Five Great Train
Escapes For All Seasons
Call it Europe’s track star. Though small-this Alpine nation
is about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined-Switzerland offers
some of the world’s most spectacular scenery, from glacial lakes to misty
peaks. And nearly every adventure is connected by train.
A classic route like The Golden Pass from Lucerne
to Montreux can be done in a single
day packed with sights and heights, including views of the highest Alps. But
why rush? Part of the romance of rail travel is the sense of timelessness it
affords.
The Wilhelm Tell Express, a panoramic boat-and-train tour
that crosses lake Lucerne and rolls into Italian-influenced Lugano, connects
areas ideal for summertime hikes. The Glacier
Express from Zermatt to St.Moritz chugs across the heart of the
alps through 91 tunnels and over 291 bridges. From urban trams in artful Zurich to cogwheel trains up mountains
and a few bus rides along the way, you can cover an entire nation by rail,
boat, and bus, with a romantic (an hypnotic) click-clack as your sound track.
In Switzerland, curiosity rides on rails. Here are five
thematic train journeys across a multilingual, multicultural country. All
aboard!
The Wide Angel
Every tour of Switzerland is a photographer’s dream. But the
130-miles train route from Lucerne to Montreux, known as the Golden Pass,
provides killer shots. With end points at Lake Lucerne and Lake Geneva, the
itinerary offers mountains, alpine meadows dotted with chalets, and towns
rooted in the Middle Ages. It also links French-and German-speaking Swiss
cultures.
My photographic journey always begins in lakeside Lucerne,
where flotillas of swans paddle alongside vintage boats. Thanks to an Old Town
that’s a car-free maze of Renaissance buildings and the Kapellbrucke, a wooden
bridge that dates in part to 1333, there’s plenty to photograph. For mountain
images, devote an afternoon to cruising by steamer from Lucerne to Weggis and
ascending Mount Rigi by railway or
cable car. Or take a boat to Alpnachstad to Mount Pilatus, the latter reached by the steepest cogwheel railway
in the world, with a 48 percent gradient.
Leaving Lucerne, the Golden Pass train climbs 3,284 feet to
cross the Brunig Pass. Since I’m a
Sherlock Homes fan, I get off in Meiringen
and take a funicular to the top of Reichenbach
Falls, where the fictional detective met his death. (He was resuscitated by
Arthur conan Doyle after public outcry).
Interlaken (between the lakes) is indeed bookended
by Lakes Thun and Brienz. It’s the gateway to the Jungfrau region, a cluster of Alpine
villages at the base of the legendary Monch,
Eiger, and Jungfrau peaks. Board
a local train for the 20-minute ride to Lauterbrunnen,
take a short bus ride to Stechelberg,
and then step onto a gondola to ascend to the tranquil village of Murren. Plan to take the Jungfrubahn
from nearby Grindelwald the next
day, climbing through a nearly four-and-a-half-mile tunnel to the Jungfraujoch, the roof of the Alps
(bring a jacket-you’ll need it at this elevation) and the highest railway
station in Europe at more than 11,000 feet.
From Interlaken, the Golden Pass reaches 4,180 feet between Saanenmoser and Schonried before sotpping at the winter resort town of Gstaad, which has been attracting the
uber-rich for Olympic-class socializing for more than a century. The Gstaad
Palace rises like cinerella’s castle over the village; both town and hotel are
stuffy and deliriously expensive. I like to watch the scene from Charly’s, a
village patisserie. Just try not to act like a paparazzo.
South of Gstaad lies Fench-speaking Switzerland. Look for
balloons overhead as you approach Chateau
d’Oex. Better yet, plan a visit during the International Hot-Air Balloon
Festival (January 26 to February 3). Balloons lift off year-round here; the
best bet for a photogenic ride is Balloon Chateau d’Oex. Bring your wide-eagle
lens.
Back on the train, prepare to plunge into the 1.4-mile-long Jaman Tunnel, emerging with a glimpse
of Lake Geneva. The ride may end in lake side Monteux, but the photos don’t
have to. This is the Swiss Riviera,
with palm trees along the shore, the French Alps across the lake, and French
culture everywhere. In July, catch the Montreux Jazz Festival. For a fun photo,
shoot the statue of singer Freddie Mercury, who is honored annually in
Montreux.
The Path to Greatness
WALKING and HIKING are national pastime (bordering
on obsessions) in Switzerland, with more than 37,000 miles of trails. Many of
the best waling routes-think snow-frosted mountain ridges and quiet
hamlets-begin steps from the train station.
From Lucerne travel across the lake by steamboat to Rutli on the Fluelen line to walk all
or part of th 22-mile Swiss Path, inaugurated in 1991, marking the 700th
anniversary of the 13th-century Swiss Confederation (the precursor
to modern Switzerland). Start walking in Rutli Meadow, stroll around Lake Urn, and end in Brunnen. Along the way, check out Beroldingen Castle and the Tell Chapel, honoring 14th-century
Swiss hero William Tell.
Walking is so integrated into daily Swiss life that even
snow-covered walking trails are scrupulously maintained throughout the Alps.
Signposting is better than the road system in other countries; yellow signs
point the way along lower elevation hiking routes and indicates to nearby
villages. “Walking in Switzerland is
about absorbing the natural beauty
with all your senses,” says Paolo Santioli, who guides walkers in
Switzerland for the Wayfarers. “The cable car system links up well with many
trails and provides a convenient way for walkers to cover more ground and
conserve energy.”
While in Lucerne, book a trip on the William Tell Express, a
package that starts with a steamboat cruise down Lake Lucerne to Fluelen and continues with a
first-class train to the Italian-influenced canton of Ticino, where palms define the waterfront resort of Lugano. I’ve
tested my mettle here on a six-hour high-altitude hike, but a more accessible
route begins with a cable railway ride up to Mount Lema with its views of both Lake Maggiore and Lake
Lugano and then a walk along a ridge to Mount Tamaro.
My favorite summertime adventure kickds off with a calm
morning at a lakeside café in Lugano followed by a scenic three-hour bus ride
to Tirano, Italy, for lunch. The
next day, take the spectacular Bernina Express to Davos, best known for skiing and the World Economic Forum. The
following morning, take a walk from the Davos Frauenkirch station along a path
lined with abstract sculptures leading up to the mountain hamlet of Stafelalp. The expressionist painter
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner lived here and became enamored with the dense forest,
jagged peaks, and changing light of the landscape. After this three-hour
adventure, head to the Kirchner Museum in Davos to see your hike depicted in
the collection of Kirchner’s paintings, including “Rising Moon on the
Stafelalp.”
The next stop is Pontresina.
A two-hour round-trip hike fro mthe station goes along the Val Roseg, a
dramatic valley in the Engadine region. Another highlight is lunch at Hotel
Roseg Gletscher. Sit on the deck ,dig into regional spcialities like capuns and pizzcheri (buckwheat noodles wit hpotatoes, vegetables, and
cheese), and view the Bernina range glaciers.
The Bernina Express continues on to St.Moritz., which has one the sunniest climates in the country and
360 miles of hiking trails. My favorite excursions from the St.Moritz area
include a challenging hike up Piz Nair,
a crossing of Corvatsch (take a bus
to Surlej to catch a cable car), and a guided glacier tour of Diavolezza (backtrack pas Pntresina to
access the cable car) for a walk that’s more downhill than up.
The Art Smart Set
Switzerland has a strong relationship with the visual arts.
Gallery-hopping begins along the Rhine in Basel,
where more than a dash of modern flash sparkles near the city’s well-preserved
medieval heart. The city’s Kunstmuseum
is filled with works by 14th-to 16th-century Upper Rhine
artists and 20th-century cubits and German expressionists. Look for
paintings by Hans Hobein the younger, Konrad Witz, and Arnold buckling, all of
whom lived and painted in Basel.
Since 1970s, Junes’ Art Basel has morphed into one of the
world’s glitziest art fairs, a monied
mélange of galleries, dealers, and museum curators. But Basel is also a site
for architecture buffs; in the St. Johann neighborhood, 14’stachitect’
buildings populate the campus of the Novartis corporation, including buildings
by Yoshio Taniguchi and Frank Gehry.
Basel’s Fondation
Beyeler museum has works by van Goh, Miro, Picasso, Kandinsky, Matisse, and
Rothko. And the Museum Tinguely houses kinetic, art-making machines by Jean
Tinguely, a Swiss sculptor known for large and playful mechanical pieces.
Next, hop a train to
Bern and head to the Zentrum Paul
Klee to embrace the world’s largest collection of work by one of
Switzerland’s best artists, housed in a rippling Renzo Piano-designed building.
Visit the Kunsmuseum Berne to see the creations of other Swiss artists such as
Ferdinand Holler and Meret Oppenheim, and then dine alongside the Aare River at the Schwellenmatteli, where lamb tangine with plums, cardamom, mint,
and almonds is delicious.
The next stop is Zurich, a city of bankers-and collectors
immersed in a young art scene. The Kunsthaus Zurich is heavy with Swiss masters
like Henry Fuseli, but there are other delights, like Robert Delaunay’s vibrant
“Formers Circulaires: Panneau Mural” and a comprehensive collection of work by
Alberto Giacometti. Take a train one stop to Zurich Hardbrucke to experience
the postindustrial zeitgeist of Zurich West, where artist and architects have
repurposed moribund manufacturing buildings. Lowenbrau Areal is the center of
Zurich’s art scene, a . a converted brewery that houses the Kunsthalle Zurich,
the Migros Museum of contemporary Art, and a handful of contemporary galleries.
Zurich West has an edgy Berlin-like energy. “Some of the
best galleries in Zurich are here,” says bobbie Leigh, a New York-based art
critic who suggests visiting Galerie Bob van Orsouw, Peter Kilchmann Art
Gallery, and Hauser & Wirth. After art-hopping, kick back at Spheres, a bar
or café or bookstore along the Limmat River, or Restaurant Viadukt, a café over
looking Josefwiese, a small city park.
The Snow Cape
THINK of the
Swiss rail system as the ultimate ski lift: It’s the smart way to stitch
together several resorts in one trip. Begin in Zermatt, the holy grail of European winter sports, where
slate-roofed barns sit next to five-star palace hotels. The village is
dominated by the Matterhorn, the
most iconic and mesmerizing Alp of all. You can only get there by train-the
town has always been car-free-and depending on your wallet, you’ll arrive at
your hotel by horse-drawn carriage or electric cart.
Embrace the day by taking a series of aerial trams up to
12,500 feet on the Klein Materhorn and skiing across the Italian border to the resort of Cernivia. After a pasta lunch
and a taste of Italian la dolce vita,
return to Zermatt in time for après-ski frolics. There are raucous bars like
Papperla Pub and little boites such as
Elsie’s, where people in fur coats sip champagne and eat snails after a day on
the pistes (ski runs). Then kick back
at the futuristic Vernissage, a chic
hotel, bar, and gallery.
“Think cuckoo clocks and Toblerone,” says Lizzie Norton, a
Londoner and former ski tour operator who now spends her winters in Zermatt.
“The village has such a traditional and romantic feel. Though it might not be
Europe’s largest ski area, it offers about 80 mountain restaurants to choose
from and the always delicious attraction of lunch in nearby Italy.”
Board the famous Glacier Express in the morning. The ‘express’
is a misnomer, as the train takes nearly eight hours to make the 180-mile trip
to St.Moritz. but since there’s no hurry, get off in Andermatt (which means ‘on the meadow’), a folksy and understated
resort where the average Swiss-not the international crowd-enjoy a simple
winter holiday. It’s short on glamour but long on local customs. Book a room at
the River House and , if there’s
fresh snow, follow the savvier locals to the north-facing bowl on Gemsstock Mountain for powder that
rivals Colorado’s.
Back on the rain, brace for a thrilling ride through the Oberalp Pass, with a high point at
6,770 feet. Disentis is the next
stop; you can see the country’s oldest Benedictine monastery (founded in 720,
rebuilt in the 17th century) from the window. This is the heart of
the Vorderrhein Gorge, which has
been enthusiastically (and somewhat dubiously) dubbed Switzerland’s Grand
Canyon.
St.Moritz, the
classic glamour-puss of Swiss skiing, is indeed grand-if not outlandish. Can
you name another resort where polo matches and horse races take place on a
snow-packed froze winter sports were all but invented here by the British in
1865. In some ways, the town seem to value flash more than its neighbors, but
though the jet set seems to regard the mountains as mere fashion backdrops, you
should head straight to the pistes. Intermediated skiers can try the Corviglia area, while experts should go
for the Corvatsch section and its lengthy run from Piz Corvatsch to Margun Vegl.
If you’re there at just the right time, the snow might appear red, stained by
sand blown up from the sahara.
The Movable Feast
To those who think that the subject of Swiss cuisine
can be summed up in one word-fondue-I say not so fast. In a country with four official languages (French, German, Italian,
and Romansh) culinary traditions reflect a complex national identity.
Put your fondue prejudice aside in Zurich by cruising the food hall of the tony Globus department
store. There’s perch from nearby lakes, organic produce, dozens of sausages, bundnerfleisch (dried beef), and more
varieties of cheese than you can possibly imagine. My favorite spot for breakfast
is within the belle époque splendor of Café Felix, where an omelet with schinken (ham) and Swiss cheese is a
pricey delicacy. Wander into Schober
for the city’s best hot chocolate. Lunch is as simple a s a local weisswurst
from a vendor along Lake Zurich.
The city’s newest food site is Markthalle at Im Viadukt, a
food hall beneath a railroad viadut in Zurich West. The oldest is the elegant
Kronenhalle, where the menu is nearly as seductive as the original works by
Matisse and Picasso on the walls. I prefer the more egalitarian Hiltl, a
vibrant spot that opened in 1898 and claims to be Europe’s oldest vegetarian
restaurant; go for the creative curries.
From Zurich, take a train to Bern, the capital whose gastronomic claim to fame is classic
Emmentaler rosti: cheese melted atop
potatoes. Sounds simple enough, but at Restaurant Brasserie Anker Bern, there
are more than 20 varieties of rosti, incorporating staples such as ham and eggs
and outliers such as bananas and anchovies.
The next stop is Fench-speaking Lausanne, on the hillside overlooking Lake Geneva; its cafes offer
the Gallic cuisine of the canton of Vaud. If you have pockets as deep as Lake
Geneva, try the Anee-Sophie Pic at
the Beau-Rivage Palace, the essence
of modern culinary yart. Or duck into the casual Café du Grutli in the old city
for some of the best fondue in the country, made with Gruyere and Vacherin
Fribourgeois cheeses and perfectly paired with a local white wine such as
St.Saphorin, a prestigious appellation.
“Switzerlnad has preserved one of the best larders in
Europe,” says Alexander Lobrano, a paris-based food writer for the New York
Times. “One of the Old World’s most delicious under-the-radar gastronomic
destinations is the littoral of Lake Geneva, where you can eat everything from addictively
good Malakoffs-cheese beignets-in simple, friendly taverns to some of the
world’s finest haute cuisine.”
For an Italian-influenced culinary tour take a
two-and-a-half-hour rail ride from Zurich to Lugano. With each click south into
the Ticino canton, Switzerland picks up a palpable Mediterranean feel. Italy is
just a few miles away from lakeside Lugano, a fact evident in the
sweets-panettone and orange-flavored amaretti-at the venerable Garand Café Al
Porto pastry shop, which dates from 1803. Pop into Laderach for chocolates, and
slurp a scoop of nocciola (hazelnut)
gelato at la Gelateria.
Europe’s most exuberantly scenic country is tied together by
more than just train tracks. Food, art, a passion for the outdoors, and a
pleasure in the details aren’t mere ides here. They’re Swiss bliss.
Swiss rail aficionado EVERETT
POTTER publishes a blog for travelers in search of value : http://www.everettpotter.com.
Best of the Alps
SWITZERLAND is good for the soul, says Andrew Evans,
traveler’s Digital Nomad, who spent a month exploring the Alps, “I left happily
exhausted, my limbs sore from climbing, my tummy content, and my spirit
elevated,” he says. Here are five travel tips. Read more Digital Nomad dispatches
at digitalnomad.nationalgeographic.com
Switzerland offers more opportunities to east superior chocolate than anywhere else
in the world. One of my favorite shops is Max Chocolatier in Lucerne.
In summer, don’t miss the Geissenkehr, in Zermatt: Each morning and evening for six weeks,
local goatherds lead their long-horned balckneck :glacier goats” through the
Bahnhofstrasse.
Swiss cheese is a
national treasure. Once you’ve tried the beg cheeses (Gruyere, Appenzeller,
Emmentaler), sample a few of my favorites : l’Etivaz, Sbrinz, Bundner Bergkase,
Tilsiter, and Heutaler.
Swiss spas represent a centuries-old holistic healing
tradition, so take the waters. Options abound, from posh spas like the Kronenhof to low-cost public spas fed
by natural springs, like the Bellavita
in Pontresina.
Keep time. The Swiss
railway clock, designed in 1944, is a national icon, present at every train
station and copied by Apple. Buy an official watch and head home on schedule.
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