DEAR GEMüTLICHKEIT SUBSCRIBER The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe

THIS ISSUE: June 27, 1997 acclamation or a show of Breaking Away hands. Most men proudly Excuse me, but I have an wear a sword or bayonet aversion to hearing English in APPENZELL passed down from their the breakfast room. It means Our report on the tiny Canton of Appenzell in Switzerland's north- forefathers. Traditional we’re not far enough off the tour- east corner, where women's sufferage didn't happen until 1990 dress for them is a black ist route. I, too, am a tourisit but hat decorated with flowers, it still grates hearing those usu- ou’re looking for a towns — by rail and/or a bright red vest, gold ally too-loud American voices. place to spend a auto. If the village happened pants, white knee socks Breakfast in a hotel in Ger- Y week or so on to be near the borders of two and an earring. In fact, they many, Austria and Switzerland your next trip. or three other countries that look a little like the San is a decorous affair and having Maybe a small, quiet village, would a plus, too. Francisco 49ers. experienced several hundred I preferably one with loads of And, naturally, you Women wear ankle- know the drill: Gut Morgen and charm that has visible don’t want it to be too length pleated skirts, tied a nod of the head to fellow connections to past centu- expensive. bodices, huge embroidered breakfasters on arrival and a ries. It would be nice if the The place you are look- lace collars and, in their ‘Wiedersehen on departure. In townspeople still observed ing for is Appenzell, the hair, the Schlappe, a black- between, conversation at table traditional customs and principal town of the tiny winged bonnet trailing a is quiet, sometimes hushed. I dress. There should be a northeastern Swiss canton of wide red ribbon. have never heard a German, selection of good restaurants the same name. It fills the Swiss or Austrian address some- and a wide choice of accom- Appenzell’s intricately bill perfectly. one across the room as we modations. painted houses, tradition- Americans often do (“Honey, can Want tradition? Well, as bound citizenry and peace- However, since you I bring you some of these lovely late at 1990, women were ful setting can lull one into don’t plan to spend all day cold cuts?). still denied the vote and thinking it is not only every day in your chosen Of course, American-style elections and other town spiritually but physically village it should be near a hotels, such as the business is still conducted far removed from the rest big city or two, have plenty Steigenberger Avance at the each year at a gathering on of the world. of recreational opportunities Frankfurt Airport, are just like the Landsgemeindeplatz in and be a place from which Not so. Zürich is a little being at the San Francisco Air- the city center. Citizens to embark on easy daytrips over an hour away by car port Hilton; a far cry from Euro- entitled to vote are required to interesting sights and and just under two hours pean hotels that maintain break- to attend. Ballots are cast by by trains which depart fast as a sedate, contemplative about once every hour. ritual. Avoiding the Summer Tourist Crush; Bregenz, at the western- And ritual is what I came most tip of Lake Constance for. I’m here because of the dif- One Dozen Less Touristy Destinations is only 40 minutes by car or ferences in culture. The idea is an hour and 40 minutes by to experience their’s; not bring Reports are already filtering back. One reader de- frequent train. St. Gallen, them mine. The Golden Arches, scribed the streets of Venice in May as so full of tourists it an interesting city itself, is Burger King, KFC and other was like getting in and out of the stadium at a Super Bowl. only 19 km (12 miles) away American chain businesses in Another tells of a line two blocks long all day to see Miche- and from there train con- Europe are an abomination. I langelo’s sculpture of David in Florence. In the heat and nections are possible to cringe when I see them — no height of the summer, that line will be longer. such places as Lindau in matter how cunningly disguised Gemütlichkeit staffer Andrew Bestor called from Germany (less than two they are to blend with the local Salzburg in early June to tell us the town is already full to hours); Konstanz (a little architecture — because I know the battlements of Hohensalzburg with tourists. Beautiful over an hour); Vaduz, with each one that goes up a Salzburg is where — we were told by a tourist official five capital of Liechtenstein little of what makes Europe years ago — over 700 tour buses each day in high season unique is eroded. (about an hour and a half) drop their loads of visitors. and Schaffhausen (less When traveling, I want to It is said to be virtually impossible to use accumulated than two hours). Trains to soak up as much of the other mileage for an airline ticket to Europe this summer. The St. Gallen from Appenzell culture as I can and that’s why airlines, you see, can sell every seat for cash. run about every 30 minutes one of the continuing themes of and the trip takes about this newsletter is getting off the Car rental companies report huge demand for cars half an hour. throughout Europe. Continued on page 2… Continued on page 6… Continued on page 3… June, 1997 wind up getting into a conversation with a few ing. It had been hoped that computers and DEAR SUBSCRIBER locals. Though we try a little German, the increased automation would improve things Continued from page 1 ultimate success of such discussions seems and perhaps they eventually will, but for now beaten track and away from tourist hordes. always to depend on their knowledge of En- we’re getting a lot of calls asking “where’s my Masses of other people doing exactly what glish. Gemütlichkeit?”. I’m doing, all speaking my language, doesn’t Stumbling onto these affairs is sheer de- One difficulty is that each address label cut it. light and has given us some of our very best must be barcoded. This is done with USPS- Some people tell me they enjoy meeting travel experiences. If we had never gotten approved software that certifies each address other Americans in Europe. They join up for away from the main tourist haunts we would and puts the proper nine-digit zip code on the drinks and for dinners and new friendships have missed them. Seeing a world renowned label. In some cases the software adjusts are made. Others tell me they like European building or painting is stimulating but seldom addresses and corrects them. At other times, hotels but every once in a while find it a relief as satisfying as an oompah band, a couple of if there is something incorrect about the to check in to a Hilton or Intercontinental with beers and finding out how much you have in address, the post office software simply American-style showers and where they can common with a table of local townspeople. doesn’t recognize it and the envelope in ques- order bacon and eggs and toast for breakfast. Such experiences are hard to come by if you tion is often delivered late or never. Please Not me. never break away from the crowd. check your Gemütlichkeit envelope label and make sure the address is correct. You may European hand-held, shower-over-the- Those who share these feelings may find wish to contact your local post office to bathtub attachments are sometimes awk- useful this month’s story on avoiding the determine your exact address. To advise us of ward but I find them a small price to pay for summer tourist crush in Europe. your correct address, or to change your ad- traditional ambience. As to bacon and eggs, Wagons, Ho! dress, please send a postcard to 2892 in the city of Hayward, California, alone, there This is the time of year we get a lot of new Chronicle Ave., Hayward CA 94542. must be several dozen restaurants where I subscribers. Welcome. Following is some can order such a meal, but nowhere can I find nitty gritty all Gemütlichkeit subscribers should • In the days the West was won, advance the fresh rolls, butter, cheeses and meats one know about: scouts traveled a few days ahead of the wagon is served in most German, Austrian and Swiss train and reported back on which was the best • We have a new email address: hotels. route, where there was good water and a [email protected]. We seldom retrieve mail good place to camp without too many hostile Too many Americans and things Ameri- from our [email protected] or native Americans. They weren't any smarter can diminish that feeling of being part of the [email protected] addresses. culture and of independent discovery. A pri- or more savvy than the people they advised, • Gemütlichkeit is mailed at the end of vate audience with the Pope is a greater they'd just been over the trail a few more each month. We write between the 15th and experience than getting just a glimpse of him times. Sometimes the scouts suggested the 25th of each month, then it's 48 hours at the from a jam-packed St. Peter’s Square. See- safest route but the settlers chose an easier print shop and, if all goes well, the mailing ing the Chagall stained glass windows in trail; or vice versa. I see our role the same as house gets it to the post office two to three Zürich’s Fraunkirchen all alone on a cold those old scouts; to bring back the latest info. days after that. Ideally, you have the informa- winter morning is vastly more fulfilling than We have our own biases and tastes and they tion from two to three weeks after it is written. seeing them with a pushing, sweating crowd may not always match yours. When that Except for weekly news magazines such as of 500 — most chattering in your own lan- happens, or when you've just been over the Time and Newsweek, the writer-to-reader time guage — on a warm summer afternoon. trail yourself and have some suggestions for line for monthly magazines is typically six those coming behind you, we want to hear One of the great pleasures of auto travel weeks to two months. about it. Drop a note. in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is roll- Once our mailing house drops Gemütli- ing into a little town and discovering a local (Of course you know what usually hap- chkeit at the post office we’re out of the festival is underway. Invariably that means pened when the wagon master didn't follow picture. Independent surveys of mail delivery live music, dancing, food booths, beer tents the scouts' advice, don't you? Well, it wasn't of periodicals indicates service is deteriorat- and sometimes parades. It seems we always very pretty.) — RHB

Vol. 11, No.6 HOTEL RESTAURANT RATING KEY June, 1997 GEMüTLICHKEIT The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe Rating Scale Scale Hotel Rating Criteria Excellent 16 - 20 People/Service 30% Above Average 12 - 15 Location/Setting 15% Editor & Publisher: Robert H. Bestor, Jr. Average 8 - 11 Guestrooms 30% Associate Editors: Elizabeth Schiller, Bruce Woelfel Adequate 4 - 7 Public rooms 5% Contributing Editors: C. Fischer, R. Holliday Unacceptable 0 - 3 Facilities/Restaurant 20% Design & Composition: Paul T. Merschdorf Consulting Editor: Thomas P. Bestor Value Rating Scale Restaurant Criteria Outstanding Value 17 - 20 Food 65% Subscription Dept: Andy Bestor, K. Steffans Very Good Value 12 - 16 Service 20% Gemütlichkeit (ISSN 10431756) is published monthly by UpCountry Publish- Average Value 9 - 11 Atmosphere 15% ing, 2892 Chronicle Avenue, Hayward, CA 94542. TOLL FREE: 1-800/521- Below Average Value 5 - 8 6722 or 510/538-0628. Fax: 510/582-8296. e-mail [email protected]. A Rip-Off 0 - 4 Subscriptions are $67 per year for 12 issues. While every effort is made to provide correct information in this publication, the publishers can make no Special G Designation guarantees regarding accuracy. Periodicals postage paid in Hayward, CA. By virtue of location, decor, charm, warmth of management, or POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: combination thereof, an especially pleasant establishment. Gemütlichkeit, 2892 Chronicle Ave., Hayward, CA 94542

Gemütlichkeit 2 June, 1997 APPENZELL APPENZELL INFO Continued from page 1 Altitude: 785 meters, 2,575 feet entry fees: Adults . 23 Sfr. ($16), children Population: 5,373 15 Sfr. ($11). A pleasant day for railpass holders Wednesday might be to take the 10:08 a.m. to Appenzellerland Tourist Office 8.00 a.m.-11.30 a.m. Romanshorn via St. Gallen, then the Hauptgasse 4 Visit an Alpine dairyman and cheesemaker CH-9050 Appenzell ferry across Lake Constance to in Grosshütten. Free. Phone: 071 788 96 41 Friedrichshafen in Germany, arriving 10.00 a.m.-11.00 a.m. Fax 071 788 96 49 at 11:26 a.m. Have lunch there, perhaps Tour of the Appenzeller Alpenbitter take in the Zeppelin Museum (tel. Appenzell Showcase Cheese-Dairy distillery. Meeting point: main entrance, 07541/3801-0, fax 07541/3801-80, Stein CH-90063 Weissbadstrasse 27. Free. Seestrasse 22) and then it’s about half Phone: 071/59 17 33 2.00 p.m.-5.00 p.m. an hour east to Lindau. After an after- Open 7 days, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Guided hike with herbal specialist. Learn noon stroll around that delightful Appenzeller Alpenbitter about herbs and how use them in daily lakeside city, catch the 4:29 p.m. to Weissbadstrasse 17 life. Price: 8 Sfr. ($6) (In German only) Appenzell, arriving at 6:19 p.m. The Appenzell CH-9050 June-September 10.30 a.m.-7.00 p.m. ferry also carries automobiles, so you Phone: 071/87 17 17 Guided visit to local dairy farm with cows can do the same thing by car. Tours Wednesday 10 a.m. and small animals. Lunch and tea Appenzell Museum included. Prices: adults 20 Sfr. ($14), kids The village of Stein also makes for a 15 Sfr. ($11), children under 6 free. pleasant half-day excursion. There Hauptgasse 4 Thursday you’ll find the Appenzeller Volk- (Above Tourist Office) Phone: 071/87 96 31 2.00 p.m.-3.30 p.m. skunde Museum where most morn- Fax: 071/87 96 49 Wood carving course, make your own ings you can watch a farmer making Daily April-Oct. butter dish. Appenzeller cheese by hand over an Appenzeller Volkskunde Museum Price: 20 Sfr. ($14) open fire. After that go next door to the Guided visit to an Alpine dairy herdsman’s Appenzell Schaukäserei (Showcase CH-9063 Stein Phone: 071/59 1959 family. Includes simple Alpine lunch and Cheese-Dairy) and see the same basic Daily except Monday, April-Oct. tea. Prices: adults 20 Sfr. ($14), kids 15 process done in computer-controlled Sfr. ($11), children under 6 free stainless steel tanks, vats, centrifuges Alpine Music Check tourist office for schedule Friday and presses. Afterward, you can have 2.00 p.m.-5.00 p.m. lunch in the dairy’s restaurant. Other Activities Watch embroiderers at work in the Tuesday There are several other picturesque Appenzell museum 10.00 a.m.-11.30 a.m. 2.00 p.m.-3.30 p.m. villages in the canton which can be Guided tour of the town Appenzell. quickly reached by car, bus or tram, or Guided tour of Appenzell historical and Meeting point: Tourist Information Office. embroidery museum. Free. you may even want to walk to some of Free. (Also on Thursdays) them. 2. 00 p. m. - 5. 00 p. m Saturday* See traditional craftsmen at work in the 9:45 a.m.-11.00 a.m. Each Wednesday morning at 10 Guided excursion to the Wildkirchli caves. a.m. tours are conducted by the Ap- Appenzell museum: whitewood cooper, wood carver, saddler, peasant artist and Free of charge. Meeting point: Ground penzell Alpenbitter, a distiller of station of the Ebenalp cableway. (*Only several liqueurs, the most popular silversmith. 2.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m. Individual excursion during July and August.) being a black aperitif served over ice by railway to St-Gallen: Visit the Abbey Daily and called Alpenbitter. Though our Library and the Textile Museum (free See cheese and butter made in Altenalp guide spoke only German, the operat- brochure describing both Library and and Bommen. ing-room-clean plant was interesting, Museum). Prices includes train ticket and particularly the room containing huge open containers of dozens of spices. At come from here. Your hotel or the the end, there is a tasting and an windows and intricately painted tourist office, which publishes a daily opportunity to purchase product. facade overlooking an outdoor terrace, listing of events, can provide details. it sits invitingly on the town square. On a clear day you might drive to Schwägalp and take the cable car to Not in most guidebooks but worth On our first visit, in 1987, it had Mt. Säntis, the highest peak in the a peek is the Baroque Pfarrkirche St. just been refurbished. Choosing the Alpstein range. Mauritius on Hauptgasse across from finest materials and fixtures seems to the Hotel Hecht. Note the extraordi- have paid off because guestrooms are Each evening, at a hotel or restau- nary chandelier and the church organ. still in excellent condition. Perhaps the rant somewhere in the area, there is wood has darkened a bit and no doubt live Swiss mountain music. Tradition- Appenzell Accommodations the carpets have been replaced but the ally dressed men, each with a single well-lit marble tile bathrooms still earring (a tiny version of the scoop Romantik-Hotel Säntis shine. used in the cheesemaking), play the The hotel around which EDITOR’S concertina, piano, bass violin and the village of Appenzell CHOICE The public rooms’ wood panel- sometimes one or two other instru- revolves is the Säntis. With its steep ing, marble floors and comfortable ments. It is said the best Swiss yodelers gabled roof, rows of lace-curtained Continued on page 4… Gemütlichkeit 3 June, 1997 salt water creature that when cooked would like to ”fold up, put in our APPENZELL is not flaky but spongy, somewhat suitcase and take to the next town, Continued from page 3 like lobster. This, too, was offered for though room would have to be found inspection before being carved into for the people who run it as well.” leather-covered furniture seem a few medallions and sautéed with proven- This writer’s first impulse — one shades darker and are just beginning cal herbs and fennel root. to show age. Still commanding the too often indulged, unfortunately — dining room is the handsome carved- An Appenzeller cheese plate, is to resort to a cliche and say that the wood mural of life in Appenzell, done which consisted of three thick slabs of extra ”something” we feel about the in 1956 by local artist Hans Neff. the pungent local pride served with Hecht is hard to put into words. But fruit, wheat bread and shelled wal- on second thought, it’s easy to reduce The best news of all is the hotel’s nuts, was good but for us a poor it to words. Actually, one word: ownership remains in the capable dessert choice. More refreshing and people. It has to be. There are no hands of the Heeb family. lighter was a plate of “exotic” fruits exquisitely-carved, wood-paneled Higher priced doubles have small, — banana, apple, blueberries, figs — walls or ceilings, no priceless an- separate sitting areas and most rooms with scoops of raspberry, orange and tiques, the whole place is pretty basic: have glassed-in bathrooms. Doors pineapple sorbet. comfortable, clean, quiet, good food and walls between sleeping rooms We are always disappointed when and friendly management. and bathrooms are floor to ceiling there is no draught beer available so Also part of the Hecht's warm- glass. A shade can be drawn for we made do with bottles of the ser- fuzzy package is the snug little dining privacy. Bathroom interiors are white viceable Säntis Kristal. Half a bottle of room’s home-cooked food, the homey marble. Room Number 242 has a Blauburgunder, a local red called atmosphere in the wood-paneled traditional four-poster “Appenzeller Appenzeller Weinachts WY, cost 22 Gaststube — where locals play the bed” and a carved armoire. Number Sfr. ($15). Without beverages, the Swiss card game Jass — and the view 114 is a smaller double but still com- meal for two was about $100. of the Alpstein range through the fortable. This is a well-run small hotel (37 dormer windows of room Number 52. One reason for the hotel’s local rooms) that hovers somewhere be- In 1987, we ate wonderful country popularity is its restaurant. The tween comfortable and luxurious. meals at the Hecht but this time were dining areas are agreeable spaces, Since our most recent visit in Novem- there on a night when the dining with light wood-paneled walls and ber, 1996, the Säntis has embarked on room was closed. The Knechtle’s, cozy low ceilings. Tables are covered an addition that will add five new however, fed us in the Gaststube: with white cloths over larger blue and nonsmoking rooms. Schnitzel and a Schwein Cordon Bleu white print ones and set with candles, filled with Appenzeller cheese accom- cloth napkins and real flowers. Tied- Daily Rates: Singles 110 to 150 Sfr. ($78-$106), doubles: 180 to 260 Sfr. panied by Ottenberger Pinot Noir back frilly white curtains hang in the from nearby Thurgau-Ruishauser. We small, opaque windows. ($127-$183 ), half pension 35 Sfr. ($25) per person. Number 116 is specially finished the evening with Appen- One dinner began with garlicky equipped for handicapped guests. zeller Krauter, an herbed eau de vie mussels served over small squares of Contact: Romantik-Hotel Säntis, from the local distillery just down the toast, followed by a fresh salad of Landsgemeindeplatz 3, CH-9050 street, and Rasschas, an Appenzeller both red and butter lettuce, sliced Appenzell, tel. 071 7878722, fax 071 cheese (Rass = strong, chas = cheese). cucumber, shredded carrots, beets, 7874842. Proprietors: Stefan and corn in a curry sauce and celery root. There is here an ability to make Catriona Heeb. The dressing might have been a tad guests feel at home. Rating: QUALITY 15/20, VALUE 13/20 sharp for some tastes. (Those planning to stay at the Restaurants that successfully Hotel Hecht Hecht need to know that, while it is centrally located, there is now a series execute tried and true recipes are a Its unpretentious exterior might of one-way streets in the town and it surprisingly rare commodity. Kalbsle- cause you to pass by the Hotel is difficult to get directly to the hotel ber und Rösti (calves liver and fried Hecht without a second when approaching from the north or potatoes) is not what one would call glance. The modest recep- EDITOR’S west via the main square. You can’t cuisine on the cutting edge, but tion area might also lull you CHOICE drive through Appenzell’s center creative or not, at the Säntis its into thinking it is just another from west to east.) mouth-watering richness satisfies squeaky clean, by-the-numbers Swiss cravings the American Heart Associa- hotel. The Oriental rugs and antiques Daily Rates: Singles 90 to 120 Sfr. tion recommends we all ignore. Prior in the hallways might provide a ($64-$85), doubles 150 to 200 Sfr. to cooking, the liver is brought to the flicker of a clue but, in truth, you need ($106-$141), half pension 30 Sfr. ($21) table in a copper pot for approval. It is to be there about 24 hours before per person. cut into bite sized pieces, quickly realizing that Maria and Regula Contact: Hotel Hecht, Hauptgasse 9, sauteed and then covered with re- Knechtle’s little Hotel Hecht is a CH-9050 Appenzell, tel. 071 7874780, duced pan juice. A dish to die for — special place. fax. 071 7871047 perhaps literally. In 1987, we said it was a hotel we Rating: QUALITY 14/20, VALUE 14/20 G Another winner was Angler fish, a

Gemütlichkeit 4 June, 1997 Hotel Hof Weissbad the Löwen does not quite measure up cable and snug little bathrooms with The new (August, 1994), rather to the Säntis or the Hecht, mainly due stall showers. glitzy 80-room Hotel Hof Weissbad, in to a need for refurbishment, do not Daily Rates: Singles 80 Sfr. ($56), the tiny village of Weissbad about 4 hesitate to book a room here. Manage- doubles 110 to 150 Sfr. ($77-$106). No kilometers east of Appenzell, bills itself ment is friendly and helpful and no elevator. Proprietor: Johann Dörig as a health resort and offers the usual doubt has already made a number of family. “cures” and therapies. improvements since last winter. Contact: Gasthof Hof, beim Landsge- Though the hotel’s location, nestled Daily Rates: Singles 90 to 120 Sfr. meindeplatz, CH-9050 Appenzell tel. under the looming Alpstein range, is ($64-$85), doubles: 160 to 200 Sfr. 071 7872210, fax 071 7875883 favorable, the modern building seems ($113-$141), half pension 35 Sfr. ($25) Rating: QUALITY 9/20, VALUE 15/20 to take nothing of its identity from its per person. Sauna and solarium. surroundings. It is a hotel that could be Proprietors Rita Bircher and Hans Haus Lydia in Atlanta or Pebble Beach and look Ulrich Rothenberger. The Appenzell region also has more like it belonged. The plush public Contact: Hotel Löwen, Hauptgasse 25, many vacation apartments available rooms feature a glassed-in elevator, a CH-9050 Appenzell, tel. 071 7872187, for rent. We looked at one, Haus Lydia, fountain in the lobby and a gleaming fax 071 7872579. in a residential section of the town, grand piano which is played most Rating: QUALITY 11/20, VALUE 9/20 about a 15-minute walk from the main evenings. square. Hotel-Restaurant Kaubad Several of the slightly spare gues- The large chalet-style house offers Four kilometers southwest of trooms have hardwood floors to keep two apartments in addition to quarters Appenzell, in a lovely, quiet location at allergy inducing dust at a minimum for the friendly owners, the Mock- the end of a narrow road that traverses and some are designated nonsmoking. Inauen family. high pastures, is the Hotel-Restaurant Most have balconies and the usual The upstairs apartment, which has Kaubad. four-star amenities. a private entry, consists of sitting area, This is a much simpler hotel than Naturally, there is a large indoor a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. For those reviewed above but its access to pool, fitness center and a 24-hour larger families, a loft with two more skiing in winter and walking trails in medical staff. Treatments range in bedrooms is available. summer will appeal to guests with price from 12 Sfr. ($8.50) for 15 minutes The ground floor unit is smaller those interests. in the Solarium (if one considers high and includes a combination living doses of ultraviolet rays “treatment”) Daily Rates: Singles 95 Sfr. ($67), room/kitchen and a bedroom. The to 140 Sfr. ($99) for something called doubles: 160 Sfr. ($113), half pension 35 living room sofa can be converted to a Sauerstoff-Eigenblutbehandlung HOT. Sfr. ($25) per person. Prices are re- bed. duced on a sliding scale for bookings The hotel makes its own cheese, a The decorative emphasis in both of more than one night. No elevator or process that can be observed four days apartments relies on wood, oriental in-room TV. Indoor pool. Sauna. each week, and there is free shuttle rugs and heavy furniture. Unfortunate- Proprietors: Freddie and Monika service to Appenzell. A golf course for ly, it doesn’t all work together. The Reymond-Peier. the hotel is currently under construc- furniture is a melange of various styles tion and a portion of it may open in the Contact: Hotel-Restaurant Kaubad, and bathrooms and kitchens often have fall. CH-9050 Appenzell, tel. 071 7874844, different tile patterns adjoining each fax 071 7871553 other. Daily Rates: Singles 195 ($137), dou- Rating: QUALITY 9/20, VALUE 11/20 bles 330 Sfr. ($232), suites 540 Sfr. Nonetheless, for those who plan to ($380), half board 30 Sfr. ($21) per Gasthof Hof stay for a week or more, this, or similar person. The hotel offers several pack- The two best guestrooms for the accommodations, represents excellent ages that include room, half board and money we saw in Appenzell were at value. various treatment programs. There are the Gasthof Hof at the opposite end of Rates: Two persons 55 to 88 Sfr. ($39- two rooms for disabled guests. the Landsgemeindeplatz from the $62) per day, depending on the Contact: Hotel Hof Weissbad, CH-9057 Säntis. The Hof's busy restaurant is one season. Four persons 68 to 120 Sfr. Weissbad, tel. 071 798 8080, fax 071 798 of the town’s most popular and also ($48-$85). Six persons 80 to 130 Sfr. 8090. offers a few rooms to rent. ($56-$92). Prices based on minimum Rating: QUALITY 15/20, VALUE 10/20 One floor has just been remodeled seven-day stay. Shorter stays are and Numbers 10 and 12, at 110 Sfr. priced at 42 Sfr. ($30) per night single Hotel Löwen ($77) in low season and 130 Sfr. ($92) in and 72 Sfr. ($51) double per night About a block toward the main high season, offer fine value. Number including breakfast and private bath. square along Hauptgasse from the 12 is on a corner with lots of windows Personal checks o.k. but no credit Hotel Hecht is the Löwen, under new overlooking the square and the Haupt- cards accepted. ownership. gasse, while Number 10 is slightly Contact: Haus Lydia, Eggerstanden- str. 53, CH-9050 Appenzell, tel. 071/ It offers nine special “Appenzeller” larger and has a table and two chairs. 787 4233 rooms which feature hand-painted Both are done in an aromatic white Rating: QUALITY 10/20, VALUE 14/20 furniture typical of the region. Though pine and have ultra modern TVs with

Gemütlichkeit 5 June, 1997 In Germany, Austria and Switzer- minutes by train from Salzburg. 12 DESTINATIONS land, of course, are thousands of villag- Don’t Miss: A visit to the historic spa Continued from page 1 es and towns tourists seldom see. Many town of Badgastein, which during the have great charm, history, culture, rec- What this all adds up to is that 1997 Victorian era, attracted Europe's reational options and as such offer an may turn out to be a record year for the crowned heads. number of Americans visiting Europe. attractive summer alternative to the most popular places. You will find Recommended Hotels: Appartmen- And what that means is the best-known thotel Aurora, Am Kirchenplatz 8, Bad cities and attractions will be overrun tourists in all, sometimes quite a lot, but not so many as in the tourist meccas. Hofgastein, Austria, A-5630, tel. with visitors. 06432/6210-0, fax 06432/6210-62. If this summer is your trip of a Austria Apartments from about $60 per day (7- days) lifetime and you have no choice but to Attersee fight your way in and out of the great Hotel Norica, Kaiser-Franz-Platz 3, Bad museums, castles and cathedrals of This village on the Attersee, Hofgastein, Austria, A-5630, tel. Europe, there are one or two things about 35 miles east of Salzburg, is the 06432/8391-0, fax 06432/8391-500. you can do to ease the pain a bit. center of a relatively inexpensive Rooms from about $75 resort area in Austria’s Salzkammer- • Visit the really hot attractions, Where to Eat: Hotel-Café Austria, Bad gut. Moderately-priced hotels and like Bavaria’s Royal Castles, early in Hofgastein, Austria, A-5630, tel. inexpensive vacation apartments the morning or late in the afternoon. Be 06432/6223. Three course meals from abound. among the first in line when they open about $20. or among the last visitors of the day. Don’t Miss: A lake tour on the Atter- Burgenland Our man in Florence said the line to see-Shiffart with lunch on board. A day in nearby Bad Ischl, summer Get way off the track in this see David dwindled to only a handful unique part of Austria south of Vienna between the hours of 5 and 6 p.m. Use headquarters of Emperor Franz Josef and home of composer Franz Lehar. on the Hungarian border. Interesting the middle of the day to shop, sit at a towns are Mörbisch and Rust, both on Recommended Hotels: Hotel See- sidewalk cafe or walk. Some attrac- the rather strange Neusiedler See, a 124 gasthof Oberndorfer, Haupstrasse 18, tions, like the palaces of Nymphen- square-mile body of water surrounded A-4864 Attersee, tel 07666/7864-0, fax burg in Munich and Schönbrunn in by reeds. Only seven feet at its deepest 07666/7864-91. Rooms from $67. Vienna have huge, beautiful grounds point, it sometimes mysteriously which are great for strolling at almost Pension Alpenblick, Abtsdorf 56, disappears; the last time being from any time. You could, for example, tour Attersee, A-4864, tel. 07666 75 43, fax 1868 to 1872. Walk the towns, note the Nymphenburg first thing in the morn- 07666 74 71. Rooms from about $30. rooftop storks’ nests and stop in the ing, then walk the grounds at your Where to Eat: Café 1er Beisel, Land- garden of a Heurige (wine tavern) for a leisure and, in the afternoon, visit the ungsplatz 6, A-4864, tel 07666/7877. snack and a glass of fresh white wine less popular but fantastic botanical Three course meals from about $30. made on the premises. gardens that are adjacent to the palace Steyr grounds. Don’t Miss: The Neusiedler See Picturesque walled town south of Where to Stay: Seehotel Rust, A-7071, • Drive the back roads. It takes Linz on a peninsula formed by the Rust, phone 02685/381, fax 02685/381 longer but you’ll be away from the confluence of the Steyr and Enns 419. Rooms from about $90. crowds and feel as though you’re on a rivers. The town square is lined with Where to Eat: Any of the wine taverns. private, personal expedition rather Gothic and Renaissance buildings. than part of an invading army. Don’t Miss: The Altstadt and the Germany • In the biggest cities, like Vienna, apricot Schnapps at Gasthof Pöchhacher. Munich and Berlin, visit attractions the Trier Recommended Hotels: Hotel Mader, guidebooks don’t tout so highly or are his historic old wine town is Stadtplatz 36, Steyr A-4400, tel. T a little away from the center of tourist littered with irrefutable evidence that it 07252/533580, fax 07252/533506. activity. In Munich, walk the Englis- was once the capital of Ancient Rome Rooms from about $70. cher Garten and see the Bavarian in Germany. Use it as a headquarters Schwechater Hof, Leopold-Werndl- National Museum. In Vienna, visit the to explore the Mosel or Saar wine Strasse 1, Steyr A-4400. tel. 07252/ KunstHaus Wien/Hundertwasser or regions. Luxembourg and France are 53067, fax 07252/5477054. Rooms spend an afternoon in the Prater, a nearby. from about $55 giant amusement park where you’ll be Don’t Miss: The Imperial Roman among Viennese instead of Americans. Where to Eat: Gasthof Pöchhacher, Sieringerstrasse 122, Steyr A-4400, tel. Baths, the Roman Amphitheatre and Berlin is so spread out it’s easier to 07252/63173. Three course meals a boat ride on the Mosel. get away from the hordes. Take a boat from about $20. Recommended Hotels: Hotel Petris- ride on the Havel and visit the strange berg, Sickingerstr. 11-13, D-54296 but fascinating Checkpoint Charlie Bad Hofgastein Trier, tel: 0651/4 64-0, fax 0651/4 64 Museum whose eclectic collection of Sparkling, modern village in the 50 memorabilia tells the story of both heart of a pretty Alpine valley. Limit- Where to Eat: Palais Kesselstatt, successful and tragic escape attempts less opportunities for recreation, Liebfrauenstr. 10, D-54290 Trier, from behind the Berlin Wall. including golf. About an hour and 20 0651/40204, fax 0651/42308.

Gemütlichkeit 6 June, 1997 Bamberg Tourist Hot Spots 04651/93830, fax 04651/938 383. One of Germany’s most enchant- Rooms from about $85. ing towns. Wonderful buildings, great Summer, 1997 Where to Eat: Alte Friesenstube, Gaadt riverside setting. Wander the Altstadt Austria 4, D-25980 Westerland, tel. 04651/ Innsbruck 1228, fax 04651/26319. Three course at dusk, just as the lights which illumi- Salzburg nate the old buildings, bridges and Vienna meals from about $26. statuary begin to take effect. Grinzing Hofburg Palace Switzerland Don’t Miss: Rauchbier (“smoky” beer) Kärntnerstrasse/Graben at Brauerei Schlenkerla, Dominikan- Schönbrunn Palace The Emmental erstrasse 6. Spanish Riding School Rolling pastures, huge farm- Recommended Hotels: Hotel St. Nepo- St. Stephan’s Cathedral house/barns and tiny farm villages muk, Obere Mühlbrücke 9, D-96049, Germany that attract few tourists are the main Bamberg, phone 0951/25183, fax 0951/ Bavarian Castles features of this placid region east of 26651. Rooms from about $78. Neuschwanstein Bern. Switzerland’s most inexpensive Wilde Rose, Kesslerstr. 7, Bamberg, D- Hohenschwangau vacation apartments and chalets are 96047, phone 0951/28317, fax 0951/ Linderhof found here. Famous for the cheese. Berchtesgaden 22071. Rooms from $53. Berlin The pace is slow. Where to Eat: Weinhaus Messer- Charlottenburg Palace Don’t Miss: Country drives and the schmitt, Lange Str. 41, Bamberg, D- Ka De Wa village of Langnau. 96049, phone 0951/27866, fax 0951/ Dahlem Museums Where to Stay: Hotel Hirschen, CH- 26141. Three course meals from $26. Pergamon Museum Potsdam 3550 Langnau, tel. 034/402 1517, fax Weimar Germany’s Rhine Valley 034/402 5623. Rooms from about $56. Rich in history and physical Heidelberg Where to Eat: Hotel Hirschen, CH- beauty, this small town of 60,000 is Munich 3550 Langnau, tel. 034/402 1517, fax Deutsches Museum readying to be Europe’s “Cultural 034/402 5623. Three course meals from Marienplatz about $34. Capital” in 1999. Because it was four Nymphenburg Palace decades behind the Iron Curtain, Pinakothek Museums Lake Constance tourists have yet to arrive in big num- Residenz Palace The south shore of Lake Con- bers. Meissen Romantik Road Cities stance offers several interesting towns, Don’t Miss: The small chapel in the Rothenburg ob der Tauber a few vineyards and, of course, the town’s Alter Friedhof (old cemetery) lake. From Stein am Rhein east to Switzerland containing the coffins of Schiller and Chillon Castle near Montreux Bregenz in Austria is perhaps 60 miles. Goethe, called by many the greatest Interlaken Don’t Miss: Stein am Rhein, tiny German of them all. St. Peter’s Cathe- Grindelwald Gottlieben near Kreuzlingen, a walk dral in nearby Erfurt. Ilm Park. Gruyères around the German city of Konstanz Lucerne Where to Stay: Wolff’s Art Hotel & Res- and the ferry from Romanshorn to taurant , Freiherr-vom-Stein-Allee 3a/b, Congested Roadways Friedrichshafen in Germany. D-99425 Weimar, tel. 5 40 60, fax 54 06 Basel-Frankfurt Autobahn Where to Stay: Schlössi Bottighofen, 99. Rooms from about $87 Border crossings to eastern countries Christliches Hotel Amalienhof, Amalien- Brunig Pass: Interlaken-Lucerne Seeterrace, Bottighofen CH-8598, tel. strasse 2, D-99423 Weimar, tel. 54 90, fax Austria: Main East-West Landeck-Feldkirch 071/688 1275, fax 688 1540. Rooms 54 91 10. Rooms from about $74. German Alpine Road: Lindau-Berchtesgaden from about $120. Where to Eat: Residenz Café, Grüner Gotthard Tunnel Seehotel Schiff, Mannenbach am Unter- Markt 4, D-99423 Weimar, tel/fax Grossglockner Road: Austria see, CH-8268, tel 072/663 41 41, fax Munich-Nürnberg Autobahn 072/663 41 50. Rooms from about $70 03643/59408. Three course meals from Nürnberg-Frankfurt Autobahn Where to Eat: about $15. Salzburg-Munich Autobahn Hotel Krone, Gottlieben, CH-8274, tel. 071/666 8060, fax 071/ Sylt St. Moritz south to Lake Como Rhine Valley: Rüdesheim to Koblenz 666 8069. Three course meals from This narrow spit of land off the Romantik Road: Würzburg to Füssen about $40. northwest coast of Germany has long Vienna-Salzburg Autobahn Morges been popular as a summer getaway for Germans but few Americans ever find dations, you may wish to contact the Pretty little town on Lac Léman their way there. What’s to do? Explore tourist office (Am Tipkenhoog 5, D- (Lake Geneva) between Lausanne and the thatched roof Frisian village of 25980 Keitum, tel 04651/3370, fax Geneva in the La Côte wine region. Keitum. Gamble at the casino in 04651/33737) about vacation rentals. Exploring such villages as Apples, Westerland. Dine out in some of Vufflens-le-Château, Biere and Ballens Don’t Miss: The beach promenade in Germany’s best seafood restaurants. on the slopes above the lake, you will Westerland and miles of sand dune Our recommended hotel, the Benen find few tourists. You can see Audrey trails. Diken Hof, is one of Germany’s finest Hepburn’s grave in nearby small hotels, or, for cheaper accommo- Where to Stay: Hotel Benen Diken Tolochenaz. Geneva and Lausanne are Hof, Süderstrasse, D-25980 Keitum, tel. Continued on page 8…

Gemütlichkeit 7 June, 1997 renovations are complete; Our favorite hotel is 12 DESTINATIONS the rooms are all redone as Bayerischer Hof in Mu- Continued from page 1 READERS' is the restaurant. By the nich. We hosted our way, the restaurant is easy daytrips. Nyon is an daughter’s wedding there revitalized and has become interesting nearby lake FORUM and our American friends well-known and extremely town. who came are still talking Florhof Supporter popular. In fact, I try to about the service, beauti- Don’t Miss: The meal of a I have been to the have at least a couple of ful rooms in the old lifetime at L’Ermitage in Hotel Florhof since the dinners there because it is section and every detail Vufflens-Le-Château, early 1970’s, at least three excellent. Yes, the prices perfection. Last year, on a otherwise any little Pinte times each year since then. are now higher for the trip to Sweden we flew to (simple wine restaurant) in In the process, I have come rooms; but still a bargain, Hamburg as I wanted to one of the villages in the to know and respect the in my opinion, compared stay at the Vier Jahr- hills. Schilter family style of to other properties in eszeiten. Gourmet Maga- Where to Stay: L’Ermitage, management and, equally, Zürich with like features, zine had raved about it Vufflens-Le-Château, CH- the Schiesser approach. etc. several years ago, but it 1134, tel. 021/802 2191, fax Both families, by the The Schiessers, I find, cannot hold a candle to 021/802 2240. Rooms from way, were more than just to be very efficient and full the Bayerischer Hof. about $211. managers - they had a of grand plans for the We refused the first Hotel de la Courrone, vested financial stake in future. They are very horrible room they gave Grand-Rue 88, Morges, CH- the operation with the proud of what they have us — the second room 1110, tel. 021/803 2016, fax owners who live in Central accomplished there and was no better but we were 021/803 12 97. Rooms from Switzerland and have been have taken some time with jet-lagged — no air- about $76. absent owners for many me to not only show me conditioning as confirmed Where to Eat: L’Ermitage, years. The current manage- through the entire opera- and right over the en- Vufflens-Le-Château, CH- ment (the Schiessers), in tion, but to discuss their trance, very noisy. All of 1134, tel. 021/802 2191, fax fact, have a huge financial plans for the future. They the restaurants in the hotel 021/802 2240. Three course investment in the property have also been very help- were closed, save one, and meals from about $90. and participated in the ful to me personally with room service took an extensive renovation of the things I have asked them hour. For this we were Brienz entire building and restau- to do on my behalf. I found paying $400 per night and Unpretentious small rant as well as association them very helpful and then some. The hotel is town on the Brienzersee now with the Romantik very willing. under new ownership and and a quieter, cheaper I’m afraid has really Hotel organization. So, I regret to see the alternative to touristy changed since the Gourmet There are certainly opinions expressed by two Interlaken. Known as the article was written. many differences in the of your readers. No doubt birthplace of Swiss wood- KATIE MILLHISER operation of the property they feel exactly as they carving. Call in advance to PIEDMONT CA today than in 1974 when I have stated, but I do feel tour H. Huggler-Wyss (CH- first stayed there. (I was there is another side to the Suspect U.S. Currency 3855, Brienz, phone 036/ there most recently in Florhof that I would urge As a subscriber and 511679), manufacturer of April of this year, and in them to give it another occasional contributor to wood sculptures. Nearby is June and November of chance. I look forward to your newsletter, I can Ballenberg, the Swiss Open 1996. I will next go in July my return there, as I al- share a never-ending Air Museum, a collection of of this year as well as ways do. frustration when traveling about 60 farmhouses, barns November.) RICHARD J. MORSE in Germany. and mills, all fully opera- The Schilters were a GLENDALE CA Now that the U.S. has tional. Also nearby are the very reserved and efficient a new $100 bill, very few 5-Star Hotel Report Giessbach Falls and the couple who ran the hotel banks in Germany will Enclosed is a check for great peaks of the Jungfrau in that manner — as did take the old $100 bill. another year of Gemütlich- Region. their employees. Toward Their excuse is that it may keit - we have enjoyed the Don’t Miss: Ballenberg. A the “end” of their tenure, be counterfeit — ironical- newsletter and send it on ride on a lake steamer. the restaurant had become ly for years they gladly to our daughter and son in only satisfactory (and not accepted them without Where to Stay: Grandhotel Zürich. We hope you will always that) and the look question. Please caution Giessbach, CH-3855, Brienz, do more on the Alsace as it tel. 036/513535, fax 036/ of the entire hotel was readers to take only new is so reasonable for Ameri- $100 bills to Europe — it 513707. Rooms from about $99. quite “tired.” When the cans now and traveling in Brienzerburli-Löwen, CH- Schiessers took over, they will save having your Switzerland and Austria blood pressure go up 3855, Brienz, phone 033/951 had to bring in all new still is a joke value-wise. when a bank employee 1241, fax 033/9513 841. help (with the exception of Also hope to see more info tells you he won't change Rooms from about $85. one of the daytime porters on the famous Christmas the old bill. Where to Eat: At the hotels who stayed and is there to stops other than the Christ- this day). Now, all of the ED RAETHER listed above. mas markets. WAUKESHA WI

Gemütlichkeit 8 June, 1997