trade alpine passes. This city holds the history of the past and stories from civil wars, or amusing anecdotes from times of peace. Chur is a commercial center and capital of a large region. There are a variety of stores, museums, the theater, the concert hall, and the Post Bus station, a hub of Graubünden’s mountain world. It is the centre of an active trade (particularly in wine from the Valtelline), and it also has a few local factories.
Brambrüesch’ is a regional mountain and hence Chur has its own winter and summer sports region. In summer, Chur is ideal to set off on walks and visits to vineyards in the ‘Bündner Herrschaft’ winemaking region. It is a getaway to the Grisons Mountains and to 26 holiday and spa resorts. All these resorts are reached in less than an hour from Chur. It is an urban and a natural tour combination because of its urban infrastructure and natural forests sorrounding it. It is a centre point for the routes from Italy over many alpine passes (Lukmanier Pass, Splugen Pass, and San Bernardino Pass), as well as from the Engadine (Albula Pass, Julier Pass).

Places to see:
• Fine Arts Museum – Bundner Kunstmuseum – It is an art museum with paintings.
• Obere Gasse: It is the name of a street in Old Town located between the Obertor and Arcaspl. Chur in Switzerland.
• Rhaetisches Museum: It is a history museum with artifacts and with historical stuff.
• The Rhaetian Railway is the one that has to be explored from Chur. It has been certified as an UNESCO world heritage site.
• Chur is equipped with its own winter and summer sports region and which is the only city in Switzerland. The regions are linked with the city by means of the Brambrüesch aerial cableway.
• Many resorts in Graubünden are easy accessible from Chur.
• The oldest archaeological discovery on city ground dates back to 12,000 to 9000 years BC.
• Chur is the city which has 50 percent of the city area covered with forest. It also has an urban infrastructure with cultural events and a large variety of shops. So it is both natural and urban tour at the same time.

How to get there:
Chur is 120 km by rail from Zurich. It is a centre point for the routes from Italy over many alpine passes (Lukmanier Pass, Splugen Pass, and San Bernardino Pass), as well as from the Engadine (Albula Pass, Julier Pass).
The main railway station has the SBB-CFF-FFS lines link with the RhB (Rhaetian Railway) lines. While the SBB lines serve most of Switzerland, most of Graubünden’s rail traffic is served by Rhaetian state railways. One of the lines (to Arosa) uses on-street running through streets in the centre of Chur and Sand in order to reach the station – see Chur stadtbahn.
There are three other railway stations in Chur Chur Stadt (on the Chur-Arosa line), Chur West and Chur Wiesental.
There is also a bus station on top of the railway station. Chur is linked by a motorway—the A13.

Best time to visit / climate:

The wettest month is August during which time Chur receives an average of 103 mm. The driest month of the year is March with an average of 47 mm.

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 (hotels, restaurants)
• http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/hotels/index.cfm/graubuenden/chur
• Virtualtourist (link)
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jewels1864/1/1267030150/tpod.html

Blogs / Sites about Chur:

• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jewels1864/1/1267030150/tpod.html
• http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/4300/Bad-Ragaz-Chur-10
• http://www.globenotes.com/travel-blog-entry/Switzerland/Chur/18117/Heidi-land-amp-St–Moritz/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chur
• http://www.chur.ch/d/
• http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Switzerland/Kanton_GraubuendenGrischun/Chur-692277/TravelGuide-Chur.html

Images and photos of Chur

• Google Search (link)
• Virtualtourist (link)
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/East/Graubunden/Chur/
• http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/chur9/gallery
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Chur/tpod.html
• http://photos.igougo.com/pictures-l16269-Chur_photos.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g188089-Chur_Grisons_Swiss_Alps.html

Videos of Chur (link)

Wengen – a beautiful Alpine village in Switzerland, home to a ski race

Traveller — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:53:05 +0000

Wengen is in the canton of Bern, in central Switzerland. Wengen is a beautiful alpine village that is in Bernese Oberland. It is 1274 m (4180 ft.) above sea level. It is a part of the – Mönch – Jungfrau mountain range. Wengen is the home of the International Lauberhorn Downhill ski race.
Wengen is one of the points of a wonderful train ride to Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe (3454 m / 11,333 ft) an essential part of a Swiss holiday. if you feel the air in Wengen, your lungs will be full of mountain air. In Wengen, one can experience long hours of sunshine and is a noise free place. One can view wooden chalets and enjoy a feel of mountain village as it is close to nature. There are exciting winter sports as well as the more relaxing one of walking. One can enjoy a stimulating climate at an altitude of 1300 m (4265 ft). Like many other places in the Alps, Wengen has only a few cars. The official language spoken is German. Wengen stages the Lauberhorn ski races.
Wengen is also the home of one of the very oldest British alpine ski clubs called The Downhill Only Club that is founded in 1925.
Skiing, ices skating, sledging etc., are famous here in winter and hiking, bicycling, biking etc., in summer. As Wengen is situated in the center of the Bernese Oberland, it is ideal place to relax, walk and mountain climb. One can take any of the 15 cable cars to the most beautiful viewpoints in the area. In January, Wengen hosts the Lauberhorn Downhill Ski Race – which is the most spectacular race of the whole world cup circuit and which is held every year.

Places to see:
• The Jungfrau: This is at a 4 158 M (13,642 ft above sea level). 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.
• Esmeralda: This place is called Queen of Cows. Every autumn, the cows that have grazed all summer in the alpine meadows are brought down to the valley for the winter.
• The Lobhorn: This is at a height of 2,566 M (8,419 ft above sea level).
• The Breithorn: This is at a height of 3,785 M (12,418 ft above sea level).
• Mendolssohn festival: This festival is held in late August. One can see a spectacular railway model outside the Belleview hotel.

Things to do;
• Hiking
• Up to the Mannlichen: One can also take a cable car to reach up otherwise.
• To Wengenalp; to watch magnificent view down the Lauterbrunnen valley.
• Down to Lauterbrunnen: take either the train or hike down to view the valley and waterfalls on either side. Take the train up to Kleine Sheidegg and hike down to Grindelwald.
• Swimming: Outdoor swimming pool has amazing views of the Jungfrau and glacier.
• Ice skating and curling: the local ice rink is best for ice skating and curling.
• Shopping: The best place for shopping the shops and bakeries in the village.

How to get there:

By train it takes 15 minutes from Lauterbrunnen. Wengen is most easily reached by train. Travel on the Berner Oberland-Bahn (BOB) from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnenand then change to the Wengernalpbahn (WAB) for the picturesque journey up the mountainside to Wengen.
Wengen is a car-free village so the walking is the best option. A few of the hotels run electric vehicle transfers to and from the station. The village is accessible directly from Lauterbrunnen, or from Grindelwald via Kleine Scheidegg, as well as by a series of gondola lifts.
The rail service from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen railway station runs daily from early in the morning very late at night. The time to reach uphill is 14 minutes and down the hill are 17 hills. The cable car Luftseilbahn Wengen-Männlichen operates seasonally.

Best time to visit / climate:
Summer is from May to October and winter is from December till April. This place has activities for both the weathers and as per interest; one can choose the weather to be there.

Activities in summer: As Wengen is situated in the center of the Bernese Oberland, it is ideal place to relax, walk and mountain climb. One can take any of the 15 cable cars to the most beautiful viewpoints in the area. The toughest marathon in the world – the international Jungfrau Marathon – passes through Wengen in early September is the highlight of summer.

Activities in winter: As Wengen is ideally in the ski center Kleine Scheidegg – Männlichen with its famous Lauberhorn and Eigergletscher runs, skiing is the popular winter sport in Switzerland. InJanuary, Wengen hosts the Lauberhorn Downhill Ski Race – which is the most spectacular race of the whole world cup circuit and which is held every year. For the non – skiers also Wengen is a relaxation point since it has plenty of pure mountain air and long hours of sunshine, even in winter.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Directions from Interlaken to Wengen on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

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

• http://www.wengen.com/hotels.html (list of hotels with numbers and everything)
• http://www.wengen.com/shop.html (list of restaurants and shops in the area of wengen)
• Booking.com
• TripAdvisor (Hotels, Restaurants)
• http://www.switzerlandtravelcentre.co.uk/?gclid=COn-v6C2vaMCFQlB6woddAs1bg

Blogs / Sites about Wengen:

• http://www.wengen.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wengen
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Wengen
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/Wengen/tpod.html
• http://en.wordpress.com/tag/wengen/
• http://www.blogged.com/topics/wengen/

Images and photos of Wengen:

• Google Photos
• http://www.wengen.com/sights.html
• TripAdvisor
• http://www.panoramicearth.com/752/Jungfrau/Wengen
• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/wengen.html

Videos of Wengen (link)

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:

View Larger Map

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

View Larger Map

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

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

Blogs / Sites about Saas-Fee:

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

Images and photos of Saas-Fee:

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

Videos of Saas-Fee (link)

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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Plan your trip to Murren through these books on Amazon:

The Rough Guide to Switzerland	Rick Steves’ Switzerland	Switzerland (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

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)