Complete Itinerary
DAY 1- EN ROUTE TO GENEVA
DAY 2 - ARRIVE GENEVA - ORIENTATION
Take a cab to your hotel. Settle into your hotel which will be centrally located and after freshening up take a stroll through the heart of Geneva.
Draped at the foot of the Jura and the Alps on the westernmost tip of Lake Geneva, this city is the most cosmopolitan and graceful of Swiss cities. Just a stone’s throw from the French border, its grand mansarded mansions stand guard beside the River Rhone, where yachts bob, gulls dive, and Rolls-Royce purr beside manicured promenades
DAY 3– DISCOVER GENEVA
Between the elegant panoramas along the right and left Banks of the Rhone, and the Time-frozen beauty of the Old town, Geneva is easily toured on foot.
Cathedrale St-Pierre. Built during the 12th and 13th centuries, this site is a schizophrenic mix of Classical and Gothic style. From temporal and expansive views you can climb the north tower and south towers and explore the site archaeological.
Collection Baur: This graceful mansion exhibits businessman Alfred Baur’s Asian object collection.
Hotel de Ville (Town Hall): Dating from the 19th century, this still active town hall shelters the Alabama Hall, where on August 22, 1864, the Geneva Convention was designed by 16 countries, laying the foundation of the International Red Cross.
Ile Rousseau (Rousseau Island): This home to a statue of Swiss-born philosopher and local hero.
Mansion Tavel (House Tavel): In the oldest building in town, this gem of a museum presents a vivid, intimate recreation of daily life and urban history.
Monument Brunswick: This stone folly is the high-Victorian Tomb of a duke of Brunswick who left his fortune to Geneva in 1873.
Monument de la Riformation: Conceived on a grand scale between 1909 and 1917, this group of larger-than–life sculptures pays homepage such Protestant pioneers.
Musee d’Art et Histoire: This 1910 landmark displays six rooms furnished in period styles, collections of painting, sculpture, archaeology.
Musee Barbier Mueller: Since 1907 Joseph Mueller and his family have acquired a staggering number of fine “primitive” pieces from Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia.
Musee International de la Croix Rouge: State of the Art media technology illuminates human kindness in the face of the disaster, both natural and man made.
Musee Rath: Geneva’s first museum frequently installs new, top-notch exhibitions and the Russian lieutenant general Simon Rath’s former art holdings.
Palais de Nations: The Council Chamber and Assembly Hall is where, in 1988, Yassir Arafat met with remaining UN delegated when denied U.S. visa.
Place du Bourg-de-Four: This sprawling Old Town once served as a Roman forum and a cattle and wheat market.
Place Neuve: At the major crossroad you’ll see the Grand Theatre, which hosts opera, ballet, and sometimes the Orchestra de la Siusse Romande.
Pont du Mont Blanc: From the middle of this bridge you can see the snowy peak of Mount Blanc. From March to October you’ll have a fine view of the Jet d’Eau, Europe’s tallest mountain.
Site Archeologique: In the 1980s the floors of the Cathedral St-Pierre were lifted and the foundations of previous churches excavated.
Temple de l’ Auditoire: In this former Catholic chapel, Jean Calvin taught missionaries his doctrines of radical, puritanical reform.
Tour de l’Ile: Towering over the main Pont l’Ile this former medieval prison guards the two banks of the Rhone.
Restaurants
L’Ange du Dix Vins (31 rue Jacques Dalphins Carouge tel 022/342 0318)
Young Chef Rene’ Fracheboud dreams up novel, vividly flavored specialties from salmon and zucchini with dried tomatoes and curry oil to veal sweetbreads…
La Mere Royaume (9 Rue de Corps- Saints tel. 022/ 732 7008) The formal main restaurant serves French standards.
Boeuf Rouge (17 Rue Alfred-Vincent tel. 022/7327537)
In a kitsch-packed fin-de siecle setting, this cosy and popular spot delivers the real thing: unadulterated Lyonnaise cuisine.
La favola (15 rue Jean Calvin tel. 022/ 3117437) this quirky little restaurant may be the most picturesque in town. The food aptly mixes country simple and city chic.
GENEVA COUNTRYSIDE
HALF DAY EXCURSION WITH WINE TASTING
Discover the bucolic delight of the Genevan countryside with its elegant meadows, fields, rivers, forests and famous vineyards. Welcoming villages that have succeeded in preserving all their original charm lie just a short distance from the sophisticated, cosmopolitan city. A visit to a wine cellar, where the proprietor will be proud to let you taste his best vintages, is, of course, a must of this tour.
OTHER POSSIBILITIES: CHOCOLATE FACTORY
Not far from the Chateau de Prangins lies the Rapp Chocolate factory and laboratory.
Here you will be introduced to the history of chocolate farm Christopher Columbus to present times. You will have also the possibility of participating in chocolate production and tasting, and received a wellearned diploma to reward you for your efforts.
CHILLON CASTLE AND MONTREUX
Stroll along the flower-lined quayside in Montreux and visit the best-known castle in Switzerland. Chillon castle was built in the 13th century on Roman foundations and it was the residence of thee Counts of Savoy throughout the Middle Ages. Originally it was a fortress, but it has undergone many transformations to keep up with the evolution of both offensive and defensive weaponry. Other alterations have been made during the ages to improve and embellish castle life. Saunter along the same corridors that emperors, popes, princes and many other famous historical figures once frequented.
OPTIONAL EXCURSION:
YVOIRE (FRANCE)
After following the left bank of Lake Geneva, with its elegant residences, and passing through the picturesque old fishing village of Hermance, you will arrive to Yvoire. This is an attractive, medieval town with its fortifications, paved streets bordered by a multitude of small craft boutiques and numerous restaurants whose specialty is fish. You are sure to fall under the spell of the chateau, floral displays and small port.
DAY 4 and 5 - BERNE
Berne is the capital of Switzerland. There are so many attractions to visit, as the Rosaraie-garden, the Bear pit, the fountains, the arcades of the old town, the federal palace, and the Clock Tower.
Visit the Heiliggeiskirche (church of the Holy spirit). This broad Baroque edifice, finished in 1729, stands at odds with both the modern and the medieval in Bern.
Then continue towards the Kafigturm (prison tower) A city entrance dating from the 13th and 14th century which served as a prison in 1897. Now it houses a small museum that charts the economic and cultural life.
Continue your tour leading to Zytgloggeturm (Clock tower). This mighty landmark, Bern’s oldest building, was built as a city gate in 1191 but transformed by the addition of an astronomical clock in 1530.
After visiting this clock tower cross the Kirchenfelbridge and walk towards the part of the city where all the museums are concentrated. The Swiss Alpin Museum, the Art Gallery, the Historical Museum, Swiss Rifle Museum, Natural History Museum, Swiss Postal and Telecommunications Museum.
Restaurants
Zum Rathaus (Rathauspl.5 tel. 031/311 6183) is casual and comfortable, with candle light and classical music. Closed Sun. and Mon.
Della casa (Schauplatzg. 16 tel. 031/ 3112142) It’s an unofficial Parliament headquarters, with generous local and Italian specialties. Closed Sun.
Harmonie (Hotelg.3 tel. 031/3113840). This leaded-glass and old wood café-restaurant serves inexpensive basics alongside pricier heavy-meat dinner.
Zunft zur Webern (Gerechtigkeitsg. 68 tel. 031/311 4258) The cuisine reflects the sophisticated décor, with generous portions.
Brasserie zum Barengraben (Muristalden 1 tel. 031/3314218) The menu offers many old-style basics and wonderful pastries. Inexpensive.
DAY 6, 7 – LUZERN
An hour south of Basel and Zürich, and boasting invigorating mountain views, lake cruises and a picturesque old quarter, LUZERN (Lucerne in French and English, Lucerna in Italian) has long been one of Europe’s most heavily touristy towns. When Queen Victoria came for a long holiday in August 1868 (checking in under a pseudonym), the town was already renowned, and a century of steady growth has resulted these days in five million admirers passing through each year. Tourism is the leading source of income, and yet the city has adeptly managed to retain all of its charm.
THE RIVER REUSS, THE PILATUSSTRASSE AND THE WASSERTURM
The River Reuss splits the town, flowing rapidly out of the northwestern end of the lake. River banks on both sides are clustered with medieval squares, frescoed houses, ancient guildhalls, churches and chapels, and filled with a liveliness that belies the city’s age. There are also very interesting and rich museums to visit as the Picasso gallery, the impressive Verkehrshaus (Transport Museum) or walk in between the medieval battlements, and exploring cobbled alleys and hidden garden courtyards.
But Luzern is no museum piece; cafés culture is treasured by the city’s large population of young people, and at midnight on a weekend night, the main Pilatusstrasse boulevard has the feel of any European capital, with people bar-hopping, waiting for the last bus, or hanging out deciding where to go. Whether you’re charmed by Luzern’s sense of history and tradition, or by the misty lake at its doorstep and the snow-capped Pilatus rising above, or even by its nightlife, charmed is what you’ll be.
Remains of Luzern’s medieval prosperity can be seen in the frescoed facades of its Old Town and the two covered wooden bridges spanning the River Reuss.
Any tour of Luzern must begin with the fourteenth-century covered Kapellbrücke, the oldest road bridge in Europe, angled around the octagonal mid-river Wasserturm.
The principal historical interest of the bridge lay in its collection of double-sided triangular roof panels, painted in the seventeenth century with scenes from the city’s past and present – of the 111 panels, 65 were entirely ruined and had to be replaced with facsimiles, 30 were restored, and the remainder still remain charred and impossible to make out. Each is numbered, and captioned with rhyming couplets, the idiosyncratic local dialect written out in obscure medieval gothic script. The most distinctive image is panel no. 31, which shows William Tell shooting the apple from his son’s head, but it’s fun to work your way slowly along.
Continue your walk downstream and reach the Spreuerbrücke, which is also worth a look for its macabre “Dance of Death” roof panels.
THE OLDTOWN, THE LION MONUMENT AND THE HOFKIRCHE
The north bank of the Reuss is home to the Old Town’s compact cluster of medieval houses, with Mühlenplatz, Weinmarkt, Hirschenplatz and Kornmarkt forming an ensemble of cobbled, fountained squares ringed by colourful facades. Modern commerce is definitely the motive force of the place these days, and it takes some imagination to conjure up the Middle Ages amidst the welter of shoppers and high-street brand-names.
Kapellplatz, at the bridgehead of the Kapellbrücke, encircles the tiny eighteenth-century St-Peterskapelle, built over a predecessor dating from as early as 1178. Some 150m west is Kornmarkt, site of the medieval public marketplace. On one side, overlooking the riverside market area of Unter der Egg, is the huge Rathaus, completed in 1606 in Italian Renaissance style but crowned with an oddly incongruous Emmentaler-style roof. The market atmosphere survives today, with stalls selling vegetables, fish and flowers beneath the arcades along Unter der Egg doing a roaring trade every Tuesday and Saturday morning. Kornmarktgasse runs west to the atmospheric frescoed Weinmarkt, where Passion Plays were staged in the late Middle Ages.
Just off Kornmarkt, at Furrengasse 21, is Am Rhyn-Haus, an old restored building now housing the fascinating Picasso Museum (daily: April–Oct 10am–6pm; Nov–March 11am–1pm & 2–4pm; Fr.6; SMP). The whole collection was donated to the city by the Rosengart family, friends of the artist.
THE LION MONUMENT
Just northeast of Löwenplatz is one of the highlights of Luzern, the terribly sad Lion Monument. This dying beast draped over his shield, with a broken spear sticking out of his flank, was hewn out of a cliff face in 1821 to commemorate the 700 Swiss mercenaries killed in Paris in 1792. On August 10 that year, French revolutionaries stormed the royal palace, the Tuileries; in the face of the mob, the Swiss palace guards were ordered to lay down their arms by Louis XVI and were subsequently massacred. This would be a movingly tranquil spot, with its foliage and gently rippling pool in front, were it not for the fact that it’s the single most touristed place in the entire city.
Adjacent are a handful of nineteenth-century tourist attractions, quaint and rather old-fashioned today. The Gletschergarten, Denkmalstrasse 4 (Glacier Garden; May to mid-Oct daily 8am–6pm; March, April & mid-Oct to mid-Nov daily 9am–5pm; mid-Nov to Feb Tues–Sun 10.30am–4.30pm; Fr.8; SMP; www.gletschergarten.ch), holds within its grounds a rather fusty museum displaying old relief maps of Luzern and Switzerland; a fascinating Mirror Maze built for the Swiss National Expo in 1896 and recently restored in mock-Moorish style; and a set of geological potholes telling of the subtropical ocean beach that was Luzern twenty million years ago.
THE HOFKIRCHE
Busy Löwenstrasse runs south from Löwenplatz to the riverside; just before you reach the Schweizerhofquai, the arrow-straight St-Leodegarstrasse cuts east to broad steps leading up to the Hofkirche (Sat–Thurs 10am–noon & 2–5pm). This grand structure sits on the site of the first monastery of Luzern, which dated from the mid-eighth century and was dedicated to St-Leodegar, or St Leger. The Romanesque church which replaced the monastery in the late twelfth century was burned to the ground on Easter Sunday 1633, the blaze reputedly sparked by the verger’s careless shooting at birds. Only its twin towers escaped, and they survive today either side of a bizarrely incongruous Renaissance gable. The impressive main doors are carved with the two patron saints of Luzern: on the left is St Leger, a French bishop who was blinded with a drill (which he is holding), and on the right is St Maurice, the martyred Roman soldier-saint.
The interior design and furniture are almost wholly original Renaissance from the 1630s and 1640s, a unity very rarely found in Swiss or European churches, a large proportion of which underwent renovation and embellishment during the later Baroque period. On the right, elaborate pews divided into individual seats were reserved for city councillors, while the plainer pews on the left were for the rank and file. Behind the exceptionally fine choir screen – one of the earliest examples of strong three-dimensional perspective used to draw the congregation’s attention forward – is the high altar in black marble, flanked by statues of the two patron saints. Above the Italianate depiction of the Agony at Gethsemane is a half-length figure of God. The carved choir stalls, as well as the beautiful pulpit, are the work of Niklaus Geissler. Against the north wall (left) is the extraordinarily lavish Death of the Virgin altar, showing Mary on a bed surrounded by disciples: dating from around 1500, this was the only relic to survive the 1633 fire. The mighty organ, bedecked in ornament, features 2826 pipes, along with a machine to mimic the sound of rain and a special register for thunder and hail.
The church is set amidst a lovely Italianate cloister, lined with the graves of Luzerner patrician families (who continue to be buried here to this day). Old houses all around the church still serve as the homes for canons of the parish. Just west of the church is the ancient Rothenburgerhaus, a teetering pile that’s generally held to be one of the oldest wooden townhouses in the country, dating from about 1500. On the slopes north of the church is the old cemetery, now a public park, while about 500m further north on the hilltop is the Capuchin monastery of Wesemlin, founded in 1584 and still functioning as the principal seat of the order in Switzerland.
THE SOUTH BANK
On the south bank of the Reuss is a triangular area known as the Kleinstadt, originally walled. Facing Unter der Egg is the huge Jesuitenkirche, dominating the riverside with its twin onion-domed towers. Completed in 1673, its astonishing interior is a frothy Rococo concoction of gilt stucco and marble. Among the profusion of frescoes is one on the ceiling that, intriguingly, depicts the church exterior as it was 300 years ago. A few steps west is the Rittersche palace, built in 1557 in Florentine Renaissance style as a private mansion but now the seat of Luzern’s cantonal government. Behind it to the south is the Franziskanerkirche (Franciscan Church), the oldest building in Luzern, dating from 1270. A marvellous Baroque side chapel is decorated with Italianate stucco and a host of kitschy, curly-haired angels.
Peaceful Pfistergasse curves to meet the south side of the Spreuerbrücke, where you’ll also spot the stout old town arsenal, now home to the Historisches Museum (Tues–Fri 10am–noon & 2–5pm, Sat & Sun 10am–5pm; Fr.4; SMP; www.hmluzern.ch).
Due for reopening in 2000, Luzern’s Kunstmuseum is right beside the station at Robert-Zünd Strasse 1, with plenty of works from Swiss artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as collections covering modernism and contemporary art.
EATING AND DRINKING
Luzern has a fine range of eating and drinking venues covering all budgets – the crowded, generic places that are in plain view tend to be least interesting, but a small amount of backstreet searching will turn up plenty of more rewarding places.
Local specialities to keep an eye out for are led by the celebrated Luzerner Kügelipastete – many Old Town restaurants spell it out in dialect along the lines of Lozärner Chögalipaschtetli, also often prefixed by ächti (authentic). This heartwarming, stomach-lining dish is a glorified vol-au-vent, a large puff-pastry shell filled with a super-rich concoction of diced veal and mushrooms in a creamy sauce – veggie versions omitting the veal aren’t hard to find. Otherwise, fish is the thing, in endless varieties: you’ll see Forellen (trout), Egli (perch), Felchen (a kind of white fish) and Hecht (pike) on most menus, virtually all of it plucked fresh from the lake – as witnessed by the stalls groaning with finny gogglers in the twice-weekly Old Town markets.
Wash it all down either with a Kaffee fertig, a coffee laced with Schnapps, or a Kafi Luz, traditionally seen in Canton Luzern outside the city but nowadays easy to find in the Old Town cafés. The right way to make one is to put a five-franc coin in a vase-shaped glass, pour hot coffee in until you can’t see the coin, then add Schnapps until the coin becomes visible again. Stir in two large spoons of sugar, and you have the perfect farmers’ pick-me-up.
RESTAURANTS
Wilden Mann (Bahnhofstr. 30) the cooking it’s outstanding.
Galliker (Schutzenstr. 1) Real traditional food is served following old recipes.
Rebstock/Hofstube (St. Leodegarstr. 3) Offers modern, international fare. Cheap.
La Vogue (Hotel des Balances- Metzberrainle 7) chic, upscale restaurant is the best in the city.
DAY 8, 9 - ZURICH
If you stroll around Zurich you will find an incredible atmosphere that maybe it was unexpected as is consider one of the great business centers of the world.
Start your tour from Bahnhofstrasse (leave Hauptbahnhof behind you) which is Zurich’s principal street. It is renowed for world-class shopping, cafes, and the banking center.
Below this street bank vaults house one of the world great treasure troves: Zurich is a leading international precious-metals market.
Cross to the left at Kuttleg. and lead to Lindenhof where on the quiet square are the remains of the original Roman customs house and fortress , and the imperial medieval residence. Continue leading to Peterskirche which is consider the oldest parish church in the town. Has a 13th century tower , and the largest clock face in Europe.
After visiting the church, go toward Fraumunster topped by Zurich’s signature church spire, has Romanesque or Pre-Gothic choir graced by stained glass windowsby Chagall. In the same square near the bridge there is the Zunfthaus zur Meisen: this Barouque guildhall houses the Landesmuseum’s exquisite ceramics collections.
Cross the Munsterbridge and visit the Wasserkirche (Water Church) one of Switzerland’s most delicate late Gothic structures. Next to this church is the Helmhaus, an exhibit space and fine art bookstore.
Taking the Limmatquai strasse and leaving the river on your left side, stroll along this street where you can admire some of Zurich’s most enchanting old buildings, mostly restaurant today. Before arriving to the second bridge on your right you will see the Rathaus (Town Hall) which is a striking Baroque building dated from the 17th century.
Visit Zurich’s nightlife center called Niederdorf with its narrow streets filled with eclectic shops, bistros, and the city’s opera house and historis theatre.
Lead to the Altstadt which is Zurich’s old town with well-preserved streets.
Along Rindermart, Napfplatz, and Kirchgasse you’ll find charming old houses.
Visit the Grossmunster where during the 3rd century AD St. Felix and his sister were martyred nearby the Romans.
One of the best Medieval, Baroque, Impressionist paintings are conserved in
Kunshaus Museum which is worth to visit. In front of the museum, just cross the road, there is the Schauspielhaus which was the only German-Language theatre during World War II.
RESTAURANTS
La Rotonde (Dolder Grand Hotel, Kurhausstr. 65) is consider one of the most romantic restaurant in all Zurich. Expensive but really good.
Konigstuhl (Stussihofsttat 3) irriverent cuisine, is a complex of a bar, bistro, and first class restaurant. Expensive.
Bierhalle Kropf (In Gassen 16) Tasty traditional food.
Zeughauskeller (Bahnhostr.28) this restaurant offers hearty meat platters and a variety of beers and wines. No credits card.
Zunfthaus zur Schmiden (Marktg. 20) Gothic wood, leaded glass, and tile stoves justify a visit to this popular landmark. All classics are served in enormous portions.
Mere Catherine (Nagelihof 3) Popular French-style bistro. The clientele is young , bohemian, and sociable.
Optional: SIDE TRIP FROM ZURICH – LEICHTENSTEIN (one day)
Just 50 miles southeast on the Austrian Border, this miniature principalty covers a scant 158 square km.
Leichtenstein is green and montanious, with vineyards climbing its slopes.Visit Vaduz: in fairy-tale, Prince Johannes Adam Pius still lives in the Castle, a massive 16 century fortress perched high in a cliff above the city. In the modern town center head for the Tourist informationt have your passport stamped with Leichtenstein crown. Uptairs there’s the Prince’s Art Gallery and State Art collection. On the same floor is the Postage Stamp Museum.
RESTAURANT
Wirthschaft zum Lowen (Schellenbberg) traditional food, plus lovely meats and the local crusty, chewy bread.
Lead to Schaan, just north of Valduz and visit the Roman Excavations and the parish church built on the foundations of a Roman fort. Drive up the chalets of pictoresque Triesenberg for a spectacular views of the Rhine Valley.
DAY 10 – FLY HOME
Pricing
Based on charming 3 star boutique hotels €4,633
Based on First Class 4 star hotels €5,195
Based on Luxury 5 star hotels please inquire
|
