We at Žurnále Alain Delon love to travel from place to place. There is something inherently romantic about spending every evening in a different city, not knowing where we will be the next day. Traveling by car gives us the freedom and the opportunity to live for the moment. A feeling so rare, it is almost indescribable in words.
Switzerland isn't usually high on people's summer travel bucket list. What a shame. A country that combines the eccentricities and wonders of the French, Italians and Germans into a multicultural cocktail for a nation smaller than Slovakia. It would be a crime to visit Switzerland and spend all your time in one place. To truly experience what makes Switzerland Switzerland, you need to see as much as possible. That's why people in the know have created an online guide for tourists like no other.
The canton of Ticino is one of the most beautiful parts of Switzerland, located on the border with Italy. It is our duty to spend at least one day on the Swiss Riviera. The Grand Tour tells us to set off by car in the morning towards the scenic route around Lake Lugano .
Where to sleep: Hotel City Lugano, Lugano
Where to eat well: La Cucina di Alice, Lugano
On the second day, the Grand Tour takes us deep into the heart of the Ticino region. After a quick twenty-minute drive on the motorway, we find ourselves in the ancient city of Bellinzona . The three magnificent castles located in and above the city take up almost half a day. However, each of them has its own unique charm and is worth a visit. The highest of them, Sasso Corbaro, also offers you a panoramic view of the other castles and the old town.
Immediately after the descent, however, we turn left and head for the top of the Furka Pass. 2,400 meters above sea level, where the famous scene from Bond's Goldfinger took place, will turn you into a villain flying through endless curves, no matter what car you are in. Stop just a few meters before the summit and have a coffee at the renovated Furkablick Hotel, where you will truly enjoy the true Alpine scenery.
We stop for the night in the city of Thun , where a hotel like no other awaits us. The newly opened family-run Schlosshotel Thun, situated directly in the castle above the city, takes our breath away. Spending the night in a castle, which is decorated in a modern minimalist style, is an experience that you will never forget for the rest of your life.
Where to sleep: Schlosshotel Thun, Thun
Where to eat well: Schlosshotel Thun, Thun
The third day we start by exploring the city of Thun. The typical Swiss city has a lot of charm, but after a few hours we are back on the road to Lake Neuchâtel . We stop for a moment in the adjacent ancient city of Murten and spend almost an hour there, admiring the beautiful architecture. We don't forget to have the famous Murten Nidelkuchen in the local bakery.
Where to sleep: Hotel Château d'Ouchy, Lausanne
Where to eat well: Le buffet d'un tram, Cortaillod , Cafe du Vieul Ouchy, Lausanne
Our trip unfortunately ends on the fourth day, so we want to experience as much as possible of what the Grand Tour has to offer. After a quick look at the Lausanne Cathedral, we are off to explore the local small towns on the Riviera. We stop for ice cream in Lutry , and walk through the park in Cully , before arriving in Vevey for lunch. Charlie Chaplin's home is yet another typical Swiss town.
Where to eat well: Les Trois Sifflets, Vevey
The GRAND TOUR of Switzerland is a fantastic project offering the opportunity to discover places you would never normally find. It guides you along amazing routes and gives you the best of their homeland to choose from. Whether you are planning a vacation for a few days or weeks, it will help you plan the ideal adventure. During our four days, we had the opportunity to experience only a fraction of what is on the Grand Tour . This is why we will definitely return to Switzerland. Visit www.myswitzerland.com and follow the footsteps of your spontaneous journey.
Photo: myswitzerland.com , archive
But not everyone is naturally spontaneous enough to venture into the unknown. It would be a shame if even the less adventurous among us were deprived of a similar experience. So what if someone planned a similar trip for you, handed you the instructions, and asked for nothing in return? Welcome to the GRAND TOUR of Switzerland.
Grand Tour Switzerland offers maps, hotels, attractions and tips on how to make the most of your trip across their country. However, a beautiful website is one thing, and reality is another. Can a tourist really rely on the Grand Tour to guide them? To find out, we sacrificed ourselves for you and set off on a journey…
There are thousands of kilometers of roads and hundreds of cities and attractions to choose from. To get the most out of the Grand Tour, we went on a fast-track four-day tour. Here are our experiences…
Day 1 – La Dolce Vita
From the town of Melide we head to the home of Herman Hesse Montagnola. We stop halfway to have lunch in the village of Morcote , from where we can directly admire the beautiful lake. After a quick detour to Locarno , however, it is time to head to Lugano , where we will spend the evening. We do not miss a walk along the promenade and relax in the largest park, Parco Civico . We cannot miss a real Swiss-Italian dinner and choose the restaurant La Cucina di Alice .
Day 2 – The Alps are calling
After a walk, we sit in the car again and fly towards another panoramic road. The famous St. Gotthard Pass can now be bypassed by a toll tunnel, but why would we pay unnecessarily and miss the opportunity to visit one of the most spectacular Alpine passes ever? St. Gotthard Pass is a wide four-lane road through the Alps, but if you want to experience the real history of St. Gotthard, you have to be careful and immediately after a few bends of the pass turn towards Tremola . Here lies the real St. Gotthard, which is a caterpillar track made from an old stone road.
When the panoramic road seems to end, just after the Furka Pass, the Grand Tour signposts direct you to the Grimsel Pass. Another amazing road surrounded by snow-covered meadows. If you would like to sleep at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level, you have the opportunity to spend the night in the luxurious four-star Grimsel Hospiz hotel, which rises above the clouds.
However, it is time for us to head towards another fairytale scenery in the canton of Bern .
Day 3 – Magical Switzerland
Then we are already picking up speed towards Neuchâtel . For lunch we stop in the nearby town of Cortaillod at the restaurant Le buffet d'un tram, famous for its typical specialty of small fried fish fillet de perche. You can spend countless hours discovering the beauty of Neuchâtel. But in addition to the old town, be sure to not miss the view from Neuchâtel Castle.
In the evening we have a quick drive to Lake Geneva to the city of Lausanne , where we will spend our last day. We are staying at the Château d'Ouchy hotel, literally right on the lake, and we head across the road for dinner at the small restaurant Café du Vieil Ouchy. The little house tucked between two hotels is a hidden gem of Lausanne.
Day 4 – The Riviera a little differently
It is here that we finally have a real Swiss fondue at the restaurant Les Trois Sifflets, which is famous far and wide. Those who do not drive enjoy a glass of wine in the afternoon in the hills above the town of Vevey . The vineyards that stretch over this region produce excellent white wine, which is best enjoyed directly in the vineyards. Just head towards the town of Puidoux-Chexbres , where there is really no shortage of such places.
