I just wanted to let you know that I have updated my Switzerland directories for traveling and dining in style for 2025! There are the four of them. The first two are about where to go in my lovely home country. You find not only a grand tour of Switzerland but also an overview of premium destinations for the discerning traveler. Furthermore, I inform on where to stay and where to dine in style while traveling along the grand tour through this Alpine nation.

Here are the details:

1. Guide to visiting Switzerland
2. Premium destinations in Switzerland
3. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part one – core and west
4. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east
5. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part one – core and west
6. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east

I would like to highlight in particular my advice to foodies spots in Switzerland (5. and 6.).

It is based on dining directories just as the Michelin Guide and the Gault Millau Guide. And whenever they publish a new edition I amend my articles accordingly. But of course my personal opinions also play a role when creating them.

One more remark to end this short blogpost about my freshly updated Switzerland dine and travel in style guides. It is about how to use them. In case you do not want to read them from A to Z – which I would perfectly understand as they are quite long – , then proceed as follows. If you are only interested in a specific place, go to the contents section and click at “show”. Go to the spot of your choice and only read the correspondent paragraph!

Happy traveling and dining to all of you in 2025! And maybe let me know what you think about my directories.

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories 2025 first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories 2025 appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

I just wanted to let you know that I have updated my Switzerland directories for traveling and dining in style for 2024! There are the four of them. The first two are about where to go in my lovely home country. You find not only a grand tour of Switzerland but also an overview of premium destinations for the discerning traveler. Furthermore, I inform on where to stay and where to dine in style while traveling along the grand tour through this Alpine nation.

Here are the details:

1. Guide to visiting Switzerland
2. Premium destinations in Switzerland
3. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part one – core and west
4. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east
5. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part one – core and west
6. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east

I would like to highlight in particular my advice to foodies spots in Switzerland (5. and 6.).

It is based on dining directories just as the Michelin Guide and the Gault Millau Guide. And whenever they publish a new edition I amend my articles accordingly. But of course my personal opinions also play a role when creating them.

One more remark to end this short blogpost about my freshly updated Switzerland dine and travel in style guides. It is about how to use them. In case you do not want to read them from A to Z – which I would perfectly understand as they are quite long – , then proceed as follows. If you are only interested in a specific place, go to the contents section and click at “show”. Go to the spot of your choice and only read the correspondent paragraph!

Happy traveling and dining to all of you in 2024! And maybe let me know what you think about my directories.

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories 2024 appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

The Engadine is without doubt one of the country’s most desirable vacation destination in the Alps. You find here – especially in the upper part – not only a breathtaking mountain panorama but also a lake landscape that leaves you in awe. You might have also heard of Saint Moritz, the most known town here. While it is no particular beauty, it is a glamorous and fashionable place, especially in wintertime. Then the rich and beautiful meet here. But that was not what drew my husband and me to this high Alpine valley. Instead, we were looking for some of the best winter walks that the Upper Engadine has to offer. And we succeeded! So I am now in the position to propose two great winter walks to you.

General

The Engadine is long, with lots of small towns along the route. You distinguish between the Upper and the Lower Engadine. The latter begins in Brail coming from Saint Moritz. It is narrower and without the big lakes of the Upper Engadine. I am talking here only about the Upper Engadine. Some bits of information about the Lower Engadine can be found in a former post of mine.

My husband and I stayed at different places in the past, mainly in the Upper Engadine. Our destination for winter vacations in the last two years was Zuoz, a marvelous historic village. Here we resided at the four-class superior Hotel Castell (see my post).

Not long ago, we also spent some time in Brail, in summer. This is the first village in the Lower Engadine after leaving the Upper Engadine. At the time, we chose Switzerland’s smallest five-star hotel for a short stay, IN LAIN Hotel Cadonau (my post). Quite some time ago, my husband and I also were in Pontresina where we lodged at the five-star Grand Hotel Kronenhof (see my review).

But most of times when heading to the Engadine, we opted for Sils Maria, a placid small town not far from Saint Moritz. And we did so in summer and winter. As to the hotel of our choice, it was always the grand old dame of the Waldhaus, towering high above Sils Maria amidst a larch forest. This was not any different on our recent Engadine stay. If you are looking for understated and relaxed luxury, then this five-star hotel is your best bet in the area. It has been family owned and managed since 1908, and it has been regularly updated over time. Check out my last post, where I went into this wonderful hotel in greater depth. In case you do not want to read everything, open the contents section and click only at the paragraphs you are interested in.

2 top winter walks around Sils Maria/Engadine

As mentioned, the Engadine is large, and you could easily find winter walks in the area that would keep you busy for weeks if not months. My husband and I wanted to do winter walks starting right from Hotel Waldhaus Sils Maria, where we were staying.

And there is quite a choice in this respect. We opted for two classics, albeit both a bit in a varied version. The first went into the splendid Fex Valley (Val Fex), the second along Lake Sils to Maloja and further to a small mountain lake. And these two trails are among the nicest ones we have ever done when it comes to winter walking! Here are the details.

1. Winter walk Engadine: Fex Valley (Val Fex) round trip including out to Alp Muot Selvas & back

based on 2 tours: Fex Valley round trip (out: Sils Maria – Hotel Waldhaus – Fex Crasta / back: Fex Crasta – canyon path – Sils Maria) & Sils to Fex Valley (from Fex Crasta out & back) / 7.4 km (4.6 mi) out to Alp Muot Selvas from Hotel Waldhaus, 294 m (965 ft) up, 72 m (236 ft) down, about a 4-hour walk in total

The walk starts either in Sils Maria’s center or at Hotel Waldhaus (if you should be a guest here). This hotel is ideally located right at the beginning of the Fex Valley (Val Fex).  When having passed the hotel, turn right from the tarmac road as soon as you have the chance. Then the trail leads along Lake Sils, high above on a hill – with great views of this –

for a while. It may be not so easy to find your way as there is a variety of paths amidst a beautiful larch forest. Just make sure that you do not walk down hill towards the lake. That is how it should work.

After some time, the path turns left and once you have crossed a tarmac road – and having left the forest behind you – you can be sure to be on your way.

Later on, there is a signpost for a viewpoint (Muotto da Güvè). My husband and did not do this as the weather was not good enough. Instead we went on towards Fex Crasta, a hamlet. Up to this point, follow the first tour (Fex Valley round trip, see above). From here, change to the other one (Sils to Fex Valley, see above).

Either make a short stop to have a look at the hamlet of Fex Crasta – do not miss the church –

or continue your way to Alp Muot Selvas, at the back of the Lex Valley. When doing the latter, you can enjoy great views of this Alpine valley along the route.

In our case, the weather got better and better, and so the vistas that constantly came at us! When having reached Fex Mountain Hotel & Restaurant, go further. After crossing the Fedacla river, the trail ascends a bit. After a while, you catch sight of the Alp Muot Selves,

an ideal place for a rest

before heading back. Up to here, we needed two and a quarter of an hour.

On your return way, walk until you get to Fex Crasta again. From here, you change to the other walk (Fex Valley round trip) and make your way back to Sils Maria’s center via the Schluchtweg (canyon path)

passing Fex Platta.

My husband and I got back to Hotel Waldhaus after a four-hour walk.

2. Winter walk Engadine: lakeside path along Lake Sils to Maloja & out to Lake Cavloc & back to Maloja

map of the area / Sils Maria – Maloja – Lake Cavloc – Maloja – bus to Sils Maria /10.5 km (6.5 mi) out to Alp da Cavloc from Hotel Waldhaus, 235 m (771 ft)  up, 168 m (551 ft) down, about a 3 3/4 -hour walk in total

Either start your walk from Sils Maria’s center or from Hotel Waldhaus (as we did). You can choose among two trails to Maloja. If Lake Sils is completely frozen, you can walk across the lake (6 km/3.7 mi). On our stay, this was not possible, so we took the lakeside path (7 km/4.3 mi). Along Lake Sils, you have great views of lake and mountains.

About half way to Maloja, you get to the pretty hamlet of Isola.

After about one hour and three quarters you reach the town of Maloja.

When reaching the town’s outskirts, you catch sight of a magnificent building right away. It is the Maloja Palace.

At one time in the past, it was one of the biggest and most modern hotels worldwide. Nowadays, only a small part of it is still used as a hotel. At this point, you have to decide whether to go to town for a pit stop first (a good address for this is Hotel Restaurant Schweizerhaus) or whether to immediately tackle the second part of your walk. In the first case, head towards the main road. In the latter case, go in the direction of the cemetery (Cimitero Maloja). From here, there is a trail signposted to Lake Cavloc (Lägh da Cavloc).

Allow about one hour to reach this picturesque mountain lake. First, you walk through a Maloja neighborhood before coming to a beginner’s ski lift.

Go further, pass the Salecina Vacation Center and cross the Orlegna river. Afterwards, there is a path crossing. Turn right into a wide path

that brings you up to Lake Cavloc through a forested area. Alternatively, turn left into a steep trail that merges with the wider path at some point (we did the latter on the way up and the former on the way down).

Once arrived at Lake Cavloc, my husband and I walked further alongside the lake, which is a nice thing to do. At a beautiful spot, there is Restaurant Cavloccio (closed in winter).

We continued until Alp da Cavloc

before returning to Maloja.

From here, you can take the bus (Maloja, Posta) to get back to Sils Maria. In total, we needed three hours and three quarters to finish the whole walk.

Date of visit: February 2023

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The post 2 top winter walks in Sils Maria near Saint Moritz in the Swiss Alps first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post 2 top winter walks in Sils Maria near Saint Moritz in the Swiss Alps appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

I just wanted to let you know that I have updated my Switzerland directories for traveling and dining in style for 2023! There are the four of them. The first two are about where to go in my lovely home country. You find not only a grand tour of Switzerland but also an overview of premium destinations for the discerning traveler. Furthermore, I inform on where to stay and where to dine in style while traveling along the grand tour through this Alpine nation.

Here are the details:

1. Guide to visiting Switzerland
2. Premium destinations in Switzerland
3. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part one – core and west
4. Guide to luxury hotels in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east
5. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part one – core and west
6. Directory to fine dining in Switzerland, part two – Alps and east

I would like to highlight in particular my advice to foodies spots in Switzerland (5. and 6.).

It is based on dining directories just as the Michelin Guide and the Gault Millau Guide. And whenever they publish a new edition I amend my articles accordingly. But of course my personal opinions also play a role when creating them.

One more remark to end this short blogpost about my freshly updated Switzerland dine and travel in style guides. It is about how to use them. In case you do not want to read them from A to Z – which I would perfectly understand as they are quite long – , then proceed as follows. If you are only interested in a specific place, go to the contents section and click at “show”. Go to the spot of your choice and only read the correspondent paragraph!

Happy traveling and dining to all of you in 2023! And maybe let me know what you think about my directories.

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My Switzerland travel & dine in style directories 2023 appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

When visiting Lausanne last year and marveling at the Lavaux vineyards from far, I wanted to hike this UNESCO World Heritage Site as soon as possible. And an opportunity came my way recently! After having booked a short stay in Geneva, my husband and I decided to go on a Lavaux vineyard walk on the shores of Lake Geneva on our way to Geneva. And of course, we combined it with a gourmet lunch in the area!

About Lavaux vineyards

The Lavaux vineyard terraces extend from Lausanne to Montreux high above Lake Geneva in the western part of Switzerland. It is the country’s largest contiguous vineyard region with vines growing in terraces that were daringly constructed along the hill. The Lavaux has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2007.

It is really hard not to be softened by the Lavaux’s beauty and its unspoiled character! And above all this, you always have these panoramic views of the Lake Geneva and the French Alps.

Walks/hikes in the Lavaux vineyards

The steep terraced vineyards in the Lavaux region offer a myriad of walking and hiking opportunities with spectacular views of water and mountains. The grapevines are beautiful from early spring to late summer yet at their best in fall. For an overview of possible walking and hiking options please refer to Outdooractive.

Out of the many possibilities my husband and I went for an easy circular hike in the central Lavaux between Cully and Chexbres.

World Heritage hike through the Lavaux vineyards (easy hike)

Cully – Chemin de l’Ouchette – Chemin du Dézaley – Chexbres – Sentier sur le Moulin – Chemin du Daillard – Chemin des Plantaz – Route de la Corniche – Epesses – Riex – Chemin du Vigny – Cully

Duration: about 3 hours / Ascent: 185 m/607 ft / inspired by Outdooractive trail

You start at the train station in Cully and head towards east in the direction of Chexbres. While you first walk near to a road and a railway, with time the trail leads deeper and deeper in the wine growing area. At the beginning, the vineyard terraces are relatively flat

yet gradually become steeper.

The climax as to steepness is around the Dézaley terraces where the signature wines comes from. If you are a wine lover, give the Dézalay Chemin de Fer (white Chasselas), a top wine of the area, a try!

The trail to Chexbres’s outskirts is along paved routes, which are for the winemaker’s use only. And you have stunning views of the terraced vineyards and the Lake Geneva all the time. At the end of Chemin du Dézaley you come to a vista point

where you also find a wine stall (kiosque de degustation des vins). Then the way climbs up towards Chexbres.

Once you have reached the top point of the hike,

you follow the Route de la Corniche. Although this is a car road, it is a beautiful way to take. It features a sidewalk (on the lake side) all the time and you have wonderful views of vineyards and lake on the whole descent. You pass two wine villages while doing so.

Epesses,

a lovely historical place

with lots of opportunities to taste wine, is first, Riex

second. From Riex, turn into Chemin du Vigny to return to your starting point.

Where to have a gourmet lunch in the Lavaux area

My husband and I did our hike in the Lavaux vineyards in the morning. This is very much recommended in summer time as there is not much shade when walking here. In addition, this allows you to have lunch in the area after having completed your “physical exertion”.

It goes without saying that you – as hiker – have to choose your (fine dining) restaurant wisely. After all, you are most probably dressed in your hiking gear and you might be a bit sweaty. Notwithstanding that, my husband and I like to have a gourmet lunch  although not at a really fancy place. And this preferably at a eatery with an outdoor area.

Our choice fell on a gourmet restaurant in Grandvaux,

a picturesque wine village, which dangles from the hillside like a charm on a bracelet.

And here we opted for Auberge de la Gare, the local station restaurant, dating from 1862.

You have to make your reservation on a sunny summer weekend early, as it quickly fills on such days. A funny detail is that they have more space available when the weather is good as they feature a large terrace but only small interiors.

Auberge de la Gare was awarded 13 Gault Millau points and is Michelin listed. Well-made family-style cooking is on offer here. Popular choices are perch fillets from Lake Geneva and delicious, very fresh fries.

A small house salad is included in the price. You can enjoy your meal, preferably with local wine – Dézalay Chemin de Fer is a great choice – , while admiring views of lake, the French Alps and vineyards!

And you do not have to break your wallet while doing so. Staff is gracious and informative.

Overall

Switzerland has quite a number of beautiful wine areas, but one stands out, the Lavaux in Switzerland’s west, on Lake Geneva between Lausanne and Montreux. It is not only the country’s largest contiguous vineyard but also an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It offers numerous chances to walk and hike amidst its terraced landscape with tremendous views of lake and mountains. One of them is the easy hike I proposed above, the World Heritage hike. It is best combined with a gourmet lunch at the Auberge de La Gare in Grandvaux, a lovely wine village, five minutes by car from the starting and end point of the walk. This is the place to enjoy local fish and the vista from its panoramic terrace!

Date of visit: July 2020

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Although my home country is best known for the Alps, I start with its must-visit cities.

Premium Swiss cities

The three largest cities in Switzerland, Zurich, Geneva and Basel, are definitely premium cities.

Zurich,

by far the largest amongst them (about 420,000 inhabitants), is the country’s economical and financial hub. At the same time it ranks high on lists of the most livable cities in the world. Geneva

in the French-speaking part is the most international city of Switzerland. Many important organizations (for instance United Nations seat) are headquartered here. And it is strong in terms of urban nature! Basel

is a center of the pharmaceutical industry and Switzerland’s culture city.

From a tourist point of view, the much smaller Lucerne

is a major player. Thanks to its setting against a backdrop of lake and mountains it gained much popularity amongst travelers. Lugano

in the Italian speaking part must not be forgotten in this context. It is the largest town in the near-Mediterranean south of Switzerland. And it is business center and tourist magnet alike.

Now to Switzerland’s best asset, its mountains and the resorts you find in this Alpine area.

Premium Swiss mountain resorts

There is a great number of places in the Swiss Alps geared to tourism. Amongst them, you find some with that certain something. In this regard, I think of following three mountain resorts: Saint Moritz, Zermatt and Gstaad.

Saint Moritz,

in the Grison Alps in the country’s southeast, is perhaps the most known in this category. While I do not find the town itself especially attractive, the surroundings (Engadine) certainly are. It is considered as the birthplace of the Alpine winter tourism and is a hotspot when it comes to the international jetset.

Another playground for the same clientele is Gstaad

in the Bernese Alps in the southwestern part of Switzerland. Quite unique here is the number of ultra-luxurious chalets belonging to rich foreigners. Although it is an idyllic mountain resort, it has a big shortcoming. It is not really a high-altitude spot and therefore enough (natural) snow for skiing in winter is not guaranteed.

The last in this group is Zermatt,

in the Valais Alps in the country’s southwest. It is also chic but not too much so, which makes it my favorite among these top three! It boasts one of the best and biggest ski resorts worldwide. In addition, the town is picturesque and car-free. And above all, it is home of the probably most famous peak on Earth, the Matterhorn.

So far, I have only mentioned mountain resorts from the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Of course, you also find some with a sexy vibe in the country’s French-speaking area. Verbier and Crans-Montana might be such choices. Many years ago, I spent ski vacations in Verbier. While I liked skiing here, I found the town somewhat artificial (lots of newer buildings). As to Crans-Montana, I have never been there, so I cannot comment.

Other premium Swiss destinations

Apart from cities and mountains resorts, there are three regions to point out with a “premium status”.

First of all, the area around Lucerne (refer to cities too). It includes the Lake Lucerne region

as well as Interlaken with Jungfraujoch. Whereas the latter is certainly worth a visit (the mountain, not the town), it is overtouristed (package trips). However, a mountain tour to one of the mid-high peaks in the Lake Lucerne area is certainly a nice thing to do (Pilatus, Rigi or Stanserhorn).

Another region I recommend to pay a visit is the French-speaking Lake Geneva Region.

I think of places just as Montreux with the Chillon Castle, Lausanne and its nearby Lavaux vineyards or smaller towns just as Morges.

Last but not least the Ticino,

the most southern part of Switzerland with its near-Mediterranean climate, is a great destination for some relaxation or hiking. I already mentioned Lugano under cities, other good choices are Locarno and Ascona along with the Verzasca and Maggia valleys.

Outlook

After a guide to visiting Switzerland in my latest blogpost, you found here an overview of premium Swiss destinations in my home country. Next will be a collection of hotels to stay in style on your Switzerland journey (part one and two). And the last post on my blog in this context will cover (Michelin) restaurants for gourmets in this Alpine nation (part one and two).

last revised: December 2024

The post Premium destinations in Switzerland for luxury travel first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post Premium destinations in Switzerland for luxury travel appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

Located in Europe’s heart and amidst the Alps, this country offers abundant natural wonders. From a spectacular mountain world with high peaks and glaciers to idyllic lakes and wild rivers, it has it all. Along with vibrant cities this Alpine nation makes an ideal vacation destination. Find here a guide to visiting Switzerland complete with a basic tour and five modular tours to complement your journey as you wish.

Switzerland as a travel destination

Switzerland has been a known travel destination since the early 19th century. At the time, it all started with summer tourism.

British nobility came to the Swiss Alps to climb the peaks and to benefit from the clean air. As from the mid 19th century, the winter tourism began to develop, too. Again the first visitors were rich British. Surprisingly enough, they had a faible for the ice rather than for the snow. Popular activities were skating, curling or bobsledding. This only changed in the early 20th century when downhill skiing did take off. It did not take long until the Alps became the center of the Alpine skiing world!

And in summer a paradise for hikers!

To this day, Switzerland remains a magnet for international travelers, both in summer and winter time. While in the early days tourists went to Alpine regions only, this is different now. In the last 25 years, more and more visitors came to urban areas, too. Whereas in the past most visitors to Switzerland were from Europe and the USA, this recently changed. The share of travelers from Asia coming to Switzerland grows from year to year.

Before coming to a guide how to visit this Alpine nation, a few facts about it.

What to know about Switzerland

Location & geography

Switzerland is a small, landlocked country in western Europa right in the heart of the Alps. It is bordered by Italy, France, Germany and Austria. While the Alps occupy the greater part of the Swiss territory,

the population lives mostly in the Swiss Plateau (Swiss Mittelland). Here you find the largest cities such as Zurich or Geneva.

In the north-west of the country there is another mountain range, the sub-Alpine Jura, where you find hills rather than mountains.

Sights

As mentioned above, Switzerland is famous for its spectacular mountain scenery full of high peaks that are 4,000 m (13,000 ft) in altitude or higher. The most famous one is probably the Matterhorn.

There are lots of valleys, amongst them the well known Engadine, and many glaciers,

the biggest one is the Aletsch Glacier. And there is a myriad of lakes and rivers, which cover around 4% of the country’s surface area and contain 6% of Europe’s stock of fresh water. And last but not least, there are vibrant cities just as Zurich, Basel, Bern or Geneva.

Getting around

The spectrum of different things to see in Switzerland is really big. And everything is close together, so it is possible to see a lot in one or two weeks. You never need more than a few hours to get from point A to point B. In terms of getting around, Switzerland has one of the best public transport systems in the world. I strongly recommend using it. And as a plus, there is a couple of really awarding panoramic train trips!

Alternatively, you may rent a car, although this is more costly. While the road network is well developed, driving may not always be that easy in the mountainous area. Sometimes roads in the Alps are narrow and curvy, and they might be snow-covered in the winter time.

Best time to visit

If you come to Switzerland for skiing, you have to visit in winter (there is only limited summer skiing). While the season usually starts in December and ends in April, the best time for skiing is from January to March. I personally consider January and March as the ideal months for this purpose as there are fewer vacationers around.

Generally, the climate in Switzerland is moderate with no excessive heat, cold or humidity. Recently, it is getting warmer year round, as almost everywhere. If you want to go hiking, May and June as well as September and October are ideal, given you do it not in the High Alpine area. Here, you better go in July or August. For sightseeing in lower regions (Swiss Mittelland), March to June and September to November are good times.

How to visit Switzerland

There are plenty of activities to undertake in Switzerland. I advise checking out the official tourism website of Switzerland, My Switzerland. Here you receive plenty of tips, information and itineraries.

When it comes to how tourists travel the country, unfortunately most opt for the short version outlined in the following chapter. You find a much better way of exploring this Alpine destination right afterwards, a guide for visiting Switzerland.

What the typical tourist does in Switzerland

Many tourists coming to Switzerland visit it along with neighboring ones on the same trip. Therefore, they only spend a few days here. They go to Lucerne, a city in the country’s center, on the shores of beautiful Lake Lucerne (see my post about staying here at a premium hotel).

Here they have a look at the Chapel Bridge, one of the oldest covered wooden bridges in Europe, and at some other sights nearby. A trip to a mid-high mountain (2,000 m resp. 6,500 ft) is often also on the agenda (Pilatus, Rigi or Stanserhorn).

Next on the list is Interlaken, the gateway to the dramatic mountain landscapes of the Bernese Alps. Here an excursion aboard the Jungfrau railway to Jungfraujoch, Europe highest-altitude railway station at 3,454 m (11,332 ft), takes place.

If they have a bit more time available, a trip to Zermatt, at the foot of Matterhorn peak, in the south-western Alps (see my post about staying at a luxury hotel and how to ski in style here), is part of the itinerary. Here in this well-known mountain resort at an elevation of 1,608 m (5,276 ft) they board the cog railway up to Gornergrat

for best views of the iconic Matterhorn, said to be the most-photographed mountain in the world.

While this  trip allows a short glimpse into the country’s offerings, it is the absolute minimum. The guide to visiting Switzerland I am going to propose, gives you the chance to get a real sense of Switzerland however. It is essentially one grand tour that you can divide in parts according desire.

A guide to visiting Switzerland: 1 basic tour & 5 modular tours

The basic itinerary that I am going to suggest corresponds more or less to the typical one mentioned above. But I highly recommend completing it with one or more of several modular tours. Every one of them covers only a certain part of the country and all together with the basic one result in a grand tour of Switzerland (about 26 days).

In case you care for a map of the whole journey, please refer to the one of the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland on the official Switzerland Tourism website. It shows not exactly the same trip yet provides a good overview.

There are two variants of this minimum Switzerland journey. The first one with Zermatt (1a) is for people who only do this trip here and want to see the absolute must-see landmarks.

The second (1b) is for travelers who visit Zermatt on modular tour No 3 Zermatt-Saint Moritz.

Basic tour No 1a Lucerne-Interlaken-Zermatt: about 5 days, for those doing this tour only

Highlights of Switzerland

Lucerne is the heart of Switzerland and a good starting point. Take in the sights as described above (Chapel Bridge and a trip to one the mid-high mountains in the area). If you want to stay at prestigious luxury hotel on the mountain, see my post about Buergenstock mountain. In case you prefer lodging by the lake there is a more relaxed option (my post) or a more fancy one (my post).

Then proceed to Interlaken. Here I would stay no longer than necessary as I consider it to be not one of the nicer places in my home country. Having said that it is perfectly located for visiting the more accessible high mountains in the Bernese Alps.

In Interlaken I would ponder replacing the Jungfraujoch by the Schilthorn. The former is in my opinion an overpriced attraction for tourists only – many Swiss have never been there. The Schilthorn is a peak, made famous in the James Bond film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, and ideal for views of the Jungfrau, Eiger and Moench peaks. But only do this trip if the weather is nice enough! Otherwise, you will not see anything.

Next is Zermatt, a must-see landmark. Do the Gornergrat excursion (see above) for a great view of Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most famous peak (this also makes only sense if the weather permits it). Also go to “Old Zermatt”, the oldest part of the town, to have a look at period barns, stables and residential houses (Hinterdorf). See also my post about skiing in style here.

Basic tour No 1b Lucerne-Interlaken: about 3 days, for those also doing modular tour No 3

Highlights of Switzerland without Zermatt

This is the same tour as above (1a) but without Zermatt as you visit this place on modular tour No 3 Zermatt-Saint Moritz.

After this basic tour that allows you to see the country’s top attractions now to the modular tours. You can add them before or after the basic tour as you please.

Modular tour No 1 Basel-Solothurn-Bern: about 4 days

Northwest of Switzerland: culture-baroque-historic old town

Basel, the border city where France, Germany and Switzerland meet, is the country’s cultural capital. It is home to 40 museums and so the city with the highest density of museums in Switzerland.  It has also a stunning old town,

modern architecture and the river Rhine.

And do not miss the art space in nearby Riehen, the Fondation Beyeler complete with the building designed by Renzo Piano and the park around it.

Before you visit another major city, it might be a good thing to get a sense of a smaller town. I would recommend paying a visit to Solothurn, which is considered as the finest Baroque town in Switzerland.

Next on the list is Bern, the country’s capital, where you want to make a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage listed old town. An interesting stop might also be the Bear Park to see the brown bears that are the symbol of this city.

After this tour it might be obvious to head to Lucerne and do the basic itinerary.

Modular tour No 2 Interlaken-Gstaad-Montreux-Lausanne(-Geneva): about 4 days (5 with Geneva)

Southwest of Switzerland: panoramic trail ride-Bernese Oberland-Lake Geneva

This tour is ideal to undertake after the basic tour (1b), given the fact that this one ends in Interlaken. In this case, you probably need one day less.

Here indulge yourself in one of Switzerland’s several scenic train rides, the GoldenPass Panoramic. Board the train in Interlaken to Gstaad, a village in the Bernese Oberland and a popular destination for international celebrities. Stroll around the chalet village and maybe make a hike to the idyllic Lake Lauenen.

Hop on the Panoramic-Express again and enjoy your trip through the French speaking part of Switzerland to Montreux on the banks of Lake Geneva. The town is famous for its mild climate and subtropical vegetation. Stroll along the lake side promenade with the statue of Freddy Mercury and go to Chillon Castle, the most visited historic building in Switzerland. For staying in style in this lakeside town, here a suggestion with great views of lake and mountains (my post).

Proceed to Lausanne, always along Lake Geneva, and past the impressive Lavaux wine region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 800-year-old terraced vineyards.

If you have some time left in Lausanne, do not miss walking the wine growing slopes here (around St-Saphorin, Dézaley & Epesses). Here is a recommendation where to go for a walk and a gourmet lunch. As to Lausanne, it is known as the “Olympic capital”. It is home of the Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum. For staying in style here, excellent choices are either a luxury hotel by the water (my post) or one a bit further away from the lake yet with views too (my post).

In case you have some time to spare, continue your journey to Geneva, a historic lakeside city.

Tour its old town, the country’s largest historic center, see the Jet d’Eau water fountain or the European headquarters of the United Nations (for a luxury stay on the lake border’s check out my post). When opting for this variant, you might need one day more.

Modular tour No 3 Zermatt-Saint Moritz: about 5 days

Southwest of Switzerland: 2 famous mountain resorts & 8 hours Alpine train ride

Zermatt with the Matterhorn peak is one of the absolute highlights in Switzerland. For details refer to the last paragraph of basic tour 1a. From here it is time for another wonderful train ride, the one to Saint Moritz on board of the Glacier Express. You cross the Alps in about 8 hours, passing through 19 tunnels and over 291 bridges.

If you wish to make an en-route stop at a small place with lots of austere mountain appeal, you can do so in Andermatt. Here awaits you also one of Switzerland’s most glamorous luxury hotels (my post).

Once arrived in Saint Moritz, an upscale resort in the Upper Engadine (maybe you fancy lodging here at the most beautiful village, my post), stay here around the splendid mountains lakes

or proceed to the Lower Engadine (you might wish to stay here at Switzerland’s smallest five-star hotel, my post), which is less chic yet more authentic. Make use of the fantastic mountain and lake scenery, maybe make the easy walk from Saint Moritz to Lej da Staz or visit Switzerland’s oldest National Park in the Lower Engadine near Zernez.

Modular tour No 4 Zurich-Saint Gallen-Appenzell-Bad Ragaz: about 6 days

Northeast of Switzerland: cosmopolitan city & rural experience

Zurich is the one and only cosmopolitan city in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Here you find a nice old town, Lake Zurich (for staying in style a bit outside of town you can do so either on the lake – my post – or a bit elevated above it – my post) and upscale shopping at Bahnhofstrasse.

From here make a tour through the north-eastern part of Switzerland, head via the Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest waterfall, to Saint Gallen, the compact town between Lake Constance and Appenzell.

See the old town with the Abbey District, a UNESCO world heritage site. Do not miss the splendid Baroque cathedral and the Abbey Library.

In case you want to explore the mentioned Appenzell, a nearby rural area with a magical landscape of rolling hills.

Go for example to Heiden, a small town with neoclassical architecture.

Continue towards south to the final stop of this tour. This is Bad Ragaz, a health resort in the pre-Alps, a great place for some relaxation (refer to my post about walking the area and to my post about staying in style at Europe’s one and only hotel with six Michelin stars).

Add here modular tour No 5 for crossing the Alps by train and getting a taste of Switzerland’s Mediterranean like south.

Modular tour No 5  Chur-Ticino: about 3 days

South of Switzerland: panoramic Alpine train ride to the palm trees

Once arrived in Chur, make yourself ready for another terrific train ride, this time on board of the Bernina Express. Once again crossing the Alps is on the agenda, this time from north to south. You pass amongst other things the Landwasser Viaduct, the signature structure of the Rhaetian Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Now you are in the canton of Ticino, the country’s south with a Mediterranean flair. Here you have the choice between Lugano or Locarno resp. Ascona to spend some time in the subtropical landscape. While Lugano

on Lake Lugano is the largest town in this Swiss canton featuring a nice old town and numerous mountains with splendid viewpoints, Locarno is smaller (and more touristy). The same is true for Ascona, a neighboring village. And both places are located on Lake Maggiore. Ascona is a truly idyllic spot, boasting an enchanting historic core and a picturesque lakeside piazza.

Locarno has a gorgeous piazza as well,

in the heart of the town, and a nice lake promenade. There is much to do in the area, do not miss a trip to the nearby Verzasca and Maggia valleys with their picturesque wild scenery. Also check out my posts about staying at luxury hotels in the area (Lugano/Ascona).

Luxury & gourmet travel in Switzerland

After this guide to visiting Switzerland you might wonder about premium destinations too and where to stay and dine in style in my home country. I will inform you about “sexy places” in the blogpost to come. Recommendations for top luxury hotels, part one and two, and (Michelin) fine dining restaurants will follow later on (part one and two). And I will bring them to you along the grand tour of Switzerland I have just suggested.

last revised: December 2024

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Quite some time ago, my husband and I headed quite often to Geneva. In recent years, we never managed to get there again. So, when friends asked us to join them two days at the renowned Hotel La Réserve, we did not hesitate long. First, we had never been to this hotel. Second, we could make use of a special offer to lower the considerable cost of staying here. Furthermore, it is also a foodie destination with its Michelin restaurant. And Hotel La Réserve is certainly the ideal accommodation if you visit Geneva in summer for leisure purposes with its lakeside location a bit outside the city and its large swimming pool amidst a park. All in all, it appeared like a safe bet to stay and dine in style in Geneva.

Before going into details of La Réserve Geneva, a few details about the city and the hotel group of which it is part, Michel Reybier Hospitality.

About Geneva

Geneva is a one–of–a–kind city, also for Swiss people. It almost feels as not being part of Switzerland as it is so different from other comparable places. This because of its status as worldwide center for diplomacy. Numerous international organizations are present here, amongst them the headquarters of many agencies of the United Nations and the Red Cross. And this shows, diplomats are omnipresent in the city’s streets und you hear people chatter in almost every language you can think of.

Geneva lies on the banks of Switzerland’s largest lake, Lake Geneva. This is also the place where you find the city’s most famous landmark, the “Jet d’eau”, a 140 m/460 ft water jet.

And no, Geneva is not Switzerland’s capital (Bern is it) and it is not the country’s largest city (Zurich is it).

So much for that now. Some more details follow at the end of the post when I talk about things to do in Geneva.

About Michel Reybier Hospitality

Michel Reybier is an immensely rich industrialist from France, where he became known as sausage king of Lyon. After selling the business end of the late 1990s he began investing in luxury hotels. And he started with La Réserve Geneva in 1999, which he bought for 24 million SFR/US$. After a renovation, it reopened in 2003. Later on, others joined the La Réserve group: Ramatuelle (France) in 2009, Paris in 2015, Eden au Lac 2020.

Apart from the La Réserve Hotels, other hotels in Switzerland are part of his collection: Victoria Jungfrau in Interlaken, Bellevue Palace in Bern as well as Mont Cervin Palace, Hotel Monte Rosa and Schweizerhof in Zermatt. It seems that the sausage king mutated to a high-end hotel king!

About La Réserve Geneva

Since its opening in the late 1960s this hotel has the reputation of being a place of sophistication and elegance where the local jet set meet, and this with corresponding prices.

Location

La Réserve Geneva is located on the shores of Lake Geneva in the residential Bellevue area a bit outside the city center and very close to Geneva’s airport. While it is idyllically set in a vast park, be advised that it is not directly on the water. There is a busy road between the hotel and the lake. Although you hear the road you do not see it as it is cleverly shielded behind a group of trees.

Facilities

While the hotel building is not overly attractive, they made the best out of it by decorating it in an appealing way. In terms of interior design it is rather special, kept very dark and with an African safari theme. Jacques Garcia, a known architect and designer, is responsible for the place’s overhaul.

On site there are four restaurants: The Lodge, a summer restaurant, with sea food and grill specialties; the Loti a 14 points Gault Millau dining-outlet with Japanese and Southamerican inspired food (closed in summer), the spa eatery Cafe Lauren with healthy options, the Bar with classic dishes and the Tse Fung, a high-end Chinese venue, awarded one Michelin star and 15 Gault Millau points. Our party of four had dinner at the latter, you find more about our experience under the corresponding paragraph.

In addition, the hotel has a 2,500 sqm wellness complex, a kids club – La Réserve is very kid-friendly – a large swimming pool and – the best feature in my opinion – a courtesy speed boat in the warmer months to the city center.

Apparent is that the pool is quite crowded on hot weekend days. This is not necessarily due to the number of hotel guests but to another curious fact. If you have lunch at the La Réserve as an outside guest, you may not only use the speed boat to come here from the city center but also the pool. Further, it exits an exclusive club where members are allowed to make use of all the amenities except of a hotel room of course.

Rooms/Pricing

All the 102 rooms are housed in long two-story buildings. Most of them have either a terrace or a balcony.

My husband and I opted for a Deluxe Lake View Room, the most expensive double room category. The one we had was not exactly large yet sufficient for our needs. It had an African-ish feeling as the rest of the hotel and was on the second floor. Even with a lake view we did not see much of it. Instead, we heard some noise from the road between the lake and the hotel. I found the furniture appealing with a dressing table for the lady and a writing table for the gentleman on both sides of the bed.

The bathroom was rather small with a tub only,

however the separate toilet was rather generous in size.

The balcony with table and chairs was adequately sized

but needed sweeping. And this was still the case on the second day! But otherwise we were satisfied with our lodging.

Breakfast was not included in our room rate. There is a breakfast buffet at The Bar, which is priced at 55 SFR/US$ per person. That is in my view much too expensive for what you get. In addition, there were no precautions taken to make the buffet safer in these Corona times. Not wanting to help myself from the breakfast buffet, I was able to order a smallish and overpriced birchermuesli, with much effort. After this underwhelming experience, my husband and I decided to skip breakfast at the hotel the second day.

In normal times (not Corona times) room rates start at about 790 SFR/US$. Ours was 738 SFR/US$ without breakfast. As we could profit from a special offer (Hop Suisse!), we only had to pay for one night, the other one was on the hotel!

Ambiance/Staff

On our weekend stay in mid July, the hotel’s public spaces were busy. I could not say for sure whether this was due to hotel guests or to lunch guests respectively club members (see also last paragraph of section “facilities”). I assumed there were quite many locals around, members of the upper echelons of the Geneva society. Small kids were plentiful, especially in the pool area. And it was quite noisy, too, on both days of our stay. We did not really mind it, but if you look for quietude, this is not the ideal place to go.

Indoors, it is darkish, everything is kept in dark red and brown in the style of an African lodge. While I did not dislike it, I found the approach here on the Lake Geneva maybe a bit far-fetched. I also had the impression that the interior design has not changed much since 2003. Notwithstanding that, the premises are kept in a good condition (except our room’s balcony).

Staff was polite yet not always seamless. On one occasion, we were seated at the bar and afterwards had been ignored for a quarter of an hour. So we left and had an aperitif at the restaurant instead. At breakfast, I had a hard time ordering an item from the a la carte menu. Clearly, you are expected to go for the (overpriced) breakfast buffet instead, which I did not feel the right thing to do in these Corona times.

Dining at the Michelin starred Tse Fung

Having dinner in the outdoor area of this upscale Chinese restaurant was one of the better experiences we had at Hotel La Réserve.

While some menu items are priced exorbitantly (for instance black cod at 88 SFR/US$), you can avoid the risk of overspending by choosing thoughtfully.

Service was kind and accommodating yet at times not quite spotless. Food was immaculately prepared and nicely arranged. I read that it is the only Chinese restaurant in Switzerland with a Michelin star and I can claim that it is the best Chinese food I have ever tasted in my home country! The chef, Franck Xu, knows how to prepare reinterpreted Cantonese cuisine.

Here are some impressions of the dishes I liked best. Great choices for starters were marinated beef shin with chive pancakes,

slow cooked meat from the leg (enough for two), as well as salmon and shrimps dim sum.

As to main courses, my favorites were sweet and sour sea bass as well as crispy prawns with garlic and chili pepper. A super-tasty side dish were stir-fried chicken noodles and bean sprouts.

And the dessert, chocolate mousse with jasmine tea and crumbled shortbread, was a real treat (and again enough for two).

Of course, we also explored foodie restaurants in Geneva’s city. Unfortunately, this proofed to be a difficult task as many venues were closed either due to Corona or only open from Monday to Friday.

Where to dine as gourmet in Geneva

What to do in Geneva

Overall

Geneva has no shortage of places to stay and dine in style. However, in these Corona times, there seems to be dwindling opportunities in terms of luxury hotels and fine dining venues. A good however pricey option for a luxurious stay is Hotel La Réserve in the city’s outskirts on the shores of Lake Geneva. Especially in summer, with its vast grounds and large swimming pool, it is the ideal spot to go. If you are a foodie and love high-end Chinese cuisine, give its Restaurant Tse Fung a try. Another good address for gourmet experiences is Restaurant Le Jardin at Hotel Le Richemond in the city center. Unfortunately, its premises are closed for an indefinite period due to Corona. This is a shame, also with regard to the fact that there are few possibilities to dine in style in Geneva on a Saturday evening  in summer time.

Date of stay: July 2020

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After several stays in the Upper Engadine in Switzerland’s eastern Alps it called my husband and me to the Lower Engadine. While it is often just seen as an extension of the much better known Upper Engadine with Saint Moritz’s luxury culture, this remote valley certainly has its (rugged) charm. And since a couple of years, you find here also a luxury retreat, the boutique In Lain Hotel Cadonau. Here you can stay and dine in style. That is because there is also a one-star Michelin restaurant on site.

About the Engadine

As you know by now, this high Alpine valley is split in an upper and a lower part. Personally, I am a great fan of the Upper Engadine around Saint Moritz. This because of its almost unearthly beauty. You find here not only one lake but several ones, and one lake is more scenic than the other.

Saint Moritz, its most known town and popular with the rich and famous, is not necessarily my favorite. In my view, it is neither especially picturesque, but nevertheless, always crowded. However, I fell in love with Sils-Maria, a neighboring village. Here I recommend staying at the fabulous Waldhotel, towering over the landscape (my review).

If you leave Saint Moritz in the northeastern direction, towards Celerina, you pass some more villages before coming to the Lower Engadine. It starts at Brail, where also the mentioned In Lain Hotel Cadonau is located. When doing this, you may notice that the valley is not only long but becomes narrower the longer you drive.

Here in the Lower Engadine, the Inn river cuts a deep crevasse into the landscape.

Compared to its more popular sibling, it is more authentic and has so far escaped overdevelopment. Its capital is Scuol, a 40 minutes drive from Brail. You find here also, close to Brail, one of the area’s best assets, the Swiss National Park with lots of hiking trails in unspoiled alpine nature.

Now to the hotel we chose for our short vacation in the Lower Engadine. I will divide this review into two parts: first, all about staying here, second, what you have to know in terms of dining at his hotel. All three restaurants on site are also open to outside guests – and as I noted – frequently visited by those.

Staying at In Lain Hotel Cadonau

As mentioned, it is a 5 star hotel, and this the smallest in Switzerland, with 14 rooms only. It is a very boutique accommodation indeed.

Location

As you have already learnt, the hotel is located in Brail, in the Lower Engadine in the eastern Swiss Alps. It is a tiny village, a hamlet of Zernez, with 100 inhabitants and at an elevation of 1,635 m/5,364 ft. You can reach it from Zurich city in a two and half hour drive. By train, you need about a quarter of an hour longer.

In Lain Hotel Cadonau is directly situated on the busy road that comes from Saint Moritz and leads all the way to Scuol. From the area’s capital is not that far to the Austrian border.  Despite its not really remote location, you are not at all disturbed by the road. At least if you opt for a room in the hotel’s suite wing – which I strongly advise to do – with views of mountains of the nearby Swiss National Park.

Facilities

I will tell you all about dining in the separate paragraph. Here only so much about this topic: it is a treat for food lovers!

The hotel is comprised of two buildings, a historic one and a modern annexe. The former is more than 400 years old and a wonderful example of a typical Engadine house with sgraffito designs.

It is home of the traditional restaurant Stuevetta complete with a sun terrace, the reception, the kitchen, the bar and 3 guest rooms. In the annexe, opened end of 2011, there is the gourmet restaurant Vivanda and 11 suites.

It is a luxury hotel, albeit a small one, so do not expect to find all the amenities of a bigger resort of this class, such as a comprehensive wellness and fitness opportunities. However, there are some unusual features on offer here. On the extensive grounds in front of the suite extension hotel guests can make use of a lovely swimming pond with water from the hotel’s own natural spring. Be prepared, it is not big in size and the water is freezing. When we were here at the beginning of July it was about 16 degrees Celsius/60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Furthermore, there is a bathing tub, heated to 38 degrees Celsius/100 degrees Fahrenheit with stone pine wood. This is supposed to have an energetic and relaxing effect.

A few steps away, there is a sauna hut, completely made of stone pine wood, and maybe you benefit from the wood’s distinctive scent while sweating in here. Be advised that you have to book well in advance for both.

Here I have to make a short digression. Maybe you noticed that I mentioned stone pine wood twice in the last lines. This not without reason. This kind of wood is omnipresent in the In Lain Hotel and this because of the fact that the owner’s brother is in the carpentry business. The hotel is used as a showpiece of his work. And as the stone pine is said to be “the Queen of the Alps”, most of it is made with this wood. Not without reason the hotel is called “In Lain” which means “Out of Wood” in Romansh, the local language.

Rooms/Pricing

While the original house has 3 rooms (2 family rooms and one Engadine junior suite), the new wing is home to 11 suites. From which one is a spa suite, 5 are terrace suites and 5 garden suites.

My husband and I opted for a garden suite, which – as the name says – has direct access to the hotel grounds with the swimming pond, the bathing tub and the garden sauna. For me it is the best choice on site as these rooms are – in addition to the garden access – larger than the terrace suites. The latter are located a floor higher, yet also recommended to book.

It goes without saying that the garden suite is full of pine stone, from the furniture to the box with Kleenex tissues. It provides ample space (65 sqm) with a nice living room, a separated bedroom

a spacious walk-in closet, a large bathroom clad in a mix of stone and wood,

and all this in a minimalistic design. And there is a generous terrace with a table and two sunloungers.

My husband and I were really happy with our accommodation!

Prices seem okay for Swiss standards. It is a luxury (five star) hotel, and this comes with corresponding rates (including breakfast). The least expensive room (Family Room) costs at least 410 SFR/US$ per night. The top room (Spa Suite) amounts to a minimum of 910 SFR/US$ for an overnight stay. The daily rate for our Garden Suite was 710 SFR/US$ which I found adequate in view of the value we got out of it (65 sqm, separate coffee and tea machine, daily petit-fours etc.).

Ambiance/Staff

You feel here like being in the Swiss mountains, but there is not a trace of Alpine kitsch, to my great relief! Especially the premises in the new wing are in a straightforward design including the gourmet restaurant and the bar. The only space which is a bit playful is the traditional restaurant in the original Engadine house. Yet it genuinely fits here.

There is a relaxed, personal ambiance at In Lain Hotel. It is a family business, and you notice it well. The owners, Dario and Tamara Cadonau, are very present, always super friendly and extremely accommodative. And the same is true for the rest of the staff. Every morning when we entered the reception area, the staff member who was in charge accompanied us to the breakfast room, a nice touch!

After all the information about staying at the In Lain Hotel Cadonau, now to one of the main reasons we ended up here, the culinary aspect.

Dining at In Lain Hotel Cadonau

Despite being a small hotel, Inn Lain Hotel has three different restaurants plus a bar!

A drawback might be that it is not possible to book a half board arrangement, which is quite common in Switzerland.

The chef at the kitchen

is the owner himself, Dario Cadonau. He has trained under famous chefs just as Philip Rochat in Crissier in Switzerland’s west or Harald Wohlfahrt in Tonbach in Germany’s south, both awarded three stars Michelin. For his cooking he received one Michelin star and 17 Gault Millau points.

A nice little detail, you can taste the chef’s cuisine also in the city of Zurich. Here, his executive chef, Thomas Bissegger, is at work at 1904 DESIGNED BY LAGONDA (awarded one Michelin star and 16 Gault Millau points).

Gourmet restaurant Vivanda

First to the signature restaurant, the one-star Michelin Vivanda.

On our short vacation at the In Lain Hotel Cadonau, we had one dinner here.

The restaurant’s setting and interiors are lovely. It is a contemporary dream of alpine pine stone wood complete with a view of the mountains at the Swiss National Park. My husband and I had a great table at the window and marveled the beautiful decor. However, the tables do not allow much space for your legs, which is a bit inconvenient because we spent four and half hours here!

We had an eight-course surprise dinner. Not that we had any choice, no menu card was offered and no prices were mentioned. When we ordered Champagne with the friendly waiter, she just brought us one without giving us a selection. Of course, it was a good one albeit not exactly inexpensive. When we later explicitly asked about the menu and the number of courses, we were told that the kitchen had planned in eight courses for us. This despite the fact that you can pre-book a number of “fewer course options” when booking online along with your guest room.

Never mind the somewhat confusing start, we enjoyed our dinner at Restaurant Vivanda. After four snacks

we got a terrific amuse bouche, it was something creamy with poularde and cauliflower,

I do not know it exactly. In fact, we did not get any written food information after the meal as it is quite common in comparable establishments.

The first course was my favorite, goose liver coated with passionfruit and mango jelly,

delicious! Then it went on with a take on bouillabaisse.

Next was trout fillet with avocado peppermint cream.

The veggie course that followed, was not one of the most appealing ones, at least to me. If I remember correctly, it was a variation of onion accompanied by chive sorbet.

But of course this is a matter of taste …

The main course, summer deer with potatoes Anna,

was very good, although I found the potatoes a bit bland. A highlight was the visit to the cheese cellar where they explained all the varieties to us and where we could make our choice. And the cheese was a real treat complete with a “wood tower” full of condiments to accompany the feast!

The desserts were exquisite. A combination of salvia ice cream and white chocolate

was first, followed by a variation comprised of mascarpone cream, strawberries and caramelized milk skin.

And the petit fours were outstanding indeed!

Service was amiable and informative yet at times not immaculate and a bit slow, especially towards the end. An idea to add to the speed of the whole thing might be to serve the snacks not one after the other. Four and a half hours sitting at the table is way too long!

If you wonder about the costs of our evening at Restaurant Vivanda, we had to dig deep into our pockets. The total amounted to 820 SFR/US$ for the two of us. The menu was 250 SFR/US$ per person and we also went for the wine pairing, which was excellent. This is in my opinion price wise a bit over the top. While the cuisine is exceptional and noteworthy, I do not think that a one-star Michelin award justifies such a high price tag. We had dinners at two- and three star Michelin chefs in Switzerland that cost less! Having said that I would eat here again but I would probably book the five-course dinner online along with my guest room (at 190 SFR/US$).

Traditional yet contemporary La Stuevetta

Second, there is the main restaurant with traditional yet modernized food, Stuevetta. You can either eat in the original Engadine house with its typical interiors

or, weather permitting, on the nice sun terrace.

In terms of food, there is a three to five course menu available and an a la carte menu. My husband and I had dinner here on three nights and were delighted by what we got, both in quality and refinement.

One night we opted for four courses of the menu and were raving about the smoked salmon roulade with salad, the asparagus cream soup with a scallop skewer, the Engadine veal steak on potato pea cream and morel pea ragout as well as the dessert of our choice, champagne sabayon on marinated berries and champagne cream sorbet.

Another two nights, we chose three dishes each from the a la carte menu and the culinary experience was just as good, everything was masterly prepared and full of taste, be it the morel ravioli with asparagus, beef fillet coated with stone pine wood or the dessert, a heavenly yogurt, honey and hazelnut variation.

Service was kind and attentive, the ambiance relaxed and joyful. As far as the pricing is concerned, the multi-course menu is reasonably calculated and the portion sizes are generous. A bit of a pity is the fact, that the menu remained unchanged for the whole of our stay. And when I checked a month later, it was still the same. When it comes to the a la carte menu, I found that the prices of the starters and the pasta/risotto dishes are a tad on the high side. If you decide on potato gnocchi with spinach, pine nuts and Parmesan chips as a main course, it is going to cost you 48 SFR/US$!

The breakfast is served in here, as well. You get a table where your personalized newsletter awaits you, nice! They bring you an etagere with breakfast items. In addition, you can order egg dishes and help yourself from a small yet refined buffet.

The only thing I did not like was the fact that the bread was only made in house the first day of our stay. Later on, there was only a fairly mediocre bread selection (not crunchy at all) stemming probably from a local bakery.

Cheese dairy restaurant

And last, you find here also a small rustic eatery with cheese-centric specialties, just as fondue, raclette yet also chinese fondue and a variety of typical Swiss dishes.

In wintertime, there is also a cheese-maker present whom you can witness practicing his craft. When my husband and I stayed here at the beginning of July, it was not possible to have dinner here. So I can unfortunately not comment on how it is to dine here.

Things to do in the area

Here in the mountain landscape of the Lower Engadine, speckled with rustic villages, in summer it is all about hiking, bicycling, canoeing etc. In winter, it is ideal for skiing or winter hiking.

The place to go for hiking from Brail is the Swiss National Park, the country’s biggest wilderness area. There is a myriad of possible hikes here, and there is a no dog and biking policy. The hike I liked best on our recent visit is number 15 in the official hiking guide. It is a moderate one, leading from Buffalora via the Munt la Schera

to Il Fuorn. You can do in about four hours – given you are fairly fit. And it is so varied, from lush green meadows over steppe country, a rocky peak to forest areas.

If you need a change from hiking, think about making a trip to Ardez with its well preserved Engadine houses. They are adorned with those intriguing inscriptions, called sgraffiti, etched into the thick-walled buildings.

Well worth a trip is also the Tarasp Castle,

which you can visit with a guided tour only. It was built in 1040 and is one of the most known landmarks in the area. After an eventful past, an Engadine artist, Not Vital, bought it in 2016 and uses it amongst other things to exhibit art.

Overall

To my knowledge, the In Lain Hotel Cadonau in Brail at the border to the Upper Engadine is the one and only five star lodging in the Lower Engadine. Here, in Switzerland’s easternmost corner, you get a true feeling of rustic alpine charm. Yet in this hotel, you can do it in style, everything is top notch here, be it for the superb rooms in the newer wing or the gastronomy, which is a big deal. It is luxury but not pretentious. There are some imperfections, too. But if you know how to handle possible pitfalls – risk of overspending – , then you as demanding traveler will most probably have a great time here.

Date of stay: July 2020

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Tobias Funke’s Incantare Restaurant in Heiden in quaint Appenzellerland:

The first reason to come here to one of the furthest corners in Switzerland was its reputation as foodie destination. I wanted to have dinner at Tobias Funke’s restaurant, awarded two stars Michelin. And I would not have chosen this place if it did not have rooms for the night. There are not many of those, only four, but that was more than enough for two friends, my husband and me. In addition, the town of Heiden is officially “a heritage site of national significance”. Another plus is the town’s very own landscape for which the Appenzellerland is known in Switzerland. Short, it is a perfect place to spend a weekend filled with culinary delights in nice environs with opportunities to sightsee and to do a walk. And all these are covered in the next lines …

About the chef and his restaurants

Tobias Funke started his career in the Lake Zurich area, where he worked amongst others at the renowned Restaurant Kunststuben in Kuesnacht. At the beginning of 2015, the young chef (aged 38 now) was appointed as manager and as responsible for culinary matters at the newly established Gasthaus zur Fernsicht in Heiden.

Here you find the gourmet Restaurant Incantare, where our party of four dined, and another eatery with more traditional food, the Swiss Alpine Restaurant.

The signature restaurant Incantare, which means enchantment, has 2 Michelin stars (the second since the beginning of 2020) and 17 Gault Millau points. The Swiss Alpine Restaurant

was awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin guide.

When it comes to the produce he uses in his restaurants, Tobias Funke is picky. He has built close relationships with high-quality suppliers such as vegetable and fruit growers as well as cheese makers and meat producers from the region.

In terms of bread,

he trusts in a local baker, Werner Kast, who makes a special house bread for the chef, a dark one from the wood oven. As to meat, Tobias Funke has a liking for second cuts as he considers them as more flavorful than others. One of his favorite pieces is the outside skirt, beef from the diaphragm muscle.

Responsible for the sweet dishes is Kay Baumgardt, patissier of the year 2020 awarded by the Gault Millau restaurant guide. He has a knack for original creations, often with vegetables, and avoids using white sugar in the process.

About the hotel, Gasthaus zur Fernsicht, Heiden

As I just mentioned, there are only four room at this Gasthaus zur Fernsicht, which means inn with a panoramic view. And the name could not be more accurate. You have amazing vistas of the Lake Constance from almost every spot on the grounds!

Before converted in an inn, it used to be a villa with vast gardens. And not only an ordinary villa but a Biedermeier building. It was built in this style – just as many other ones in Heiden, more about it later on – in 1823. And as I think, it is an especially beautiful example!

This building project, finished in 2015, was only possible because of the investors, Alfred and Sabine Gossauer. A funny detail is that they not only acquired the building and converted it in an inn with a foodie restaurant but also asked an artist to make a very special sculpture. And this out of a giant tree standing on the grounds for more than 120 years. It resulted a creation called father and son.

Now to some details of what to expect when being a guest at this inn in Heiden.

Location

Gasthaus zur Fernsicht is located in Heiden, on the edge of Switzerland, in the very northeast. You can reach the Austrian border in just ten minutes by car. High above Lake Constance (800 m/2,600 ft above sea level), you have tremendous views of the third largest lake in Switzerland.

Notwithstanding the remote situation, you are here from Zurich in less than one and a half hour. And if you should be in the city of Saint Gallen, which is also worth a visit – see my blogpost – , you reach it in a bit more than 20 minutes.

Facilities

As said before, you find here four rooms on the top two floors of the building. All of them are tastefully furnished in a contemporary way and have all the amenities to stay in style, be it a generously sized guest room

or a spacious bathroom.

And some of them have also lake views. They are very reasonably priced at 285 SFR/US$ for two persons a day including a sumptuous continental breakfast.

On site are the two mentioned restaurants, a gourmet and a more traditional one. Furthermore, you find here a bar with a nice outdoor area.

Our party of four had drinks here in the afternoon and liked it although we would have appreciated to have some snacks to accompany the beverages as announced on the homepage. But unfortunately, there was nothing to eat on offer on our visit. If you look for a cafe nearby for a small bite, a good place to go is Café im Glueck (in luck).

Service/staff

All the members of staff we interacted with at the inn and at the restaurants (dinner at Incantare and breakfast at Swiss Alpine) were kind, helpful and accommodative. While we were dining, the chef came to the table to inquiry whether we liked our experience here, and we could wholeheartedly say yes to the question.

On our dinner, we were allocated a generous table with a great lake view and – important in these Corona times – much of personal space. What I found astounding was the fact that the meal was paced just right, we did not have to wait “for ages” until the next course was served as this is often the case in such establishments.

Dining at Restaurant Incantare

The gourmet restaurant is – as the whole property – contemporarily decorated. And from every spot in the dining-room you have the same fabulous lake view. It really is a splendid place to have a foodie dinner!

And dining here was a true epicurean experience indeed! Incantare offers a mouthwatering culinary “trip” that matches its reputation.

On our visit, the menu consisted of seven courses, out of which you can choose four or more. We decided to have six of them. We were not able to choose which course to leave out. The first meat course (outside skirt) was the one to be dropped. I personally did not mind, however a friend of mine would have liked to have the outside skirt. But that would have meant that we could not have the meat course together. So, we forgot about having different meat courses.

Every dish we got was expertly crafted and at the same time refined, inspired and original. All the courses had some unexpected element in each that made it memorable. I especially liked the Japanese touches of many of the six courses we had.

As to the pricing, the whole she bang (seven courses) cost 215 SFR/US$. If you want to have fewer courses, the minimum is four (169 SFR/US$). This is of course not exactly inexpensive yet it is absolutely aligned with the quality provided. You also have to consider that Restaurant Incantare is among the 25 best dining-outlets in Switzerland according to the Michelin guide.

But now to the most important thing, the culinary delights you get here …

6-course menu

After the snacks

and the amuse-bouche,

which were both promising, we started with a flavorful scampi. It came on a grill to the table, which was an eye-catcher but otherwise did not seem to be of any practical use. It was paired with green peas, grapefruits and Romaine lettuce. For my taste, the salad was a bit tough, otherwise it was all good.

A special kind of Carbonara with forest aroma was next. Instead of spaghetti you got enoki mushrooms. Although I found the take on this typical Italian dish inventive, I was not a great fan of the mushrooms, which were a bit hard for my liking.

The fish course that followed was my favorite. It was black cod – very popular in Japan – accompanied by asparagus, kimizu (a Japanese sauce with egg yolk and rice vinegar), yuzu, preserved lemon and brown butter. It was a complex taste experience that lingered long in my memory!

The meat dish was summer dear in unison with New Zealand spinach, beetroot and truffles. It was not only artfully composed but also an explosion of tastes, textures and flavors, a great dish!

The cheese course was off the beaten track. Bergfichte, a creamy red smear cheese, on a salty cake with parsley root and dandelion. Exquisite indeed!

Out of the two desserts I opted for strawberry combined with amazake (sweet sake), almond miso and rucola, a daring composition yet a total fit that opened up a new world of taste!

A hit was the jewel box with the petits fours. Drawer number one for example contained a delight inspired by course number one. That means that the scampi dish could be found in some way in the respective petit four. The same is true for all the other drawers. What a great idea and how well realized!

Our dinner here was a success. It was a delightfully balanced series of artfully composed dishes that surprised at almost every bite. Maybe the first two courses fell off a bit yet on a high level. As always it is a matter of personal taste.

Apart from being a foodie destination, Heiden has quite a lot to offer as to go sightseeing and go for a walk/hike.

What to do in Heiden

As hinted, Heiden is not your ordinary town, but a Biedermeier village. A fire in 1838 only spared one house in the center – Harmony on Poststrasse 19.

The town was rebuilt in the Biedermeier style, a subgroup of the Neoclassicism. Characteristic for this architecture are simplicity and functionality. Stroll around the church square to get a good look of these buildings.

Furthermore, Heiden gained popularity as a health resort in the 19th century, and this for whey treatments. Later on, it became also a climatic spa destination. Right across the street from Gasthaus zur Fernsicht you still find the kursaal plus park.

Last but not least, Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, spent the last part of his life here in Heiden. There is also a museum dedicated to him.

Where to go for a walk in the Heiden area

If you have only half an hour or so to do a walk, the Panoramaweg (tour with panoramic vistas) is your choice. It starts right by the Gasthaus zur Fernsicht and allows wonderful views of Lake Constance and the hilly Appenzellerland.

The route is as follows: Seeallee – Carl-Boeckli-Weg – Nord – Gruberstrasse – Seeallee.

There is a myriad of walks and hikes to get to know the gentle rolling hills of Appenzellerland.

We opted for a moderate hike of about 2 hours and 45 minutes starting and ending in Heiden. It goes over hills and through valleys, along typical Appenzeller farmhouses

and with views of Lake Constance.

For details, refer to the Outdooractive hiking guide. While it is not exactly an easy walk – it goes up and down all the time – , it is a rewarding thing to do on a sunny, not too hot day.

Date of stay: June 2020

The post Foodie weekend at a 2-star Michelin restaurant in the Lake Constance area, Switzerland first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post Foodie getaway at a 2-star Michelin restaurant in the Lake Constance area, Switzerland appeared first on Swiss Traveler.