Vevey: wine, chocolate and Charlie Chaplin

The picturesque town of Vevey on Lake Geneva is a great destination to visit private tours of Switzerland to explore the Swiss Riviera. 

The town’s lakeside promenade lined with bright flowers and palm trees sets the relaxed atmosphere. Here you can admire the stunning panorama of the Alps and walk all the way to the Chillon castle via Montreux or, alternatively, hop on a historic paddlewheel steamer cruise around the lake.

Vevey

The historic part of Vevey is full of charming cafes, restaurants, chocolatiers and boutiques that are worth checking out. Pop in to the Vevey Historical Museum or Musée Junisch museum for a doze of fine arts. 

The Nestlé corporation was founded with its headquarters still based here. The company founded the world’s first museum devoted exclusively to nutrition, Alimentarium, where you can learn fascinating facts about the human diet, science and cultural aspects of food and nourishment from interactive displays and artefacts. 

Street in Vevey

Vevey is the birthplace of milk chocolate with many local artisans still continuing the delicious tradition. Head to Confiseur Läderach to take a guided tour of the chocolate factory and taste their delectable products.

The famous comedian Charlie Chaplin spent the last twenty five years of his life in Vevey. You can take a few snapshots of his bronze statue in a rose garden on the lakefront or head to the newly-opened Charlie Chaplin museum in his enormous estate of Manoir de Ban. The museum’s immersive nature allows visitors to experience sitting in a cabin hunging on the edge of a cliff, as Chaplin did in Gold Rush, see the giant machinery from his film Modern Times and check out a replica of the restaurant in which Chaplin’s film character ate his shoe in The Immigrant.

Charlie Chaplin

Board the Lavaux Express, a tractor-pulled train that takes tourists through the Lavaux vineyards where you can taste excellent local wines. The Golden Pass funicular will take you from Vevey through vineyards to the foot of Mont Pélerin. Hike to the top of the mountain for majestic views over the lake and the Alps. 

Photos via Flickr by: Martin Hapl, Yola Simon, Beat Strasser.

What to do in Davos Switzerland

The highest town in the Alps, Davos is renowned across the globe as the host to the World Economic Forum (WEF) and one of Switzerland’s largest ski resorts. With a huge range of activities it has something to do for everyone on private tours of Switzerland.

Davos

Enjoy the outdoors

Davos is a great destination for outdoors enthusiasts all year round. In summer, cable cars take holiday makers to the main hiking areas near the town with 700 km of marked trails. The Davos Lake has a well-equipped swimming area, sailing and surfing centre. In winter, the town attracts many skiing and snowboarding fans who enjoy the world-class facilities with 300 km of slopes, 58 ski lifts, 75 km of cross-country ski tracks, ice-skating rinks and Europe’s largest natural ice rink. If you are not an adrenalin junkie, you can head for horse-drawn sledge ride across the stunning valleys or explore winter footpaths and snowshoeing trails.

Skiing in Davos

Take a train ride

Davos is the starting point for the famous Glacier and Bernina Express train routes. Take your pick: the Glacier Express travels for more than seven hour over 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels and up to the 2033 m high Oberalppass to Zermatt; the Bernina Express crosses beautiful valleys, zooms past snow-capped peaks and majestic glaciers. There is also the Rhätia Pullman Express with its vintage luxurious saloon cars that takes it passengers from Davos to St. Moritz through the romantic Zügen Gorge and over the spectacular Wiesen Viaduct.

Hiking near Davos

Relax in a spa

Davos boasts some of the best spas in the country where you can chill out. Many of them are located in the local four and five star hotels and offer thermal baths, solariums, saunas, open-air whirlpools with spectacular views over the Alps and a vast range of beauty treatments that will make you feel like a new person.

Devour hearty local dishes

With all the activities on offer, you will have an appetite for the hearty Swiss cuisine and Davos has many excellent restaurants. Grilled meats and sausages, delicious fondue, creamy pastries, nut tarts, crispy local wines and excellent beers will satisfy the most demanding palates.

Photos by: Wikimedia Commons, Toni Birrer/Flickr, Masia Vilalta/Flickr.

What to do in the Canton of Appenzell

The country’s most traditional region, Appenzell Innerrhoden is often included in private tours of Switzerland to showcase its rural customs, folk music and natural beauty. It is a world apart from the glitz and glamour of many other cantons in the Swiss Alps and is perfect if you want to see the authentic side of the country. Here is our list of suggestions on what to do in the Appenzell.

Appenzell Region

Listen to traditional music

This part of Switzerland is renowned for its many folk music festivals where visitors can see locals dressed up in traditional costumes, singing and dancing. Yodelling, Ratzliedli teasing and joking songs, amazing alphorn performances, Schölleschötte (musical chords created with cowbells), Talerschwingen (music created by a group of people spinning coins inside of a bowl) are all part of fascinating musical traditions of the Appenzell. 

Alphorn Players

Visit farms

You can immerse in local life and visit one of many Alpine farms in the region. Some of them organize cow milking and cheese making for visitors, whey hot baths in wooden barrels, hay making days. If you are feeling adventurous you can even sleep in a hay barn and have a hearty farm-fresh breakfast in the morning.

Enjoy outdoors

Appenzell is paradise for outdoors enthusiasts all year round. There are 1200 km of well-maintained hiking trails for any level of fitness to explore in summer. In winter, visitors avail of 200 km of cross-country ski trails. If you want to admire Alpine views without breaking a sweat head to one of many cableways that will take you the summits of the Säntis, Ebenalp or Hohe Kasten mountains.

Appenzeller Cheese

Gorge on local delicacies

The region has many delectable specialties to devour while visiting or take home as edible souvenirs. Take Appenzeller Bärli-Biber soft gingerbread with an almond filling or Landsgmedchrempfli pastries filled with hazelnuts to snack on during spectacular hikes in the area. 

Try the famous Appenzeller cheese in a sandwich or melted in fondue washed down with an excellent local beer.

Photos via Flickr by: Bo Stern, Alphorn-Weltrekord Gornergrat, Prescott Pym.