Jen Connelly's Swiss Adventure 2011

Swiss 2011 Experience

by Jen Connelly

Our adventures in Switzerland took us from one resort to the next, where we got to experience the unique flavor of each village, and see what they had to offer guests. It would be easy to extol the virtues of the skiing; we were lucky enough to sample the slopes at all of the resorts we visited, and the Swiss Alps more than live up to the hype. Most skiers and snowboarders are well aware of the legendary slopes in Switzerland, however, whether they have visited or not.

Gstaad, Switzerland

Less well known may be how you can enjoy Switzerland in all its glory without ever strapping skis or a snowboard to your feet. We received our introduction in Gstaad, where we traveled up a cable car to Glacier 3000--the place for the ultimate eagle eye view over the Alps. Sitting at the top of the glacier, sipping a hot gluhwein and looking out on both Mt Blanc and the Matterhorn made us feel that Switzerland was pulling out all the stops for our arrival.

Wengen, Switzerland (Jungfrau Region)

Our next stop was Wengen, a picturesque car-free village high in the Bernese Oberland, which is a short train ride away from the legendary Jungfraujoch. Visitors to the area immediately place a visit to the formidable peak at the top of their list with good reason. When you’re perched above birds soaring on an updraft, or looking off into the distance into a white sea of clouds, you realize that Jungfraujoch lives up to its title as the Top of Europe. If the endless vistas don’t induce the adrenaline that you’re looking for, however, a blood-pumping sledge ride back down to your village from the starting point of the Jungfraubahn will certainly do it. Barreling down the runs at top speed on your sledge is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Zermatt, Switzerland (Home of the Matterhorn)

From Wengen, we took the scenic train ride over to Zermatt. On one of the 300+ sunny days out of the year, when you can clearly see the towering Matterhorn in the distance, you can understand how the locals manage to be as enthralled with their everyday surroundings as are visitors. If you have time between all the sightseeing to take in the village atmosphere, you won’t be disappointed. Dining options of all types abound, whether you have not yet had your fill of the traditional fondue and raclette, or you want more exotic fare, there are more choices than you’ll know what to do with. If a night out is in the cards, we were advised early on that you have not officially been to Zermatt until you have danced on the barrel at the Broken Disco. This was duly noted by the Alpine Adventures crew.

St. Moritz, Switzerland

The last resort on our grand tour was St Moritz. The journey from Zermatt to St Moritz on the Glacier Express is a unique one: it’s one of the few cases where the journey is as spectacular as the destination. The train ride is spent traveling past innumerable peaks and valleys, cascading waterfalls and turquoise rivers, historic churches and villages. The only difficulty is trying to catch it all on film.
Once you arrive in St Moritz, you’re greeted with towering peaks that are only outdone by the lakes nestled in the valley floor. This is yet another resort where you do not need to be on skis to enjoy all that it has to offer. Some of the finest on-mountain dining can be found at St Moritz, and they have kindly made the restaurants accessible via the cable cars, as it would be a tragedy to deny anyone the five star service and 360 degree views these restaurants afford.
There are plenty of other activities in Switzerland that we didn’t have a chance to do, but one of the great things about Switzerland is that it always gives you one more reason to come back.