Europe Travel Report: Travel Restrictions, Luzern Paddle Steamer, Mt. Rigi Steam Trains, The Alps on PBS

The village of Seis am Schlern in the Südtirol (South Tyrol), Italian Dolomites.

Salut travelers! Not a lot has changed since last week’s Europe travel report. Scotland extended their lockdown until the end of February. In Switzerland, the COVID-19 infection rate continues to fall, but the interior minister, Alain Berset, said that Switzerland is unlikely to ease its COVID restrictions before the end of February. This is amid fears of new virus strains. In France, the rules have tightened for travelers entering from the EU and Schengen area states. The scene isn’t much better throughout the rest of Europe. In the Alto Adige of Italy’s Südtirol (South Tyrol), residents entered another lockdown for three weeks. It’s not time to travel to Europe yet.  

That said, there IS some positive news. In the Middle East, there there is evidence coming out of Israel that the COVID-19 vaccine is beginning to curb the spread of the virus. It’s only a matter of time (fingers crossed) before vaccinations begin to effectively curb the virus in other countries. Be patient and stay safe! We’ve received more inquiries about fall travel. We’re hopeful but cautious, and we’re reminding all of our guests to remain flexible and to be grateful for good health. 

On a brighter note, here are some interesting things just waiting to be explored when Europe opens up again. PLANNING for a future trip is perfectly safe!

---

The Historic Steamboat Stadt Luzern Launches This Spring

The historic paddle steamer Stadt Luzern on Lake Lucerne. Photo courtesy of Lake Lucerne Navigation Company AG.

The majestic paddle steamer Stadt Luzern returns to the waters of Lake Lucerne on May 1, 2021 following a two and-a-half year restoration. The Stadt Luzern is the flagship of the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company (SGV) which operates a fleet of 19 modern and historic vessels. Have you ever plied the waters of Lake Lucerne on a historic steamer? It’s a really special experience, and the Stadt Luzern is a very special vessel. She was built in 1928 as the last paddle steamer built for a Swiss Lake. The Stadt Luzern boasts an elegant Art Deco saloon and a fascinating guest list including Queen Elizabeth II. Over 80,000 hours of labor and 13.2 million Swiss francs went into returning the Stadt Luzern to its regal shine. Now she is stylishly renovated, more environmentally friendly, and proudly rejuvenated, Would you like to feel rejuvenated? How about a Wine & Dine cruise to go with your hike through the Swiss Alps? Or how about using the historic paddle steamer to access one of the many hikes in the area? Give us a call.

---

The Mount Rigi Railway Celebrates 150 Years With Steam

Mount Rigi is the oldest mountain railway in Europe.

This is an incredible year for people who love steam-powered machines! We have the paddle steamer Stadt Luzern launching in May following a two and-a-half year refit (see previous post), and we have the “Romance of Steam” excursions in honor of Mount Rigi Railway’s 150th anniversary this summer. The Vitznau-Rigi Bahn (VRB) is Europe’s oldest mountain railway. Offically opened in 1871, the Vitznau-Rigi Bahn was the first mountain rack railway ever built in Europe and it’s also the second-oldest mountain railway in the world after the Mt. Washington Cog Railway in the United States. There are lots of anniversary celebrations planned for this summer on Mount Rigi but the “Romance of Steam” excursions are a special treat. On select days during the summer, passengers can ride in vintage passenger cars pulled behind some of the oldest steam-powered rack railway locomotives in the world. This is an experience straight out of “La Belle Époque” the golden age of mountain travel. One of my favorite locomotives on the line is locomotive No. 7 (Lok 7). Lok 7 was built in 1873, has a vertical boiler, and she still runs. She’s one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, surviving locomotive in Switzerland. It’s a shame that travel is so locked up this summer due to the pandemic. I’m hopeful that Rigi will continue to run steam in some form for the foreseeable future. Let us know if you’d like to experience this historic gem of a railway. We have two nice Swiss Alps Rail + Hike trips which visit Mount Rigi. Of course, we can also build any kind of custom trip. With or without steam, Mount Rigi is a great experience and the views (and hiking) off the top are outstanding. 

---

Watch “The Alps” Right Now On PBS

A chamois in the Tatra Mountains, Slovakia.

There is a great show streaming on PBS right now. It’s called The Alps. The two-part series is part of the PBS Nature program and focuses on the wildlife that live in the high Alps. The scenery is outstanding and the close-up footage of the animals living their every day life is astonishing. You’ll see eagles, chamois, ibex, lynx, bear, griffon vultures, and more. You can watch the show online, but the show expires in a week so hurry! Yesterday I ran into a friend on the trail who said she saw the show and thought of me. She absolutely loved the program. If you love big mountain scenery, then you’ll love it too! Check out The Alps on pbs.org.

Check out our NEW 14-day ski & snowboard tour in Switzerland | Adelboden, St-Luc & Pontresina

The Pointe d’Ar Pitetta (10,279 feet/3,133 meters) viewed from Zinal, Switzerland.

A few months ago a couple asked me to put together a custom ski tour in Switzerland. The couple had a few criteria. First, they wanted a trip that was off the beaten path with a splash of pizzazz. Second, they are intermediate skiers and they wanted gentler slopes with a nice “Swiss experience.” Third, they wanted to ski Switzerland during the Christmas and New Year holiday and sample three distinct regions. I knew right where to send them, and thus was born the Adelboden, St-Luc & Pontresina Ski & Snowboard Tour. 

First, it must be said that picking a ski destination in Switzerland is a lot like choosing from a box of chocolates. It all looks mouthwatering! There are more than 300 ski resorts in Switzerland with more than 4,000 miles (7,000 km) of trails and nearly 2,000 lifts. Of course some Swiss ski resorts are enormous with myriad distractions and trappings while others offer nothing more than a single t-bar for a lift and a barn doubling as a lift ticket window. When someone tells me they want “off the beaten path” the first question I present to them is, “How far off the path would you like to go?” Put another way, “If you were to visit France, would you be happy to come home without ever seeing the Eiffel Tower, or would you like to experience a few popular sights too?” The trick in tour planning is to find a happy balance between something that’s undiscovered and less-touristy, but also fun and exciting with an authentic sense of place. The Adelboden, St-Luc & Pontresina Ski & Snowboard Tour strikes that balance. 

On an off-the-beaten-path scale, Adelboden falls somewhere in the middle. The first tourists trickled into the village during the late 1800s, and the floodgates opened in 1902-3 when a British gentleman named Sir Henry Lunn organized the first packaged tours of the area. Adelboden’s fame should have skyrocketed from there, but Lunn also marketed nearby Wengen  which, when combined with the villages of Grindelwald and Mürren, fast became a popular ski destination as well. Over time, resorts like St. Moritz, Zermatt and Wengen-Mürren-Grindelwald grew in fame and popularity while Adelboden became the preferred resort for families and visitors looking for a quieter “wellness” experience. The result today is a tranquil Swiss village that feels like it’s off the beaten path but actually has a long history of winter sport tourism. As of this writing there are five Gault & Millau rated restaurants in Adelboden, two four-star hotels and a host of accommodations to suit almost every taste from casual to sophisticated. The one thing that Adelboden does not have is over-the-top glitz. There are no five star luxury palaces, no Michelin-starred restaurants, and no private jets. Adelboden doesn’t have a lot of expert level terrain either unless you do some backcountry touring (which is quite good). That said, the FIS World Cup rolls into town every winter, so Adelboden can throw down when it needs to. In short, Adelboden offers a less-touristy Swiss ski & snowboard experience but still serves up loads of fun for the entire family. Adelboden is one of those warm and cuddly places that steals your heart.

Traditional wooden houses bedecked with holiday finery in the Swiss village of Grimentz.

Moving on from Adelboden, our ski & snowboard adventure enters the Val d’Anniviers, a remote valley jutting straight south of the Rhone River in southern Switzerland. Ten years ago, the Val d’Anniviers would have occupied the higher end of the off-the-path scale (pretty remote). The region wasn’t completely undiscovered, but its slow lifts, small ski areas, and a dearth of sophisticated amenities kept it off the radar for most people. The word started to get out in 2014, however, when the villages of Grimentz and Zinal connected their small resorts by cable car. Skiers and snowboarders took notice. Potential visitors started sniffing around and what they found was a truly authentic area with pristine slopes, pretty little villages forgotten by time, and tons of potential for great skiing and snowboarding. The 15-mile long Val d’Anniviers actually has five small ski areas, Grimentz, Zinal, Saint-Luc, Chandolin and Vercorin. Grimentz and Zinal are connected by cable car. Saint-Luc and Chandolin are connected by chairlift, and Vericorin stands alone. All of the resorts are accessed by a bus system that circulates throughout the valley. When you stand at the foot of the Corne de Sorebois, one of the highest points of the Grimentz-Zinal area, you have a commanding view of the “Imperial Crown,” a circle of mountains containing more than 30 peaks over 4,000 meters tall including the Matterhorn. If the Val d’Anniviers had succeeded in building a railroad like the one that exists in neighboring Zermatt, then the valley would have exploded. (Villagers in the Val d’Anniviers had plans to build a railroad, but the First World War killed the project.) In short, the potential here is huge, but here’s the thing. Many of the lifts are still slow. The amenties are few, and there’s still only one way into this dead end valley—a winding road with enough steep switchbacks to make any acrophobe grumble. I absolutely love it!

The cable car to Diavolezza above St. Moritz & Pontresina.

Finally we transition to the Engadine Valley in eastern Switzerland via the Glacier Express. This is where the off-the-beaten path meter takes a major tumble. The Glacier Express is a world famous train ride, and our final destination, St. Moritz, is widely considered the birthplace of ski tourism in Switzerland. It is definitely not off-the-beaten path. It IS the path. This is ground zero for tourism, but if you like sunny “cruiser” slopes and a high level of gastronomy and innkeeping, then there’s no better place to be. I picked Pontresina as the base for this trip because it’s a restful alternative to St. Moritz which is just 6 km down the road. Pontresina is also conveniently located between the major ski resorts with quick acess to Corvatsch, notable for its striking scenery and a nearly 6 mile-long ski run (9 km) down to St. Moritz. Diavolezza & Lagalb are also just up the road and offer thrilling black runs in a high alpine environment. Corviglia is the resort accessed directly from St. Moritz and offers excellent cruising. Everything exists in this part of Switzerland, from luxurious five star palaces and chic international boutiques to the humble Stüva serving local Engadine specialties. The St. Moritz-Pontresina area is not off-the-beaten-path, but it certainly offers a splash of pizzazz. 

Click here to read more about our Adelboden, St-Luc & Pontresina Ski & Snowboard Tour.

Need a Swiss City Break? Check out the Rathaus Basel

The 500 year-old Rathaus (Town Hall) in Basel.

Here's something that a curious person might like. It's called the Rathaus Basel (Basel City Hall) and it's one of the more intriguing buildings in the city of Basel, Switzerland. Built in the early 1500's, the Rathaus is more than 500 years old. I love the eye-catching red color and the intricately detailed frescoes. I'm also a sucker for medieval clocks like the one stuck to the outside of this building. While the Rathaus may not appear extravagant (compared with other European buildings), it's richly decorated inside and certainly worth a visit.

Photo by Chris Pranskatis.

Look What Arrived Today—A Box Full of Swiss Chocolates!

Look what arrived today! Every few weeks I attend a training session hosted by Switzerland Tourism. At the end of each session is a short quiz and a drawing to win a “Swiss Surprise Box.” Well, I won! Look at all that chocolate. I’ve eaten four pieces already! I love the “typically Swiss” goodies too. Do you see that cow in the upper left hand corner? I have a slightly larger version that I picked up on a trip a few years ago. I always wished my little cow had a friend, and now she does. The sales manuals are always much appreciated too. That Swiss Travel System map in the center is a tool that I use almost daily. My maps are quite worn out by the time I get through with them. Anyway, what a wonderful mid-week treat! Thank you Switzerland Tourism!