The Swiss Alps Travel Adventures
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The Swiss Alps Travel Adventures - Kimberly Rinker
The Swiss Alps - Travel Adventures
Krista Dana
HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC,
www.hunterpublishing.com
© Hunter Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.
Acknowledgements
Although there is only one author's name listed on the front cover, this book is the result of a great many contributions. First thanks go to my outlandishly supportive family and friends, who allowed me to neglect real-world responsibilities during the many months I spent researching this project. I am blessed to call you mine.
Particular thanks go to my dad and mom, Bob and Mary Lou Smith; to Tom and Mitzi Smith, Lee and Jacqueline Collins, Roger and Deanne Wagner, Carol Barker, and the Sooners of Cohort 3; and to my husband, both for his unending support and his expertise in European history. Thanks go, as well, to editor and publisher Michael Hunter and the many publishing, editing, and tourism professionals who made this project click.
Finally, recognition goes to those countless strangers on mountain trails, ferry crossings, and ski slopes that offered their opinions and advice - some of it solicited, some of it not. Much of their insight is represented here.
Finally, and most forcefully, I thank Jethro: Life with him turns out to be the best adventure of all.
About the Author
A native of southern California, Krista Dana has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, and the Rocky Mountains. Along the way she's wrestled cocktails from thieving primates in Kenya, drifted on a broken-down boat among the Indonesian Islands, and raced Chinese school children to the top of The Great Wall. An avid skier and hiker, she has explored terrain ranging from Switzerland's Matterhorn to South Korea's Muju Mountain. Today, when not basking in the glow of her computer monitor, Krista plays in the dirt and snow near her current home in northern Utah.
Krista has written over 800 travel features, hotel reviews, and destination guides. Her first book, The Alps Adventure Guide, was published in 2004. She holds a master's degree in Human Relations and a doctorate in Organizations and Leadership.
Introduction
About This Book
Quick-Start Planning
The Alps
Prehistory
Sculptors of The Alps: Glaciers & Their Lifecycles
Climate
Flora
Vegetation Belts
Plants in the Alpine Belt
Alpine Flowers
Fauna
Travel Basics
When To Go
Transportation
Getting Here
Getting Around
Currency
Where to Sleep
Dining
Connections
Language
Telephone
Internet
Time Zone
Electricity
Health & Safety
Safety Tips
Getting More Information
Switzerland
People & Culture
National Holidays
Timeline
Geneva & The Valais
Geneva
History & Orientation
The Town
Getting Here & Around
Getting More Info
The Sights
The Adventures
Where to Sleep
Where to Eat
Where to Party
Festivals & Events
Lausanne
Zermatt
History & Orientation
The Matterhorn
The Town
Getting Here & Around
Lift Pass Price Samples
Getting More Info
The Sights
The Adventures
Memorable Moments
Sports Services, Outfitters & Guides
Where to Sleep
Where to Eat
Where to Party
Where to Play
Festivals & Events
Saas-Fee
Interlaken & the Jungfrau
Interlaken
History & Orientation
The Town
Getting Here & Around
Getting More Info
The Sights
The Adventures
Sports Services, Outfitters & Guides
Where to Sleep
Where to Eat
Where to Party
Where to Play
Festivals & Events
Lauterbrunnen
Grindelwald
Wengen
Mürren
Zürich & Central Switzerland
Zürich
History & Orientation
The Town
Getting Here & Around
Getting More Info
The Sights
The Adventures
Where to Sleep
Where to Eat
Where to Party
Where to Play
Festivals & Events
Rheinfall
Lucerne
History & Orientation
The Tale of William Tell
The Town
Getting Here & Around
Getting More Info
The Sights
The Adventures
Where to Sleep
Where to Eat
Where to Party
Where to Play
Festivals & Events
Engelberg
The Graubünden Region
St. Moritz
History & Orientation
The Town
Getting Here & Around
Lift Pass Price Samples
The Sights
The Adventures
Sports Services, Outfitters & Guides
Where to Sleep
Where to Eat
Where to Party
Where to Play
Festivals & Events
The Glacier Express
Silvaplana
Corvatsch
The Swiss National Park
Introduction
If castles, cuckoo clocks, and bell-laden cows dominate your image of the Alps, you are - like most travelers - missing out on one of Mother Nature's greatest gifts. It's a secret Europeans like to keep to themselves.
In addition to its wealth of cultural sights, the European Alps offer a wider range of outdoor recreation than any other similarly sized region in the world. Adventurers of all ages hike hut-to-hut on multi-day treks, skiers slide year-round on glacial slopes, and Sunday walkers stroll forested trails. Bikers loop icy blue lakes, and mountaineers scale up waterfalls and down canyon cliffs.
Europeans cherish their wilderness areas, and none more so than the pristine forests of the Alps. Modern adventurers run the gamut from rich to poor, young to old, and native to transient foreigner. So take a look around. That bus driver. . . This tour guide. . . Your hotel concierge. . . They may just be showing you the Europe they think you want to see. Take a moment to ask how they spend their own free time - odds are that each will spend a day outdoors this weekend.
Want to know where they go?
We did, too.
This project took flight after a personal search for information on Alpine recreation proved painstaking and, in the end, not terribly productive. Some information does exist, but mainly on scattered websites, and frequently only in local languages. As far as we can tell, European tourism offices still insist that foreigners want prettily packaged displays of stereotyped culture - and maybe some do. What we're after, however, are the richer rewards that come from getting down and dirty, cold and wet, out in the wonderfully wild outdoors.
About This Book
Here is a guide to the best sights and adventures in the mountainous regions of Switzerland. Based on experience gained through more than a decade of living in, traveling around, and writing about the Alps, we spotlight the best gateway cities, the best sightseeing bases, and the best outdoor adventures.
The precursor to this book, The Alps Adventure Guide, is a hefty tome that includes detailed information about sights and recreation in even the remotest Alpine regions. Pocket Adventures: The Alps distills that information into a portable guide that's ideally suited to on-the-go travelers who seek the best of the Alps - those sights and adventures most worthwhile, most easily reached, and most indicative of the Alpine experience. Now, we focus in on the Swiss Alps in this guide.
Here, we cover the places where you're likely to end up when crossing the Swiss Alps and the places that you shouldn't miss in-between, even if you have only a few days or a week to spend.
This book is written with three reader groups in mind:
Students, couples, and families who want to add some adventure to a standard sightseeing tour
Experienced travelers already familiar with the region and who now want something more from their travels
Outdoor enthusiasts seeking new ways to play
In short, what all our readers have in common is this: the desire to experience rather than simply look at the Alps.
Lake Brienz, Switzerland
Quick-Start Planning
Planning an adventure vacation is for many a daunting task. Selecting a destination is, of course, a critical part of that process and a particularly difficult decision for both those unaccustomed to international travel and those wishing to venture away from the tourist-trod path. The most straightforward planning method suits travelers with a particular culture, country, or route in mind - simply look at a map and peruse the this book's chapter intros to hunt down an ideal base.
For readers who want a bit more guidance, we make it easy with a quick-start strategy: three lists, each highlighting the best Alpine destinations by theme, vibe, and adventure.
Pick-A-Theme - For those seeking the best of the Alps, we offer Pick-A-Theme lists. Here, round-ups assist in planning travel based on features such as Olympic resorts, best old-town centers, historic hotels, and dramatic drives.
Pick-A-Vibe - For those weighing less tangible considerations, we suggest the Pick-A-Vibe list. For example, travelers can choose a destination for its village charm, big-name clout, or party-hearty frame of mind.
Pick-An-Adventure - Travelers seeking a specific type of recreation should consult the Pick-An-Adventure list. The list boils down the best of our featured destinations for each activity.
The Alps
Prehistory
Hundreds of millions of years ago, the Alps began their formation with the upward surge of the earth's crust. Over the course of millions of years more, limestone forced up along the Alpine axis, granite thrust into the western Alps, and - some 20 million years ago the African continent collided with the Eurasian landmass, pushing, folding, and rippling the Alps to their current height. Nonetheless, the shape of the Alps has forever been in flux, as ever-present glaciers grow and recede, whittling valleys and ravines as they go. Additionally, these glaciers serve as the headwaters for many Alpine streams and rivers - forces of water that shift and erode