The Switzerland Traveler

If you’re planning to go to the Jazz Festival in Montreux this year, then maybe this is the place to stay.
The Hotel Tralala is designed for music lovers; 33 rooms and 3 suites all named after famous musicians and composers who have contributed to Montreux’s rich history. So if you’re a David Bowie fan ask for his room; or maybe you’re more of a Stravinsky lover?

The hotel was originally built in 1616 and refurbished this year, and the good news is that it’s not expensive; double rooms are available from CHF 130-320 depending on size and season. Breakfast is included.
The …read more

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Without encouraging you all to drink like crazy (Remember now: use alcohol responsibly) I figured I really should tell you about the whisky ships.
To me that sounds like a cue for an old film, where a ship carrying a cargo of whisky ran aground on the islands north of Scotland. And all the local villagers were trying to remove the cargo while the customs officers tried to stop them. The film is called Whisky Galore if you’re really curious.
But no, it’s an opportunity to go and taste whisky and cigars, on a boat moored at the end of Bahnhofstrasse in Zürich.
Basically, …read more

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The Dufourspitze is the highest point in Switzerland at 4634m (15,203 ft) above sea level.
It’s located near Zermatt, and has a the Gorner Glacier running down from it towards the town.
In the picture above, the peak is located on the left hand side, it’s more visible below.  
I’ve posted this as I was asked (see http://www.theswitzerlandtraveler.com/ask-the-switzerland-traveler/) to put some photos up, and thanks to Ron Layter’s excellent shots, I’m happy to oblige.
Feel free to ask if there’s anything you want to know about!

The peak (Spitze) was named after Guillaume-Henri Dufour an engineer and cartographer who produced aseries of maps for the military.
On …read more

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Max Bill is one of Switzerland’s foremost artists, having left a legacy of many industrial sculptures.
His arrangement of 45 blocks of granite near Paradeplatz in Zurich (above)  has always been a landmark for me, although it was only recently that I discovered the plaque on the nearby wall tellîng me who the artist was.
Then things began to fall into place, as I was living near Max Bill platz (see below) in Oerlikon at the time and had no idea who or what Max Bill was.

Now there is an exhibition of his work in the electricity building near Selnau station in …read more

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Fancy a big night out in Zürich?
Then you should know about something called a VIP Clubbing Pass, which gets you access to ten clubs across the city.
Gay clubs, straight clubs, classic clubs, they all seem to be covered. Most of them seem to be down the fashionable (and industrial) Züri-West area, so you should be able to get round a few of them, should the inclination grab you.
The pass is included in some special hotel packages, and costs CHF 104.
http://www.zuerich.com/en/page.cfm/clubbing
Pgoto: Flickr yago1

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I hope that carnivores amongst the readership won’t object too much, but I feel a few vegetable-related posts coming on. It’s just that time of year.
The time of year when the Swiss love to have festivals celebrating a particular vegetable – be it pumpkin, turnip or carrot.
So a warm welcome to today’s vegetable; the onion.  Starring at an onion market in Bern next Monday, 24th November. If you want to sound local, it’s called the Zibelemärit.
Most onions are of the genus Allium cepa (which I guess explains the Italian word: cipolla) but I wouldn’t betting you’ll find a good few …read more

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Obviously I don’t know whether you like cheese or not, but the Swiss are pretty keen on it.
Especially in the winter when you melt it and dip bread in it. Yum.
To be honest I try to eat fondue only once a year, or at least have some form of novelty to make it appetising.
Enter the fondue tram. Travel round Zurich’s tram line for a couple of hours, whilst trying not to spill melted cheese on your trousers (OK, I know my audience is mainly American and I should write “pants” but I just can’t bring myself to do it, sorry).
For …read more

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I’m not one to blow my own trumpet; probably because I don’t have a trumpet.
But I do think it’s fair to tell you that Zurich has just been listed as the city with the highest quality of living.
Not just in Switzerland, or even Europe. The best in the world. And for the seventh year running…
 The Mercer group ranks 215 cities worldwide (Baghdad comes last so they have clearly got something right) against New York as a basis.
London (38) Paris (32) New York (49)  and Tokyo (35) are all rated fairly similarly, while the holders of the Euro 2008 (Austria and Switzerland) take all top …read more

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The Rote Fabrik (Literally: Red Factory, not fabric) is an entertaining place down on the Wollishofen side of lake Zurich.
It used to be a factory, and is, er, red. Well it’s made of red bricks, but pretty much all of it is covered in graffiti now.
It operates as a club, a bar and restaurant, and also as a concert venue. Not to mention cinema and theatre. Theater if you prefer.
It’s a politically correct sort of place, and has lots of informational events relating to the mistreatment of minority (or majority) groups in far-flung places. But you don’t have to get involved …read more

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You might normally associate Geneva, rather than it’s Germanic sibling, with Motor Shows.
Rightly so, and the exhibition in Feb/March of each year is worth a trip in itself, with new models from major manufacturers often  being announced there.
But Zurich doesn’t like to be left out of anything in Switzerland so we have a car show too.
It’s more of a series of stands by the local dealers, but is still highly entertaining. And useful if you happen to be looking for a new car. Maybe not too likely in the current economic climate but who knows? And at least you can …read more

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