mySwitzerland #INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND GRAND TOUR The road trip through Switzerland Whether you’re travelling by car or by motorcycle – mountain pass roads like the Tremola are one of the highlights of the Grand Tour of Switzerland. Switzerland in 10 stages Marvel at the sunrise over the 1 =XULFK࣠±࣠$SSHQ]HOO Matterhorn at least once in your lifetime. p. 12 Don’t miss wandering through the vine- yards of the winemaking villages of the 2 $SSHQ]HOO࣠±࣠6W0RULW] Lavaux. Or conquering the cobblestoned p. 15 Tremola on the south side of the Gotthard Pass. The Grand Tour of Switzerland is a 3 6W0RULW]࣠±࣠/XJDQR magnificent holiday and driving experi- p. 20 ence – and a concentration of all things Swiss: 1,600 kilometres long, it spans four 4 /XJDQR࣠±࣠=HUPDWW linguistic regions, five Alpine passes, p. 24 12 UNESCO World Heritage Properties and 22 stunning lakes. MySwitzerland is happy 5 =HUPDWW࣠±࣠/DXVDQQH to present a selection of highlights from p. 30 10 fascinating stages. Have fun exploring! 6 *HQHYD±࣠1HXFKkWHO p. 32 7 Basel 7 ࣠±࣠1HXFKkWHO 1 2 p. 35 10 8 9 8 1HXFKkWHO࣠±࣠%HUQ p. 40 3 9 %HUQ࣠±࣠/XFHUQH 6 5 4 p. 42 10 /XFHUQH±࣠=XULFK You will find a map of the Grand Tour at the back of the magazine. For more information, p. 46 please see MySwitzerland.com/grandtour 3 Grand Tour: people and events JUST LIKE OLD FRIENDS The Grand Tour of Switzerland is a journey of sights and discoveries. You will meet many different people along the tour, and thus enjoy the most enriching of experiences. 4 mySwitzerland #INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND Rolf Meier, fisherman in Ermatingen “I mostly catch whitefish, along with some perch and pike. I tell my guests: that’s my breadwinning fish.” 5 Philippe Martin, distiller in Boveresse “Absinthe was banned until 2005. Today, you no longer have to drink it on the sly – stop by my distillery for a perfectly legal taste. One you are sure to enjoy.” 7 8 mySwitzerland #INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND Bettina Richter, curator at the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich “Our museum boasts 400,000 posters. You can admire some of them during exhibitions or guided tours of our archives.” 9 10 mySwitzerland #INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND Urs Grossniklaus, wildlife specialist on the Niederhorn “Ibexes are not hunted here. They are therefore somewhat tame. Sometimes they even lie down in the middle of the hiking path.” 11 =XULFK௘±௘$SSHQ]HOO 175 km Schaffhausen Romanshorn St. Gallen Zurich Appenzell A guest of Frau Gerold’s Small shops, fresh cooking, lively events, art – Frau Gerold’s Garten in the trendy “Züri West” district is an oasis of urban green and a wonderful place to meet people. 12 mySwitzerland #INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND Zurich honey 1 from a hotel rooftop 5 Zurich’s Marriott Hotel specialities on the accommodates almost one Grand Tour million extra guests – on its 2 rooftop. These special guests Bratwurst are bees, living in 26 hives St. Gallen locals have always In the Zurich Region, and cared for by beekeeper enjoyed their delicious bratwurst “Zürihonig” is plain, with no mustard at all. included in the Grand Tour Snack Box. Peter Schneider. “City honey This Snack Box is has more of a complex flavour available in the Zurich restaurant Adlisberg. and features more taste nuances than honey from the countryside, where bees often obtain nectar from mono- cultures”, says the beekeeper, 3 who also produces the honey Capuns A traditional Graubünden for the Marriott Hotel. dumpling wrapped in chard leaf. 4 Minestrone This vegetable soup from Ticino, available in countless varieties, always hits the spot. Hiltl 5 If you find yourself delighted Vaudois sausages by limitless choice and the These smoked sausages, both heavenly scents of curry, Zurich West cooked and raw, have been turmeric and masala, then Once an industrial neigh- relished in the Canton of Vaud you are probably standing in bourhood, today the centre of since medieval times. front of the Hiltl buffet in colourful urban life. Among Zurich. With more than the highlights in “Züri West” 1 2 100 home-made specialities are the Prime Tower, the 4 and freshly squeezed juices, Toni-Areal, Frau Gerold’s Hiltl – opened in 1898 by Garten and the FREITAG 5 3 Ambrosius Hiltl – was the Tower, which is made up of 4 world’s very first vegetarian 19 stacked containers. restaurant, and today remains as popular as ever. 13 =XULFK௘±௘$SSHQ]HOO 175 km At the Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall, hundreds of cubic metres of water shoot down from a height of 23 metres every second. Christian Beck, Munot guard in Schaffhausen The Munot guard and his wife let the small Munot fortress bell ring for five minutes every night at 9 p.m. sharp, 365 days a year. They also organise festivities in the Munot, care for a colony of 15 deer and offer guided tours to guests who have just admired the Rhine Falls. St. Gallen at its best: the Textile Museum 6W࣠*DOOHQLVNQRZQWKHZRUOG over for its legendary textile expertise – just ask Michelle Obama or Kate Middleton. 7KH6W࣠*DOOHQ7H[WLOH0XVHXP features magnificent historical embroideries as well as con- temporary textile designs such as this hand-embroi- dered cocktail dress. The From an alcohol depot to a museum museum offers Grand for top-of-the-line automobiles Tour guests the possi- The “Autobau Erlebniswelt” (car construction theme bility to embroider park) in Romanshorn is just the place for automobile in a frame and leave fans to get their adrenaline rushing while contem- behind their own plating cars from the world of racing, such as light- personal artistic ning-fast Sauber Formula One models and luxury touch. sports cars like Lamborghinis and Ferraris. 14 mySwitzerland #INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND $SSHQ]HOO௘±௘6W0RULW] 200 km Appenzell Chäserrugg Maienfeld Bad Ragaz National Park Segantini hut St. Moritz A mountain station designed by star architects The cable car ride up the Chäserrugg ends at a building designed by the architects Herzog & de Meuron. The building also includes a restaurant, making it the perfect place for a nice long break. But first of all, be sure to take in the lovely view from the 2,262-metre-high mountain top. 15 $SSHQ]HOO௘±௘6W0RULW] 200 km Craftsmanship abounds in the Lipp Winery Each of the 1,300 bot- tles of Intuiva Pinot Noir from the Lipp Winery is unique. For Carina Lipp-Kunz marks every label with words of wisdom. By hand, in ink. The Grand Tour passes right Tamina Thermal Wellness Spa, Bad Ragaz through her grapevines Need time to disconnect and recharge your batteries? At the “Tamina Therme” in Bad Ragaz, Europe’s in the heart of the largest thermal water spa, relaxation is guaranteed. “Bündner Herrschaft”. Enjoy water temperatures of 36.5°C (98°F) as you alternate between waterfalls, bubble loungers and massage jets. A guided tour through the National Park For animal lovers, Val Trup- chun is heaven on earth. It is the play- ground of elks, cham- ois, ibexes and marmots. Naturally, our guides know all the best spots for watch- ing the wildlife. Tip: before setting off on the tour of the park, have a look It is definitely worth stopping off at the Lipp Winery & around the visitor centre in Zernez. Distillery in Maienfeld and having a look in the shop. 16 mySwitzerland #INLOVEWITHSWITZERLAND Climb up to 2 the Segantini hut “I want to see my mountains”, were supposedly the last words uttered 5 walks along the by the painter Giovanni Segantini in the hut that bears his name Grand Tour on the Schafberg. From the hut, the view of the Engadin mountains and lakes is nothing short of spectacular. The Chamanna Segantini is located a good hour from the Muottas Muragl mountain station. The “Segl-Maria”, 1 Europe’s highest Pearls on the Rhine shipping route, traverses the lake between From picturesque Stein am Sils Maria and Maloja in Rhein across the vineyards to 40 minutes Hemishofen (approx. 45 min.). at 1,796.6 metres above sea level. 3 Cultural walk From Ascona to Monte Verità, a must for art and architecture lovers (approx. 60 min.). 4 View of the Three Lakes From Sugiez to Mont Vully with a fabulous view of the Three Lakes and the Alps (approx. 90 min.). 5 All aboard … The Way of St. James … for an unforgettable train From Rapperswil to Pfäffikon, ride in one of the Rhaetian partially along a wooden walk- Railway’s convertible cars. way that forms part of the Way In July and August, these of St. James (approx. 60 min.). cars travel along the Bernina line, part of the UNESCO 1 World Heritage route. 5 This railway line, the highest 4 in the Alps, begins in St. Moritz, crosses glaciers 2 and ends under the palm 3 trees of Tirano. 17 Coop Pronto Around 80 of these convenience stores Harley-Davidson Whether you need wheels for a day or (with or without filling stations) several weeks, with Harley-Davidson® Authorized Rentals you can welcome you all along the Grand reserve the latest models online with no hassle at all. Tour for petrol and shopping. MySwitzerland.com, webcode A210968 MySwitzerland.com, webcode A232707 READY TO GO? For an unforgettable Grand Tour, all you really need is a set of wheels and a passion for adventure. But thanks to the offers provided by our partners, the trip gets even better. Swiss Coupon Pass Take advantage of Europcar From convertibles and vans to electric lucrative 2-for-1 deals all along the Grand Tour. drive luxury limousines and SUVs, Switzerland’s leading car hire company has up to 5,500 vehicles MySwitzerland.com, webcode A77043 available in more than 90 locations.