The forest of Pfyn/Finges, on the French-German language border between Sierre and Leuk, is home to one of Europe’s last large-pine forests. Once the haunt of robbers and highwaymen, it is now a nature paradise prized for its diversity (from insects and amphibians to plants and birds) with rich literary associations. If you can manage […]
Bergamo, Italy: Dolce vita around the corner
Need a dolce vita fix? Located 50km away from the hustle and bustle of Milan, Bergamo is a city full of old-world Italian charm. The city’s defining feature is the ancient hilltop Città Alta (Upper Town) surrounded by the Mura, over 5km of well-preserved Venetian walls. A wander through the cobblestone streets leads to several […]
Weekend in an Italian constellation
If you are planning a weekend away and want to take in some history and enjoy nature, you can find an ample supply of both less than three hours’ drive from Geneva. Nestling in the Piedmont mountains near Turin in northern Italy, in a region called the Via Lattea (or Milky Way), are the villages […]
Delightful boat cruises on Swiss lakes
SPRING-SUMMER-AUTUMN As summer moves into gear, why not take to the water to unwind and enjoy a calmer pace. No one living in the region can be unmoved by the beauty of Lake Léman, Western Europe’s largest lake. Taking one of the six Belle Epoque boats is a wonderful way to get a new perspective […]
The wonderous Val D’Aoste
AOSTE A holiday in Italy conjures up visions of escaping cold, grey winters for a sunnier and warmer clime. The Meteo even reports sunnier weather in Italian-speaking Ticino right here in Switzerland. Nevertheless, just on the other side of the Mont Blanc tunnel, in Italy’s Val d’Aoste, the weather can sometimes be colder than in […]
Burgundy: recycling France’s rail and tow routes
BEAUNE One of the most impressive cycle routes in France is the almost completed circuitous 800km Saône et Loire Voie Verte in Burgundy, built along abandoned railway lines and canal towpaths. Less than two hours from Geneva, this voie verte was begun in 1997 and follows a route away from car traffic through staggeringly beautiful […]
Salève cable car Geneva
SPRING-SUMMER-AUTUMN One of Geneva’s most popular tourist attractions – taking the cable car to the top of the Salève for a panoramic view of the Jet d’Eau – reopens on 5 April 2014 after a shutdown of three months to overhaul its cable system. The two cable cars, which each carry 60 passengers, are the […]
The Jura – the land of yellow wine
Switzerland lies at a wine-making crossroads in Europe. Not only is it home to a diversity of wonderful wines and stunning vineyards, but it also borders some of the richest and most varied wine regions in the world. In this first of a series of articles to learn more about our wine-producing neighbours we hop […]
Great Swiss train journeys: The Glacier Express
ALL YEAR ROUND The Glacier Express might be billed as the slowest express train in the world, taking a leisurely seven and a half hours to travel through southeastern Switzerland, but it is one of the most panoramic train journeys in Europe. The train, which started running in 1930, travels between Zermatt – at the […]
