The Switzerland Traveler

Adelboden is an attractive and not over-populated resort at the southern end of Kanton Bern. It’s linked with Frütigen and is an attractive place for a family ski holiday.
In response to requests for more than just skiing, they’ve opened up 35km of snowshoe trails.
The sport is beginning to attract more and more people, maybe in response to the number of skiers, and the increasing speeds being seen on the slopes.
 
The routes have been designed with wildlife in mind, mainly to protect the animals, but you never know when you might come across a deer or a snow bunny. And …read more

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The Swiss are justifiably proud of their mountain railways,
Now, you can have the chance to feel what it’s like to drive one of the Rhätische Bahn trains across the beautiful landscapes through the alps.
Tunnels through mountains, spectacular bridges across deep gorges.
And guess what? You can start in St Moritz! Actually there are quite a few trips you can do,
The engineering on the Albula and Bernina lines is truly impressive, especially as it is set against the backdrop of glaciers (so go soon before they melt) and of course, the mountains.
For 850 CHF (which means you have to be …read more

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So if you don’t fancy St Moritz, and you’re not keen on skiing, well, how about taking a hike?
New this winter, the Alpavia travel agency will take the backpack from your shoulders while you walk through the winter wonderland.
And your luggage is guaranteed to be at your overnight rest hotel before you.
The classic tour is from Interlaken to Kandersteg, taking in the Jungfrau, the Gemmi Pass (a historic link between Berne and the Valais, see photo above) and Lauchernalp.
The hotels are of good quality (this is Switzerland) and a 6 day trip costs around 880 CHF/person.  This includes breakfast …read more

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After a hard day’s skiing, like I had today, there’s nothing better than relaxing in a hot tub.
At Diavolezza, just down the road from, you guessed it, St Moritz, they now offer an amazing service.
After the lifts close, apparently they heat a log fire under a whirlpool full of fresh mountain water and heat it to 41 degrees C. Which is pretty warm – it must be over 100 degrees F.
The air temperature is chilly though, around -25C so you’ll probably want to be fairly agile when you get out.
It costs 15 CHF if you are staying …read more

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No, I’m not being paid by the St Moritz tourist board!
There just happens to be loads of stuff going on there that I think the world needs to know about.
And playing cricket on ice is about as eccentric as it gets.
As you may know, cricket is similar to baseball, but to we British it is simply superior. There’s much less excitement for one thing, and is characterised by the fact that a five day international test match, 30 hours of playing time, is quite likely to end in a tie. No winner after five days? Ah you see, …read more

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Ever wanted to experience what gravity is like on the moon? Or maybe floating somewhere between heaven and earth?
Well, just maybe the new Woopy Park might be the place for you.
The management insist it is the place to go for adventurous snow sports enthusiasts, and who am I to disagree?
The park is in Morgins, in the Portes du Soleil, 2 hours from Zurich, 1 hour from Geneva.
The brand new sport, Woopy Jump, combines elements of skiing, snow boarding, and parascending/parachuting. It certainly sounds like a laugh!
Beginners can allegedly become proficient in no time. Naturally, all course …read more

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If going skiing or even just being in the mountains builds up your appetite, or even a thirst, then St Moritz is the place to be next week.
For five days (Jan 28-Feb 2), the luxury and first class hotels of St. Moritz pull out all the culinary stops during the 15th annual St. Moritz Gourmet Festival.
The party starts with a bang – cocktails at the Carlton, the newly renovated 5 star hotel, which only re-opened last month.
After that, international chefs from Europe, Asia and Africa provide tasty morsels at several gourmet tastings.
Like chocolate?  Sprüngli, one of Switzerland’s best …read more

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Up, up and away!
Colourful skies and fantastic photo opportunities are guaranteed this week in the south-west of Switzerland. Many of the world’s top hot-air balloonists will be meeting up for a festival.
As you can see, size and shapes are quite varied!
Wednesday is the day to take the children (I’d have thought they would have been at school, but maybe half-term is early this year). Special activities from balloon flights to the ever-loved face painting will be organised.
The festival runs until Sunday 27th January, so maybe a trip to the nearby glacier slopes would be the best way to appreciate …read more

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A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to ride in a bobsled down the famous Celerina run. It’s the only bob run in the world that is made exclusively of natural ice.
It’s often confused with the Cresta Run, but that’s reserved for skeleton (effectively head first down the ice on a tray) racing, we’ll come back to that later.
My wife Julie organised the trip, so fortunately I have no idea what it costs, simply that it can be done. Don’t expect it to be cheap though. In fact, don’t expect anything in St …read more

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The annual polo World Cup at St Moritz is certainly one of the most fascinating events I’ve ever witnessed.
For a start, there’s the car parking. To me there’s just something wrong with driving onto the lake to park, even if it has been certified as safe by the Swiss.
And those people selling roasted chestnuts with fires raging to generate heat – don’t they understand what they are standing on?
And then the temporary grandstands, packed with people – just how thick is this ice?
Perhaps that’s best answered by the fact that the tractors used to sweep the playing area are …read more

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