Stay at a hotel only accessible by cable car on a tour of the spectacular Alpine landscapes of Western Switzerland. The round-trip tour from Zurich includes Switzerland's highest mountain, deepest valley and most stunning lakes.
This trip will be customized according to your wishes.
Broker: Sunny Cars GmbH
Company: Europcar
Vehicle: VW Golf or similar (CDMR)
Location: Zurich Airport (Desk at Airport)
The scenic journey will take you along the northwest side of Lake Zurich, the western shore of Lake Zug and the southeast end of Lake Lucerne on your way through the Canton of Schwyz.
You will then head high up into the Uri Mountains to the St. Gotthard Pass. If time allows you should take the old St. Gotthard Road (Route 2), an ancient trade route that runs parallel to the motorway.
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.
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.
French lifestyle, international culture and an unsurpassed beautiful location on the lake with the same name makes Geneva one of the most livable cities in Switzerland – but also one of the most expensive!
World history was written in Geneva during the Reformation, when the reformer Calvin introduced a harsh and strict church discipline in the city. While dancing, drinking and singing were banned, Calvin allowed an interest-based economy, which was forbidden to Christians in Catholic surroundings at that time. As a result Geneva became an important trade- and banking center. Today, 200 international organizations have their headquarters in Geneva. More than 40% of the inhabitants are foreign nationals. Landmarks in Geneva are the lakefront and the Rhone, on whose bank the three-towered cathedral is located.
The B&B is situated on a large green plot in a rural atmosphere in Petit-Saconnex, a quiet part of Geneva. Alain and Sylvie first renovated the former home of Sylvie's grandparents in 2012, which was built in 1923 and is now a listed building like many other houses in the neighbourhood.
After moving in with their children in 2013, they decided to convert an outbuilding into a guest house. Today, the hosts offer three tastefully furnished rooms, whose design takes up typical Swiss themes (mountains, lakes and pastures). All rooms are equipped with a kitchenette, in addition a common kitchen can be used; in the morning a freshly filled basket with Breakfast ingredients is brought to the rooms. In a neighbouring villa two apartments are also available for self-catering. The city center with shopping and business districts and the lake can be reached quickly.
The stretch will take you across the central Swiss Plateau past Bern with the Jura Mountains on your left and the Alps on your right.
The Swiss capital is definitely worth a stop. The city's medieval core was destroyed by a fire in 1405 and rebuilt in the Renaissance style. The unique collection of Renaissance buildings in the city centre is now a World Heritage Site.
In 1798, a canton of Oberland was created under Napoleon, but it was abolished five years later and incorporated into the canton of Berne.
However, the name “Oberland” has been retained and today describes the magnificent landscape south of Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. The high rainfall is all discharged from the Aare, which flows into the Rhine at Koblenz. To the south, the valleys rise steeply to the glaciated main ridge of the Alps, which reaches well over 4000 metres in altitude here. The most famous peaks are Eiger (3967 m), Mönch (4107 m) and Jungfrau (4158 m). They form the border with the canton of Valais.
Like the entire town of Mürren in which it is located, the unique mountain hotel is only accessible by cable car. It stands right next to the cable car station and offers 26 rooms with sensational views of the Bernese Alps.
The restaurant with its panoramic view terrace serves cheese fondue and other Swiss specialities. The in-house sauna and the local indoor swimming pool are available to guests at no charge. Local activities include a thrilling ride on the cable car to the top of Mount Schildhorn, hiking on any of numerous marked paths, and a visit to nearby Trümmelbach Falls. A ride on the historical train that runs along the top of the valley from Mürren to the Lauterbrunnen cable car station is also recommended.
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.
Location: Zurich Airport (Desk at Airport)
Ph.: +49 (0)2268 92298-23
Ph.: +49 (0)2268 92298-25