The Uetliberg is particularly popular in November, as its summit is often above the blanket of fog that can cover the city at this time of year. In the winter, the hiking trails to the summit are converted into sledging runs.

Approach

• The S10 service (ZBB) of the Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn SZU railway, Europe’s steepest normal-gauge adhesion railway, runs from Zürich Main Station to Uetliberg Station, a ten-minute walk from the summit.

Hiking trails (approx. 1 hour):

• The varied Denzlerweg leads almost straight up from Albisguetli (last stop on the number 13 tram line) to the summit.
• Laternenweg also leads from Albisguetli slightly further westwards up to the ridge.
• The Hohensteinweg leads up from Triemli (last stop on the number 14 tram line) over a shoulder of the mountain and is especially popular in the winter as a sledging run.
• A woodland path leads up from Uitikon-Waldegg (car park) to the summit. This path has the smallest incline.

There is also a mountain bike route that begins at the television tower and takes bikers over 3.5 km and a difference in altitude of 350 m down to the Triemli SZU station.

The model steam railway guarantees lots of fun there. The model is built on a scale 1:6 and the train goes around the Restaurant Waldhaus Katzense. The railway is open on weekends from April to October, provided the weather is fine. Ticket price: child below 14, SFr. 1.50; adult and young person starting from 14, SFr. 2.50.

]]> http://www.swisstraveling.com/2009/03/14/zurich-katzensee/feed/ 19 http://www.swisstraveling.com/2009/03/13/zurich-hoenggerberg/ http://www.swisstraveling.com/2009/03/13/zurich-hoenggerberg/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:00:32 +0000 admin http://www.swisstraveling.com/?p=87 Hoenggerberg is a small hill located in the northeast of Zurich city. There is a campus of ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) here. This campus of the ETH is currently being transformed into “Science City”. Departments: geomatics -, environmental – and civil engineering, architecture, biology, chemistry, materials and physics. The department of geomatics engineering is situated in the brown building (HIL).

There is an automatic machine sells fresh milk for SFr 1.40/L. It tastes pretty good, you can try.

]]> http://www.swisstraveling.com/2009/03/13/zurich-hoenggerberg/feed/ 5 http://www.swisstraveling.com/2009/01/05/faido/ http://www.swisstraveling.com/2009/01/05/faido/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:02:09 +0000 admin http://www.swisstraveling.com/?p=86 Faido is the capital of the district of Leventina in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in southern Switzerland.It has about 1600 inhabitants and lies in the Leventina valley, which descends from the St. Gotthard mountain range. On 29 January 2006, Faido grew by incorporating the villages of Chiggiogna, Rossura, and Calonico.

The municipality is first documented in 1171 as Faedo.

Faido has grown from 255 inhabitants in 1639 to 704 in 1850, 1173 in 1940, and 1522 in 2002.

In the spring of 2004, the residents voted for incorporating the surrounding municipalities of Chiggiogna, Osco, Mairengo, Calpiogna, Campello, Rossura, Calonico, Anzonico, Cavagnago, and Sobrio. Most of the municipalities rejected the proposition, and the new municipality consists of Faido, Chiggiogna, Rossura, and Calonico.

]]> http://www.swisstraveling.com/2009/01/05/faido/feed/ 11 http://www.swisstraveling.com/2008/08/06/winterthur/ http://www.swisstraveling.com/2008/08/06/winterthur/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:28:05 +0000 admin http://www.swisstraveling.com/?p=85 Winterthur, city, Zürich canton, northern Switzerland. It lies in a wooded basin east of the Töss River, northeast of Zürich city. The Roman settlement of Vitodurum was on the site of the city’s northeastern suburb of Ober-Winterthur. Winterthur was founded about 1175 by the counts of Kyburg, who granted it a charter with extensive privileges. It was inherited in 1264 by the Habsburgs, who sold it to the city of Zürich in 1467. Notable landmarks include the Town Church of St. Laurenz (1264–1515), the town hall (1781–83), and the Assembly Hall (1865–69). Notable among the advanced schools is the Technikum, Switzerland’s largest school of technology. The city’s Collection Oskar Reinhart am Römerholz picture gallery and its symphony orchestra are well known. A rail and industrial centre, Winterthur is home to high-technology businesses and also manufactures cotton textiles.

Winterthur is a treasure trove rich in art, history and nature. Switzerland’s sixth-biggest city boasts art collections of world renown. Other museums and monuments, a lively old town, an active music and comedy scene, and extensive parks and public gardens give Winterthur, a town small enough to get around conveniently, the air of a big city.

The Oskar Reinhart Collection “Am Römerholz” is one of the most impressive museums in Winterthur. It is among the most important private collections of the 20th century and includes about 200 works of European art from the 14th to the early 20th century. The focus is on 19th century French painting, in particular on paintings by the French impressionists and their precursors.

The Oskar Reinhart Museum “Am Stadtgarten” shows over 500 pictures, predominantly by German, Swiss and Austrian artists from the 18th to the 20th century. Other highlights include the Villa Flora, where a rich collection of modern French painting is exhibited, and the Briner and Kern Museum which is mainly devoted to the Dutch masters of the 17th century.

Winterthur owes its cultural wealth to rich patrons from the days when Winterthur was an important industrial centre: with the onset of the industrialisation in the 19th century Winterthur rose quickly to become an important economic centre thanks to motor, locomotive and textile factories.

The cultural city of Winterthur in addition to several theatres and the biggest event venue of Switzerland is also home to the Swiss cabaret and comedy centre. The friendly old town of Winterthur with its many street cafes is perfect for strolling and shopping.

In spite of its industrial tradition Winterthur is also a ‘garden city’ with a conspicuously large number of parks and gardens. There is even a city tour dedicated to “Villas and Gardens”. In the charming area surrounding Winterthur, in the forests, wine-growing areas, by the Töss and Rhine there are castles with which the people of Winterthur today as in the past have a particularly close relationship. Winterthur is also a perfect starting point for excursions to Lake Constance and the Rhine or to the nearby metropolis of Zurich.

Highlights

• Art Museum – exhibitions devoted to modern art from Picasso to Klee
• Technorama – entertaining introduction to the development of science and technology under the motto “please touch”
• Photo Museum – the only museum for photography in German-speaking Switzerland with over 30’000 originals by world-famous photographers
• Oskar Reinhart Collection “Am Römerholz” – Reinharts large private villa houses European paintings from five centuries
• Sulzerareal – Europes’s largest hall for trend sports, also venue for large events, such as musicals etc.

Top Events

• Winterthur Fasnacht (Carnival) (February/March)
• Albanifest (June)
• Winterthur Summer Theatre – traditional open-air theatre which was first introduced in 1865 (Summer)
• International Short Film Festival (November)
• Christmas Market (December)

How to get there

Public Transport:

• From Zürich: every 15 minutes, approx.
• From Airport: every 15 minutes, approx.
• From St. Gallen: every 20 minutes. approx.
• From Schaffhausen: hourly
• From Basel: every 20 minutes, approx.

By car:

• From Zürich: A1-Exit Wülflingen or Töss
• From St. Gallen: A1-Exit Ohringen
• From Schaffhausen: A1-Exit Ohringen

Rapperswil is located on the east shore of Lake Zurich. It is sometimes referred to as Rappi.

Rapperswil, town of roses located on the upper end of Lake Zurich, and the neighbouring sports and leisure district of Jona combine sights, cultural life, hiking and sports possibilities with a Mediterranean holiday atmosphere.

Roses decorate the coat of arms of the town of Rapperswil located on the upper end of Lake Zurich, and all types and colours of this gorgeous flower bloom in Rapperswil’s public areas and three rose gardens. Rapperswil has a well-developed tourist infrastructure and as the region’s transport hub is easily accessible by public transport.

The castle towers above the town and lake and is Rapperswil’s landmark. The castle hill affords a panorama view from the Glarus Alps all the way to the Zurich Oberland. Several churches, chapels and monasteries in Rapperswil bear testimony to the past. The medieval old town with very little traffic – a protected historic monument, the lake promenade and varied excursion possibilities make Rapperswil particularly suitable for families with children.

In addition to the lake dam for road and rail, a new wooden bridge for pedestrians – probably not unlike in the past – provides access to the other side of the lake. This wooden bridge also happens to be the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland. And Rapperswil is also an embarkation point for the regular ship services on Lake Zurich, including two authentic paddle steamers, to Zurich.

The area around Lake Zurich in addition to a wealth of beautiful scenery offers a whole range of fun and experience opportunities. Knie’s Children’s Zoo and the Circus Museum are a particular attraction for children and circus fans. The animals at the children’s zoo can be stroked and there are also elephant rides on offer.

In summer a 700-metre-long summer toboggan run on the nearby Atzmännig is great for some family fun. In winter there is a ski region suitable for families with easy ski pistes. On the other side of the lake, Pfäffikon with the Alpamare fun and experience baths featuring a wide range of water slides and wellness treatments is well worth visiting. Einsiedeln, the most important place of pilgrimage in Switzerland with a famous monastery, is accessible in 30 minutes.

Highlights

• Rapperswil Literature Festival – spontanuous encounter between writers and readers (March).
• blues’n’jazz festival – annual open-air happening in the old town of Rapperswil (June/July).
• Nighttime festival by the lake – huge, three-yearly event attracting about 150’000 spectators (August).

Its population is around 7,000. The two valleys are Mattertal and Saastal. It borders with Brig-Gils.

The majority of the population is German-speaking.

With its 24 authentic Valais mountain villages perched on the mountain slopes and nestling in the Rhone Valley, and its five skiing areas, this varied holiday region is often called ‘the Valais in pocket format’.

The pretty little old town of Visp in the Rhone Valley is one of the most important cultural and wine-growing centres in the Valais. With the opening of the Lötschberg base tunnel, Visp became a new railway hub for visits to the central and upper Valais, and excursions to Saas-Fee, Zermatt, Leukerbad and the Aletsch Glacier. Its wide range of accommodation including hotels, holiday apartments, group accommodation, mountain huts and two camp sites makes it a perfect place to stay, away from the bustle of the big resorts.

Summer

With 500 km of hiking trails, the Visp region is primarily hiking country in summer, but there are also a wide range of tracks for bikers. Because of the dry, almost desert-like climate on the sunny mountain slopes of the Rhone Valley, an extensive network of irrigation channels was built centuries ago by farmers of the region. This is why the area is so fertile today. Discover the 28 different flowers used for making Bach flower therapies along a special themed trail in Eggerberg; then visit the wild, romantic Turtmann Valley, where you can watch tasty mountain cheese being made the traditional way in the show cheese dairy.

Winter

The ‘Rund um Visp’ ski region comprises two main ski resorts: the Augstbord region and the head of the Vispertal, including Visperterminen. 28 ski- and chairlifts ascend from these high plateaus to 2540 m. The carousel of ski resorts made up of Bürchen/Törbel and Unterbäch with Eischoll revolves around the Augstbordhorn, and a free ski bus runs between them. Those in search of peace and quiet should make for the slopes of Gspon, reached by cableway from Stalden or Staldenried. One ski pass gives access to all these ski regions, where you will also find snow-boarding, carving, cross-country skiing and winter hiking trails as well as prepared sledge runs. Every resort also has marked snowshoe trails offering three levels of difficulty. There is also an indoor ice-rink in Visp while Bürchen, Raron and Visperterminen have natural outdoor rinks.

Highlights

• Old town of Visp: Visp is the centre of the region and has a pretty little town centre.
• Visperterminen: the highest vineyard in Europe at 1150 metres. This is where the fruity-spicy Heida white wine is pressed from Traminer grapes.
• Raron: fortified hilltop castles and a baroque church dominate the historic old part of the town where the poet Rainer Maria Rilke chose to be buried.
• Safrandorf Mund: the only village in central Europe where the precious spice, saffron, has been grown since the middle ages
• Birkendorf Bürchen: visitors can re-energise themselves here in the shade of the birch-lined avenue with some fresh birch juice.

Top Events

Pürumärt – traditional farmers’ market (September).

Its location close to the glaciers of the Dom and the Allalinhorn provides winter sport opportunities throughout the year, and neighbouring peaks such as the Weissmies, the Nadelhorn and the Lenzspitze are popular climbs in the summer season. The community is considered to be a very attractive winter sport destination in the Swiss Alps. Typical activities include skiing, carving, snowshoe trekking, canyon climbing and ice climbing.

Saas-Fee offers 22 lifts, including 3 cable cars, 1 funicular railway, 5 gondolas (1 dedicated to walkers), 2 chairlifts, the remainder 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). Other activities include snowboarding (halfpipe and park), paragliding, hang gliding, and tobogganing.

Saas-Fee can be reached by car or bus—postal buses run during much of the day half-hourly from Brig and Visp, though none provides a service beyond the bus terminal through the length of the town during the winter. No cars are allowed to enter the city (they have to be parked in special car parks outside); only small electric vehicles operate on the streets (and some petrol-driven garbage trucks).

The resort offers many culture, sports and off-slope activities, including classical music, a sports and leisure complex, restaurants, and nightclubs. The resort features the highest underground funicular railway in the world up to the skiing area and the highest revolving restaurant in the world at 3,500 m (11,500 feet). The touristic slogan of Saas-Fee is “Die Perle der Alpen” (The pearl of the Alps). The campus of the European Graduate School, is located in Saas-Fee.

Thirteen four-thousand-metre peaks encircle the Valais glacier village of Saas-Fee and its smaller, neighbouring villages of Saas-Balen, Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell. Thanks to its rustic chalets, Saas-Fee – often also termed the «Pearl of the Alps» – has retained much of its traditional charm.

Even the journey to reach Saas-Fee – a route passing through the Saas valley with its scarped gorges and mountainsides – is an experience in itself. In car-free Saas-Fee, private vehicles can be left in the car park at the entrance to the village. The holiday resort of Saas-Fee lies at an altitude of 1800 metres at the foot of the 4545-metre-high Dom. The former village of mountain farmers has become one of the most popular Meccas for snowboarders in Europe. The underground Metro Alpin funicular railway leads right up onto the 3500-metre Mittelallalin. In clear weather, the lights from the Italian metropolis of Milan are visible from the highest revolving restaurant in the Alps. The ski region around the Mittelallalin offers year-round skiing and the 20 glacier pistes serve as a training ground to teams from throughout the world.

Summer

In addition to around 300 km of walking paths and numerous themed trails, it is an extraordinary experience to encounter the tame marmots that can be found beneath the Spielboden mountain station. More adventurous visitors might wish to cross the Alpin gorge, the brook gorge between Saas-Fee and Saas-Grund, passing along steep rock walls accompanied by a mountain guide. In the “adventure forest” in Saas Fee, those with a head for heights will be able to venture on various obstacle courses, swinging from a steel cable and passing from tree to tree across rope bridges, as well as whiz through the forest landscape on the «Feeblitz» summer and winter toboggan run. The Saas valley also has a 70-km-long network of mountain-bike tracks and a 3.5-km-long push-scooter route.

Winter

With its 22 lifts and 100 km of prepared pistes, the winter ski region of Saas Fee forms the heart of the entire ski region. In addition to Saas-Fee, there is a further ski area in the nearby region of Kreuzboden-Hochsaas above Saas-Grund. Twenty kilometres of winter walking trails and an 8-km-long cross-country ski trail are provided for non-Alpine skiers. Various toboggan runs, such as the 11-km-long toboggan run from Kreuzboden to Saas-Grund offer alternatives to skiing, while husky sled tours in which you can even control the sled yourself by using the necessary instructions are an unforgettable experience.

Highlights

• Allalin ice pavilion – the secrets of the glacier are vented for visitors within the permanent ice.
• Revolving restaurant – a far-reaching vista across the mountainscape is offered up by the revolving restaurant on the glacier of the Mittelallalin.
• Alpin gorge – fixed rope route crossing of the spectacular brook gorge using rope bridges and tyrolienne cables; only with a mountain guide.
• Adventure park – suspension rope park with courses of varying degrees of difficulty, in front of an impressive glacier backdrop.
• Feeblitz toboggan run – with its 55-degree incline, the tobogganing fun already starts during the ascent. Evening tobogganing on the illuminated route is a special experience.

Top Events

• Ice Climbing World Cup – the world’s most skilled ice climbers scale the 30-metre-high ice wall in the multi-storey car park of Saas-Fee (February).
• International Alpine Music Festival – the entire village of Saas-Fee becomes a stage for leading names from the world of folk music (July).

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).

The road which leads to Leukerbad comes into the secluded valley from the south and the town of Leuk in the Rhone valley.

The Romans were among the first to recognise the healing properties of the hot springs of Leukerbad. This thermal spa resort lies well protected in a Valais side valley and is now a popular destination for wellness and sports’ enthusiasts.

Every day 3.9 million litres of hot water gush from 65 thermal springs in the mountain spa resort of Leukerbad. These thermal springs have led to the development of tourism in Leukerbad and made it one of the biggest spa and wellness resorts in Switzerland. Apart from a medical rehabilitation centre, its attractions now include numerous public thermal baths. After their sporting activities, neither skiers in winter nor hikers in summer miss the chance to regenerate in the warm, relaxing water. The centre of Leukerbad is traffic-free and the Leukerbad Sports Arena offers plenty of indoor sports facilities to enjoy all-year round, whatever the weather.

Summer

Two cableways connect this holiday resort, tucked away in the valley basin, with the hiking terrains of the Gemmi Pass and Torrent. An ancient mule track leads from Leukerbad via the Gemmi Pass and along the idyllic Daubensee to Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland. The Gemmi Pass also gives access to what is probably the longest and most challenging climbing path in Switzerland, with long, vertical ‘ladders’ on the Dabenhorn, almost 3000 metres high (2943 m).

Winter

Alpine skiing on the Torrent and cross-country on the Gemmi Pass: Leukerbad offers about 50 km of ski pistes, 25 km of cross-country ski trails and a huge sports arena with climbing wall, indoor skating and curling rink, indoor tennis, squash courts and gym. The trail from the Gemmi Pass to Sunnbüel (approx. 9 km, 2.5 hours’ walking time) is kept open for hikers in winter, weather conditions permitting.

Highlights

• Gemmi Pass: accessible from Leukerbad by cableway or up a steep cliff path. Impressive view of the Bernese and Valais Alps.
• Burgerbad: biggest alpine thermal spa complex in Europe with ten baths.
• Lindner Alpentherme: Wellness and bathing complex with Roman-Irish bath.
• Leuk: a town situated on the southern slope of the Rhone Valley with numerous historic buildings belonging to the diocese of Sitten. 18-hole golf course.
• Pfyn Forest: meadow landscape and the biggest pine forest in Switzerland. Also situated on the border between the German and French-speaking Valais

Top Events

• International Literature Festival, Leukerbad (1st weekend in July).
• Sheep Festival on the Gemmi Pass (end of July).

The history of Brig is closely linked with the Simplon Pass, one of the most beautiful alpine passes which starts immediately beyond the city gates. Napoleon built a road through the Simplon Pass in the 19th century to move his armies, thus creating the first man-made road in the Alps.

Brig is a perfect starting point for an excursion to Zermatt or Saas-Fee, for example. It also lies along the route of the famous Glacier Express, which links Zermatt and St. Moritz. Going south, Brig is the most northerly border station for the Simplon railway tunnel to Italy. To the east, you pass through Goms, and the Furka Pass leads to central Switzerland; the Grimsel Pass into the Bernese Oberland; and the Nufenen Pass into the Ticino.

Blatten above Naters near Brig, with its timber houses burnt a deep brown by the sun, is an authentic little Valais village. From here, a cable railway ascends the Belalp to a sun-drenched, traffic-free high plateau with the ‘Families Welcome’ seal of quality. Its attractions include the Massa Trail and Gorge, the Aletsch climbing path across the reservoir and ‘suonen walks’ along the historic Valais irrigation channels.

Summer

There are over 150 km of marked hiking trails on the Simplon and Lötschberg and in the Aletsch region. Cycle and mountain bike routes also abound. Experts will enjoy the tour to the Rosswald viewing plateau. The Brig Baths, one of the biggest open-air thermal centres in Switzerland, are thoroughly exhilarating.

Winter

On the Belalp above Blatten there are eleven lift facilities dotted all round the Hohstock (3100m) and 60 kilometres of sometimes quite challenging pistes, where there is guaranteed snow. The biggest attraction is the Hohstock ski tunnel: the gateway to a white paradise for deep snow skiers and freeriders.

There are small skiing areas near Brig on the sunny terrace of Rosswald and in Rothwald on the Simplon road. The ski areas of the Aletsch are also close by as is Goms, a veritable paradise for cross-country skiers.

Highlights

• Stockalper Palace: a baroque place built by the merchant prince Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper. He made his fortune by trading in salt, silk and other goods along the mule track he had extended through the Simplon Pass.
• The old town of Brig: interesting old town with aristocratic houses, a pilgrimage and collegiate church and Sebastians Chapel.
• Brig Baths: one of the biggest open-air thermal spa centres in Switzerland, just 6 km from Brig. It has a spa grotto swimming pool, water chute (182 m), fresh water and Olympic pools.
• Simplon Pass: the 35-km-long Stockalper road from Brig to Gondo is the backbone of the ‘Simplon Ecomuseum’, dedicated to the history of the Pass from the time of Stockalper to Napoleon.
• Aletsch Glacier: the longest glacier in Europe and part of the Jungfrau – Aletsch – Bietschhorn UNESCO world natural heritage site.
• Lötschberg south slope: a mountain walk along the dry, hot, step-like southern slope of the Lötschberg railway line: a walk famous for its panoramic views.
  • Belalp Derby: 12-km ‘descent of the witches’. 1000 participants, male and female, descend the mountain dressed as witches (January).
  • Sheep Festival: traditional festival with yodling competition and sheep-shearing on the Aletsch side of the Belalp (August).

Top Events