Experience More

7

Zug

E3 £ @ g n Bahnhofstrasse; www.zug-tourismus.ch

Zug is set on the northeastern shore of the Zugersee, in the wooded foothills of the Zugerberg. It is the capital of its namesake, Zug, the smallest but also the rich- est of all the Swiss cantons. Having the lowest taxation in Switzerland, Zug has become the headquarters of many multinational companies.

Substantial parts of the walls, set with towers, still encircle Zug’s medieval Old Town. The main hub of the Old Town is Kolinplatz, which features a fountain with a statue of Wolfgang Kolin, a standard-bearer of the Swiss army. Nearby stands the Gothic Rathaus, built in 1509.

The former bailiff’s castle houses the Museum Burg Zug, with small permanent collections of local history, as well as special exhibitions. Nearby is a 16th-century granary now converted into the Kunsthaus, a gallery with an important collection of Viennese modern art. The Museum für Urgeschichte (n) concentrates both on prehistory and antiquity.

Cruises on the Zugersee depart from the harbour jetty.

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t A fountain standing in Zug’s picturesque medieval Old Town

Museum Burg Zug

" Kirchenstrasse 11 # 2–5pm Tue–Sat, 10am–5pm Sun burgzug.ch

Kunsthaus

" Dorfstrasse 27 # Noon–6pm Tue–Fri, 10am–5pm Sat & Sun kunsthauszug.ch

Museum für Urgeschichte(n)

" Hofstrasse 15 # 2–5pm Tue–Sun urgeschichte-zug.ch

8

Küssnacht am Rigi

D3 @ g n Unterdorf 15; www.hohlgassland.ch

The small town of Küssnacht am Rigi lies at the foot of the Rigi. This massif rises to the east of the Küssnachtersee, which extends as the northern arm of Lake Lucerne.

The town is a good base for hiking and other activities in the mountains and for exploring Lake Lucerne.

Buildings of interest in Küssnacht’s historic district include the Baroque town hall and the Kirche St Peter und St Paul. Another is the Engel Hotel, a half-timbered building that dates from 1552 and has been an inn for over 400 years.

9

Rigi and Vitznau

D3 £ @ n Bahnhofstrasse 7, Vitznau; www.rigi.ch

The Rigi massif, with views of 13 lakes and hundreds of peaks, is one of Switzerland’s most popular holiday destinations. Instead of glaciers and crevasses, there are lavish resort hotels and hiking paths through woods and open pastures with more than 1,000 species of flora. The highest of the summits is called Rigi-Kulm (1,798 m/5,900 ft), less than half the height of the Matterhorn, but a lot easier to climb with children.

A popular base is Vitznau, which lies in a sheltered bay on the north shore of Lake Lucerne. Vitznau is also the base station of the oldest rack railway in Europe, opened in 1871. It leads up to just below the summit of Rigi-Kulm, offering breathtaking views.

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Insider Tip

Trotti Bike

Ride down prepared forest trails on these stand-up scooter-like bikes with fat tyres and no seat. They are suitable for anyone aged ten and up and can be rented in Engelberg (www.titlis.ch).

10

Stans

D4 £ @ n Bahnhofplatz 4; www.tourismusstans.ch

Stans is a town on the banks of the River Engelberger Aa. Above the small town rises the Stanserhorn (1,900 m/ 6,234 ft), the summit of which can be reached from Stans by funicular and the world’s first double-decker cable car with an open top.

The town’s charming historic district revolves around Dorfplatz. This square is dominated by a Baroque parish church, Pfarrkirche St Peter und St Paul, with a Romanesque tower, the remains of an earlier church. In the centre of Dorfplatz stands a 19th-century monument to Arnold von Winkelried who sacrificed his life to help his Confederate comrades defeat the Austrians at the Battle of Sempach in 1386.

Also noteworthy in the town are the Höfli, a medieval turreted house that contains a museum of local history, and the Winkelriedhaus, a late Gothic building that houses a museum of local folk crafts and traditions.

Experience Central Switzerland and Ticino

stay

Rigi Kaltbad Spa Hotel

A designer retreat high on Mount Rigi with epic views.

! D3 Zentum 4, Rigi Kaltbad hotelrigikaltbad.ch




Hotel & Spa Internazionale

A powder pink confection with pleasant rooms in the town centre.

! E5 Viale Stazione 35, Bellinzona hotel-internazionale.ch



11

Engelberg

D4 £ @ n Klosterstrasse 3, www.engelberg.ch

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t The thrilling Titlis Cliff Walk, Europe’s highest suspension bridge

Within easy reach of both Lucerne and Zürich, Engelberg is one of central Switzerland’s main mountain resorts. It lies at an altitude of 1,000 m (3,280 ft), at the foot of Titlis, whose rocky peak reaches 3,239 m (10,627 ft) to a glacier.

The village nestles around the Kloster, a Benedictine monastery. Founded in the 12th century and rebuilt in the mid-18th, it has an exquisite Rococo church, built in 1735–40. The monastery, and its working cheese dairy, are open to visitors.

Engelberg has about 80 km (50 miles) of skiing pistes. It also offers tobogganing and ice-skating facilities. Marked trails in the vicinity lead up to the summits of Schlossberg Titlis, Urirotstock and Hutstock. There are also many cycling routes. The Rotair cable car, which rotates as it travels to give passengers an all-round view, runs from Stand, above Engelberg, over the Titlis glacier. Those with a head for heights can also inch across the Titlis Cliff Walk, Europe’s highest suspension bridge, at 3,040 m (9,980 ft).

12

Schwyz

E3 @ £ n Zeughaus strasse 10; www.schwyz-tourismus.ch

This quiet town, capital of the canton of the same name, lies at the foot of the twin peaks of the Mythen. It has immense importance in Swiss history and culture.

The canton of Schwyz gave Switzerland both its name and its flag. Having sworn their mutual allegiance in 1291, the joint forces of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden united to defeat the Habsburgs at the Battle of Morgarten (1315). Thereafter they were known as Schwyzers, and by the late 1400s, the Swiss had adopted the name Schwyzerland.

The Bundesbriefmuseum (Museum of the Swiss Charters) in Schwyz preserves a number of important historical documents. The most highly prized exhibit is the Charter of Confederation, written on parchment and stamped with the seals of the three Forest Cantons in 1291.

Schwyz’s Old Town contains many 17th- and 18th-century buildings. Hauptplatz, the central square, is dominated by the Baroque Pfarrkirche St Martin and the Rathaus, the 17th-century town hall whose façade features a depiction of the Battle of Morgarten painted in 1891. The Ital-Reding-Haus, a mansion built in 1609, contains a suite of rooms with 17th- and 18th-century furnishings and decoration. Nearby is Haus Bethlehem, a wooden house built in 1287.

A former granary dating from 1711 houses the Forum der Schweizer Geschichte, a museum of daily life.

Bundesbriefmuseum

" Bahnhofstrasse 20 # 10am–5pm Tue–Sun bundesbrief.ch

Ital-Reding-Haus

" Rickenbachstrasse 14 # May–Oct: 2–5pm Tue–Fri, 10am–4pm Sat & Sun irh.ch

Forum der Schweizer Geschichte

Zeughausstrasse 5 § 058 466 80 11 # 10am–5pm Tue–Sun

Did You Know?

Oscar-winning filmmaker Xavier Koller was born in Schwyz.

13

Urnersee

E4 @ £ n Brunnen, Bahnhofstrasse 15; www.brunnentourismus.ch

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t The calm waters of Urnersee, backed by steep-sided mountains

The stunningly beautiful Urnersee forms the south-eastern arm of Lake Lucerne. Surrounded on all sides by high, steep-sided mountains, the Urnersee resembles a Norwegian fjord. On an elevated promontory below Seelisberg, on the west side of the lake, is Rütli Meadow (Bergwiese Rütli), where the alliance between the cantons of Schwyz, Unterwalden and Uri was sworn in 1291.

The village of Seedorf, at the southern extremity of the Urnersee, has a picturesque Gothic-Renaissance castle. It was built in 1556–60 and now houses a small geological museum. Flüelen, nearby, is the furthest port of call for any boats that sail across the lake from Lucerne. About 3 km (2 miles) north of Flüelen is the Tellsplate, a flat rock. According to legend, this is where William Tell made his leap to freedom during his journey across Lake Lucerne, on his way to imprisonment at Küssnacht. Near the rock stands the Tellskapelle, a 16th-century chapel remodelled in the 19th century.

14

Bürglen

This small town at the mouth of the Schächen valley is reputed to be the birthplace of William Tell, hero of Swiss legend. The supposed site of his house is marked by a chapel built in 1582. It is decorated with frescoes illustrating how Tell killed a Habsburg duke, triggering confederacy.

The legend of William Tell and the place it occupies in Swiss culture are illustrated through over 600 years’ worth of paintings and chronicles at the fascinating Tell Museum. Also of interest in Bürglen are a 17th-century wooden tavern, the Adler Inn, which serves local beers, and an early Baroque church with a Romanesque tower.

Tell Museum

" ' Postplatz # May, Jun, Sep & Oct: 10–11:30am & 1:30–5pm daily; Jul & Aug: 9:30am–5pm daily tellmuseum.ch

Experience Central Switzerland and Ticino

William tell

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Switzerland’s national hero, or perhaps just a myth? Revisionist historians say William Tell (right) was invented more than a century after he allegedly freed his son, and his emerging country, from Habsburg feudal lords by shooting the evil bailiff Hermann Gessler in 1307. This emblematic act of courage and resistance has echoed down the ages and across the globe, thanks in part to Hollywood, Friedreich von Schiller’s play and Gioachino Rossini’s opera. If, as now suggested, it was all a ploy designed to forge a sense of national unity, it worked.

15

Altdorf

E4 @ £ n Tellspielhaus; www.uri.info

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t Rathausplatz in the centre of Altdorf, in which stands the Telldenkmal

Altdorf is reputed to be the town where William Tell shot an apple from his son’s head. The Telldenkmal, a 19th-century statue of Tell and his son, stands on Rathausplatz, and plays of the story are are regularly performed.

16

Centovalli

E5 n Intragna; 091 780 75 00

The stunning Centovalli (Hundred Valleys) is so named for the many side valleys that cut into it. The Centovalli Railway, from Locarno to Domodossola in Italy, takes a spectacularly scenic route up the Centovalli. On this journey of about 40 km (25 miles), the train crosses 79 bridges or viaducts over deep canyons and passes through 24 tunnels. The first part of the journey leads along the vineyard-covered Val Pedemonte and then wends its way through rugged countryside and deep forests full of chestnut trees.

The train stops at several villages along the route. At Verscio, 4 km (2.5 miles) from Locarno, there is a performing arts school, founded by the famous Swiss clown Dimitri. Nearby Intragna has a Baroque church. Palagnedra has a small Gothic church decorated with 15th-century frescoes.

Centovalli Railway

Via Franzoni 1, Locarno centovalli.ch

1995

The year Swiss clown Dimitri was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame.

17

Ascona

E6 n Via B Papio 5, www.ascona-locarno.com

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t The handsome Italian-style buildings and cobbled streets of Ascona’s Old Town

A small fishing village for many centuries, Ascona developed in the early 20th century, when it became a fashionable health resort, attracting writers, painters and composers. Nearby Monte Verita (Hill of Truth) was established as a progressive colony around the same time, attracting some of Europe’s leading thinkers, artists, revolutionaries and writers.

Ascona’s exquisite Old Town (Centro Storico) is a maze of narrow cobbled streets, with small craft shops and art galleries. Many of the most picturesque of Ascona’s historic buildings, the oldest of which date from the 14th century, line Contrada Maggiore. Piazza San Pietro is dominated by the 16th-century Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo, which has an altarpiece painted by Giovanni Serodine, a pupil of Caravaggio. Also notable are the Collegio Papio, which has a pretty Renaissance arcaded courtyard, and Santa Maria della Misericordia, a church with colourful 15th-century frescoes. The Museo Comunale d’Arte Moderna, in a 16th-century palazzo, contains work by artists who flocked to the town, including Paul Klee. Piazza Motta, a pedestrianized lakefront promenade, is home to cafés and restaurants.

18

Valle Verzasca

E5 n Via ai Giardini, Tenero; www.ascona-locarno.com

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t A kayaker in the white rapids outside Verzasca, Ticino

Washed by the emerald waters of the River Verzasca, this is an exceptionally scenic valley lying north of Locarno. A gigantic dam, the Contra Dam, near the mouth of the valley has created the Lago di Vogorno, a large artificial lake.

The valley is lined with villages, whose stone houses cling to the mountainsides. Vogorno has a small church decorated with Byzantine frescoes. Near Lavertezzo, the river is spanned by the Ponte dei Salti, a medieval double-arched bridge. A modern art trail, running for 4 km (2.5 miles) between Brione and Lavertezzo, is lined with works by 34 Italian, Swiss and German sculptors.

At Brione-Verzasca is a church with origins that go back to the 13th century. Its façade is decorated with a painting of St Christopher, and the interior features 15th-century frescoes.

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t The Ponte dei Salti, the medieval double-arched bridge near Lavertezzo

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Insider Tip

Bungee Jump

James Bond did it, so they call the 220 m- (722 ft-) bungee jump from the Contra Dam “the 007”. The tallest bungee in the world, you can jump at night, or even go backwards.

19

Valle Maggia

This deep valley runs for about 50 km (30 miles) northwest of Ascona up to Cevio. At its lower levels, the valley is wide, though as it ascends it becomes increas- ingly rugged, with forests of pine and larch. The valley is also dotted with historical buildings and churches, and rugged stone houses. At Maggia, the largest village in the valley, you’ll find the 15th-century Chiesa Santa Maria delle Grazie. The exterior is unremarkable but the interior is decorated with dazzling 16th- and 17th-century frescoes.

Past Giumaglio, where there are dramatic waterfalls, the road leads further up the valley to Cevio. A notable feature of this village is the 17th-century Palazzo Pretorio, its façade featuring the coats of arms of the bailiffs who successively occupied the building. Nearby stands the Palazzo Franzoni (1630), which houses a museum of regional history.

The hamlet of Mogno contains the serenely beautiful Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista. Designed by the Ticinese architect Mario Botta and completed in 1996, this extraordinary church is built of local stone. The interior is lined with white marble and grey granite arranged in stripes and chequer patterns. The light pouring in through the translucent ceiling only enhances the effect.

Experience Central Switzerland and Ticino

eat

Grottos are shady, secluded outdoor restaurants with stone tables, typical of Ticino.


Grotto San Michele

A wide choice, handy for the castle.

! E5 Salita al Castell, Bellinzona castelgrande.ch




Grotto Canvett

The epitome of tradition.

! E5 Cà d’Varénzin 6, Semione § 91 870 21 21




Grotto Cavicc

Beloved of writer Hermann Hesse.

! E5 Via Canvetti, Montagnola grottocavicc.ch



20

Val Bavona

E5 @ n Centro Commerciale, Maggia; 91 753 18 85; www.ascona-locarno.com

Said to be the steepest and rockiest valley anywhere in the Alps, the beautiful Val Bavona is very wild – almost a world apart from the lush meadows and hills found elsewhere in the country. It is deserted in winter and still not connected to the Swiss electricity grid, despite being under a huge hydroelectric plant. All the houses are made of grey stone, and massive boulders have been adapted into shelters for animals and humans alike. These structures, which are sometimes built into the rock, are called sprügh. In such precipitous terrain, waterfalls abound. The most impressive in all Ticino is the Cascata di Foroglio which falls 111 m (365 ft). The waterfall is an easy walk from the hamlet of Foroglio, which is on the Swiss postal bus route.

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t The village of Foroglio, Val Bavona, a popular base for hiking

21

Valle di Blenio

E5 n Via Lavorceno, Olivone; 91 872 14 87; www.blenio.com

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t Negrentino’s church with its beautiful Romanesque and late-Gothic frescoes

This broad scenic valley, washed by the River Brenno, leads up to the Lucomagno Pass (1,916 m/6,286 ft). The road up the valley and over the pass leads into the canton of Graubünden. Val di Blenio lies in the heart of rural Ticino. One of the sunniest spots in the country, it has magnificent scenery and is dotted with picturesque villages.

Biasca, at the foot of the valley, has a Romanesque church with Gothic frescoes. Just north of Biasca lies Malvaglia. The 16th- to 17th-century church here has a Romanesque tower and its façade features a large painting of St Christopher.

Negrentino is notable for its early Romanesque church of St Ambrose, whose tall square belfry tower can be seen from afar. The interior of the church is decorated with stunning frescoes dating from the 11th to the 16th centuries. Lottigna has an interesting museum of regional history (the Museo Storico della Valle di Blenio). The villages higher up the valley, such as Olivone, are good bases for mountain excursions and hikes.

22

Airolo

E5 n Casella Postale 145, Airolo; 091 869 15 33; www.airolo.ch

Located just below the St Gotthard Pass, Airolo lies at the point where the motorway and railway line through the St Gotthard Tunnel emerge. As it is bypassed by these major routes, Airolo is a quiet town. With several hotels, it is a convenient base for exploring the valley that stretches out below. A plaque in the town commemorates the 177 people who died during the tunnel’s construction in the 1880s.

Valle Leventina, below Airolo, carries the motorway and main railway line that run from Zürich to Bellinzona and Lugano. The valley is dotted with small towns and villages, worth exploring for their interesting historic churches. Chiggiogna has a church with 15th-century frescoes, while Chironico has a 10th-century church with 14th-century frescoes. The 12th-century church in Giornico is one of the finest in Ticino. The interior is decorated with frescoes dating from 1478.

Did You Know?

The old road up to the St Gottard Pass has 37 bends, each with its own name.

23

St Gotthard Pass

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t The old cobblestoned Tremola road, leading up to the St Gotthard pass

With the Reuss valley in the canton of Uri to the north, and the Ticino valley to the south, the St Gotthard Pass lies at an altitude of 2,108 m (6,916 ft). It is on the principal route from northern Europe to Italy and has been used as a major alpine pass for over 700 years.

The pass is crossed by three tunnels. In 1882 the Gotthard Rail Tunnel opened, but it was not until almost a century later that a road tunnel followed, in 1980. In 2016, Switzerland inaugurated the world’s longest rail tunnel here, the 57-km- (35-mile-) long Gotthard Base Tunnel, allowing for speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph) and reducing the journey time from Zürich to Milan to two hours and 40 minutes.

The 19th-century hospice on the St Gotthard pass houses the Museo Nazionale del San Gottardo. The museum documents the history of the pass and describes the flora and fauna of this high alpine region.

Marked trails lead up to the summit of many of the surrounding peaks, including Pizzo Lucendro, and to mountain terraces from which there are splendid views.

Museo Nazionale del San Gottardo

" § 091 869 15 25 # Jun–Oct: 9am–6pm daily

24 "

Museo Sasso San Gottardo

E4 Passo del S Gottardo, Airolo # Jun– Oct: 10:30am–3pm daily sasso-sangottardo.ch

Located on the historic mountain pass of the same name, the Museo Sasso San Gottardo is set in a former secret military bunker buried deep in the mountains. Two museums in one, it is in part a natural history museum and in part a military museum. Visitors delve hundreds of metres into the mountains before taking the “Metro del Sasso”, an underground cable car to the fortress. Inside, it is as if the 420 soldiers that once occupied it have only just left: dining hall, cannons, hospital, communications and map rooms are all as they were. The bunker was fully operational from 1943 to 1998, as dozens of Swiss mountain redoubts still are. In the natural history part of the museum is an exhibition on climate, ecology and the minerals that make up the Alps. Displays include enormous crystals – weighing over 1.5 tons – found near the St Gotthard Pass. Together, these two museums provide fascinating insight into the Swiss military mentality.

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Insider Tip

Wrap Up at the Museum

Visiting the Museo Sasso San Gottardo? Then dress warmly. Even during summer, the underground tunnels and caverns are cold and damp.

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