Climb a Castle Tower in the Swiss Lakeside Village of Spiez

The village of Spiez offers one of the prettiest lakeside views in Switzerland, but surprisingly, a great number of visitors to the Swiss Alps have absolutely no idea that this spot exists. Many visitors just cruise right through Spiez on the train, or they pause in the Spiez rail station just long enough to switch trains on their way to Interlaken, Bern, Zermatt, or other destinations in Switzerland. The fact that so many people just whiz right by is a shame because the castle tower where this photo was taken is just a 15 minute walk from the rail station and it offers incredible views along with a fascinating cultural experience. 

Like so many places in Switzerland, the evidence of human history in Spiez dates back thousands of years. A wealth of artifacts unearthed in Spiez date to the Bronze and Iron Ages.

The Romanesque church that stands today, and is the main subject in the above photo, is over 1,000 years old. Less is known about the exact build date of the adjacent castle (Schloss Spiez), but archeologists are fairly certain that some form of fortification existed during the Bronze Age, and they know with certainty that the current castle keep and portions of the walls are 800-900 years old. 

There’s an outstanding little museum at the castle where visitors can visit the medieval castle kitchen, stroll through an early-baroque ballroom, or climb up the castle tower for 360 degree panoramic views of the Bernese Alps, Lake Thun, and the neighboring vineyards. And, if you look closely, you can see tournament graffiti etched into the upper level of the tower that dates from around 1300 A.D. Intricately sketched scenes of local tournaments offer an outstanding glimpse of everyday life for wealthy barons in the Bernese Oberland during the High Middle Ages. 

If this sort of thing interests you, then check out our previous post titled Traveling From Zürich To Interlaken? Visit A Swiss Castle And Ride A Historic Lake Steamer During Your Trip.

You can visit the church and castle in Spiez and then hop on a historic Lake Steamer to continue your trip to the Jungfrau region of the Berner Oberland. The midday steam ship departs Spiez at 01:28 pm for arrival in Interlaken at 02:49 pm. 

This is an outstanding addition to one of our Berner Oberland inn-to-inn hiking tours!  

See you in Spiez!

Hiking to Lac Blanc on the Tour du Mont Blanc

This is the view from Lac Blanc to the Aiguille Verte. You can also see the Grande Jorrasses on the right, one of the three great north faces of the Alps.

One of the grand highlights of the Tour du Mont Blanc, and an absolute must-do, is the hike to Lac Blanc, an alpine tarn dramatically situated in the Réserve Naturelle des Aiguilles Rouges. Lac Blanc consists of two lakes, a larger upper lake (Lac Blanc proper) and a smaller lower lake. The two are joined by a small stream. As you can see from the photo, the scenery is outstanding!

The mountain standing dead center in the photo is called the Aiguille Verte (13,524 feet/4,122 meters). The word aiguille means “needle” in French and you’ll find lots of mountains and rock spires on the Tour du Mont Blanc bearing the “aiguille” designation. The Massif des Aiguille Rouges, of which Lac Blanc is a part, consists of an entire ridge of red needles that runs for miles in a northeasterly/southwesterly direction on the north side of the Chamonix Valley. The Aiguille du Belvédère, Aiguille Crochues, Aiguille de la Floria, and the Aiguille des Chamois are just a few of the notable peaks. Lac Blanc even has its own aiguille, appropriately named the Aiguille du Lac Blanc. 

While the Aiguilles Rouges are interesting to look at, and the nature reserve in particular is a very special haven for alpine wildlife, it’s the view of the Mont Blanc Massif on the opposite side of the Chamonix Valley that most hikers climb to Lac Blanc to see. The Aiguille Verte (pictured) is a full 1,766 meters (5,800 feet) higher than Lac Blanc itself. It’s these dramatic elevation changes that make the Mont Blanc region so striking. For example, more than 12,000 feet of elevation separates the cafés in downtown Chamonix with the summit of Mont Blanc. Mont Blanc is just off the right side of the photo.

There’s a little hut perched at Lac Blanc called Le Refuge du Lac Blanc. The Lac Blanc Refuge offers dormitory style accommodation with half board (dinner and breakfast). The restaurant at the refuge serves delicious local specialties including, crèpes, savoyard omelettes, salads, guide’s plates, and my favorite, tarte aux myrtilles (blueberry pie). If you time your Tour du Mont Blanc just right, then you’ll see locals picking wild blueberries on the trail. The locals use the same ancient hand tools that they’ve used for centuries, and the blueberries are delicious! The refuge also operates a buvette serving hot and cold drinks, soups, sandwiches, and take away items for passing hikers and day trippers. Cash only. 

Most people hike the Tour du Mont Blanc in a counterclockwise direction beginning and ending in Chamonix. When completed in this direction, Lac Blanc usually falls on the last day of the tour. Most fit hikers will complete the walk from Argentière to the La Flégère lift via Lac Blanc in around four hours. The walk from Argentière to the Plan Praz cable car station via Lac Blanc takes around six hours. Walking into Chamonix centre ville takes about the same time, unless you stop and linger at the Chalet Floria along the way which is highly recommended. You can also hike the Tour du Mont Blanc in the opposite direction which has advantages. 

Do you have questions about the Tour du Mont Blanc? Would you like to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc? We’ll make a trip just for you. Click here to get started.

Searching for Scenic Day Hikes in the Swiss Alps? Our 4 Day “Taste of Appenzell” Hike Will Knock Your Socks Off

The view from Hoher Kasten, elevation 5,886 feet /1,794 meters. 

Appenzell is one of the most endearing regions of Switzerland, offering a laid-back folksy lifestyle, a paradise of velvety green hills, and some of the most striking limestone peaks that you’ll see anywhere in the Alps. You’ll experience the best of Appenzell and more during our 4 day (3 night) Taste of Appenzell Swiss Alps Hiking Getaway.

Your base for this trip is the historic and colorful village of Appenzell, Switzerland. Walk down the cobbled streets of Appenzell village and you’ll find aromatic Konditoreien (cake shops); traditional butchers, taverns and artisan workshops; and gabled houses with richly decorated facades, many of them portraying scenes of country life in an achingly beautiful and bucolic district. You’ll have free entry to interesting museums around Appenzell, and we’ll also give you insider tips to explore a few of our favorite hidden gems. 

From Appenzell, we’ll send you on our favorite hikes in the Alpstein Mountains. The Alpstein range is the centerpiece of the Appenzell region offering airy ridge line hikes (great for snapping photos), sunny alpine meadows (great for alpine picnics), and a colorful assortment of alpine farms and mountain inns (great for sampling local alpine specialities). Some of these mountain inns are only accessible by foot which makes visiting them a very peaceful mountain experience. 

The secret to the Alpstein’s eye-popping scenery lies in the limestone formations which have eroded over time and produced some very spectacular shapes. Mountains look like shark’s teeth, hiking trails follow knife-edge ridges, rock spires appear folded like taffy, and lakes drain into the mountains like giant bathtubs, their waters bubbling underground and remerging miles away. There are caves in the Alpstein Mountains too, some with fascinating histories. In the Wilkirchli caves, for example, remnants of human habitation date back 40,000 years. In the same caves, cave bear bones date to 90,000 years ago. You’ll have a chance to walk through these caves. 

Click here and here to read more about our 4 day (3 night) hiking getaway in Appenzell. We can also customize this Appenzell hike to suit any desire. Please inquire!

Europe Travel Report: Swiss Air Resumes Service, Graubünden Rings In Spring, Mount Etna Blows Her Top

Mount Etna stands watch over the ancient Greek theatre of Taormina, Sicily. Mount Etna erupted seven times during the last two weeks.

Happy March!

The first day of spring is just two-and-a-half weeks away. So what’s new on the Europe travel front? 

The big travel news this week comes from Swiss International Airlines. Swiss Air plans to start expanding services again including the reopening of the Zurich-Miami (Florida) route from March 28th onward, the Zurich-Boston route on May 1st, and Zurich-Los Angeles on May 2nd.

Does this mean that Europe is opening up? Not quite. On February 25th Swiss Air announced that they do not expect to see any tangible resumption of air travel activity until mid-summer at the earliest. Airlines spend a lot of time trying to predict the future, so this offers a pretty good picture of Europe travel at the moment.

That said, here are some interesting happenings in Europe. 

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Happy Chalandamarz!

Chalandamarz is an ancient tradition in the Swiss canton of Graubünden that marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring. This festival, celebrated annually on the first of March, is unique to the Romansh and Italian-speaking parts of Graubünden. The Engadine valley in particular is a great place to see Chalandamarz in full effect.

Many European cultures have some form of ritual for chasing away the darkness of winter. In Graubünden, the boys of each village sing and parade through the streets ringing bells as they go. Some of the bells are quite enormous and create a sonorous racket. There’s also a bit of whip cracking and some good partying and dancing too. The oldest boys in the village often lead the procession. The object is to scare away the evil spirits of winter and welcome the good spirits of spring.

One of the best villages for witnessing the ancient tradition of Chalandamarz is the village of Guarda in the lower Engadine. The boys wear a blue coat, a bright red cap with tassle, and a red kerchief wrapped around the neck. The boys affix an enormous bell around their arms and torso with the largest bells sticking straight out from their chests. The bells bang and clank as they shake back and forth. The oldest boys carry the largest bells.

If you’d like to learn more about this fascinating tradition then check out the children’s book A Bell for Ursli by Selina Chönz and Alois Carigiet (Illustrator). It’s the story of a young boy from Guarda named Ursli. He needs a cowbell to lead the procession through his village so he heads to his family’s chalet in the Alps and has a life-changing experience. The book is available in multiple languages.

Happy Chalandamarz, dear friends!  

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Europe’s Most Active Volcano, Mount Etna, Erupts Seven Times in Two Weeks

Mount Etna, a regularly active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, is really putting on a show right now with seven eruptions in the last two weeks. The first eruption occurred on February 16th, with spurts of activity ever since. Nearby residents report rocks falling from the sky and ash in the streets. Our prayers go out to those impacted by the eruption. Imagine having to deal with COVID and a volcano too! 

On a positive note: The ash from the volcano is precisely the reason that the lower slopes of Mount Etna are so fertile. Vineyards, orchards and rich gardens cover the lower slopes and are worth visiting when Mt. Etna feels less cantankerous. 

Hike through Europe inn-to-inn on your own or with a private guide! Click here to inquire.

Europe Travel Report: Light at the End of the Tunnel, Skyway Monte Bianco Reopened, New Michelin Stars in Lugano

The view into the Vallée Blanche from Punta Helbronner (Pointe Helbronner) on the Skyway Monte Bianco. The Skyway reopened on February 11, 2021.

Wow, the weeks are flying by!

Looking over the past week, my favorite sentence regarding this historic pandemic comes from the current Swiss president and economics minister, Guy Parmelin, who said, "We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but there is still a long way to go.” 

Indeed! There is still no definitive date for the reopening of Europe to foreign travelers, but serious progress is being made. Notably, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced a “Global Travel Taskforce” which will present a report on April 12th with recommendations on how to reopen international travel. At this point, the government anticipates no international travel before May 17th. Granted, the UK prime minister can’t make decisions for Switzerland, France, Italy, or any other European country, but the fact that we’re having this conversation is good news. The British government also announced on Sunday that every adult in the country should be able to have their first coronavirus vaccine shot by July 31. This is a full month earlier than the government’s previous target!

This isn’t to say that the situation is rainbows and unicorns. It’s not. I feel grateful every day for the ability to help guests plan their future trips to Europe. Here are some travel-related flickers of light in Europe at the moment. 

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The Skyway Monte Bianco Reopened on February 11, 2021

This is the view of the Dent du Géant (Giant’s Tooth) from the Pointe Helbronner (11,358 feet / 3,462 meters) on the Skyway Monte Bianco. The Skyway Monte Bianco reopened on February 11, 2021.

The Italian cable car system Skyway Monte Bianco reopened on February 11, 2021. This is really exciting news because it was almost one year ago that Italy shut down because of the pandemic, becoming the first western country to get hammered by COVID-19.

The Skyway Monte Bianco connects the town of Courmayeur, Italy with Punta Helbronner (Pointe Helbronner) on the south side of the Mont Blanc Massif. The Skyway Monte Bianco is one link of a much longer trans-border high alpine cable car system that connects the towns of Courmayeur, Italy and Chamonix, France. The Skyway Monte Bianco offers incredible views of the Aosta Valley, the Val Veny, and the Val Ferret in Italy. As guests climb higher they enjoy expansive views to the Matterhorn in Switzerland, the Monte Rosa (border of Switzerland and Italy), and the Gran Paradiso (Italy). Guests also delight in up-close views of Mont Blanc (the highest peak in Western Europe), the Dent du Géant, and the Vallée Blanche (see top photo), home to the Mer de Glace, one of the most prominent glaciers in the Alps.

From the Pointe Helbronner, guests have the option of continuing the journey to France by hopping on a three-mile-long cable car and dangling above sparkling glaciers during an airy crossing of the Vallée Blanche. Guests can then board on an equally stunning cable car at l’Aiguille du Midi (an imposing rock spire) for an immediate and precipitous drop into Chamonix, France.

Each segment of the cable car system is a striking journey in itself, but the entire trip from Courmayeur, Italy to Chamonix, France is an incredibly breathtaking and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Hint: It’s also a great rest day excursion during the Tour du Mont Blanc. Please contact us for advice on working this into your itinerary.

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Three Lugano Restaurants Awarded a MICHELIN Star

Hiking trails lead to MICHELIN-starred restaurants in Canton Ticino, Switzerland. This is the “olive path” which takes hikers past historic olive groves in the lakeside village of Gandria just outside of Lugano.

The first time I tasted a traditional Ticinese risotto in Lugano I was blown away by the flavors. The ingredients tasted so fresh and lovingly prepared. I looked at my friend Veronica, who is from Ticino, and I said, “OMG, these tomatoes. They are the best I’ve ever tasted!” (They really were the best.)

Veronica smiled and replied, “That’s because they come from a farm outside of Milano, Italy, just 50 km down the road.”

Ah ha! It’s this Italian infusion of fresh ingredients that is the secret to the wonderful flavors that you find in Ticino—Switzerland’s Italian-speaking “Riviera.”

Good food is an integral part of the Lugano experience, so I was not surprised when I heard that three restaurants in Lugano received new MICHELIN stars. Bravo to the following chefs/establishments! 

I Due Sud / Chef Domenico Ruberto
At the Hotel Splendide Royal *****s

Ristorante Principe Leopoldo / Chef Christian Moreschi
At the Hotel Villa Principe Leopoldo*****s

Ristorante META / Chef Luca Bellanca
At the Palazzo Mantegazza

MICHELIN-starred restaurants pair really well with village-to-village hiking tours in Ticino. Or how about a cooking class and cruise on Lake Lugano? Let’s design your dream trip!