Switzerland and the Grand Tour
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BACK in Victorian times, when young men had completed their education, they were sent on the “Grand Tour” of Europe (maybe the origin of the gap year?) It was some time before young ladies could go.
The advent of railways helped, but it still took some period of time to travel around, with a large accompaniment of luggage. This is how we Brits started off tourism.
The Swiss have re-invented the Grand Tour by car (1600 kms – 1000 miles) or by train. The idea is to cover a lot of the country and see the contrasting cultures and countrysides of this wonderful country. Switzerland is quite easy for us to get to, you can drive and then use your car for the tour when you are there, fly (I did so using Lufthansa from Aberdeen changing at Frankfurt – the most economical flight of all that I checked and Frankfurt connections are very good and easy) or go all the way by train – although this will take more than a day from here! Once you are in the country, getting about is easy.
The trains are not as we know trains. There is a regular interval timetable throughout the country; everything connects seamlessly – boats, buses, trains, cable cars, and funiculars. Tickets for all transport is also simple – look at www.myswitzerland.com for various cards. The Grand Train Tour includes the many luxury trains that link the most popular and spectacular areas, like the Golden Pass train.
Switzerland is split into four distinct regional, cultural and geographic areas, each with its own fiercely maintained identity and language – but all cemented together by being Swiss to the core.
The first area visited was the French speaking one. This is focused on the north shore of Lac Leman – or the Lake of Geneva. Surrounding it is France, including across the lake, with mountains separating it from the German speaking part. I stayed at the Hostellerie Bon Rivage at the little town of La Tour de Peilz, between Vevey and Montreux.
The whole coast line is backed by intricate vineyards, which thrive in the mild climate. The special weather has attracted very many famous people to live here, with statues along the shore of many, including Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury. In the casino at Montreux there is a Queen “museum” – it is their recording studio, memorabilia, film, and is free to enter. It is very popular with Queen fans.
Music events are throughout the year, including the famous Jazz Festival, and the first ever Eurovision Song Contest broadcast was held here in Montreux in 1954, soon leading to the Song Contest in 1956 in Lugano. .
The area is so French; at times you cannot believe that you are in Switzerland. The little villages have old houses jumbled together, with ancient communal wine presses, and the “lavoire” which is a communal open sided building with a large stone water tank, often with two compartments (wash and rinse) where the local ladies did the laundry. The wines are superb.
You can take the train or the boat (the steam paddle boats are elegant, stylish, luxury) to Rivaz. From the landing stage or the railway station next to it, walk about 5 minutes along the coast road to Lavaux Vinorama. This is where 150 local producers showcase 250 varieties of their wines. See www.lavaux-vinorama.ch The main variety of grape is the Chasselas, white wine being about 75% of production, but the red wines are also delicious. There is a prize wining film show as well, also in English.
Rising up from the lake and through its terraced vines (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) are steep hills, often culminating in peaks that are conquered in true Swiss style by mountain railways or funiculars – or you can walk using the dense network of yellow signposted walks. The tranquillity of the high mountains contrasts totally with the hustle and bustle of the cities like Lausanne or Montreux, or the charm of Vevey with its ancient streets and “Grand Place” market place on the shore.
If you want to buy, say, a German Swiss newspaper, you will struggle. Everything is in French, or English. The people speak French or English as well, and on the stately majestic fleet of paddle steamers on the lake, all the announcements are exclusively in French – unlike on the boats on the lake of the next port of call – Central Switzerland.
The location chosen was Luzern – my favourite and so central for visiting any area of Switzerland. The hotel Rebstock is centrally placed next to the massive and ancient church of St. Leodegar whose bells toll the quarter hour and chime the full hours.
The hotel cuisine is superb, and specialises in local produce for all the good reasons of cutting down on “food miles”, saving the environment and supporting local people. A wine was offered, a Pinot Noir produced by Weinbau Toni Offiger, from Kastanienbaum – just across the lake – the waiter could point to it! I had not thought that this area of the country produced much in the way of wine – but I was wrong – it is superb wine!
The character of the people here is different again. German, or Swiss-German, is spoken, which is a very strong dialect, or English – no-one will speak French to you, and you cannot buy French books or newspapers here! On the super boats on the lake, as on the lake at Interlaken, the announcements are in several languages, including English of course. The mountains are massive, steep and stark.
The German speaking Swiss seem somehow more crisp and efficient, more “Germanic” I suppose! The houses and villages are picture postcard beautiful, colourful, well set out and orderly. There are many specialities here, like Rosti, (potatoes fried with cream and so on ) Alpler magronen (macaroni cheese, potatoes, cream, onions) and Gulash soup. These are all hearty filling meals, reflecting the mountain climate.
Luzern also specialises in “Nuss Stengel”. These are like sausage rolls, but the filling is ground nuts. Hug make the best, stock up on them if you see them as they are soon sold out!
From Luzern a special train runs over the high Brunig Pass, down into Meiringen (made famous by Sherlock Holmes and his final battle with Morriarty, and also where Meringues were invented) and on to Interlaken. From here you can go up to the Jungfrau – by train of course. This is the highest railway station in Europe.
The train is also the best way to go to the next part of Switzerland – the Ticino, the Italian speaking part. The Gotthard train ride is spectacular. The train leaves the lake of Luzern and climbs constantly, twisting and turning, to then plunge into the tunnel under the Gotthard Pass, to emerge into strikingly bright sunshine.
It is typical of the Swiss that if you take a train from Geneva airport, the announcements are in French, German Italian. After Bern they are in German, French Italian, after the Gotthard they are in Italian, German, French. Also the announcements are preceded by a “bing bong bing” or “bing bing bong” or “bong bing bong” depending where you are in the country. The Swiss are very careful to maintain their equality between the different and individual parts of their country.
In the Ticino you are certainly in a different country. Italian is spoken, or English – not German or Swiss – German! The light is different. The mountains are covered in chestnut trees. The towns have that slightly dusty haphazard look typical of Italy. There are also many vineyards and the Ticino wines are also very good. They are produced in greater quantities too and even exported.
There are lakes here too, also with superb boats and some paddle steamers, often having Italy across the lake to add to the adventure of a voyage. There is even a small island, Italian, close to the Swiss coast on Lake Lugano, that has a casino on it and where the currency is still the Swiss Franc! This anachronism in today’s global age is Campione d’Italia.
The towns along the many lakes of the Ticino are charming, clustered around the lakeside, with much more of the café culture. There are restaurants with tables and chairs outside everywhere, with the rapid fire chatter of Italian across rosy red wine glasses and typically Italian food. The architecture is Mediterranean, and palm trees abound.
Locarno or beautiful Ascona on Lago Maggiore (most of which is in Italy) are towns where you just naturally relax. Sipping chilled white wine on a terrace watching that special Ticino light glittering magically off the rippling lake water is an experience not to be missed. This natural warm relaxed climate has its effect on the people here, far removed from the brisk efficient people of, say, Zurich or Basel away in the north.
The fourth and final part of Switzerland is the Graubunden. This area is in the south east and seems like it is self contained. It has its own extensive railway, the Rhatishe Bahn which is metre gauge and runs exclusively in this canton. It has luxury Pullman cars, wonderful trains like the Bernina Express, which are certainly not fast “Expresses” but then who wants to speed along and miss the spectacular scenery?
The Graubunden has 1,000 peaks, 150 valleys, and 615 lakes. The mountains are all severe and jagged and usually bare. The Railway performs lifeline services, especially in winter, and keeps going through some fierce snow and ice conditions. The people speak yet another language – Romansch (and English of course) The Graubunden has such famous towns as Klosters, St. Moritz, Davos and Arosa, places where the rich, famous and Royalty visit frequently for the skiing and the social life.
One not-to-be-missed railway journey is over the Bernina (the Piz Bernina mountain is 4049 metres above sea level) where the train crosses barren grey rock fields, to descend down to the Italian town of Tirano, running down a street and across a main square in front of an ancient church, to reach the station which it shares with Italian State Railways.
The Graubunden is bordered by Italy and Austria and the Swiss German part of Switzerland. Its situation, hemmed in by severe mountains, not on through routes to anywhere, and its strong identity, has reflected in the character of its people. They are self reliant, confident, hardy people, maybe a little reserved, but always willing to chat and help if you want directions or advice. In the north of the canton, there is Heidi’s village.
The story of Heidi, her grandfather and Peter the shepherd boy has charmed generations of children. The story was written by Johanna Spyri based on the mountain here and the village of Maienfeld. Across the valley is the spectacular hotel Bad Ragaz, where the thermal mineral spring has been harnessed. It is an interesting place to visit and children always love the Heidi story, especially when you can go up and see goats and her house and the meadows that she loved with their carpet of wild flowers.
By the way, the Graubunden also has its own wines, but in small scale production.
Switzerland – well worth doing a Grand Tour to be constantly surprised by all the variety. It is a small country, with just over 8 million people, the largest concentration of whom are in the Zurich region. There is just so much diversity and character to find – all held together by being proudly Swiss. www.myswitzerland.com will reveal loads of information and tips and offers – and you cannot beat the Swiss travel system, all designed to make life easier when you want to get around their country.
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