The Switzerland Traveler

There can’t be many URLs shorter than www.fiff.ch
Which, just happens to be the website of the Fribourg International Film Festival.
Based around the old station, this year’s festival provides an introduction to the world of the south, mainly Asia, Africa and Latin America.
To quote the website:
The FIFF programmes a cinema of inventiveness and poetry as the expression of a conquered freedom – sometimes at great cost. By getting away from the landmarks and writings of western cinema, the films selected by the FIFF require of the spectator the disposition to be troubled by images, stories and ideas that may not …read more

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No, it’s not bad news, just another attempt by the Swiss to make something sound cool in English.
Quite simply really. Go to Gstaad. Pay 10 CHF to enter, take something, preferably designed and made by yourself, and then slide down the snow on it.
Most spectacular descent wins the “Master of Disaster” prize.
Alternatively, you could just go along and watch…
Action takes place at the Eggli lift station.
Oh, there’s also a party with bands, DJs etc that will probably run long into the evening, but that’s not for me!
Saturday March 10
www.slidedisaster.ch (in German)

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If you’re not looking for peace and quiet in a ski resort that isn’t massive, Stoos could be for you.
Located in Central Switzerland, Stoos is located at 935m high and is a car free village.
There are amazing views over Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) from the Fronalpstock, and the skiing isn’t bad either, having hosted the Swiss National championships at least once.
You can get to the village by cable car or rack railway, I must confess to preferring the latter, but as they run from different sides of the mountain, you either need to choose in advance, or be prepared for …read more

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It’s amazing just how many awards there are in this world.
I never knew there was such a thing as an Alpine Town of the Year, but Brig seems to have won the big prize this year.
Probably the main attraction is the lavish Baroque palace known as Stockalper Castle, the largest private 17th Century building in Switzerland. Again, that seems like a very tightly defined title, but it, and its gardens, is certainly worth a look.
It also shows just how wealthy merchants could be, Kaspar von Stockalper must have made or bob or two in his time.
A relatively new …read more

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Culture time again.
The Abegg foundation in Riggisberg, not far from Bern, is home to one of the most impressive collections of textiles in Europe.
Probably the most impressive exhibit is the 7 metre long (22 feet) Dionysius wall hanging, which was made in the 4th century. Considering it’s 1700 years old, it is amazingly well preserved, and shows just how ambitious our ancestors were.
The museum covers the textiles of the European Middle Ages, with a focus on the region of the ancient Silk Route.
There’s also an exhibition of medieval Chinese dress: Dragons of Silk, Flowers of Gold. This covers the …read more

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Literally, the doors to the sun, the Portes du Soleil does what it says on the tin.
Snow and sun, and 650 km (400 miles) of downhill skiing trails.
The area  spreads across parts of Switzerland and France, but I’m only going to tell you about the Swiss bit.
It’s located near the eastern end of lake Geneva, about 90 minutes by car from both Geneva and Berne.
Champery is my favourite entry point to the portal, but Morgins and Val-d’Illiez are also good starting points.
And the charming village of Troistorrents also has a few inexpensive places to stay if …read more

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If you’re looking for some culture a little out of the ordinary, how about the Swiss Museum of Stained Glass and Glass Art?
It’s down near Fribourg, about 45 minutes from Bern(e). Note to self: I really should settle on either German, French or English spellings.
The castle of Romont houses the museum; inside you’ll find an amazing collection of stained glass stretching back to the Middle Ages.
I’m happy to admit that I’d never heard of the “verre eglomisé” technique of glass gilding, but apparently this is where the only public collection of that particular art form is located.
It’s also a …read more

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I don’t know why, but I was surprised to find out that many Americans in Switzerland struggle to find Swiss cheese in the shops here.
Apparently it’s because Swiss cheeses sold in the states are less likely to be known as Gruyère or Emmental, or any one of hundreds of other types of cheese that we are used to. And you will not see any cheese labelled simply “Swiss Cheese”.
Of the two main exports, Gruyère is the one without holes (Emmental being closer to the “Swiss cheese” generic variety you may be used to) and has a slightly salty taste, and …read more

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No, not training how to start an avalanche, what to do if you, or someone you’re with, gets caught by one.
Flumserberg has recently opened an Avalanche Training Centre. Andermatt and Diavolezza (St Moritz) already have one, and given that the Avalanche Research Institute is in Davos, I’d happily bet they have one there too.
If you ski or board off-piste, it’s probably a good idea to know what to do.
The official text says” Skiers and snowboarders straying from marked and secured ski runs are now required to carry safety equipment consisting of a search device for avalanche victims, a sensor …read more

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I’m happy to admit I have no idea how this works, but the people that run the lifts on the mountain at Sedrun claim to have the area’s first children’s restaurant.
Now clearly, most restaurants accept children, so this can’t be something new, and as they also say it’s family-oriented, then I’m presuming they allow adults in as well.
And anyway, if they don’t allow adults, who’s paying? Not many children I know have credit cards…
But it looks quite cool (although sadly I can’t find any hi-res pics) so maybe children will be happy to go there.
And as Disentis/Sedrun is  nice …read more

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