GO SWITZERLAND:Switzerland's poshest winter resort is a playground for all wallet types during the summer, writes DON MORGAN
FOR MOST people a summer holiday involves putting on their worst looking three-quarter length beach pants and flopping out on a lounger by the sea. So how about doing something mad altogether by getting up off your lounger and spending some time hiking and cycling across the Alps of Switzerland? To really up the ante, why not stay in Gstaad, reputedly the poshest of all Swiss Alpine resorts? What goes on there in the summer, when the snow is gone? Plenty, it seems.
Switzerland is quintessentially European and yet politically divorced from the rest of the planet. The Swiss have studiously avoided the mudslinging of the world for most of the last 700 years. Primarily, this was because they got sick of being pushed around by French and German princes and just wanted to keep their tax money, thank you very much, and be left to their own devices, agitated by a sharp shooting William Tell.
With that same calm precision, you can do anything outdoorsy. I visited Zweisimmen and Gstaad in the German speaking part of the Bernese Oberland, two-and-a-half hours by train from Geneva. The region offers an array of outdoor activities, from extreme mountain biking, paragliding to walking and hiking. Unsurprisingly, in a region known for skiing, there’s an après something or other to take the edge off after the day’s exertions.
Flying into Geneva airport is in itself worth the air fare. As you come in for your final descent along Lake Geneva, you’re reaching for your lifejacket, before being rescued at the last moment by land underneath and the surprisingly small but user-friendly airport.
From the terminal building you can take a train via Montreux towards Gstaad and Zweisimmen. A train from an airport terminal, let alone a connection to seemingly remote mountain areas would be outlandish in the one-route-fits-all awkwardness of the Irish rail system. The Swiss, by contrast, have overcome the formidable obstacle of the Alps to provide a first class public transport system. In short, you can sit back and enjoy the stunning scenery as the train, complete with extra high windows, climbs steadily upwards with views towering over Lake Geneva, before disappearing into deepest, darkest Switzerland.
Zweisimmen is a local alpine town for local Swiss people, and is where I started my brief tour of this region. Apart from looking out of the window and seeing a great big mountain in front of you, you know you’re not in Ireland anymore, because it appeals differently to the senses. You can’t quite hear Heidi frolicking on the mountains with Peter the shepherd boy, but if you close your eyes, you will hear only the sound of livestock and the bells they wear around their necks. Even when you’re exhausted and straight off the train, the sound of cowbells and the immaculate mountain air will signal that, yes, you’re on holidays.
The area around Zweisimmen is drop-dead gorgeous, with steep valley walls creating the sense of a massive enclosed natural arena. Zweisimmen and Gstaad are geared towards catering for cyclists and walkers of all abilities. It’s no surprise, therefore, that if you need to hire equipment, you can, from bikes to walking shoes. The region is mapped out with signposts for cycle routes and walking paths, meaning that no matter what you want to do, you can figure out where to start, where you want to get to and how long it’ll take you. The rest is up to you.
I took a bike tour around Zweisimmen, but my trusty steed was quite unusual. Not only can you enjoy the fresh air on two wheels as a Stephen Roche wannabe, but a Swiss firm has developed a bike with a rechargeable battery pack which gives an extra boost to ease pedalling. Known as The Flyer, it’ll flatter even the most unfit cyclist into thinking they’re ready to join the peloton.
The feeling of achievement after a day of adventure will be crowned by serious food and Swiss wine. In accordance with Frank Zappa’s rule that a country is only a country when it has a football team and a beer, the Swiss have their alcoholic bases covered. Swiss wine is not really exported, and more’s the pity. It’s delicious, and will have you feeling like you can take on every peak in the region. The food in the area is also stunning. What was on offer in our hotel, which was a three-star, would have many a top rate hotel chef in Dublin crying into his soggy vegetables. In particular, people in Switzerland are proud of their produce – dairy and beef farming is what many if not most locals do for a living.
Simmental, for instance, is a cattle breed native to this region, and as ubiquitous as Stephen Fry on the BBC. Normally used for dairy, Simmentals are also bred for beef and their steak is highly recommended, particularly in front of squeamish vegetarians, who may find these horned, bell-wearing bovines to be oh-so-cute. They’re also oh-so-tasty.
Sustenance is the watchword on an activity-based holiday, and it’s best to avoid dehydration and hunger, a risk when you’re up a mountain without a snack. Bring a packed lunch, and plenty of water. Not for eating, but just as important, is sun screen, lashings of it, as I discovered during my stay.
IN CONTRASTwith Zweisimmen, Gstaad has a touch of glamour and is synonymous with the jet set of the 1960s and 1970s. Many celebrity visitors and residents of the past and present include David Niven, Julie Andrews and her late husband, Blake Edwards. Formula One boss and pint-sized Andy Warhol lookalike Bernie Ecclestone owns a hotel on the main street. Even Roman Polanksi had to endure his recent prison hell under house arrest in his luxury alpine chalet.
The main street is awash with designer stores to serve the rich and famous at all times of the year. Towering above Gstaad is the Gstaad Palace Hotel, an unashamedly monolithic “five-star superior” hotel dating back to the 1930s. Although cosmopolitan, Gstaad has its feet firmly on the ground, and locals pride themselves on being very much without airs or graces.
Take, for instance, a morning spent hiking across the Alps. I walked from the Arnensee lake just outside Gstaad, with a view to walking across the Seeberg mountain, finishing at Col du Pillon in the French speaking part of the area. Farmers move their herds above 1,700 meters, in order to spend their summer months making Alpenkäse (Alp cheese), which can only be made at this altitude.
On Seeberg, I met the Haldi family, fifth generation dairy farmers, who reside in a picture perfect cottage. In a scene familiar to any Irish person of a certain background, Ueli Haldi, the hospitable head of the family, chats calmly with visitors whilst sticking his hands into a boiling cauldron of curds and whey. For this act of hardness alone, I felt moved to buy some of the homemade cheese he had on sale for passing walkers. Outside, muslin cloths flap gently in a fresh mountain breeze.
The walk was challenging, if only because I was constantly tempted to stop to take pictures of the heart-stopping views. These walks are also well populated, so you’re never likely to be alone for too long, which can count for a lot if you’re less experienced.
Another activity leaves no time for dawdling. Alpine mountain biking is great for checking if (a) you’re up to a challenge and (b) if your body can cash cheques your big mouth is signing. This I learned after confidently announcing I was an “experienced” cyclist. Cycling requires more than a bit of a hill walk. My notion of being experienced clashed with that of my enthusiastic but very fit guide, as we took mountain bikes up the Rellerli cable car, before hurtling downhill back towards Gstaad, rediscovering religion on the way (“oh God, oh God”).
It helps, therefore, to gauge exactly what your level is, which your guide will ascertain soon enough. If being chased up and down hills wasn’t gruelling enough, my untreated farmer’s tan got a good lick of the summer sun. There’s no accounting for stupidity, it’s my own fault, but I’m on the right side of pasty again. Be warned.
It’s not all adventure sports and downhill near-death experiences. The town is great for spa therapy. They do “wellness” very well indeed here, and if the hills have taken their toll, go get a massage in the plush Grand Hotel Bellevue. A sports massage will heal the body while a “Lomi-Lomi” massage will do your soul some good. The spa offers multiple rooms to sweat and relax in, from Turkish baths to a Finnish sauna in informal surroundings.
Gstaad is only really flashy when flashy people are around, but Switzerland is admittedly pricey. There is, however, something to suit all manner of budgets and tastes. For a town so small, you can sample activities, wellness, culture and good food. At the end of it all one thing’s certain: you’ll go home tired, burnt, full of muscle cramps and Duty Free Toblerones, but reinvigorated and very happy.
Gstaad where to . . .
Stay
Hotel Sonnegg, Zwesimmen, tel 00-41-33-7222333 or see hotel-sonnegg.ch. Three-star hotels in this part of the world are always clean, friendly and provide everything you need. This family-run hotel was the benchmark for hospitality and food in the area for the rest of the week. Rooms start at CHF88pps (€71).
Hotel Gstaaderhof, tel 00-41-33-7486363 or see gstaaderhof.ch. Four-star hotel in centre of Gstaad with friendly and helpful staff. Rooms from €77pps.
Grand Hotel Bellevue, tel 00-41-33-7480000 or see bellevue-gstaad.com. Plush five-star hotel with transfers in a vintage Bently. If you can't get a room, then the spa is a must. Rooms from €310 per night.
Eat
Hotel Sonnegg: intimate atmosphere, great local produce and international flair.
Hotel Bären, Gsteig bei Gstaad, tel 00-41-33-7551033 or baerengsteig.ch. Rustic tavern with no nonsense Swiss food such as potato röstis.
Gstaad Palace Hotel, tel 00-41-33-7485000 or palace.ch. The menu is reasonable for what is fine dining in the finest of atmosphere.
What to do
Hiking: affordable/free depending on how much equipment you bring. Hiring a guide can also be done quite easily (gstaad.ch/).
Cycling: all abilities and interests are catered for but for serious mountain biking try MTB Saanenland Bike Guides at 00-41-79-4557836 or see mtb-saanenland.ch. Guides Gstaad Saanenland (see guides-gstaad.ch or tel 00-41-33-7653157) is also good for mountain biking and historical tours of the area. Flyer bikes can be rented anywhere, and local hotels and restaurants run free recharging facilities for the bikes. We rented our bikes from Sputnik in Zweisimmen (more info at http://www.gstaad.ch and http://www.sputnik-bikeshop.ch) and rental starts at around €30.
Menuhin Summer Festival. Exercise your soul at the annual Menuhin classical music festival, held in honour of former Gstaad resident and revered violinist, Yehudi Menuhin. Performing everything from chamber music to My Fair Lady. From July 15th until September 3rd, 2011. See menuhinfestivalgstaad.ch.
Spa treatments: nearly every hotel has some sort of wellness facility, but at Hotel Bellevue it's an experience. You will leave replenished and as good as new.
Language
Although German is spoken by locals, in particular their dialect of Schwyzerdütsch, French is also spoken as is English. Sometimes all at the same time. Every attempt will be made to communicate.
Trains
See sbb.ch.
Website
For information on activities, accommodation, offers and restaurants in Gstaad and the surrounding area see gstaad.ch.
Don Morgan flew courtesy of Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) which operates daily flights from Dublin to Geneva and six weekly flights from Dublin to Zürich.