DEAR GEMüTLICHKEIT SUBSCRIBER The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe THIS ISSUE: August 25, 1997 Prime Travel Time: Fall '97 here’s good news tonight, espe- ANCIENT SION cially for those of us hooked on T Switzerland. This exquisite lit- French-speaking, vineyard-ringed, Sion is Switzerland's oldest city and the capital tle country, you see, seems to be get- of the Valais. Add it to your “hot list” of places to visit on your next trip ting affordable. or years, we thought of the old incidentally, contains the world’s In the last two years, our dollar city of Sion as merely an in- oldest playable organ, and Tourbil- has risen nearly 50% in value against triguing-looking town we often lon was the summer residence of the franc. A 200 Sfr. hotel room that F passed on the way to somewhere the Prince Bishop of Martigny until translated to $183 in the spring of else. But now, after two visits, we’re it was destroyed by fire in 1788. It 1995 now goes for $125. A 25 Sfr. not sure why this French-speaking remains in ruins. entree in a restaurant was $23 then city near the west end of Switzer- but is now less than $16. A 4 Sfr. beer Tourist office brochures tout land’s Rhône valley that was $3.67 is now $2.50. Big sav- by Sion as the “capital of Swiss Califor- ings. doesn’t attract more Bob Bestor nia” and call it a “warm, sunny land visitors. There are even a few genuine bar- of vineyards, orchards, strawberry gains. You will note in our story on One reason may be that it has to and raspberry fields.” Like several Sion that Pierre Menegale-Duc, own- compete for attention with several other Swiss destinations, local er of Ho- more famous destinations in its own boosters claim Sion has the coun- Inside: tel des canton, the Valais. More familiar try’s best climate with the least names such as Saas Fee, Crans- rainfall and the most days of sun- • Private Wine Tasting Vignes, Montana, Verbier and Zermatt get shine. • Readers' Forum has ex- tended a most of the attention. • The Great Gianadda Whether true or not, Sion is a special Approaching Switzerland’s place to be visited in any weather. 15% discount to Gemütlichkeit sub- oldest city from either direction on In winter, it is the center of the scribers (you must reserve in advance the main valley road, one is immedi- val d’ Herens ski region including and identify yourself as a subscrib- ately struck by Sion's medieval, such little-known (in this country) er). This means his standard east- almost Moorish, skyline. Out of the villages as Arolla, Evolène, Nax, La facing double rooms will cost you valley’s rocky soil rise two imposing Sage, Thyon, Les Collons and oth- less than $100 (175 Sfr. less 15% = fortresses, the twin castles of Valère ers. Most are within a few minutes 148.75 Sfr. = $93). I don’t know in the and Tourbillon. last five to seven years that I’ve seen drive of Sion. Valère is actually a church which, Continued on page 3… any double room in what I would consider a decent Swiss hotel for less than $100. Des Vignes is an elegant An Authentic Swiss Mountain Village: Evolène building in a beautiful setting and f we wanted to virtually disap- operated by a family who cares. If In the heat of summer, the somehow we could place a blinking pear from the face of the earth for weather will be warm but not neon sign on this page it would blink I a week or so it might be to the oppressive during the day and cool BARGAIN! BARGAIN! BARGAIN! little hamlet of Evolène, about a 25- at night, sometimes chilly. In spring with an arrow pointing toward the minute drive into the mountains and fall, days will be cool and words “Des Vignes.” above Sion. nights cold. In winter, of course, we’ll expect to find roofs and streets The news is equally good in Ger- There, among the wooden, piled high with snow. many and Austria. Earlier this month weathered, brown/black Valasian the dollar neared 1.9 marks but at houses, we would find a simple The phrase “a village where press time had fallen back somewhat hotel or pension or perhaps rent a time has stood still” is a travel- to 1.82. In Austria it now buys almost small chalet. Days we would walk writing cliche usually applied to 13 schillings. the easier mountain trails and eve- places where tens of millions of nings eat hearty mountain food and The surge in the dollar, coupled marks, francs or schillings have with continuing low car rental prices drink Valasian wine alongside been spent on restoration. But in grizzled locals at one of the town's Continued on page 2… cheery inns. Continued on page 5… August, 1997 DEAR SUBSCRIBER compresses that to a few minutes. If sair deal. you're interested in email delivery, here Continued from page 1 • Paid subscribers are eligible for are your choices: from $50 to $600 off Swissair’s regular (less than $17 per day including tax for • Replace your regular mail deliv- and sale fares. Right now the reduction a compact VW Golf or Opel Astra in ery with email delivery and the price is $50 for economy tickets priced un- Germany) and low airfares currently stays the same. der $1000, and $150 if the economy fare being announced for late fall and early is $1000 or more. Business and first winter travel, make the next few • Select email in addition to regular mail and the charge is $3 per month. class reductions are $400 and $600 re- months perhaps the best time to go to spectively. However, purchasers of full Europe so far in this decade. And, since Call us at 800-521-6722 to start your fare economy tickets (about $3300 from most American tourists will be back email service. the West Coast) are entitled to a free home by mid-October, you can have Swissair-Delta Code Share business class upgrade. the continent virtually to yourself. You may be aware that Swissair is • A coupon is not needed but you Gemütlichkeit & the WWW now involved in a close relationship must book directly with Swissair. Re- You may be wondering why there with Delta Airlines. Called “code shar- serve through Swissair at 800-221-4750, is not yet a Gemütlichkeit page on the ing” in the industry, what it means is then call Shirley at Swissair in L.A., Internet's World Wide Web. All I can the two airlines book some of their 310-335-5900. She will confirm with us say is it's coming. We have the domain passengers on each others flights. your subscriber status and issue the name reserved — gemut.com — and This, as it relates to their low fare tickets at the lower price. hope before the snow flies to have it up privileges with Swissair, is good news and running. • All persons traveling with the for Gemütlichkeit subscribers. It means subscriber on at least one leg of the The idea is to build a page that will that many of you who, in the past, transatlantic journey are eligible for be THE place to go for those planning couldn't use the Swissair deal because the reduced fares. a trip to Germany, Austria and Swit- you live in a city not served by Swis- zerland. We'll have links to the best sair, can now do so. From many cities Mea Culpas web sites on those three countries; there — other than the “Swissair Gateways” Several of you who pointed out our will be frequent updates of special air- of Boston, Los Angeles, New York, use of the non-word “sufferage” in the fares plus hotel, rail and car rental Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington, June issue instead of the correct “suf- deals and an opportunity to look at Cincinnati, Chicago, Toronto, Mont- frage.” Somehow that got past our past issues. real — Swissair will now either fly you spell-checker. Gemütlichkeit Via Email to Europe on a Delta flight or pay the Our geography-checker didn't do While some of you have told us fare on another airline to get you from so well, either. The Austrian town of you'll never be on the Internet, it is your town to one of these gateway Bregenz is, of course, at the eastern obvious that more readers than we cities. rather than the western end of the Bod- imagined have on-line access. I said most cities, but not all, unfor- ensee (Lake Constance). — RHB So beginning now, we're making tunately. In order to obtain the Swis- Phone Numbers: Gemütlichkeit will henceforth sair/Gemütlichkeit fare reductions print phone numbers beginning with the country Gemütlichkeit available via email. That code followed by the city code and then the way you'll get it as soon as it's written, some of you will still have to find your number. The “+” indicates one must first dial 011 even before it's printed. The printing, own way to a gateway city. for overseas. To save space, fax numbers follow- mailing and delivery process current- Perhaps at this point we should ing regular phone numbers will be shown without country and city code. When dialing from the U.S. ly takes from two to three weeks. Email review the bidding regarding the Swis- do not dial the first zero in the city code.