2022 Switzerland Tour Guide by Premier Travel Media

Switzerland TOUR GUIDE

Bern and Beyond

Switzerland’s historic capital and the Alpine beauty of the Bernese Oberland

Cultural Zurich

Switzerland’s largest city abounds with museums, public art and special events

Cookies, Cheese and History

A one-night package in the lovely Emmental Region

All Aboard!

The Gotthard Panorama Express and Schilthorn Cableway showcase the best of the Alps

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SWITZERLAND IS

READY FOR YOU A

“OUR ALPINE RESORTS, WITH THEIR STUNNING EXCURSIONS TO

MOUNTAIN PEAKS, TRANQUIL LAKE

CRUISES AND RUSTIC VILLAGES DOTTED

ALONG PICTURESQUE VALLEYS, ARE THE

BEST PLACES YOU WILL FIND TO STEP BACK,

TAKE A DEEP BREATH

AND LET OUR NATURE ENERGIZE YOU.”

t the end of June 2021, Switzerland re-opened to North American visitors and with great delight we saw a quick return of both group and individual travelers from the United States and Canada. Switzerland, with its authenticity, spectacular mountains, wild gorges, and mystical forests, has lost nothing of its appeal; on the contrary: it’s what we all have been craving. While intercontinental travel was not possible, our touristic partners remained largely open throughout the pandemic. While catering to a mainly Swiss clientele, they could garner extensive knowledge of incorporating the new realities into their hospitality concepts. With the Swiss being world-champion in being organized, safe and playing it by the book, we are convinced that Switzerland is the natural choice for post-COVID-19 holidays. The size of our boutique towns is manageable, and even at the best of times, one could easily avoid large gatherings. Yet the old city

centers, dating back to medieval times, offer a wealth of cultural activities, shopping, al fresco dining, and historic buildings galore. Our Alpine resorts, with their stunning excursions to mountain peaks, tranquil lake cruises and rustic villages dotted along picturesque valleys, are the best places you will find to step back, take a deep breath and let our nature energize you. For such a small country, so many of Switzerland’s brands are recognized across the world for their quality, great design and functionality. Now you can learn all about your favorite Lindt chocolates at the new Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg. Less well-known in North America is Switzerland’s favorite biscuit maker, Kambly. Don’t miss out on a visit to the factory in the beautiful Emmental, get hooked on their delicious cookies and find out about their surprising connection to the United States. We can’t wait to welcome you to Switzerland.

Claudio Zemp Director, Americas Switzerland Tourism

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

Switzerland TOUR GUIDE

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FEATURES

Touring the Best of Switzerland A Commitment to Sustainability

Swisstainable campaign promises clean mountain air for years to come

Switzerland Tourism/Giglio Pasqua

Map of Switzerland ern and Beyond B Switzerland’s capital is a portal to the Alpine beauty of the Bernese Oberland Cookies, Cheese and History A structured day in the lovely Emmental Region

Z urich Abounds with Cultural Treasures Museums, public art and special events

Switzerland Tourism/Giglio Pasqua

L indt Home of Chocolate

This new attraction is just 10 minutes from Zurich

A ll Aboard for Scenic Switzerland

Riding the rails is fast, comfortable and fun

21 S mall Cities Ripe for Discovery 26 30 32 33

Freshen up itineraries with towns off the beaten path

Swiss Customs and Traditions Tour itineraries draw on Switzerland’s rich culture Adventure on the Slopes The Swiss Alps: a winter sports haven

Switzerland Tourism

Year of the Great Passion Play Combine Switzerland with Oberammergau in 2022 Switzerland Fast Facts Practical information for planning your group trip

35 Your Friendly Contacts in North America

Switzerland Tourism representatives ready to help

Lifescape.Media

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

TOURING THE BEST OF SWITZERLAND

our organizers looking to wow their travelers with classic Alpine scenery and tastes of Swiss culture will find plenty of itinerary-enhancing ideas in the following pages. Our cover story, “Bern and Beyond,” spotlights both historical sites in Switzerland’s capital and the mountains and lakes of the Bernese Oberland—Interlaken and the Jungfrau Region in particular. More urban adventures await in Zurich, where museums, public art and special events contribute to a rich cultural life. The new Lindt Home of Chocolate is just minutes outside of Zurich. Smaller cities scattered throughout Switzerland’s four language regions deserve their own spot on planners’ radar, and we feature seven of them—Baden, Chur, Fribourg, Bellinzona, Locarno, La Chaux-deFonds and Rheinfelden. Readers also learn about a delightful day trip in the Emmental Valley that combines a slice of religious history with peeks at how Swiss cheese and Kambly’s premium cookies are produced. Half the fun of traveling in Switzerland is getting around by train and taking cog railways and cable cars to some of its highest peaks. Must experiences include the Gotthard Panorama Express rail-boat journey and the aerial cableway to the top of the 9,744-foot Schilthorn. With its lively cities, storybook villages, stunning landscapes and intricate transportation network, Switzerland truly offers your clients the Europe of their dreams.

St. Nicholas Cathedral and Fribourg’s historic center Switzerland Tourism/Markus Bühler-Rasom

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

A COMMITMENT TO

SUSTAINABILITY

Swisstainable campaign promises clean mountain air for years to come

witzerland for many years has been setting an example for responsible world travel. A pioneer in sustainability, the country has always taken care to strike a balance between the needs of tourists, the needs of the local population and the needs of the environment. The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has only increased our desire for authenticity, proximity to nature and wise consumption of natural resources.

Switzerland Tourism has embarked on a brand new communication campaign to create awareness for a long-term sustainability strategy. The name for this Earth-friendly approach: Swisstainable. The campaign is all about traveling with greater appreciation of the surrounding environment and the people you meet: It focuses on: • Enjoying nature up-close • Experiencing the local culture • Consuming regional products • Staying longer and delving deeper Because sustainability has been shaping Switzerland for decades, the new Swisstainable effort is a perfect fit for this premier travel destination. The aim is to preserve the country’s pristine lakes, rivers, glaciers, forests and mountain valleys for generations to come. Caring for nature is in the Swiss people’s DNA. For example, Switzerland ranks as one of the leading countries when it comes to consuming organic products per capita and to recycling and waste management. Switzerland, moreover, is a public transport paradise, with a vast web of trains and mountain cableways that reach even the most remote villages. The SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) is one of Europe’s most eco-friendly rail companies; 90 percent of the electricity for its trains is generated from hydropower from artificial lakes and dams. By 2025, all of the system’s electricity is planned to come from renewable energy sources. (Trains emit less C02 than any other motorized mode of transport. An electric car produces 13 times more C02 than a railway.) Other examples of fuel-efficient transport include Lake Lucerne’s MS Diamant, which is powered by hybrid propulsion, and the Solar Cableway Staubern, the world’s first battery-powered mountain cableway.

Lago di Saoseo, a pristine lake in the canton of Graubünden Switzerland Tourism

To encourage travel by bike, Switzerland offers 7,500 miles of sign-posted cycling paths. Its extensive network of hiking trails also brings travelers close to nature. These trails are perfectly coordinated with public transport to ensure seamless travel. Switzerland has long been a leader in nature conservation. A total of 19 Swiss parks make up more than one-eighth of the land area. For the past 125 years the Swiss Forest Act has been ensuring that 30 percent of Switzerland remains forested— and the percentage is rising. The Swisstainable campaign relies on a close working relationship with the Swiss tourism industry, including hotels, restaurants, tour operators and transportation providers. Based on criteria that have been developed on a three-level scale of engagement, the green, white

and red Swisstainable insignia awarded to businesses provides guidance to guests. Ranked from lowest to highest, the levels range from “Committed” to “Engaged” to “Leading.” Switzerland abounds with tourism businesses that employ sustainable practices. Many restaurants, for example, use seasonal produce from farms in the local area and serve organically grown foods whenever possible. More and more restaurants maintain their own gardens for herbs and vegetables. Hotels do their part by monitoring energy and paper consumption, reducing waste and using recycled materials in construction. Swisstainable, a visionary blueprint, promises a bright future for Switzerland Tourism. For more information about Swisstainable, visit MySwitzerland.com/Swisstainable.

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

SWITZERLAND

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t may be small, but Switzerland is packed with enough urban pleasures and scenic vistas to last a lifetime. Bern, the country’s capital, brims with historical sites; not far away, the Bernese Oberland, including Interlaken and the Jungfrau Region, beckons with a tapestry of Alpine majesty. Lovers of art and design flock to Zurich, a cultural blockbuster. A visit to Kambly’s cookie factory highlights trips to the Emmental Valley. And when you have modes of transportation like the Gotthard Panorama Express and Schilthorn Cableway, getting around Switzerland becomes a big part of the journey. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Map

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Schilthorn Cableway: A lofty ride extraordinaire Gotthard Panorama Express: Scenic trip by rail and boat

Kambly Experience: All about cookies

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

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Gotthard Panorama Express

SMALL CITIES TO COMPLETE YOUR ITINERARY

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Scattered across Switzerland are dozens of delightful gems worth a visit. The feature on page 21 takes a look at seven of them.

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RHEINFELDEN SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

BERN AND BEYOND

The capital of Switzerland is a portal to the crystalline lakes, idyllic valleys and rugged peaks of the Bernese Oberland By Don Heimburger

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

rom historical sights in the UNESCO-listed capital city to enticing mountain landscapes right out of a travel poster, the Alpine region near Bern offers the best of Switzerland. The Bernese Oberland abounds with classic Swiss chalets and chic ski resorts, massive glaciers and awe-inspiring peaks, forested foothills and farm pastures dotted with contented cows. It’s known worldwide as a summer and winter playground for walkers, hikers and snow sport enthusiasts. Mountain railways, cable cars and relaxing lake cruises showcase the Alps’ beauty. Interlaken, less than an hour from Bern, is the main resort city in the Bernese

Oberland and a jumping-off point for adventures throughout the Jungfrau holiday region.

BERN: PRETTY AS A POSTCARD

Few capital cities are as charming and compact as Bern. Its Old Town, founded in 1191, is an urban gem without equal, and that’s why it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For several miles, visitors can stroll past the Old Town’s tawny sandstone buildings and through cozy medieval arcades—the longest covered shopping promenade in the world. Colorful figures adorn beautiful Renaissance water fountains, more than 100 of them. Window boxes overflow with

red geraniums. Visitors love to frame the picturesque terra-cotta roofs with the Alps in the background. Concentrated on a peninsula in the River Aare, all the sights are close to each other and easy to reach by tram, bus or on foot. The streets and buildings of Old Town Bern have stirring stories to tell, and in the midst of it all stands one of the city’s best-known landmarks—the Zytglogge (Clock Tower). Once a city gate, the Clock Tower attracts spectators from all over the world. As it prepares to strike the hour, people gather to watch a one-of-a-kind performance involving mechanical figures, including a parade of bears, a jester, a golden rooster and Chronos, the god of time.

Cruises on Lake Thun offer a close-up look at 12th century Oberhofen Castle. The peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau form a dramatic backdrop. Switzerland Tourism

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

The medieval Zytglogge (Clock Tower) is the best-known landmark in Bern’s enchanting Old Town. Switzerland Tourism/Jan Geerk

The Bern Minster, one of the skyline’s dominant landmarks, claims the tallest church spire (328 feet) in all of Switzerland. Trudging 312 steps to the viewing deck rewards climbers with a breathtaking panorama stretching from the Old Town to the snow-dusted peaks of the Bernese Oberland. The Gothic cathedral’s main portal features 234 colored figures representing the Last Judgment. Next to the Bern train station stands the Church of the Holy Spirit, considered to be one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in Switzerland. The richly furnished interior of the Protestant Reformed church is dominated by 14 sandstone columns and a free-standing pulpit. The French Church, built in the 13th century by the Dominicans, is the oldest sacred building in the capital and attracts fans of architecture, art and culture alike. Gothic pillars and high, narrow windows contrast with austere elements from the Reformation. The French Church is just a stone’s throw away from the Kornhaus granary and Bern’s Lower Old Town. The Church of the Holy Trinity was named a basilica minor in 1956 by Pope Pius XII for its importance as an “outstanding place of worship and devotion…” as well as its architectural style and furnishings. Built from 1896-1899, it

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

is located by a pleasant city park near the Old Town. The Bern Historical Museum, the second largest museum in Switzerland, is housed in a castle-like structure and is packed with interest, including exhibits on the history of Bern and a town model from around the year 1800, plus a sub-museum on Albert Einstein, who lived in Bern in the early 1900s. Other prominent museums are the Swiss Alpine Museum, Museum of Fine Arts and Paul Klee Center, which features works by the Swiss-born artist Paul Klee (1879-1940).

INTERLAKEN

Occupying a narrow strip of land between deep blue Lake Thun and turquoise-colored Lake Brienz, Interlaken is a popular resort town steeped in traditions and with a long history as the tourist hub of the Bernese Oberland. In fact, it may have been where modern tourism in Switzerland began. Mark Twain, Lord Byron, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy all stayed there as guests. Interlaken, located 36 miles southeast of Bern, is known for its surrounding Alpine scenery and the two pristine lakes. The crystal-clear waters, soaring peaks and closeness to nature lend the place a sense of well-being. The town is a gateway to the Jungfrau Region’s waterfalls, lakes and

mountains, including that spectacular trio of sky-high crags—the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Offering a number of splendid hotels, lodges and spas, Interlaken makes a good base for exploring the Bernese Alps and pursuing adventure activities, including extreme sports like whitewater rafting, skydiving and ice climbing. Just a few miles away from Interlaken, on a sunny south-facing slope, lies BeatenbergNiederhorn, a paradise for paragliders. For hikers there is an extensive network of trails. The Niederhorn provides a habitat for ibexes, chamois and marmots. Kayaking and canoeing adventures are available in the region as well. On both lakes Brienz and Thun the possibilities for water sports are endless. The two lakes count many historic towns, and there are three waterside castles in or near Thun. Sightseeing and meal cruises from Interlaken and Thun can easily be combined with museum and castle visits, cable car rides to mountaintops, and easy hiking and cycling routes that afford stunning views. The 7,700-foot-high Brienzer Rothorn towers over the town of Brienz, and the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn—the only steampowered rack railway in Switzerland, with a gradient of 22.5%—carries passengers up to 7,300 feet in about an hour. The railroad began service in 1892. The views from the

top are superb, and on a clear day visitors can see many famous Swiss mountain peaks. An eight-minute funicular ride up from Interlaken to the 4,337-foot mountain Harder Kulm is an option for those who don’t have time for a longer excursion. The scenic overlook offers a chalet-style restaurant on a sunny terrace with views of Interlaken, the lakes and white peaks in the distance. Guests visiting the Schynige Platte plateau on the historic cog railway instantly feel carried back to the Belle Epoque period. The wooden benches in the coaches and vintage rolling stock dating from 1893 exude the feeling of times long past. The mountain station at 6,453 feet is the starting point for a number of gratifying circular hikes. The plateau’s Alpine botanical garden represents some 650 plant species. Magnificent views of the Alps and lakes Thun and Brienz can best be appreciated from the Schynige Platte panorama restaurant, where guests are treated to delicious Swiss and international dishes. In winter months, visitors benefit from Interlaken’s proximity to ski resorts of the Jungfrau Region (Mürren/Schilthorn, Kleine Scheidegg/Männlichen and First) and the family-oriented ski destinations of Beatenberg and Axalp-Brienz. Crosscountry skiers and toboggan riders will also find many opportunities for their sport. And there are over 135 miles of winter walking trails in Interlaken, Beatenberg, Axalp-Brienz, Habkern, Wilderswil and elsewhere in the Jungfrau Region. Guests staying in Interlaken can take advantage of the daily ski bus transfer connecting it with Mürren/Schilthorn, Kleine Scheidegg/ Männlichen and First. Because of its location, Interlaken is the main railway transfer point for the region, with rail routes leading to Bern and Lucerne, and branch lines leading out in many directions into the high Alps nearby. Over 45 mountain railways, cable cars, chair lifts and ski lifts lead to 125 miles of pistes and many hiking trails. Trains run from Interlaken Ost (East) railway station to the Jungfrau Region and to the villages of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, with connections to the railway to Wengen and Mürren. From there, passengers can go to the Schilthorn as well as Kleine Scheidegg and the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe. Interlaken is also conveniently located on the Golden Pass Panorama route that goes from Montreux on Lake Geneva past the luxury holiday resort of Gstaad to Interlaken, and from there across the Brünig Pass east to Lucerne.

JUNGFRAU REGION

The famous Jungfrau Region in the Bernese Alps is packed with numerous

hiking opportunities, snowy mountain peaks and never-ending valley views. The region’s top attraction is an exciting train trip to the Jungfraujoch, the “Top of Europe.” Chugging through spectacular scenery to the continent’s highest rail station (at 11,333 feet above sea level), the Jungfrau Railways offers one of Switzerland’s classic experiences. You can also catch the new Eiger Express cable car in Grindelwald, which joins up with the train at Eigergletscher station. On the Jungfraujoch, an icy saddle lying below the 13,642-foot summit of the Jungfrau, the Ice Palace enchants visitors with ice sculptures built into a series of caverns. You can also watch a movie, have lunch or snacks, buy souvenirs and visit the Glacier Plateau, which affords fantastic views of Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps. One hike that offers great views is the Männlichen Royal Walk above Wengen. A short 25-minute stroll takes you to the top of the Männlichen, which affords vistas of the mammoth, triple-peaked ridge consisting of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, plus panoramas encompassing the Lauterbrunnen Valley and Grindelwald. The bustling Eiger village of Grindelwald lies embedded in a welcoming green hollow surrounded by an imposing mountainscape with the Eiger north face and the Wetterhorn. Numerous lookout points and activities make Grindelwald one of the most popular vacation destinations in Switzerland. It is the largest ski resort in the Jungfrau Region. The two ski areas of First and Kleine Scheidegg/Männlichen/Wengen offer 100

miles of pistes with around 30 lifts reaching an altitude of 8,200 feet. The Schilthorn near Mürren, also part of the Jungfrau ski area, reaches even higher. Visitors can choose from 62 miles of winter walking trails with views across high mountain peaks and majestic glaciers, and 37 miles of toboggan runs. The ski areas around Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren and Hasliberg offer a total of 260 miles of ski runs ranging from fast to leisurely, with more than 40 percent of them equipped with snow-making machines. Among the 185 miles of walking trails around Grindelwald is the one from Grindelwald-First along the glacial lake Bachalpsee to the Faulhorn mountain hotel and then onto the Schynige Platte; it ranks among the most beautiful hikes in the region. Another easy walk with fantastic views leads from Männlichen up to Kleine Scheidegg. A special adventure is taking a cable car that whisks you in three stages from the valley station to Grindelwald-First at 7,112 feet. The summit rewards visitors with breathtaking views of the north face of the Eiger. The 2,625-foot-long First Flyer zipline and a highoctane scooter ride provide rushes of speed and adrenaline for thrill-seekers. The First Cliff Walk by Tissot near Grindelwald is another major draw. At 7,300 feet above sea level, the lookout platform juts out 150 feet into the void and offers heartpumping views of the mountains and valley. It’s not for anyone with vertigo. A big thrill in the Gadmental Valley is the Trift Bridge, one of the most spectacular pedestrian suspension bridges in the Alps. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/BernRegion.

The new Eiger Express gondola travels from Grindelwald to the Eiger Glacier station in 15 minutes. David Birri

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

COOKIES, CHEESE AND

HISTORY

Groups come away with a real taste of Switzerland after a structured day in the lovely Emmental Region By Randy Mink

Forests, lush meadows and breathtaking views of the Bernese Alps and Jura mountains captivate travelers exploring the hilly Emmental Region. Switzerland Tourism/Jan Geerk

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

he fascinating story of a persecuted religious sect, along with behind-the-scenes peeks at world-renowned food producers, awaits groups booked on a one-night package in central Switzerland’s Emmental Valley, an idyllic land of rolling green hills dotted with grazing cows and flowerdecked farmhouses. “Living History: On the Path of the Emmental Anabaptists,” marketed by the Emmental tourism office, artfully blends a chapter in Switzerland’s faith heritage with culinary delights made in this picturesque region in the canton of Bern. Ideal for church groups, the itinerary includes an overnight in a 13th century castle. Soon after the Protestant Reformation, the Emmental Valley and other parts of Switzerland were scenes of religious intolerance that saw Anabaptists executed, tortured, imprisoned and stripped of their land. Some of these believers in adult baptism, a group seen as radical by both mainstream Protestants and Roman Catholics, were exiled. Scorned by their enemies for rejecting the baptism of infants as unbiblical, the Anabaptists (or “the re-baptized,” a term coined by their accusers) contended that a proper baptism was only for those old enough to make a conscious decision to profess their faith in Christ. The sect also believed in pacifism and separation of church and state. Persecution began around 1525 and continued in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe for nearly three centuries. (Amish, Mennonites and Hutterites living in North America today are descendants of the early Swiss Anabaptists.) Fearing for their lives, the Anabaptists had to hide from authorities, and the “Living History” itinerary features one of those refuges. A farmhouse in the town of Trub, the Fankhaus hideout has a museum that honors the religious minority and the Fankhauser family, ancestors of the current owners, which provided shelter. In the barn, visitors see the hidden cubby hole that was covered by a board. Dating back more than 400 years, the Fankhaus farmstead is the only preserved Anabaptist hiding place in Switzerland. Prior to the hideout, your Emmental Valley journey starts on a sweet and savory note with a morning visit to Kambly, a company in Trubschachen that produces Switzerland’s most popular premium cookies and crackers. At the “Kambly Experience,” the visitor center of the iconic Swiss company that is run by the fourth generation of the Kambly family, visitors discover the secrets of the art of fine biscuit making and explore the world of Kambly in a playful and interactive way. They

Master confectioners at the Kambly Experience visitor center Kambly

can also enjoy a refreshing break at the Café and choose their favorite cookies among 100 varieties in the factory outlet store. Kambly’s classic Bretzeli, a thin wafer-like biscuit made with fresh butter and eggs from Emmental farms and flour from the village mill, is produced according to the same recipe that founder Oscar Kambly I borrowed from his grandmother. The Matterhorn, another favorite, is a butter cookie with small pieces of Swiss milk chocolate and flakes of honey nougat. Visitors can watch Kambly master confectioners at work and book a baking class to produce their own cookies. Kambly products are exported to more than 50 countries around the world. The Emmental Region is also famous for cheese, the kind full of holes. Known in Switzerland as Emmentaler, it’s what Americans call Swiss cheese. Following the

Fankhaus hideout Switzerland Tourism

Fankhaus visit, the “Living History” excursion continues with lunch and then a tour at Emmentaler Show Dairy in Affoltern. The highlight is cheese sampling in the middle of production and in the ripening cellar, where the wheels of cheese are stored. Most tour members agree that this Swiss delicacy, with its nutty flavor, tastes far better than versions sold in other parts of the world. Cheeses and cheese-related items are available in the dairy’s shops, and there’s a bakery, too. Two medieval castles, both built in the 1200s, are next on the afternoon’s agenda. A visit to Trachselwald Castle, where Anabaptists were imprisoned in the keep, is followed by check-in at Sumiswald Castle, now a sparkling bed and breakfast with eight rooms (20 beds) in the tower. Your day in Switzerland’s Emmental Region concludes with dinner at Landgasthof Bären in Sumiswald. A beautifully renovated country inn whose history as a tavern goes back to the 16th century, it is famed for the traditional regional cuisine served in its warm and cozy dining rooms. The one-night “Living History” package costs approximately $168 (154 Swiss francs) per person. Besides hotel stay with breakfast, the price includes lunch and dinner (drinks not included). For an additional cost, guided tours of the Anabaptist hideout and/ or Trachselwald Castle can be arranged, and a different hotel can be substituted. The package also is bookable without overnight accommodations. Tour operator commission is 10 percent. For details, email info@emmental.ch. For more information on the Emmental Region, visit MySwitzerland.com/Emmental. SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

ZURICH ABOUNDS WITH CULTURAL

TREASURES

Museums, public art and special events enhance a visit to Switzerland’s largest city By Don Heimburger

Zurich’s Old Town flanks both sides of the Limmat River. Zürich Tourism

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

witzerland’s leading urban center is Zurich, a transportation hub, cultural powerhouse and one of the world’s most livable cities. For travelers, Zurich presents a wide range of historical sights. Visitors like to tour the impressive Swiss National Museum, walk along the Limmat River, take a cruise on Lake Zurich and window-shop on the fashionable, mile-long Bahnhofstrasse. Much of the city’s historic core, with its winding lanes and tall church steeples, is intact and easily walkable. This vibrant Old Town lies on both sides of the Limmat River. The east bank’s inviting Niederdorf neighborhood is a cobbled pedestrian zone of alleyways with colorful shops, cafes and restaurants; in the evening, it becomes a nightlife district. Arts and culture have played a key role in shaping Zurich. It was a major center for silk production and the silk trade in the 13th century, the birthplace of the avant-garde Dada movement and Constructivism, and the home city by birth or choice of artists and intellectuals like Albert Einstein, James Joyce and Vladimir Lenin. Zurich sponsors more than 1,300 works of art in public spaces such as the granite Pavilion Sculpture, a walk-in sculpture by Max Bill on the bustling Bahnhofstrasse. New exhibits are always on display at Cabaret Voltaire, the National Museum and Culture Line 4. Other cultural attractions are the Zurich Film Festival (late September-early October) and Zurich Opera House. The biggest news on the city’s cultural scene is the $224 million addition to the world-famous Kunsthaus Zurich (Museum of Art), a project that has doubled the amount of public space and made it the largest art museum in Switzerland. The central lobby and multipurpose workshops provide space for interaction between art and the public, enhancing the museum’s scope for sharing and participation. A museum shop and bar, plus a large event hall and art garden, are accessible outside museum hours, opening up the new Kunsthaus to a greater number of people. An integral part of the Kunsthaus makeover is the art and architecture work by Pipilotti Rist, whose “Tactile Lights” light and video show can be experienced on Heimplatz, the nearby square. At its center is an artistically-designed mast that projects round, color patches of light onto the surrounding facades and ground surfaces in the evenings several months of the year, while videos breathe life into the statues on the north facade of the Moser building.

A lakeshore park features Pavillon Le Corbusier, a pavilion by famed architect Le Corbusier. Zürich Tourism

Other important Zurich museums include the city-run Museum Rietberg, with a large collection of Asian, African, American and Oceanian art; NONAM (North American Native Museum), focusing on the indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada; Science and Technology Museum; and FIFA World Football Museum, a must for soccer fans. Another museum of interest is the architectural masterpiece Pavillon Le Corbusier. Completed in 1967, the last building constructed by the great Swiss-French architect, designer and artist Le Corbusier is his only creation made entirely from glass and steel. Situated on the shores of Lake Zurich, the museum building houses temporary exhibitions and features events and workshops focused on the featured artist. Pavillon Le Corbusier is open from May to November. An exciting mix of new and old has been created in Zurich-West in the Löwenbräu Areal neighborhood, just five minutes from the main train station. An emerging dining and nightclub zone, the former industrial area is home to a mix of artists and tradespeople. Two new high-rise buildings stretch above the massive red-brick Löwenbräu brewery, now an art center, and blend well with the old chimney and silo. Tenants in the 1897 building include two cutting-edge art museums—the Migros Museum for Contemporary Art and Kunsthalle Zurich. Zurich’s cultural calendar brims with noteworthy events. The late-summer International Theater Festival, for example, has delighted spectators for more than 40 years at a stunning location on the shores of Lake Zurich. Landiwiese Park near Wollishofen, known for its dramatic sunsets

over the lake, creates a magical backdrop for productions, with as many as 40 international ensembles performing works on more than 10 stages. Food Zurich, an 11-day festival in May and June, features traditional Swiss dishes along with the latest global culinary trends. Many local restaurants participate in the popular event, during which food experts and enthusiasts cook, taste and indulge in culinary delights at numerous venues in the city and surrounding region. The program ranges from unforgettable dinners at exceptional locations to professional cookery courses, food tastings, kitchen battles, urban gardening and guided tours of the Zurich gastro scene. During the festival, selected Zurich restaurants serve a special “City Dish” of their own creation on a given theme. Seenachtfest, held every third year in nearby Rapperswil-Jona, is highlighted by aerial demonstrations performed by the Swiss Air Force’s aerobatic team Patrouille Suisse. Staged near Lake Zurich and Rapperswil’s medieval castle, the event (scheduled for August 12-14, 2022) attracts as many as 150,000 visitors. There are street entertainers and numerous food and drink stands. Besides boasting a world-class array of cultural attractions, Zurich has an enviable reputation as a world leader in sustainability, and all city tours and excursions can be experienced in a climate-neutral way. The city itself and the canton work together in many ways to reduce CO2 emissions and are pursuing the designation of a “smart destination.” For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Zurich.

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

Lindt’s new chocolate museum is 10 minutes from the center of Zurich.

LINDT HOME OF CHOCOLATE A Must Visit for Chocolate Lovers

By Randy Mink

hen the word “Swiss” is mentioned, those of us with a sweet tooth immediately think chocolaty thoughts. And for good reason—Switzerland is the chocolate capital of the world and a pioneer in producing this irresistible taste treat. Chocoholics now have a new destination for immersing themselves in the world of Swiss chocolate, and it’s located just 10 minutes south of Zurich. Lindt Home of Chocolate, a modern three-story attraction, has become a tourist magnet since opening in September 2020 next to the historic Lindt & Sprüngli factory building in Kilchberg. A visit to this state-of-the-art showcase for the worldrenowned candy manufacturer begins in the entrance hall, where one of the world’s largest chocolate fountains stands 30 feet tall and holds 3,300 pounds of real flowing chocolate. Curving staircases, suspended walkways and imposing skylights lend the building a particular elegance, setting the tone for what is to follow in Switzerland’s largest chocolate museum. Guided group tours at Lindt Home of Chocolate take guests through exhibits that explain the origins of chocolate, how it became a popular drink in Europe and how innovative Swiss entrepreneurs in the 19th century used milk to make the velvety smooth indulgence we know today. On the hour-long journey of discovery, visitors also learn how cocoa pods are cultivated, harvested and then processed into fine chocolate that practically melts on the tongue. Through the windows of the pilot plant, a high-tech factory/test facility, visitors see Lindt chocolate squares or bars being made before their eyes. Perhaps the best part of touring Lindt Home of Chocolate is enjoying the finished product. At the end of the exhibition, visitors can sample pralines to their heart’s content. Hands-on courses in the Chocolateria classroom let guests make their own masterpieces—bars, truffles or pralines—under the guidance of a Lindt Master Chocolatier. In the world’s largest Lindt chocolate shop, chocolatiers demonstrate their craft as they put the finishing touches on freshly made delicacies, and they can create a bar exactly to your wishes. Chocolate dreams come true in large cups at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, where you can infuse your hot chocolate with fresh cream or Lindt’s Crème Noir cocoa cream. Lindt’s gleaming new showplace is a must-see for connoisseurs of fine chocolate. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Lindt.

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Lindt Home of Chocolate

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ALL ABOARD FOR

SCENIC SWITZERLAND Riding the rails is fast, comfortable and fun

In the Lake Lucerne town of Flüelen, Gotthard Panorama Express passengers change from the boat to the train, or vice versa. The rail-boat journey between Lucerne and Lugano takes 5½ hours. ©: Gotthard Panorama Express in Flüelen, Switzerland @Swiss Travel System, 2022

By Don Heimburger

art of the fun of traveling in the 26 cantons of Switzerland is viewing the stunning mountain scenery, and this can be done easily and effortlessly using the Swiss Travel System, the vast rail network that has been created over the years. Not only are there many routes to choose from, the trains are comfortable and nearly always on time. Swiss trains and tracks are constantly being improved and upgraded for more passenger comfort. On many routes the trains bypass or travel underground in congested downtown areas, or they go through mountain passes in tunnels for a faster trip. With majestic mountains, peaceful valleys, impressive glaciers and picturesque streams throughout the country, not to mention inviting Alpine villages, a trip by train can be a pleasant and exhilarating experience. Swiss Travel Guide is the ideal public transport app for travelers as it indicates local highlights and provides important information regarding the pass and its additional benefits offline. Once connected there is also direct access to the timetables on the Swiss Rail website (www.sbb.ch). The Swiss Travel Pass gives you access to unlimited public transport (trains, buses, boats) for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days. With the one-month Flex Pass, another option, users freely select their travel days. In addition, the passes offer free admission to more than 500 museums and discounted rides on many mountain cableways. Swiss Travel Passes and tickets can be purchased at Rail Europe (agent.raileurope.com) Another smart feature of train travel is luggage forwarding. With this program, your luggage travels door to door, leaving your hands and mind free for more important things. You can have your luggage collected from any address in Switzerland or Liechtenstein, and it will be

delivered to, or shipped from, your hotel, a selected railway station or the Zurich Airport (sbb.ch/en/luggage-groups). Traveling first class allows you to enjoy more comfort and services during your journey. First class offers ample legroom, extra space between your seat and the one next to you, adjustable seats, power sockets in each compartment, and two-person and one-person seating. Mountain railroads play a large part in the Swiss transportation system. The Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Alps, Gornergrat in Zermatt, Brienzer Rothorn in Brienz and Harder Kulm in Interlaken, among others, are popular with tourists. Many of the railways operate on steep gradients, and trackage ends at an overlook point high in the mountains. Two special experiences—one a trainboat combination, the other a mountain cable car adventure—await group travelers in Switzerland:

GOTTHARD PANORAMA EXPRESS

The all-first-class Gotthard Panorama Express offers an exciting rail-boat journey from the German-speaking middle of Switzerland to the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, all in the space of 5½ hours. This inspiring, magical excursion is one of the highlights of a trip to Switzerland. The adventure begins in beautiful Lucerne in Central Switzerland, where you board a passenger boat for a leisurely trip across the fourth-largest lake in the country. Encircled by mountains, Lake Lucerne borders the three original Swiss cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. The scenery is somewhat reminiscent of a fjord landscape yet remains characterized by a mild lake climate. The slow-moving boat passes locations that are steeped in history, such as Tell’s Chapel and Rütli Meadow (where the Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291). You SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

also see two important mountains—Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi. Spectacular, 6,995-foothigh Pilatus is one of the most legendary places in Central Switzerland and features the steepest cogwheel railway in the world. From the top of 5,900-foot-high Mt. Rigi, called “Queen of the Mountains,” you can view 13 lakes. Both mountain base stations can be reached by train. Lake cruises on the fleet of five historic paddlewheel steamers and 15 elegant salon motor vessels are among the highlights of this region. On board you can relax and view the beautiful scenery, enjoy a drink and snacks, or be served a delicious meal. In Flüelen, on the far side of the lake, you change from the boat to the first-class, airconditioned Panorama Express Train. Traveling south by rail through Switzerland, you’ll spend enjoyable hours gliding through the country, from the cool crisp north to the warm, sunny south, from a distinctly Germaninspired culture to the Italian-speaking Lugano area. On board, a multi-lingual guide explains the culture and landscape of the region. Snacks and drinks can be purchased on the train; you’ll be served at your seat. The journey over the Alps takes travelers through the famous, 9.5-mile Gotthard

Tunnel, built in 1882, and many loop tunnels, all tributes to Swiss engineering. This second section of the Gotthard Panorama Express route runs through the valley of the Reuss River. The valley floor is relatively wide in the beginning, but once you reach the village of Amsteg, it becomes narrower. It’s interesting to see how the river, railroad, expressway and local roads all fit into the available space. En route, the little, red-sided church of Wassen can be seen from three different angles as the train ascends southward; thanks to the bold railway layout with its many loop tunnels, the church and intricate trackwork have become world-famous. For centuries, the Gotthard Pass has been major route from Northern Europe to Italy and farther south. As you approach Bellinzona, make sure to watch for three World Heritage castles, and as the train continues south you’ll also see wine-growing country and palm trees. Even more intriguing discoveries await you in Lugano at the end of the line. You can take the journey either way. The Gotthard Panorama Express operates from mid-April to late October. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/GPX.

The Schilthorn’s Skyline Thrill Walk Schilthorn Cableway Ltd.

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RIDING TO THE SCHILTHORN’S SUMMIT

Taking the Schilthorn Cableway from Stechelberg, Gimmelwald or Mürren, you can follow James Bond’s footsteps on an adventure to the top of the imposing, 9,744foot Schilthorn, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Swiss Alps. With a magnificent 360-degree view from the observation deck, you can see the Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau and more than 200 other peaks. The aerial cableway normally carries more than four million passengers a year. James Bond made the Schilthorn worldfamous when the 1969 action thriller On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, starring George Lazenby as Secret Agent 007, was filmed at this location. Mountaintop attractions include the 007 Walk of Fame, where cast and crew members from the film have left traces; Bond World 007, an interactive exhibit that offers video clips, a helicopter simulator and glimpses behind the scenes of the movie; and Piz Gloria revolving restaurant, where the views and the food are spectacular. At the Birg middle station (8,783 feet above sea level), away from the summit’s hustle and bustle, you can relax, linger and enjoy the mountain and lake views from three viewing lounges on the Schilthorn Ridge. The Birg Bistro caters to all culinary tastes. For more spine-tingling adventure at this level, the Skyline Thrill Walk is a sequence of see-through plexiglass platforms leading down to the vertical walls of the rock massif and continues along a cliffside pathway under the Birg cable station. Then head down to the charming village of Mürren, a small town that can only be reached by train or cable car. Mürren, the highest, continually-inhabited village in the canton of Bern, lies on a terrace above the world-renowned Lauterbrunnen Valley. The car-free Alpine village sets the scene with typical wooden chalets and authentic Swiss ambience. A double-cable ropeway leads up onto the plateau from Lauterbrunnen, while a cableway runs from Stechelberg, past turbulent waterfalls and craggy rock faces, into the center of town. Walking through the rustic village, flourishing with mountain flowers and backyard gardens during the summer months, is a special experience that takes you back in time. Impressive views of the opposing mountain summits can also be enjoyed from Mürren. The holiday resort is the starting point for mountain walks and excursions. A funicular leads to the Allmendhubel, immediately above the village at an altitude of 6,300 feet. Themed walks such as the North Face Trail, providing historical mountaineering information on the north faces, and the Flower Panorama Trail invite visitors to discover the region. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Schilthorn.

SMALL CITIES RIPE FOR DISCOVERY Freshen up your tour itineraries by including towns off the beaten path

veryone knows Zurich, Geneva, Lucerne and Bern, but smaller cities scattered throughout Switzerland’s four language regions offer their own pleasures and treasures. While places

Baden’s charming Old Town Visual Moment/Baden Tourism

By Don Heimburger

like Rheinfelden, Bellinzona and La Chauxde-Fonds may not be household words, they deserve a spot on tour planners’ radar. Here is a sampling of some Swiss cities that are worth getting to know:

BADEN

he curative waters of Baden’s 18 mineral-rich thermal springs and the city’s resort-like atmosphere attract people from all over the world. They have been coming for their health since Roman times. Today’s spa quarter with its numerous hotels is an oasis of tranquility, and a wide range of wellness packages is available. A new public bath complex designed by star architect Mario Botta and newly refurbished facilities have enhanced Baden’s reputation as a spa city. (Baden is “baths” in German.) Situated on the Limmat River 20 miles from Zurich and blessed with a nature-filled cityscape, pretty Baden also features a lively cultural life with excellent museums, a lively theater scene and many international festivals. The Langmatt Foundation, housed in a stately home with beautifully landscaped gardens, has one of Switzerland’s finest art collections, with French Impressionist paintings among its treasures. The Grand Casino is another big draw, as is the car-free Old Town with its historic defensive structures and municipal buildings, gabled houses and cobbled lanes. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Baden.

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Mountains provide a lovely backdrop for Chur’s enchanting Old Town.

CHUR

ommanding a beautiful mountain setting at the head of the Rhine Valley in Graubünden Canton, Chur is an inviting Alpine town of twisting alleys and historic buildings. A Mediterranean-style atmosphere permeates the pedestrianized Old Town, a medieval enclave with numerous restaurants, bars, boutiques, museums and galleries. At one time or another, the Celts, Romans, Ostrogoths and Franks ruled Chur, a gateway to important trade routes and Alpine passes. What remains today is its 5,000-year heritage, documented by Early Stone Age and Bronze Age finds and artifacts from the Roman period. Testimonies to more recent history include the triplenave, 800-year-old Cathedral of the Assumption near the bishop’s residence. Brambrüesch Mountain, accessible from the city center by cableway, enchants visitors with panoramic views and offers hiking trails through alpine flora. Chur is an ideal location from which to set off for walks and visits to vineyards in the Bündner Herrschaft winemaking region. It is also a jumping-off point for the 26 holiday and spa resorts in the Grison Mountains. The routes of the Glacier Express and Bernina Express scenic trains both pass through Chur. About one-half of the area’s population speaks German; one-sixth is Italian-speaking; and one-third speaks Romansh and Ladin, survivors of an ancient Romance language. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Chur.

Switzerland Tourism/Markus Bühler-Rasom

BELLINZONA

Sasso Corbaro is one of three ancient castles worth a visit in Bellinzona. Switzerland Tourism/Nicola Fuerer

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ellinzona is strategically positioned in Switzerland›s Italian-speaking Ticino region where the valley narrows on the way to the Alpine passes of St. Gotthard, San Bernardino and Lucomagno. The town acts as a gateway to Italy from the north, and the keyhole to the Alps coming from the south. Bellinzona’s fortifications, important examples of medieval defensive architecture, have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town’s three wellpreserved castles—Castelgrande, Montebello and Sasso Corbaro—were built from the 12th to 15th centuries as part of a fortress complex protecting Switzerland from Italy. Visitors to the castles admire a splendid panorama of the city and the surrounding mountains up to Lake Maggiore. Each castle has a small museum. Old Town’s picturesque city squares, courtyards and stately neo-Classical theater reveal the history of what is culturally a Lombardy town. Alleyways lead to richlydecorated patrician houses and beautiful old churches. Yet behind the austere charm of the medieval town is the dynamic life of a modern cityscape. Boutiques and cafes offering culinary delicacies invite visitors to shop and linger. Bellinzona is ideally located for excursions to the holiday resorts of Locarno and Ascona, over Monte Ceneri to Lugano, up the romantic side valleys of the Tessin or northwards into the Leventina, with the Bedretto Valley, or into the sunny Blenio Valley. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Bellinzona.

RHEINFELDEN

Aargau Tourism/Michel Jaussi

ot far from Basel, at the beginning of the navigable Rhine, lies the charming little town of Rheinfelden. The historic town center with its typical wide market streets and delightful side lanes is an inviting place to explore and shop. In 1846, when salt baths opened in Rheinfelden, the town of 14,000 people enjoyed international fame. In 2016 the town was awarded the Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architecture. Today, Rheinfelden is a well-known center for health and well-being. Because it is easily accessible by public transport, many conferences and large meetings are held there, and a number of hotels cater to this trade. Rheinfelden’s Feldschlösschen Brewery, founded in 1876, is famous for its castellated brewhouse containing 12 original copper tanks. Two-hour tours with beer tasting await groups at Switzerland’s largest brewery, which also brews brands other than Feldschlösschen. Top excursions from Rheinfelden showcase the archaeological site Augusta Raurica, the remains of the oldest Roman colony on the Rhine, and the Riburg salt works in Möhlin. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Rheinfelden.

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Rheinfelden’s Old Town fronts the Rhine.

European Walking Tours is located in Lucerne, the heart of Switzerland. With over 30 years of experience designing tailor-made guided tours for small groups in Switzerland and Europe, we are not only experts in active tours but also in educational programs, culture & history tours as well as in family & intergenerational tours. Contact: ▲ +41 (0)41 418 65 18 ▲ info@walkingtours.com ▲ www.walkingtours.com SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS

a Chaux-de-Fonds, birthplace of the great 20th century architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965), was the world capital of the watchmaking industry for over 100 years. The first house designed by Le Corbusier is located here, but the main attraction is the International Clock Museum, which has thousands of watches and clocks that illustrate the history of timekeeping from its beginnings in antiquity to the state-of-the-art instruments of today. Museum guests enjoy an audiovisual presentation, multimedia show and interactive exhibits, and they can observe watchmakers as they restore antique timepieces. Watchmaking was well-established in La Chaux-deFonds in the late 1700s, and the city dramatically expanded production of watches and components in the 19th century. La Chaux-de-Fonds had hundreds of watchmaking suppliers and dozens of producers of finished watches. One company, Election, built a large factory complex that employed more than 250 workers and dominated watchmaking in the city for two decades. Today La Chauxde-Fonds is home to such notable watch companies as Greubel Forsey, Corum and TAG Heuer. The cityscape of La Chaux-de-Fonds, designated in 2009 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is characterized by an interesting chessboard design of long, wide avenues created at the beginning of the 19th century. It is dotted with a number of modernist buildings. La Chaux-de-Fonds is the largest town in the French-speaking canton of Neuchâtel. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/la-chaux-de-fonds.

Historic town center, La Chaux-de-Fonds retoDuriet.com

FRIBOURG

The Sarine River flows past Fribourg’s medieval core. Fribourg Tourism/Pierre Cuony

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ribourg, nestled on a large rock promontory, is surrounded on three sides by the Sarine River. It is one of the largest medieval towns in Switzerland, featuring an Old Town with more than 200 Gothic facades from the 15th century. The town also has 11 impressive fountains and 15 historic bridges. Large sections of Fribourg’s town walls, including gates, turrets and bastions, have been preserved. Built between the 13th and 15th centuries, they represent the most significant piece of medieval military architecture in Switzerland. You can visit the system of walls— they extend for more than a mile—on your own or on a guided tour. Also impressive is St. Nicholas Cathedral with its beautiful stainedglass windows. The 1283-built church boasts a 243-foot-high tower offering panoramic views. Another attraction is the Italian-style, early Baroque Loreto Chapel. Just north of the cathedral is Espace Jean Tinguely - Niki de Saint-Phalle, a vast gallery with avant garde works by Fribourg-born Jean Tinguely and his wife, Niki de Saint-Phalle. More creations by the two artists can be found on the Sculpture Trail in the town center. From the Neuveville District in the Old Town, a funicular railway takes visitors up to the pedestrianized area of the center, where tightly-packed rows of boutiques, antique shops, student cafes and restaurants line the narrow alleyways. Fribourg is also a lively, cosmopolitan university town with students from all over the world. You will hear both French and German spoken in this bilingual city, but French dominates the culture and cuisine. It is worth making an excursion to nearby Hauterive Abbey, an 1137 Cistercian abbey, once a stopping place on the pilgrims’ route to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Fribourg.

LOCARNO

Piazza Grande in Locarno Ascona-Locarno Tourism/Alessio Pizzicannella

asking in a Mediterranean climate with nearly 2,300 hours of sunshine a year, the town with probably the best weather in Switzerland lies on the northern shore of Lake Maggiore in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. Palm, lemon and fig trees, along with bougainvillea and other subtropical flora, flourish in Locarno, giving the city its special southern charm. The lake promenade offers relaxed strolling. The heart of Locarno is Piazza Grande, wellknown for its annual film festival. The picturesque lanes of the Old Town lead to the Piazza. Castello Visconteo, a castle dating back to the 12th century, lies at the edge of the Old Town. Splendid upper-town palazzi house fine art collections. The pilgrimage church of Madonna del Sasso, located above Locarno, is reachable via a short funicular ride to the hilltop hamlet of Orselina. The church is said to have been established after a friar in 1480 saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. The most notable sight in Locarno, it boasts an extraordinary view of the city, mountains and glittering blue lake. Right above the church is the cable car station for rides to the panoramic viewing platform of Cardada/Cimetta, the closest mountain to Locarno. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Locarno.

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Cows, goats and their costumed herders parade down the mountainside in an Alpine descent festival near Schwende in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. Switzerland Tourism/Jan Geerk

SWISS

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

Group tour itineraries draw on Switzerland’s linguistic and cultural diversity

By Randy Mink

ot content to just mark off standard tourist sights from a checklist, curious travelers these days are looking for authentic experiences. With a desire to meet the people and get a feel for everyday life, they seek ways to get beneath the surface of a culture and see what makes it unique.

Of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, 19 are predominately German-speaking, while French is the language in four cantons in Western Switzerland—Geneva, Neuchâtel, Jura and Vaud. Both French and German are spoken in three bilingual cantons: Bern, Fribourg and Valais. In the south, Italian speakers, representing 8 percent of the Swiss population, inhabit Ticino Canton and four valleys in Graubünden (a trilingual canton where German and an obscure Latin-derived dialect, Romansch, also are heard). A satisfying tour itinerary will spotlight food specialties, musical performances and other only-in-Switzerland experiences. Following are some possible inclusions that will make your clients feel they have discovered the essence of “Swissness.”

pork sausages (saucissons Vaudois) on a bed of stewed potatoes and leeks in an oniontinged sauce of cream and white wine. Vaud, in the Lake Geneva region, also is known for croute au fromage. To make this Swiss version of grilled cheese, slices of bread are dipped in white wine, covered with thick layers of cheese and put in the oven for melting until the cheese is a golden yellow. Cholera, a hearty vegetable tart, comes from Valais. The comfort food is said to trace its creation to an 1830s cholera epidemic when people used whatever foods were available. Every recipe is different, but ingredients may include

GOOD EATING

Culinary travel continues to ride a wave as more and more globetrotters are making mealtime a highlight of their day on the road. A revived interest in regional cuisine fuels the fervor. We automatically associate certain foods with Switzerland—cheese, chocolate and fondue, for example, are found in all parts of the country. So are Rösti, a cake of thinly shredded potatoes fried in butter or fat until crisp. But it’s fun to try foods that are special to a particular region, and each region of Switzerland has its own favorites. Swiss cuisine is heavily influenced by bordering countries. A signature dish in Vaud is Papet Vaudois, a hotpot recipe featuring plump smoked

Traditional cheese dairy in the Alps above Lenk in the Bernese Oberland Switzerland Tourism

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A folkloric evening on Harder Kulm mountain, near Interlaken

apples, pears, cheese, potatoes, onions, leeks and bacon. Bakeries sell cholera cold by the slice, while restaurants typically serve it hot as an appetizer. Another food that hails from Valais is popular in every region. Raclette is a semihard cheese traditionally grilled slowly over a fire, with layer-by-gooey-layer scraped off to eat with crusty dark bread or with boiled potatoes, pickles and onions. Visitors to the Italian-speaking cities and towns of Ticino are likely to have polenta at least once. The creamy yellow cornmeal dish (sometimes mixed with cheese in this area) is served as a main course or as an accompaniment (for example, with rabbit cut into strips, braised beef in red wine (brasato) or as a bed for beef stew). Gnocchi, fettuccine and other homemade pastas, along with risotto, pizza, fresh-baked focaccia bread, salami, mortadella and the region’s famous Luganighe sausages, are among the treats that await at a grotto, the name for rustic, cave-like taverns that often feature summer dining under the shade of cool chestnut trees. You can wash it all down with Ticinese merlot, a full-bodied red traditionally drunk from ceramic bowls. Desserts in Ticino range from gelati and sorbets to amaretti, small almond-flavored cookies similar to France’s macarons, and vermicelles, spaghetti-like strands of sweet chestnut paste atop pastries or alone with whipped cream. Chestnut goodies of all kinds are available at Ticino’s autumn chestnut fetes. The dynamic German-speaking city of Zurich is the place to indulge in Zürcher Geschnetzelte, a dish of sliced veal and mushrooms in a gravy of cream, white wine, onions and butter. Available in fivestar restaurants and cozy taverns alike, it is typically served with Rösti, rice or noodles. The OLMA bratwurst, a white veal sausage, comes from St. Gallen in Eastern

A male yodel choir from the Appenzell region of Eastern Switzerland Switzerland Tourism/Robert Boesch

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Switzerland and gets its name from the Swiss Agricultural and Food Fair called OLMA. Considered the nation’s best sausage for grilling or frying, it is commonly served with a crispy roll at sausage stalls and is best eaten without mustard in order to let the meat’s full aroma come through. Carnivores in Bern and vicinity clamor for the Berner Platte, a large platter that contains a medley of meat and sausages such as beef, smoked beef and pork tongue, smoked pork belly, smoked pork chops, pork shoulder, pork knuckle and tongue sausage, all cooked with juniperspiced sauerkraut, pickled turnips, beans and boiled potatoes. The onion tart (Zibelecheche) is another Bern specialty. Basel, wedged between France and Germany, takes pride in its Basler flour soup, which is made with flour, butter, onion and beef stock and topped with grated Gruyère cheese. German areas turn out some delicious sweets, including Basler Leckerli, a gingerbread cookie special to Basel. Hüppen are long, crisp wafer cookies sometimes filled with chocolate. In Appenzellerland, the Appenzeller Biberli is a gingerbread pressed into a wooden mould to make it look like a picture. The town of Zug gives us the cherry-flavored Zuger Kirschtorte, a round cake with layers of hazelnut-almond meringue and kirsch-infused butter cream. In Graubünden, the must-have is Engadiner Nusstorte (nut tart), a buttery pastry made with chopped walnuts and caramel.

SOUNDS OF MUSIC

Swiss folk music, developed over generations with the passing down of skills and compositions, is mainly dance music (whether there is dancing taking place or not). The most commonly heard instruments are the Schwyzerörgeli (small Swiss accordion), violin, bass violin and clarinet, and, in the Appenzell region, the dulcimer. In southern (Italian-speaking) Switzerland, use of the mandolin reflects traditional ties to Italian culture. Virtually every Swiss village has a band or choir, often a yodel choir. Yodeling originated in the Alps as a way of calling from one hill to another; it developed into singing in the 19th century. The vocal technique involves repeated and rapid changes in pitch from normal voice to falsetto and back again, using a few meaningless syllables. Usually accompanied by a Schwyzerörgeli, classic yodel songs consist of verses (usually about mountains, nature or home) sung in normal voice and a refrain sung in yodeling mode. Most Swiss yodeling songs are in German, but some are in French. Yodel choirs perform in front of jurors at regional and cantonal yodeling

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festivals and every three years at the national yodeling festival. The alphorn, so typically Swiss, also makes its way into parades and other events, throughout the country. Measuring about nine feet long, the wooden wind instrument with a cup-shaped mouthpiece and bell-shaped opening at the end has no holes, valves or buttons—all notes are made with the blower’s lips. The sound combines the richness of a brass wind instrument with the softness of a woodwind. About 1,800 alphorn blowers in Switzerland and around the world belong to the Swiss Yodeling Association. Originally used by shepherds to call in their animals for milking and to communicate with people on the mountain or in the valley below, the alphorn was on the verge of distinction until the romanticism of the 19th century sparked a revival in folklore. Now the alphorn is a revered symbol of Swiss heritage.

TRADITIONAL SPORTS

The amateur sport of Schwingen, or Swiss-style wrestling, puts two powerful, thick-set competitors in the middle of a sawdust pit with the goal of grabbing the opponent’s oversized shorts to unbalance him and bring both his shoulders down to touch the ground. (The legs of the shorts,

back and forth on a short staff and then throwing it into the air and catching it by the staff. Flag throwing requires great concentration, and while it may look easy, twirlers need to be proficient in the more than 90 regulated swings. Central Switzerland is a stronghold of the sport. On Wednesday evenings from June through August, the Lake Lucerne town of Brunnen stages alphorn concerts with flag twirling.

SLICES OF ALPINE LIFE

which are worn over long trousers, are rolled up to form a handle.) The winner of the duel wipes the sawdust from the loser’s shoulders. A bout lasts about five minutes. Schwingen festivals are most popular in rural German-speaking areas of the Alpine foothills. A national sport that started as a pastime for herdsmen and farmers, Schwingen (lutte suisse in French-speaking areas) has experienced an upsurge in recent times. It counts more than 5,000 active wrestlers in the national association and five regional bodies, and has its own rules, grips and throws. Hornussen, a team sport first played in the 16th century on harvested fields by farmers from neighboring villages, is a batting game often described a cross between baseball and golf. Using a stick with a heavy wooden block at one end, teams take turns trying to whack a wooden puck, or disk, as far as possible into the opponent’s area. Defenders wielding heavy wooden paddles try to prevent the disk from touching the ground and get penalty points for failed interceptions. Like a hornet, the puck, called the Hornuss or just Nouss, makes a buzzing sound as it whizzes through the air, thus the name of the game. Hornussen matches take place at Alpine, wrestling and other festivals and are most common in the Mittelland cantons of Bern, Solothurn and Aargau. A national governing

body and regional groups organize championships for the various leagues. The art of flag throwing is a magnificent Swiss spectacle and one of the most reverent moments at folkloric occasions such as Alpine carnivals, wrestling and yodeling festivals, and on Swiss National Day, August 1. To the accompaniment of alphorns or bugles, performances involve the swinging of the country’s square, red-and-white flag

A wrestling festival in the village of Schoenried, near Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland Switzerland Tourism/Beat Mueller

Cows in Alpine regions, along with the cowherds who look after them, spend 100 days each summer in remote pastures above the tree line. When they make the early-summer ascent, communities host festive processions of costumed herdsmen and women leading cows decked out in flowers and huge bells. The ritual is repeated at the end of September when they return to the valley for the winter. Completion of the Alpabfahrt (Alpine descent) is celebrated with a carnival in which villagers and visitors enjoy a time of eating, music and dance. Alp cheese, a protected term for cheese made when the cows are summering in high-mountain pastures, is mainly produced by hand in a big kettle over a wood fire. A prized specialty, it derives its special flavor from the hundreds of varieties of herbs in the Alpine pastures and the crystalclear mountain water. Visitors can see the cheese maker at work while touring and tasting at show dairies and cheese cellars. At the end of the summer pasture season, Alpine farmers compete in regional cheese competitions, which are often associated with a festival or an Alp cheese market. Cows also take center stage in Valais, where rural areas put on cow fights (Kuhkämpfe in German, Combats de Reines in French) featuring the canton’s traditional Hérens breed of cattle. Famous for their sense of hierarchy and feistiness, the massive, bell-wearing beasts are known to charge and lock horns, and they do so, two at a time, in bloodless bovine battles that attract both cattle breeders and spectators. It doesn’t get any more Swiss than this. For many people around the world, the Heidi books written by 19th century Swiss author Johanna Spyri continue to perpetuate the idealized image of Alpine Switzerland. In what today is known as the Heidiland holiday region, Heidi fans in Canton Graubünden search out the hamlet of Maienfeld, home to the Original Heidi House (with furnishings from Heidi’s time) and Johanna Spyri Museum Heididorf, a nearby village and gift shop with Heidi souvenirs and a tiny post office with a special Heididorf postmark. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Customs. SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

ADVENTURE ON THE SLOPES Epic scenery, storybook villages and world-renowned resorts make the Swiss Alps a winter sports haven

The Schilthorn, the highest-altitude ski area in the Bernese Oberland, is accessible from the pretty village of Mürren.

By Randy Mink n a country where mountains blanket 70 percent of the land and hospitality is a refined art, it’s not surprising to find dozens of top-notch vacation choices for skiers, snowboarders and other winter sports enthusiasts. Indeed, Switzerland claims some of the best high-altitude resorts on the planet. Enhancing the world-class experience is an efficient network of cog railways, cable cars and gondolas that service the powdery runs. Awaiting skiers at the end of the day are opulent spas, chic boutiques, cozy restaurants and lively bars. Because of all the calories they’re burning on the slopes, they can feel free to fill up on Swiss chocolate and cheese fondue. Sitting at an elevation of 5,276 feet in southern Switzerland’s canton of Valais, Zermatt is the country’s highest ski resort. A car-free village with smart shops, eateries,

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bars and hotels flanking a bustling main street, it lies in the shadow of the mighty Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most recognizable peak. Home to one of Europe’s largest network of pistes and never short of fresh powder, Zermatt offers three interlinked ski areas with 224 miles of scenic, mostly intermediate runs. Europe’s highest cable car travels to Theodul Glacier, which can be skied 365 days a year. Zermatt Snowpark, a snowboarding center on the glacier, is where Olympic hopefuls train. Zermatt has a curling center with eight rinks and two natural ice-skating rinks. Verbier, also in Valais, is the principal resort in the 4 Vallées, the largest ski area in Switzerland. Offering access to 255 miles of runs on 400 acres of skiable terrain spread over five resorts, the cosmopolitan Alpine

village enjoys a perch at nearly 5,000 feet above sea level. Verbier is noted for its nightlife, and its luxury chalets and hotels have been known to host a royal or celebrity now and then. In the Crans-Montana resort area, ensconced on a steep, sheltered shelf in the Valais Alps, skiers can savor views across the Rhone Valley as far as the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc. Slopes stretch to the Plaine Morte Glacier at nearly 10,000 feet. Some of the gentle, sunny slopes make great beginner choices. Circuits across frozen golf courses and along village lakes

are perfect for cross-country skiers and snowshoe-ers staying in the twin villages of Crans and Montana. Located in southeastern Switzerland’s canton of Graubünden, St. Moritz is considered the birthplace of Alpine winter tourism and has been welcoming guests since the 1860s. It hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948. Today known as a glamorous playground for the moneyed set, the resort abounds with fancy hotels and pampering spas. The 217 miles of trails in the Upper Engadine Valley ski region include the steepest slope start in Switzerland. Besides excellent skiing and snowboarding, St. Moritz has a bobsledding run, an outdoor ice arena, skating and curling rinks, and the famous Cresta Run toboggan course. North of St. Moritz are the linked resorts of Davos and Klosters, whose six separate snow sports areas offer 80 downhill runs on nearly 200 miles of varying terrain that are divided almost equally between easy, moderate and difficult pistes. Jakobshorn (the “fun mountain”) is ideal for snowboarders and free-skiers looking for action, while Schnatzalp-Strela provides a more relaxed

on-slope experience. Besides skiing and snowboarding, Davos boasts Europe’s largest natural ice rink and has places to go paragliding and fat biking (hurtling down snow-covered slopes on two giant tires). Klosters makes a good base for tobogganers, who can choose from eight sledging runs, including the 5.3-mile track from family-friendly Madrisa mountain to the village of Saas. A favorite of British royals, Klosters is distinguished by its wooden chalets and conservative air, while modern architecture, including many fivestar hotels, dominates Davos, which has a party-town reputation. Grindelwald is the largest ski resort in the Jungfrau Region of the Bernese Oberland and the only one that can be reached by car. Options abound for snowboarders, novice skiers, sledders and winter hikers. Offering plenty of affordable accommodation choices, Grindelwald is a good base camp for the slopes of First, Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen mountains, which are accessible by cog railway or gondola. The area has numerous trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and the toboggan run from the

Faulhorn into the valley is one of the longest (9.3 miles) in the Alps. Mountain railways link Grindelwald to car-free Mürren and Wengen. Set high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the two fairy-tale resort towns epitomize the Swiss Alps. Ten minutes down the hill from Mürren is a 7½-mile track for cross-country skiers. In Wengen, many people come for winter hikes and snowshoeing, and sledders find plenty of options as well. Mürren provides access to the Schilthorn, the highest-altitude ski area in the Bernese Oberland. The steep, nine-mile Inferno run from the 9,744-foot Schilthorn drops all the way to Lauterbrunnen. Gstaad, on the southwestern edge of the Bernese Oberland, is the region’s glitziest resort, attracting the rich and famous to its luxury hotels, private chalets, ritzy restaurants and designer boutiques. There also are some unpretentious inns, hotels and vacation apartments, and even farmhouses that rent rooms in this bucolic land sprinkled with working dairy farms. Come winter, Switzerland doesn’t hibernate. For more information, visit MySwitzerland.com/Winter.

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YEAR OF THE GREAT

PASSION PLAY

he most famous religious drama in the world, a once-ina-decade event, is expected to make 2022 a big year for tourism in Alpine Europe. Many tour operators will be packaging the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, with visits to neighboring countries, including Switzerland. The Swiss city of St. Gallen is only two hours and 40 minutes from the Bavarian village of Oberammergau, while Lucerne is just over four hours away. Originally scheduled for 2020, the Oberammergau Passion Play had to be moved to 2022 because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The entirely local production, featuring an amateur cast

of 2,000-plus, will be presented five days a week from May 14 to October 2 in a 4,500-seat theater with a massive open-air stage and a roof that shelters the audience. Nearly half the village of 5,500 (including hundreds of children) will take part in the 42nd installment of the play, which was first presented in 1634. Though the epic drama is performed in German, a text in English is provided to playgoers, and two large monitors display English subtitles with close-ups of the actors. However, the sheer power and pathos of the story of Christ’s last days on earth—from the entry into Jerusalem to the Last Supper, Crucifixion and Resurrection— transcends any language barrier.

The Passion Play can easily be combined with visits to Zurich, Bern, Interlaken, the Emmental Valley, Jungfrau Region and other destinations in Switzerland. Before or after the play, you might consider a train or cable car adventure in the Swiss Alps, like the aerial cableway up the mighty Schilthorn in the Bernese Oberland or Gotthard Panorama Express rail-boat journey between Lucerne and Lugano. Round out your tour offering with stops in the smaller cities in Switzerland’s German-, French- and Italianspeaking regions. The allure of Oberammergau’s Passion Play, along with the pent-up demand for travel to Europe, is sure to be a boon to tourism in Switzerland and its Alpine neighbors in 2022.

Let your spirit for adventure soar Travel takes on new heights in Switzerland, where Tauck’s Alpine adventures are crowned with scenic bliss. Join us for a luxury rail journey back in time, ride cogwheel trains up mountaintops, cruise lakes glacially born and discover family traditions quintessentially Swiss as we show you the top of the world like no one else can. USE THIS ONE:

For details about all of our trips to Switzerland, visit us at www.tauck.com/switzerland

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SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

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SWITZERLAND FAST FACTS

Location

Situated in Central Europe, Switzerland borders France to the west, Germany to the north, Austria and the principality of Liechtenstein to the east and Italy to the south. Smaller than West Virginia, it measures 137 miles from north to south and 217 miles from east to west.

Getting There

With travel coming back and the resulting increase in demand, SWISS International Air Lines will significantly expand its flight schedule over the coming months. On its live route map, you can check the current flight schedule and network. The map can be found on swiss.com. Currently, there are weekly direct flights from all major North American hubs to Switzerland. Airlines flying to Zurich Airport include SWISS, Edelweiss, United, American, Delta and Air Canada. Zurich’s city center is just a 10-minute train ride from the state-of-the-art airport, which offers more than 160 shops, bars and restaurants. Smack in the heart of Europe, Zurich Airport is the gateway to the Alps.

Getting Around Bernina Express Switzerland Tourism/Andrea Michael Badrutt

Switzerland’s public transport network—safe, efficient and punctual—is one of the finest in the world. The Swiss Travel Pass provides unlimited travel on trains, buses, boats, urban transit systems and most scenic train routes. In addition, pass holders enjoy free entrance to more than 500 museums in Switzerland and are entitled to a 50 percent discount on most mountain excursions by cable car or cogwheel train. SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

Languages

Switzerland has four national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch. German, the most dominant, is spoken by 64 percent of the population. English is widely spoken throughout the country.

Religion

The majority of people living in Switzerland are Christian. Approximately 38 percent are Roman Catholic, 27 percent Protestant (2017 figures). The number of people with no religious affiliation is 21 percent.

Weather

In July and August the daytime temperature range is 65 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 28 degrees Celsius); in spring and autumn 46° to 59°F (8° to 15°C). In January and February the range is 28° to 45°F (-2° to 7°C). There is no excessive heat and humidity in summer, so the air is always crisp. Summer is the main travel season with a share of 66 percent, but data over the last five years show that Switzerland is becoming increasingly important as a winter destination. Peak ski season is December to March.

Money Matters

Switzerland’s unit of currency is the Swiss franc (1:1 with the US dollar). Merchants may accept euros, but change most likely will be given back in Swiss francs. ATMs are commonly found, and credit cards are widely accepted. Banks are open Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Shopping Hours

Shops are generally open from 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. daily (Saturday until 4 p.m.); closed Sunday. Shops in small towns may close an hour or two for lunch.

Tipping

Tips for restaurant wait staff are included in the price of the meal, but it’s common to round up to the nearest franc or round figure.

Internet

Most hotels and many bars, cafes and restaurants provide free Wi-Fi service.

Peace of Mind

In response to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Switzerland’s hotels, restaurants, trains, cable cars and other tourism service providers have undertaken stringent protocols to ensure a safe and healthy travel experience. Clean & Safe, launched by Switzerland Tourism, signifies adherence to these special protection measures. For more information, visit www.clean-and-safe.ch.

SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

Hiking in the Engadine Switzerland Tourism/Rob Lewis

Agent Training

Sign up for the eLearning program, Switzerland Travel Academy, and become a certified Switzerland travel expert in only three hours. You will get more leads and benefit from additional sales support. Sign up at: northamerica. switzerlandtravelacademy.ch. Also learn about Switzerland in bi-weekly webinars featuring Swiss partners who provide insights about specific destinations and products. And keep up-to-date on the latest news and offers through Switzerland Tourism’s bi-monthly newsletter. Sign up for webinars and the newsletter at: MySwitzerland.com/trade. Switzerland Yodel - Sales companion for travel professionals can be downloaded at MySwitzerland.com/trade (Multimedia/Sales Manuals)

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SWITZERLAND TOUR GUIDE

2022 Switzerland Tour Guide

Articles inside

Switzerland Fast Facts

A Commitment to Sustainability

All Aboard for Scenic Switzerland

Year of the Great Passion Play

Swiss Customs and Traditions

Bern and Beyond

Cookies, Cheese and History

Touring the Best of Switzerland

Zurich Abounds with Cultural Treasures