23 February – Tour to Bern and Emmental

This tour yesterday was spent in Bern, Switzerland`s capital city and then on route back to Luzern, we stopped at 3 places in Emmental – Burgdorf, Lueg and the cheese factory in Affloten.

It was a cold, dry February day. The sun did come out which made the day that much more enjoyable.

Bern is a gem of a place and steeped in history. We visited the bear enclosure (bears were still sleeping sadly), the Munster, the Rose garden and the famous clock tower.

Our trip to Emmental took us to the main town in the region, Burgdorf with its castle. Lueg which gives tremendous views of the Alps followed by the Cheese Factory at Affloten which for cheese lovers is a must !!

Another successful tour !!!

 

 

 

 

 

New Brochure produced for 2019 season

The new updated brochure has been recently re produced with new photos and in some cases some new attractions added to some of the tours in Switzerland.

The brochure highlights the following 7 tours which have proved successful so far with clients

Tour 1 – Zürich, Rhein Falls and Stein Am Rhein – this tour also takes in the Lindt chocolate factory at Kilhberg on route to Zürich. Clients will really experience a mix of nature, history and the busy city life associated with Switzerland`s biggest and possibly well known city. It`s not the capital of course, that honour goes to Bern

Tour 2 – Lake Luzern Pick and Mix – if you want variety, this is the tour for you. Chocolate, Glass, penknife and cheese factories, picturesque villages and a stroll to the Hammetschwand lift are just some of the options on offer.

Tour 3 – Bernese Oberland, Jungfrau & co. Journey to the top of Europe for panoramic views of the Aletsch Glacier

Tour 4 – Bernese Oberland Pick and Mix. Select from fascinating gorges, stunning waterfalls and beautiful lakeside villages.

Tour 5 – Drive from Luzern to the capital Bern and visit the famous Zytglogge, the Cathedral and the Bear enclosure before heading back via Emmental.

Tour 6 – Glaciers, Gorges and Passes. This tour brings you into the heart of the country and drives guests on mountain passes to see glaciers and gorges which will blow you away.

15 Facts about Switzerland

Switzerland is a mountainous destination that we have all heard and dreamed about. This small, rugged European country, known for its irresistible chocolate, sturdy mountain cheese, and breathtaking beauty, has so many things to offer. Some of them you already know about. But what are the things you do not know? Here are some fun, quirky tidbits about Switzerland to help you see that it is much more fascinating than you ever thought. It may inspire you to fulfill a lifelong dream and plan a trip to Switzerland.

1. Cheese Please! Cheese in Switzerland
If you like your cheese, then you will be happy to hear that Switzerland is home to 450 varieties, ranging from extra hard to soft, with crazy-hard-to-pronounce names like Sbrinz, Mutschli, Formaggini, and Tomme Vaudoise. The Swiss even have proof of how fantastic their cheese is: Out of 2,615 products entered from 22 countries in 89 categories, the Swiss took the first prize this year at the World Championship Cheese Contest.

2. Foreigners at Home in Switzerland
Oftentimes, when visiting or living in foreign countries, you feel like you stick out like a sore thumb with your different appearance, heavy accent, or complete lack of knowledge of the language. But in Switzerland, foreigners compose about 23% of the population! So go ahead and join the Switzerland foreigner club.

3. Marry Late in Switzerland
Once you pass the age of 20, graduate from college, and have an income, the pressure from the parentals about grandbabies and gossip from the aunts about your dating life may increase. But maybe you just want to live life calmly at your own pace! So if this is one of your woes in life, just go to Switzerland where later marriage is commonplace. The average marriage age for men is 31.8 and 29.5 for women.

Swiss Wine Cellar4. Swiss Drink Their Own Wine
It’s always kind of lame when the quality food or drink a country is known for producing never actually stays within the borders. However, only about 2% of Switzerland’s wine leaves the country. The Swiss produce about 200 million liters of wine per year and consume almost all of it themselves. Since it never goes too far, you can always count on a good homegrown drink and good company. In 2015, the average Swiss drank 56.5 litres of beer and 36 litres of wine.

5. The Swiss are Used to Many Languages
Because Switzerland has such a diverse population, it has declared four national languages: French (20.4%), German (64%), Italian (6.5%), and Romansh (just a little over 1%). Just one more reason to feel comfortable as a foreign visitor or resident—it’s perfectly acceptable to not understand what someone says to you, because nobody understands everybody!

6. Watch It!
It’s thanks to the Swiss that we have the handiness of clocks on our wrists. When Calvinists banned jewelry from use in 1541, goldsmiths and jewelers in Geneva brainstormed the invention of watches, since a functional timepiece was acceptable. Since then, it has proven to be one of the most successful industries of the country, reaching the present status as Switzerland’s fourth largest exporter. The Swiss know how to give quality variety.

7. Switzerland is Home to Adventure
Switzerland is home to 208 mountains over 3,000 meters high. What does that mean? Plenty of hiking adventures and places to go be a hermit! A beautiful experience that any in-shape hiker will love is the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route, a 12-day classic Alpine trek that will bring you straight to the well-recognized Matterhorn.

Swiss Chocolate8. The Swiss Love their Chocolate
Switzerland is internationally known for its high quality chocolate. But do you know just how much chocolate is made there? Between the 18 Swiss chocolate companies, 172,376 tons of chocolate were made in year 2012. Residents help that number by eating approximately 10kg of chocolate annually. As a reference, get this: there were 200,000 tons of steel used in the construction of the World Trade complex. Talk about a lot of chocolate!

9. Take a Hike
Niesenbahn is the longest continuous-cable funicular in Europe, functioning since 1910. You can ascend to the summit of the Neisen mountain in about 30 minutes with the coolest ride out there. It may seem precarious but is really quite safe. And even better, the world’s longest stairway with 11,674 steps, is right alongside the track—so if you really do want to take a hike, you can.

10. Can you Read Helvetica?
When you use fonts in Microsoft Word, you don’t usually think about where they come from. But the widely used sans-serif typeface of Helvetica Font actually originates from Switzerland! In 1957, Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffman designed this neutral and convenient font. Good thing it wasn’t one of those crazy wingdings.

11. Live Long and Prosper in Switzerland
Switzerland proudly claims the highest percentage of people over 100 in Europe. In 2012, it had the second highest life expectancy after Japan. This extended lifetime is probably in large part affected by the cleanliness of the air, the abundance of walking trails, and the availability of high-quality health care.

Tennis racket 12. Grand Slam
Roger Federer is only one example that the Swiss know how to achieve success. In his years of playing, he has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, earning him the position as the most successful men’s tennis player…ever.

13. Cantons United
Switzerland is comprised of cantons instead of states. There are 26 of these little “corners” squeezed into the small landlocked country, divided between the Alps, the Swiss Plateau, and the Jura and surrounded by five countries: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Liechtenstein. The close to 8 million citizens are mostly concentrated in the plateau. It’s only fitting though, since the Swiss motto is “Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno” or “One for all, all for one.”

14. Birthplace of the Red Cross
This 97 million volunteer program was founded in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland where its headquarters still remain today. The Red Cross flag is simply a color switching of the Flag of Switzerland, showing proud Swiss roots.

15. Is it Swiss?
We use “Swiss” in our vocabulary more than we realize. But are these items really from Switzerland? Let’s check it out:

Swiss Steak: This name does not actually refer to Switzerland, but instead to the process of “swissing”, which refers to fabric or other materials being pounded or run through rollers in order to soften it.
Niesenbahn -longest continuous cable funicular in EuropeSwiss Army Knife: In 1891, these really were manufactured originally for the Swiss Army. However, the general term “Swiss Army knife” was coined by US soldiers after World War II due to the difficulty they had in pronouncing the German name.
Swiss Miss: This is an American brand of hot chocolate that simply uses the Swiss Alps as part of its branding to show that this hot chocolate is perfect and portable for cold temperatures and active situations. Also, some say that its flavor is reminiscent of Swiss milk chocolate.
Swiss Cheese: Another term that is generically applied to the family of holey cheeses that simply resemble Emmental cheese from Switzerland. Once again, it is not actually from Switzerland but rather produced in America and Canada.
Swiss Chard: The word “Swiss” was used to distinguish chard from French spinach varieties by 19th century seed catalogue publishers. Although it is native to the Mediterranean region, its scientific name was determined by Swiss botanist Koch and so the name honors his homeland.

Best things to do in Luzern

Lucerne lies at the heart of central Switzerland. With its picturesque wooden bridge, its baroque Jesuit church and its pretty painted houses, it is a major Swiss tourist attraction. It is also a great base for discovering some of Switzerland’s stunning mountain panoramas, including Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus, and for taking a steamship cruise on Lake Lucerne. Below you will find some ideas of things to do in and around Lucerne.

1. Take a walk on Chapel Bridge

No visit to Lucerne would be complete without a stroll along one of Lucerne’s most famous landmarks: Chapel Bridge. This covered bridge was built in 1333 as part of the city’s fortifications. The tower itself served as a dungeon, treasury vault, torture chamber and archive over the years. In the 17th century the bridge was adorned with over one hundred paintings depicting Swiss history. In 1993, a fire broke out on Chapel Bridge, burning down 81 of the 111 paintings. Only those on either extremity of the bridge survived and can be viewed today. The bridge is beautifully lit up at night.

2. Visit the Rosengart Collection

Assembled by Siegfried Rosengart, an art dealer, and his daughter Angela, it puts emphasis on classic modernism presenting some truly exceptional works. Father and daughter did not set out to build a collection, it just came together over the years, as Angela Rosengart says: “we don’t have a collection we have nice pictures.”
The ground floor is entirely dedicated to Pablo Picasso with emphasis on his later works. The Rosengart’s enjoyed a friendship with Picasso who actually drew five portraits of Angela. Angela first met Picasso in Paris when she was just 17. Siegfried also became friends with Chagall and Matisse.
Only in Switzerland would you house an important art collection in a former bank! The Rosengart collection, worthy of any leading art museum, is housed in the former premises of the Lucerne branch of the Swiss National Bank. This impressive collection features 220 works by leading artists who contributed to moving art into abstraction, with Picasso and Klee as the main presented artists.
The first floor is devoted to more than 20 artists who shaped the impressionist and classical movements, including Braque, Chagall, Matisse, Modigliani and Renoir. I loved the framed, heavily-used palette from Marc Chagall, an unusual sight, which was actually handed personally to Siegfried Rosengart by Chagall himself. My favourite was a painting by Miro entitled Danseuse II.  The lower-ground floor is entirely dedicated to Swiss artist Paul Klee.


3. Join a “Tasting & Making” workshop at Max Chocolatier

This is an absolute must for all chocolate lovers. Max Chocolatier has the prettiest chocolate boutique right next to the Hotel Schweizerhof where it makes and sells over 7 tons of chocolate every year. Decorated with lots of wood and a lovely palette of pastel colours, this artisanal shop is really worth a visit.
Max Chocolatier prides itself on producing handmade, fine chocolates using the best grand cru chocolate from Feldchen and local, organic ingredients whenever possible. They use milk from their own cow called Pralina, local fruit, honey from Lucerne bees and alpine herbs from the local pastures.
If you have time, sign up for their 90-minute “Tasting & Making” workshop. You get to try your hand at making your own creations, under the guidance of a professional chocolatier. And most importantly, you get to taste some of their wonderful and inventive creations. Whilst I didn’t get a chance to join this workshop, I did enjoy an incredible “behind-the-scenes” private visit of the workshop which I thoroughly enjoyed.

4. Discover the Queen of the Mountains

I can testify that even on an overcast day, this trip is worth it as the sweeping views from the top of Rigi Kulm, often referred to as the “Queen of the Mountains” (1797 m) over Lake Lucerne and central Switzerland are just so pretty! You can access Rigi by train from Vitznau, Goldau or by gondola from Weggis. The gondola ride itself is pretty spectacular as you rise steeply above the lake from Weggis.
If you have time I would recommend taking a one-hour hike along the “Floral Trail” from Rigi Kaltbad to Rigi Kulm. It’s a gentle and steady climb along a picturesque path with up to 200 different plants signposted along the trail, some species being incredibly rare. From the top of Rigi Kulm you can see more than 13 lakes and enjoy a 360 degree mountain panorama. There’s also a hotel and restaurant at the top.

5.  Relax at Rigi Kaltbad Mineral Bath & Spa

People have been bathing in the mineral-rich waters of Rigi Kaltbad for 600 years. Sitting on a sunny terrace at 1433 meters overlooking Lake Lucerne, Rigi Kaltbad today offers super modern and design thermal baths. It’s the perfect place to stop off after a hike and take a dip in the mineral baths whilst enjoying the superb alpine landscape.
Designed by the famous Swiss architect Mario Botta, the building features a striking 30-meter long grey stone structure in the pool area of the spa, with a series of 6 alcoves with bubble loungers and massage jets. The grey stone theme can be found throughout the spa making for a very slick design.
It offers indoor and outdoor pool areas, a whirlpool, massage jets, bubble loungers, a fantastic herbal steam room, a large sauna, a relaxation area and a sun deck. You can also book a range of treatments here. Swimwear, towels and bathrobes can all be rented from reception. Also, good to know, the baths are reserved for guests staying at the Hotel Rigi Kaltbad from 9 to 11am and they organize once a month, in the summer, night-bathing events. I must add that I found the spa and the changing rooms super clean.

6. Ride a cog-wheel train up to Mount Pilatus

There are lots of different itineraries taking you up to the top of Pilatus on offer combining boat, train and gondola. For the ultimate experience book the 5-hour golden round trip from Lucerne.And the view on a clear day!
Enjoy this incredible ride on the world’s steepest cog-wheel railway. It’s 129 years old and its trains tirelessly rumbles up to the summit of Mount Pilatus (2128 meters) passing green meadows and craggy tunnels at a gentle pace of 9 kilometers an hour reaching a gradient of 48%! It really is a very steep ride and you can’t help to hope that the technology simply won’t fail on the way up. On an average working day your Pilatus driver will go through a difference in altitude of 20’000 meters. At the top, the views are breathtaking  – so I am told… sadly it was raining and foggy when I went up. Clearly, if you are after spectacular views, then save this trip for a sunny day. If you just want the experience of riding the steepest cog-wheel train, then don’t let the rain stop you.

7. Take a sunset cruise on a historical paddle-steamer

If you really want to discover every last corner of Lake Lucerne then go on a sunset cruise that will take you to the heart of the alps. Navigating on a traditional, historical paddle-steamer you can dine on a three-course meal whilst enjoying spectacular views of the peaks rising above the lake. We went on the “Unterwalden”, sadly on a not-so-sunny evening, as two of the pictures above testify. The ship, which dates from 1902, has been beautifully restored. It is one of five historical ships navigating on Lake Lucerne. It features an elegant dining room on the top deck with wood carved panels and a painted ceiling. You feel like you’ve been transported to a bygone era when people dressed up in their Sunday best for a boat trip. The experience is truly worth it and the views are unforgettable.

Typically Swiss Tours at the WEF

Typically Swiss Tours was in Davos last week helping out at the WEF (World Economic Forum). I had the pleasure of driving the Brazilian Delegation around during the weeks activities. The new Brazilan President,Jair Bolsonaro was in town to try and encourage investment into Brazil which has been suffering economically the last few years.
It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests.

The World Economic Forum strives in all its efforts to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance. Moral and intellectual integrity is at the heart of everything it does.

Why Davos ?

Professor Klaus Schwab in 1973, founded what was originally called the European Management Forum, as a non-profit foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland. It drew business leaders from Europe, and beyond, to Davos for an Annual Meeting each January. The popular ski resort still attracts a long list of influential politicians and royalty every year as they seek to improve the quality of the world.

2019 – A big year for Typically Swiss Tours

Happy New Year from Typically Swiss Tours !!

2019 will see TST`s first year of trading and hopefully the marketing and promotion work will pay off and there will be many tours criss-crossing their way across this fine land.

Xmas was spent in Germany and the UK and now I am back at the TST nerve centre in Luzern trying my best to connect with venues, maximise Social Media opportunities and look at new opportunities.

The 2nd edition of the Typically Swiss Newsletter January version has been published and sent to over 400 contacts and as soon as the weather improves there will be meetings with the local hotels to promote activity.

The Newsletter focused on Graübunden area and in particular the Diavozzlia and Corvatsch mountains which are located close to St Moritz. The showcased hotel is the Hauser Hotel in St Moritz which is simply an excellent place to stay and relax after a day in the Mountains, summer or winter.

So, should you be reading this and need some more information, give me a bell on 0041 79 286 0451 or write to me at [email protected] and I will happily answer all your questions.

All the best and see you on Tour in 2019 !

Cheers, it`s going to be fun !

Chris Wilson

December Newsletter

Typically Swiss Tours Newsletter Issue 1
December 2018

Welcome to the first issue of the Typically Swiss Tours Newsletter, designed to bring you all the latest developments from the new Tour Operator based in Luzern, Switzerland.

In May this year the company was founded and the first Tours took place mainly in the Bernese Oberland but also going to Germany and Zurich. Satisfied guests came from primarily the US, but some from Australia and Dubai. Here are a couple of pictures of a few clients on the tours and some of the places we visited, which included Aare and Rosenlaui Gorge, Trümmelbach, Geissbach and Reichenbach Falls, First Mountain, Grindelwald, Isenfluh, Brienz, St. Moritz, Rhinefalls, Stein am Rhein and many more spectacular locations.

So, as you can see, we certainly got around and all my guests bar none had a great day, which was hopefully one of the highlights of their stay in Switzerland. I quote Joe from Philadelphia “We simply want to say thanks Chris for showing us some really cool spots in Switzerland. We visited Switzerland, Amsterdam, Paris and London on our 10 day Europe trip and have to say, our day with you in the Swiss Countryside was our best”, which was a very nice thing to say.
Therefore, I can safely say the first half year of the new company was a success with 14 tours completed since June. Clearly as a new company and brand “Typically Swiss Tours” has a long way to go in a competitive marketplace but the signs are promising and the feedback is very positive.
The winter is a time for developing and marketing the business so that next year can see some healthy bookings coming. So, like all business these days, I have invested into Social Media and Typically Swiss Tours has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where pictures from Tours and the beautiful Swiss Landscapes are posted on a regular basis.

Then we have a presence on Trip Advisor and Viatour and then last but not least I have visited over 40 hotels in Luzern, Zürich, Zug, St.Moritz and Interlaken in the hope of attracting more customers. Feedback has been very positive and I hope to have more clients this time next year.

November saw the launch of 3 new “winter products” to the existing range of Tours on offer from Typically Swiss Tours. See below and go to www.typicallyswisstours.com to book or contact Chris on 0041 79 286 0451 or [email protected]
1) Christmas Markets – let Typically Swiss Tours take you and your party to the famous and festive Xmas Markets dotted around Switzerland. Choose from Zürich, Basel, Bern, Einseideln, Montreux, Brienz and Willisau.
Prices start from as little as 340chf to take you and your group to Christmas Market to no doubt buy some Xmas presents and sample some delicious food and Glühwein! Check out the offers on line.

2) Skiing Transfers – travelling with your ski kit can be a real hassle, so let Typically Swiss Tours take that stress away from you and transport you quickly and comfortable from Zurich airport to ski resorts and back. Here are a few sample prices:
St. Moritz transfer time is approx. 3hrs 1400chf
Verbier transfer time is approx. 3hrs 1400chf
Wengen transfer time is approx. 2hrs 1200chf
Zermatt transfer time is approx. 4hrs 1800chf

3) Winter Activities – Typically Swiss Tours not only can take your group to the activity location but is well placed and has experience in organising specific activities to suit you and your group`s needs so that you can all enjoy the fun, leaving us to worry about the Logistics etc. Activities include Sledding, Curling, Snow shoe walking and Ice skating.

For more information, please go on line to:
www.typicallyswisstours.com

To bring you up to date, listed below are the most popular one day tours we are offering at present. Tours are conducted by myself and we simply drive to the most stunning, spectacular and breath-taking places Switzerland has to offer. A black Mercedes V Class will make your journey a comfortable one and I will do my best to make your day as enjoyable as possible. What is more, wherever you want to go to, we will go to. Tour prices from Luzern are shown below. Zug, Zürich and Interlaken prices will vary slightly. For descriptions and more 1 day, overnight and multi day tours, please go to www.typicallyswisstours.com. For bookings of these tours and other activities, please call: 079 286 0451 or [email protected]

One day Tours from Luzern Hotels

Prices are for 1 to 3 people / 4 to 6 people

1) Zürich – Rheinfalls – Stein am Rhein 835/875 chf

2) Lake Luzern Pick & Mix Tour 795/835 chf

3) Bernese Oberland, Jungfrau and co. 795/835 chf

4) Bernese Oberland Pick & Mix 795/835 chf

5) Bern & Emmental in a day 795/835 chf

6) Glaciers and Gorges 795/835 chf

For those of you, who have helped develop and bring value to my company, I thank you for your support, encouragement and business. It`s a pleasure to work with you and I sincerely hope we can build on the success we have had so far. Getting this business off the ground has been challenging – however once guests are in the car, it`s easy and the positive feedback speaks for itself.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Here at Typically Swiss Tours, we will work with you to plan and personalise your tour around Switzerland.
I look forward to hearing from you, keep well, and watch out for the January Newsletter.
Typically Swiss T