After our busy adventures in the City of Lights, it’s time for the fresh alpine air, green hills and mirror lakes of Switzerland.
We’ll grab one last croissant, say “au revoir” to Paris and spend the day traveling through the beautiful French countryside to the Swiss resort area of Crans-Montana – our postcard-perfect home for the next several days.
Here’s a snapshot of our Swiss experience:
Crans-Montana
This delightful village is home to panoramic views of the Swiss Alps on the skyline, the beautiful Rhone River Valley below and lush hills and sparkling lakes in between. It’s the perfect homebase for all our Swiss travels, as well as early-start breakfasts and delicious group dinners. You’ll have a bit of downtime to explore the village and get to know the locals, and you’ll enjoy a beautiful dinner party with local music on our final evening.
Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva
You’ll explore this medieval castle, its history and the lakeside locale it’s inhabited for over eight centuries. While the interior of the castle has changed over the years, its profile has stood the test of time, as Chillon Castle has never been destroyed, despite changing hands throughout history. Walk the same great halls that inspired countless visiting authors, including Dumas, Hemingway, Dickens, Hugo, Shelley and Wordsworth.
Montreux
From Chillon Castle, you’ll walk along a stunning lakeside promenade to the nearby and utterly charming town of Montreux for lunch, shopping and a little wandering. Montreux was the inspiration for Stravinski’s “The Rite of Spring” and it’s not hard to see why – the entire town is a natural masterpiece, blooming from spring to fall due to its Mediterranean-like microclimate.
Zermatt, Sunnegga and The Matterhorn
Just a train ride away from Crans-Montana lies the town of Zermatt, below the unmissable peak of the Matterhorn. After a quick tour of the town, it’s time for an entirely new way to travel – via funicular! If you’re a funicular newbie (as nearly everyone will be!), it’s a sloped railway that will take us up the mountain for a day of Swiss fun. The Zermatt funicular whisks us into an area called Sunnegga, complete with a gorgeous lake, small theme park, incredible restaurants and, of course, a spectacular Matterhorn view.
We can’t wait to share Switzerland with you! This Alpine playground is unlike any other destination on the tour – mind-blowing views, delicious food and charming villages are all on the itinerary here. You’ll want to soak up as much Switzerland as possible before the next segment of our tour and the history, art and culture that await us in Germany and Austria. Get all the details in our next post!
Don’t forget – every group’s itinerary varies slightly, so this daydream may be a bit different than your on-the-ground adventure when it comes to the order of destinations, attractions you’ll visit, etc.