Movenpick
Airport Hotel-Zurich Zurich
Tourism
 Day
2 Arrival in Zurich, Switzerland. Time to rest or to discover
Zurich's attractive historic center and lakeside promenade. Dinner at the
Miami Grill.
Day 3 Zurich-Liechtenstein-St.
Moritz. First a brief tour of Zurich, Switzerland's center of banking
and commerce. Then east along Lake Zurich and Lake Walen to the tiny principality
of  Liechtenstein.
After a break in Vaduz (viewing the Castle) ascend the Rhine Valley (stopping
at Heidiland to eat) into the mountainous Grisons, a canton where
three of the country's four languages are spoken. The 7,504-foot
Julier Pass, an important Alpine road since Roman times, leads to
the Engadine. This valley is considered by many as the most beautiful mountain
area in the world: deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests that turn golden
in the fall, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, quaint villages with
massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. Afternoon
leisure in ritzy St. Moritz. It was a beautiful place. The Albana Hotel
was built in the 1600's. Walked to the leaning tower of St Moritz. |
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Albana
Hotel-St.Moritz
 Day
4 St. Moritz-Lugano. A gradual change of scenery as we descend
toward the enchanting shores of Italian Lake Como and town of Menaggio
and continue on to the southern tip of Switzerland. The vegetation south
of the Alps is Mediterranean: chestnut groves, vineyards, olive and fig
trees make you forget that earlier today you were within walking distance
of glaciers. The highway is a one lane road that does not provide much
room for our tour bus. Many of the cliffs on the lake are developed, with
homes up above and a garage and elevator at road level. Lunchtime arrival
in the popular subtropical resort town of Lugano leaves the afternoon free
for shopping under the arcades of Via Nassa, an espresso on
flower-festooned Piazza Riforma, and a walk in the shade of Parco Ciani's
magnificent old trees. The greatest thing was arriving, settling in, and
going to the pool of the roof of the Hotel to be surprised by the Swiss
Air Force Patrouille and six F5 fighters flying in formation in preparation
for the Air Show the next day. Spent the afternoon on a boat tour on the
lake.
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Holiday
Inn-Lugano
 Day
5 Lugano-Zermatt. From Lake Lugano to the Italian shore of Lake
Maggiore for a break in elegant Stresa. A boat ride and visit to Isola
Bella was spectacular. On over lofty Simplon Pass into the Swiss Valais,
an area renowned for its excellent wines and great mountain resorts. To
reach the most famous of them, we leave the bus behind in Täsch and
board a mountain train climbing the last few miles up to Zermatt, a picturesque
cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn.
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Hotel
Tschugge-Zermatt/Matterhorn
 Day
6 Zermatt-Lake Geneva. Morning ride up Europe's highest rack-railway
to 10,272-foot Gornergrat
for a breathtaking view of the Alps. In the afternoon motor through the
vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley to the shores
of Lake Geneva. Here visit Chillion Castle, the 12th-century water
fortress immortalized by the poet Lord Byron.
| Tschugge
Website has a very nice thumbnail picture index. Here
is a photo gallery and more on Zermatt |
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Grand
Hotel Suisse Majestic-Lake Geneva (Montreux-Search site by city to
find)
 Day
7 Lake Geneva-Lucerne. Travel through some of the country's
best farmlands to its stately capital, Berne. Sightseeing with a local
expert starts at the popular BEAR PIT and then focuses on the monumental
Federal Palace and the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Witness
the hourly parade of painted figures at the Clock Tower and take your pictures
of ornate, flower-adorned fountains. After lunch continue east through
the verdant dairy country of Emmental. On the way visit a cheese factory
to learn how one of Switzerland's prime exports is made. Tonight we are
in picture-book Lucerne. |
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Flora
Hotel-Lucerne
 Day
8 Lucerne. Medieval heritage every step of the way. Saw the
impressive city walls, the famous covered Wooden Bridge, ornate patrician
houses lining cobbled streets, and Thorwaldsen's masterful Lion Monument.
Visited Mt. Pilatus the next day. The trip starts on a bus, taking
you to the cable cars, which lead to a Gondola to the top of the mountain
to hang out for a while. Then the Cog Railway straight down the other side
to board a tour boat for a 1.5 hour Lucerne cruise. The evening consisted
of a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand
impression of alpine merrymaking and a fitting end to the
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Swissotel
Zurich
 Day
9, 10 &11. Relaxation, shopping and a trip to the Rhine Falls.
Visited the Swiss National Museum. Swissotel is pleasantly situated in
the outlying city showing real swiss character instead of tourist zones
and has a beautiful pool on the top floor. Zurich served as a Roman Customs
Post until 1200 AD.
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