For many, Switzerland is the Alps—Switzerland is skiing in Europe.

Of course, only part of the Alps is in Switzerland and Europe has other places to ski, but as the heart of the Alps and the home of Alpine skiing, Switzerland deserves all its superlatives. Its skiing is excellent, its resorts efficient, its tourist offices well organized, its lift systems well run and its hotels exceptional.

Swiss currency

All of the countries covered in this book, other than Switzerland, have switched their currency to euros. Switzerland still uses its own currency, the Swiss Franc (CHF). Prices throughout this book, even in the Swiss chapters, are listed in euros to help you make comparisons while you are planning your trip. However, be aware that the preferred method of payment in Switzerland is in Swiss Francs (CHF). According to Swiss friends of ours, Swiss ski resorts will accept euros if that’s all you have for a cash payment, but the exchange rate may be well in the ski resort’s favor.

When is high season?
High Season: Christmas and New Year holidays and all of February through mid-April.
Low Season: January after New Year and late April.
Pre-season: December 6 to Christmas holidays

Switzerland’s romantic mountain railways
The visitor whose timetable is not completely filled with skiing adventures can take a scenic ride on one of the most advanced mountain railway systems in the world. The regional Swiss railroad lines and the postbus have organized three spectacular Alpine routes.

The Glacier Express: Perhaps the most famous of the Swiss rail trips, this is advertised as the world’s slowest train. Indeed the trip, some 90 miles as the crow flies, lasts seven and a half hours—spanning more than 291 bridges and burrowing through 91 tunnels—on its way from St. Moritz in Switzerland’s southeast corner to Zermatt.

Trains run in both directions, leaving in the early morning and arriving in late afternoon. In their elegant dining cars a complete three-course lunch is served on the Chur-to-Andermatt leg. The full meal costs approximately €38, excluding beverages, and reservations are required. (Your wine glass on the Glacier Express has a tilted base to keep the wine from spilling on the route’s many steep turns and gradients—turn it now and then to keep it tilted in the right direction.)

Bernina Express: The Bernina Express, which crosses into Italy over the Alps in Switzerland’s southeast corner, is Europe’s highest transalpine railway. The train trip follows the same route as the Glacier Express from Chur to St. Moritz, then strikes southward for the Bernina Pass, Poschiavo and on to Tirano in Italy.

Along one eight-mile stretch the track passes through two straight tunnels, negotiates five corkscrew tunnels, and crosses eight viaducts. The train crosses the Bernina Pass at 7,405 feet, climbing the steepest gradient of any non-cogwheel train.

The Engadin Express: This train and postbus route connects St. Moritz with Innsbruck, Salzburg and Vienna. The trip from St. Moritz to Landeck, done mostly by post-bus, lasts almost three hours and is generally felt to be one of Europe’s most romantic trips.

After leaving St. Moritz, the train chuffs alongside a beautiful Swiss national park, through the village of Scuol; then the postbus takes travelers past the famous castle of Tarasp and on to Vulpera. This is the home of the fourth language of Switzerland, Ladin. The express ends in Landeck, Austria, in the Tyrol district.

Making reservations: These train trips can be booked in the United States and Britain through the Swiss National Tourist Office and online. In St. Moritz go to the Rhaetic Railway station; in Chur purchase tickets at the main train station; and in Zermatt at Zermatt-Tours.

The Swiss ski experience
The Swiss consider skiing more as an enjoyable cultural endeavor rather than a competitive race to measure vertical feet achieved in any certain day. They are fascinated and a bit amused by the high-tech watches that measure vertical feet skied worn by many aggresive North American skiers. The Swiss tend to measure skiing in terms of restaurants and chaise lounges, not numbers of fast runs.

Being in the mountains on vacation means enjoyment to these hard-working Swiss. They work hard and they take advantage of the sunshine and low-keyed atmosphere in the mountains to really give themselves a break.

The Swiss take advantage of sunshine by renting lounges on the mountain and enjoying the slow pace of a long, leisurely lunch. Lunch is their main daily meal and it is traditionally large and takes up to a couple of hours to consume. It might include numerous courses, beer, schnapps and coffees. They then take off to ski through the afternoon finally stopping on the trail back to the village for a late coffee and schnapps at one of the many private bistros and restaurants along the trail.

After skiing you won’t find wild exuberance in the bars. The Swiss take their après-ski with restraint. Not that there’s nothing going on, but the Austrian-style tea party drinking and dancing will be hard to find.

Swiss fondue and raclette
Fondue and raclette are cultural customs with an economic base. One of the Swiss mainstays is dairy farming and this country is home to some of the best cheeses that can be found. There are more than 100 different types of cheese.

Here in Switzerland, fondue and raclette are more than just a meal. They are part adventure and part ritual. They are quick meals that can be enjoyed by large groups of singing tourists or intimately by candlelight.

Raclette spread from the Valais canton of Switzerland and now can be found throughout the country. With raclette, cheese is melted in front of an open fire or under a broiler and then scraped off the wheel onto a plate. It is then served with potatoes and pickled onions and eaten immediately before the cheese sets.

Two other fondues without a cheese base are relatively widespread and very popular. Fondue bourguignon is made with meat and vegetables which are speared on fondue forks and then cooked in oil at the table and served with various toppings. Fondue chinoise is created from thinly sliced beef that is cooked in a broth then dipped in Oriental sauces.

The wine of choice, and normally the most affordable on the menu is Fendant, a local light white wine. Trust us. It seems to go with everything. It is the wine to order when eating out. You can’t go wrong.

Traditional recipe for Swiss Fondue
2 to 3 large cloves of garlic
800 gr. or 20 oz. finely grated Switzerland cheese (half Emmentaler, half Gruyère)
2+ cups dry white wine
1 to 2 jiggers of Kirsch Schnapps mixed with
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
dash of pepper
plenty of crusty, chewy one-inch bread cubes
Mince or crush garlic and rub the inside of your fondue pot. Leave remains in pot. Pour in white wine and 1/3 of the grated cheese. Place over medium heat on stove. Start stirring in a figure-8 motion, gradually adding the rest of the cheese. Cook over moderate heat, stirring all the time until the mixture starts to bubble. Add the cornstarch mixed with kirsch and bring once more to a boil. Season with pepper and bring to the table. Adjust the heating flame so that the fondue will simmer throughout the meal.

Spear a cube of bread and dip it into the pot, giving it a figure-8 stir each time. Serve with a dry white or sparkling white wine or tea. During the meal it is customary to drink a jigger of Kirsch Schnapps to help digestion.

Canada
Switzerland Tourism
926 The East Mall
Toronto, Ontario M9B 6K1
Phone: +1 (416) 695-2090 (English)
Phone: +1 (514) 333-9526 (francais)
Fax: +1 (416) 695-2774
e-mail: info.caen@switzerlandtourism.ch (English)
e-mail: info.cafr@switzerlandtourism.ch (francais)

United Kingdom
Switzerland Tourism (marketing)
2nd floor
30 Bedford Street
London WC2E 9ED
Phone: 0207 845 7680
Fax: 0207 845 7699
Website: www.MySwitzerland.com
Email: info.uk@myswitzerland.com

Switzerland Travel Centre (information & sales)
1st floor
30 Bedford Street
London WC2E 9ED
Toll-free Phone: 00800 100 200 30
Fax: 020 7420 4922

United States
Switzerland Tourism
Swiss Center
608 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10020-2303
Phone: +1 (212) 757-5944
Toll-free phone: 1-877-SWITZERLAND (USA only)
Fax: +1 (212) 262-6116
e-mail: info.usa@switzerlandtourism.ch