Travel Book for July 2009
Extracted from the Rough Guide to Switzerland … 26 Things Not to Miss
01 ‐ Winter sports • St Moritz offers some of the most scenic skiing and snowboarding anywhere in the Alps.
02 ‐ Carnival • Switzerland has a long tradition of carnival, the best of the bunch being the Luzerner Fasnacht, a hedonistic weekend when thousands pack into Luzern’s old town for parades, music and raucous merry‐making.
03 ‐ Adventure sports • The area around Engelberg in Central Switzerland is one of the top destinations for canyoning, bungee‐jumping and paragliding.
04 ‐ Lake Luzern • The most dramatically sited of all Switzerland’s lakes, ringed by mist‐wreathed cliffs.
05 ‐ Walking • The high‐level route from Schynige Platte past the Bachalpsee and down to Grindelwald is just one of many memorably scenic walks throughout the Swiss Alps.
06 ‐ Rösti • Nothing is more warming after a day out of doors than rösti, fried grated potato, topped with melted cheese and an egg.
07 ‐ Bern • Switzerland’s uniquely attractive federal capital, loomed over by a giant cathedral tower, has a medieval street‐plan that has survived unchanged for five centuries.
08 ‐ St Gallen • The library of St Gallen’s ancient abbey has one of the most impressive secular Rococo interiors in Europe.
09 ‐ Davos • Boarders and freeriders will find that there are few better destinations in the world than Davos.
10 ‐ Alto Ticino • Giornico, with its picturesque bridge, is one of a string of attractive villages in the lush, high valleys of this Italian‐speaking region that offer long, lonesome countryside rambles.
11 ‐ Montreux Jazz Festival • Stellar annual music event in this ritzy lakeside resort; Isaac Hayes is just one of the top‐drawer names in soul, dance, rock, world music, jazz and blues to have played in recent years.
12 ‐ Lake Geneva • From the vineyards of St‐Saphorin on the Swiss shore of Lake Geneva, stunning views look westwards up the valley of the Rhône.
13 ‐ The Matterhorn • No mountain in the world is so immediately recognizable, dominating the horizon above the world‐class skiing, snowboarding and hiking resort of Zermatt.
14 ‐ Appenzell • Endearingly old‐fashioned dairy village, tucked away amidst hilly countryside that is ideal for long walks.
15 ‐ Lugano • A chic lake resort spectacularly surrounded by sugar loaf hills.
16 ‐ Bernese Oberland • You can enjoy classic Swiss Alpine scenery from Wengen village, one of a trio of beautifully sited resorts in the mighty Bernese Oberland that includes Mürren and Grindelwald.
17 ‐ Geneva • At the centre of this most discreet, hard‐working of cities stands a monument to Calvin and the Reformers, who proclaimed Geneva a ”Protestant Rome“ in the sixteenth century.
18 ‐ Lausanne • Tiered above Lake Geneva and crowned by a stunning Gothic cathedral, Lausanne is Switzerland’s most visually dramatic city.
19 ‐ Rhätische Bahn • The southeastern corner of Switzerland is the setting for some of Europe’s most spectacular train rides aboard the RhB.
20 ‐ Wine • Switzerland’s wine industry is modest but Swiss wines ‐ some of the best of which come from near Sion ‐ can compete on equal terms with better‐known labels from around the world.
21 ‐ Château de Chillon • Grand medieval castle, majestically located on the Lake Geneva shore.
22 ‐ Stay in an igloo • Either build your own and spend a night in the icy wilderness, or opt for a ready‐made and more luxurious version.
23 ‐ Schaffhausen • This quiet, little‐visited market town, replete with medieval frescoed mansions, stands just upstream from the mighty Rhine falls.
25 ‐ St Moritz • Switzerland’s sunniest mountain resort, boasting outstanding skiing and snowboarding as well as the infamous Cresta Run luge course.
26 ‐ Basel • Ancient Rhine‐side city straddling the French and German borders, enhanced by fine medieval architecture and one of Switzerland’s best art museums.
The Rough Guide to Switzerland by Matthew Teller is published by Rough Guides (paperback; £13.99). It is also available through www.roughguides.com and all good booksellers.
Extracted from The Rough Guide to Switzerland, 3rd edition published July 2006. Written and researched by Matthew Teller.
