Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for switzerland
A Swiss Shortcut
By Linda Tancs
Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel (not to be confused with the original Gotthard scenic line) entered into full service yesterday. Decades in the making, the rail tunnel is the world’s longest, stretching for 35 miles. It’s also the deepest, with over 6,500 feet of rock between the tunnel and the earth’s surface in some places. This engineering marvel provides an efficient shortcut through the Alps, paring an hour off the travel time between Zurich and Milan, Italy.
Share this:
On the Water’s Edge in Geneva
By Linda Tancs
The annual Geneva Lake Festival in Switzerland takes place from August 4 to August 14. The event will feature dozens of food stalls, a parade, a carnival and concerts. Don’t miss the fireworks display on August 13 that will illuminate la Rade, the landmark water jet on the lake.
Share this:
World’s Steepest Cogwheel Railway
By Linda Tancs
A feat of engineering, the cogwheel railway system was invented by Colonel Eduard Locher-Freuler in the 1880s. It enabled gradients of up to 48 percent and made possible the construction of a railway up Switzerland’s Mount Pilatus. Eliminating the need for a tiresome ascent on foot, the system started out in 1889 as a steam coach and was later electrified in 1937. From Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway gives visitors to Lucerne a bird’s-eye view of lush meadows carpeted with Alpine flowers, sparkling mountain streams and imposing rock faces.
Share this:
Culture for Connoisseurs
By Linda Tancs
A small city in northwest Switzerland, Basel is big on culture. Art lovers acknowledge that every year during the giant Art Basel fair. Situated on the Rhine (a scenic plus), Basel also happens to have the highest concentration of museums in the country (numbering 40 or so), including Basel Art Museum, the museum devoted to the iron sculptor Jean Tinguely, the Fondation Beyeler and the Museum of Cultures. Foodies flock there as well for local treats like traditional Basel honey cake. Today marks the start of the city’s carnival (the largest popular festival in Switzerland), Fasnacht. The festivities begin every year at 4:00 a.m. on the Monday following Ash Wednesday with the “Morgenstraich,” when all the lights in Basel go out and a colorful procession through the city streets begins. The party will continue until exactly 4:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Share this:
The City on Three Hills
By Linda Tancs
You’d expect a hillside city with lake and mountain views to provide stunning panoramas. And Switzerland’s Lausanne does not disappoint. Home to the International Olympic Committee, this city on the shores of Lake Geneva offers amazing views from a series of viewing points accessible through a downhill stroll. Start at the top of Sauvabelin Tower, a wooden tower offering views of the lake as well as the three major landscapes: the Savoy Alps, the Jura and the Plateau. And who could resist the almost mythic view from the Hermitage, combining the lake, mountains, cathedral and St. Maire castle. From the Flon footbridge to the esplanades, the city’s natural wonders are unveiled every step of the way.
Share this:
Many Fountains
By Linda Tancs
Many fountains. That’s the translation for Switzerland’s valley town, Lauterbrunnen. Located in the Bernese Oberland (Bernese highlands), there is indeed plenty of H2O in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. One of its most famous exhibits is the Staubbach Falls at the edge of the village. The spectacular cliffside plunge, one of the highest free-falling waterfalls in Europe, is the inspiration behind Goethe’s poem, Gesang der Geister über den Wassern (Song of the Spirits Over the Waters). Just as impressive is Trümmelbach Falls, a series of ten glacier waterfalls thundering through the Jungfrau with a spill rate of 20,000 liters per second, accessible only in summer via tunnel lift (something to look forward to next year). In all, there are 72 waterfalls in the valley. May the force be with you.
Share this:
A Tour de Suisse
By Linda Tancs
The scenery from Lucerne to Locarno is just as dramatic as the telling of the legend of Switzerland’s William Tell. No wonder, then, that a rail journey between these two destinations is named the William Tell Express. Beginning with a three-hour boat cruise on Lake Lucerne (host to the storybook Chapel Bridge), the panoramic train trip begins at Flüelen, winds its way through the Reuss Valley, traces the Gotthard line and meanders through picturesque villages en route to Locarno. Forget about the apple shot. On this journey you’ll find the money shot for sure.
Share this:
Swiss Precision
By Linda Tancs
The quality of Swiss timepieces is legendary. And why shouldn’t it be? Those talented artisans have been perfecting it since its debut in the 16th century. The cradle of the industry is the Joux Valley. Of course that’s where you can expect to find a museum dedicated to the art of Swiss watchmaking. Recently reopened after a months-long renovation, Joux Valley Museum of Watchmaking is an interactive museum combining traditional exhibition space with hands-on training and demonstration. The current exhibit traces the changing face of watchmaking, celebrating the Technical College’s 111th anniversary graduating watchmakers.
Share this:
Simply Cool
By Linda Tancs
Amidst the aerial highway linking Zermatt and Matterhorn lies a castle of ice worthy of a princess. Zermatt’s palace of ice is the highest glacier palace in the world. Created in 1999, the 990-square-meter palace, 15 meters below the glacier surface, is accessible from an elevator at Matterhorn glacier paradise station. Your entry begins with a walk through an ice tunnel, accompanied by soft lighting and mood music. Besides the view, the site features ice sculptures and an ice slide. If you dare, walk back via a glacier crevasse.
Share this:
Geneva Auto Show is a People Pleaser
By Linda Tancs
At last year’s auto show in Geneva, automakers debuted their versions of fuel-efficient vehicles. At this year’s 81st Geneva International Motor Show, it’s the human element that gets center stage. In other words, this year’s show strives to recognize that all the engineering in the world is meaningless if the art and pleasure of driving–Fahrvergnügen in Volkswagen speak–is ignored. So it should come as no surprise that this year’s poster, showing the silhouette of a young woman at the wheel of her cabriolet, evokes the pleasure of driving. Visit tomorrow through 13 March at GENEVA PALEXPO, just a three minute walk from the Geneva Airport railway station.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 