Swiss Mountain Magic
Matthew Hughes is enchanted by the diversity and beauty of Switzerland
Switzerland sits at all sorts of crossroads – gastronomic, cultural, religious and linguistic; there is more, so much more to it, than cuckoo clocks, chocolate, international finance and neutrality. Orson Welles’ oft-repeated dialogue from The Third Man seems to have shaped our perception of this remarkable country to an irrevocable degree: it deserves so much better. As a holiday destination, it perhaps gets overlooked, because there are considerably more exotic options available to the seasoned traveller today; it’s worth serious consideration, however – not least because it is so rich in top-flight accommodation. Indeed, for those disinclined to rough it, and for whom the idea of backpacking across Thailand fills them with horror, Switzerland is a boon. As you will see, though, it is far from a prissy, nature-free hinterland – au contraire!
I visited the country courtesy recently and I cannot speak too highly of the courtesy and assistance of the Swiss and its various Regional tourist boards. Our group were housed and fed in uniformly excellent hotels. I stayed at the Hotel des Horlogers in the west of Switzerland (Valle de Joux); and also at the Castle, in the eastern central region known as the Binntal: both were excellent.
Having made a wrong connection on my way to the first hotel, I arrived late and tired, and missed the inaugural meeting and first trip; a visit to the Vacherin Mont d’Or cheese Museum. The first place I stayed, the Hotel des Horlogers, was charming, warm and hospitable It also has a fine restaurant, Le Chronographe; it’s Chef, is Philippe Guignard - a native of Lake Geneva, and great fan of the Valle de Joux region. He prepares authentic local cuisine, along with Jean-Michel Tannieres.
Initial difficulties forgotten, I faired better with the events of the following day. We were taken to the Jura Vaudois Nature Park, where Mr Jean-Bruno Wettschtein guided us through the multitudinous flora and fauna in the region, and spoke about the efforts to maintain an ecologically sound, sustainable environment. We were informed that the Swiss authorities have plans to open several new national parks. At present, there is only one; this is astonishing really, for a country with such a proud and evolved tradition of ruddy-cheeked, open-air activity! After some robust hiking, in which I resisted the urge to yodel, we were then taken to see a producer of Gruyere, who, with justified pride, explained the lengthy production process, and how his produce was subject to strict AOC (appellation controlee) guidelines. We were given some of the cheese to taste, and I have to report that it tasted very fine; it was a robust flavour, nutty and pungent. Indeed, the food was uniformly excellent, wherever we went; though perhaps a little reliant on cheese and smoked meats! Indeed, I am pleased to report that we encountered dedicated artisans, devoted to the production of seasonal, locally sourced produce (the mantra of modern chiefs), wherever we went. In the evening, we were taken to the defiantly rustic Chalottet, for some excellent local food; service was warm and friendly, and the portions of cured meats, cheese etc, were plentiful.
Lake Geneva
The next day, saw a trip to Lavaux (Lake Geneva), and the town of Lutry, and then to Domaine Vogel, owned by a local Wine Grower, Simon Vogel, who gave a talk on the Lavaux vineyards, and poured generous quantities of his produce, which were robust, full of character and deliciously fruity. The following day, saw more wine tasting at the Espace Provins, in Sion; along with some light (very light) lunch. After this, we made our way to the Pfyn/Finges Nature Park, where we were encouraged to employ all our senses to discover “the Jungles of Switzerland” – I loved it! The evening saw what was for me, one of the highlights of the trip: Dinner at the Bishop’s Castle in Leuk. This was prepared by a team of chefs from the Swiss Culinary National Team, including the prodigiously feted Kilian Michlig. The meal consisted of three courses, which included Crepes with Trout on a bed of Grapes; locally reared beef served with goat’s cheese polenta and autumn veg, and a blueberry ice-parfait with pear mouse. It was terrific, and went down especially well in such a special setting. Guests were encouraged to climb the tall tower of the castle, upon which they were greeted with unrivalled views of the Valais region. The evening also featured appearances by a Swiss male voice choir, children in national costume (marauding men in ceremonial masks, alpine horn blowing, and St Bernard’s dogs en masse! For the final leg of our trip, we transferred to the much less touristic area of the Goms. We stayed at the Castle, an impressive hotel; friendly, beautifully maintained and family run. In the day, we visited an authentic alpine village, a catholic chapel, and took a barefoot walk through an alpine stream! In the evening, we all convened for the final time at a spectacular locale: a beautiful Binntal meadow, for another extraordinary meal. The first course, consisted of a flowerpot, filled with salad (I kid you not!), and something called a Gommer Cholera (tastes a lot better than it sounds), which is a local speciality: it’s essentially a savoury pie, made with local cheese. This was followed by a venison fillet, wrapped in a calf’s caul, and served with chanterelle risotto and a game sauce refined with juniper. Desert was a rye bread and grape puree, with cold zabaglione, diced apple patries and chocolate tarts; we ate well, then! The scenery in this region – in every region - is, predictably, absolutely exquisite, and the snow-capped peaks and dramatic, plunging escarpments, rugged inclines and dense forestry, have a dramatic and therapeutic effect on the visitor: you feel pleasantly dwarfed by nature. Also therapeutic, is that distant, gentle, silvery pealing wherever you go; that sound is of course the ringing of bells secured to cows! I thought that was simply a myth, but Swiss farmers really do use them!
On my way home, I took the train across Switzerland to Geneva; once again marvelling at the miraculous, impossibly romantic, landscape – so inclined to promote wistful thinking. With a few hours to kill, I stopped off in Geneva – a city I wish I’d seen more of. Unfortunately, it was raining, so my wanderings were initially curtailed, and I took refuge under a tram stop! It did clear up, however, and became rather sunny and warm, so I headed down to the Quai of Lake Geneva, to view the famous and spectacular water fountain, the Jet D’eau. It sits on a jetty off the south bank of the lake (Quai Gustave-Ador), and shoots a stream of water 140 m into the air (460ft). Geneva is situated on the Rhone River, which flows westward from there into France. It’s an elegant, orderly city – perhaps a little reserved – full of old European charm, and some exquisite public buildings, such as the main railway station, the Gare de Cornavin, and the Cathedrale Saint-Pierre. Of course, Geneva is one of the key cities of the protestant reformation, so catholic churches do not predominate.
There are many people to thank for this trip – too many – but special mention must go the staff of the hotels; the Swiss tourist office for the seemingly endless display of trinkets and promotional material (including a handsome watch!), and above all, our guide, the indefatigable Christina Peter, for whom no problem was insurmountable. Thanks also, to the national carrier, Swiss International Airlines, for a comfortable and refreshing journey: coming home and going out.
For more information on Switzerland visit www.MySwitzerland.com or call Switzerland Travel Centre on the International freephone 00800 100 200 30 or e-mail, for information info.uk@myswitzerland.com; for packages, trains and air tickets sales@stc.co.uk. or visit www.swisstravelsystem.co.uk For reservations call 0044 845 601 0956 or visit: www.swiss.com or www.valais.ch.
