Tour Switzerland's highest mountain and most beautiful lakes by train and ride the famous Glacier Express from Andermatt to Zermatt. Other fabulous stops on the roundtrip tour from Zurich include Lausanne and Lucerne. The trip can also be taken by rental car.
This trip will be customized according to your wishes.
The city at the northern end of Lake Zurich began as a Roman settlement called Turicum. Zurich didn't become a free city until the 13th century, and shortly after that joined the newly established Swiss Confederation.
The town's rise to prominence began during the era of Protestant reformer Ulrich Zwingli, who lived in Zurich from 1484 to 1531 and laid the foundation for the emergence of a Puritan-capitalistic culture. Today Zurich is one of the world's richest cities in terms of per capita income and its citizens enjoy the best quality of life in the world according to a survey conducted in 2007. Millionaires and billionaires from around the globe have established a residence in the city because of Swiss bank privacy laws and the country's low tax rate. Yet Zurich has much more to offer than secret bank accounts and low taxes: an attractive old town with chic cafés and bars, over 40 museums, and the famous Bahnhofsstrasse, one of the most elegant shopping avenues in Europe.
The small hotel in the centre of Zurich prides itself as an “oasis of tranquillity” in the heart of the city, and indeed the ability to relax in the secluded garden next to the Neptune fountain dating back to 1770 is one of the many features that set this property apart.
The small hotel with 35 individually decorated bedrooms offers convenience and comfort on the highest level. Lovers of wine and gourmet cooking will appreciate the restaurant's market-fresh cuisine and exquisite wine cellar. The pleasant oasis in the bustling city is the ideal refuge after a hard day of sightseeing in the nearby Old Town.
The trip will take you high up into the Uri Mountains to the north end of the St. Gotthard Pass at Göschenen. You can either switch to a local train for the 7 km stretch from Göschenen to Andermatt or take a taxi.
Your train tickets will not be booked by Umfulana. Please book online on www.sbb.ch. Alternatively you can book on www.raileurope.com, where prices will be displayed in most currencies, but tend to be more expensive than on the the local provider's website. Another option is to purchase your ticket on arrival at the station.
For many centuries Andermatt was situated at the premier crossroads for both north-south and east-west traffic across the Alps.
The ancient Swiss town lies at the center of four key Alpine passes: the Gotthard Pass to southern Switzerland, the Göscheneralp Pass to north-central Switzerland, the stunning Furka Pass to the Rhone Valley in the west, and the Oberalp Pass to the Rhine Valley. Many gorgeous Alpine drives of various length and difficulty can be taken from Andermatt. A relatively unchallenging yet scenic excursion is the three-passes panoramic drive around the Rhone Glacier, either in your own car or in one of the canary-yellow Post buses. A truly unforgettable experience is a ride on the Furka Steam Train from Realp to Oberwald.
In the beautiful village of Andermatt, directly on the Reuss river and close to the Gotthard massif, stands the 300-year-old building which now houses a boutique hotel.
During its renovation, the old charm was consciously preserved – old materials such as wood panelling, beams and masonry were combined with modern elements in high-quality design. Each of the three categories offers rooms that have been furnished with a lot of attention to detail. Their design was influenced by Feng Shui and their alpine environment. In the morning a rich Breakfast buffet with many local products awaits and provides a perfect start into the day. In the bar of the hotel, one can not only choose from 30 types of whisky, but there are also regular special events around the topic of single malts.
You will take the scenic Glacier Express, the famous Alpine train line that connects Zermatt and St. Moritz. The complete trip from end to end passes through nearly 100 tunnels and crosses about 300 bridges. Although called an “express”, the train actually travels very slowly, requiring over 7 hours for the entire 270 km stretch.
Your train tickets will not be booked by Umfulana. Please book online on www.sbb.ch. Alternatively you can book on www.raileurope.com, where prices will be displayed in most currencies, but tend to be more expensive than on the the local provider's website. Another option is to purchase your ticket on arrival at the station.
The town at the end of the Mattertal has around 5,000 inhabitants and is situated at 1,600 m (5,250 ft.) above sea level.
Zermatt's world-wide renown stems from its proximity to the Matterhorn, the mountain of mountains and most famous landmark in the Alps. Anyone who has ever stood before the mighty peak knows that even the most enthusiastic description will fail to capture its true majesty. The mountain was first scaled by a party of Brits using local guides in 1865. In their rush to beat another party to the top one of the climbers slipped and caused three others to fall to their deaths. The trio are buried in the churchyard next to an English chapel in Zermatt set aside for them and the numerous other Brits who subsequently died attempting to scale the mountain. Climbs to the peak of the Matterhorn are almost a matter of course today. About 3,000 mountaineers attempt the ascent each year, sometimes even leading to overcrowding on the main routes. The Gorner Valley south-east of Zermatt boasts the highest cog railway in Europe. The higher you go the more incredible the views of the Matterhorn become.
The town of Zermatt is closed to private vehicles. Visitors must leave their cars at the free car park and take the train to the city.
Red and zebra is the surprisingly attractive colour combination that greets guests to this tastefully decorated hotel, in which every room is different, and every room features a carefully coordinated colour scheme.
As guests will happily discover, the entire property has been thoughtfully designed to please the body and soul, from the gourmet restaurant in the warm, wood-panelled dining room to the full three levels of swimming pool and spa facilities. The extraordinary hotel endeavours to make a stay there an intrinsic part of the Zermatt experience. And it succeeds.
After the short trip in a regional train from Zermatt to Visp, you will switch to an inter-regional train for the journey through the upper Rhone Valley to Lake Geneva.
Your train tickets will not be booked by Umfulana. Please book online on www.sbb.ch. Alternatively you can book on www.raileurope.com, where prices will be displayed in most currencies, but tend to be more expensive than on the the local provider's website. Another option is to purchase your ticket on arrival at the station.
The Romans had already founded a settlement called Lusona on the sunny northern shore of Lake Geneva. Today Lausanne is the centre of the “Swiss Riviera” and attracts visitors from all over the world with its enchanting old town and international flair.
In a way, Lausanne is even the cradle of tourism. The hotel school is the oldest in the world. A jewel is the early Gothic cathedral Notre-Dame, which is considered the most beautiful building from the pre-Swiss Habsburg period.
The castle-like mansion stands directly on the shore of Lake Geneva. The oldest part of the building, the tower, was built in 1170 by the Bishop of Lausanne.
Over the centuries the fortified residence housed a succession of bishops before eventually falling into disrepair in the 17th century after being damaged by a fire. Today the expertly restored chateau is a small luxury hotel that combines first-class service with a first-class location. Guests can relax in the private swimming pool, the sauna, the Mediterranean restaurant or the lake-view terrace.
The stretch will take you across the central Swiss Plateau past the capital of Bern with the Jura Mountains on your left and the Alps on your right.
Your train tickets will not be booked by Umfulana. Please book online on www.sbb.ch. Alternatively you can book on www.raileurope.com, where prices will be displayed in most currencies, but tend to be more expensive than on the the local provider's website. Another option is to purchase your ticket on arrival at the station.
Located in the heart of old Switzerland, Lake Lucerne borders on and is surrounded by the three original Swiss cantons: Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden.
The area around the lake played an important role in the national and political myths and legends, among others those of the Swiss national hero Wilhelm Tell. Due to the reflection of the Alpine mountains in the water, Lake Lucerne is widely regarded as the most beautiful lake in Switzerland. The best way to experience the cross-shaped lake, originally formed by a glacier, is by taking a ride on one of the paddle steamers or cruise boats that connect Lucerne, Brunnen and Flüelen. A number of marked hiking paths of varying length and difficulty are located on the southern side of the lake at the foot of the Alps. Highly recommended are the cable car or cogwheel railway to one of the viewpoints on the summits of Mount Pilatus, Rigi or Stanserhorn.
The unique hotel was constructed of seven carefully restored buildings in the medieval old town of Lucerne. Every room in the inn has a character of its own, which makes guests feel as if they were staying in a private home rather than a hotel.
The restaurant specializes in French cuisine, and during the summer months meals are served on the rooftop terrace overlooking the irregular medieval townscape of Lucerne and the lake beyond.
You will travel through the gently rolling hills of central Switzerland around Lake Zug and on to the western shore of Lake Zurich.
Your train tickets will not be booked by Umfulana. Please book online on www.sbb.ch. Alternatively you can book on www.raileurope.com, where prices will be displayed in most currencies, but tend to be more expensive than on the the local provider's website. Another option is to purchase your ticket on arrival at the station.
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