Leukerbad - the natural Spa

Sharing a few beautiful pics of Leukerbad, which is the largest thermal spa resort in the Alps.

Horse Carriage ride in the Alps

We visited Gstaad in Jan 2107.

Gstaad

 

Gstaad is one of the most famous (and expensive) ski resorts in Switzerland. It is a hotspot for celebrities, so don't be surprised if you run into one during your visit :) The city itself is very small - so you can easily walk around the main street. The street is beautifully decorated and full of cafes, restaurants, and high end shops.

To accommodate the posh crowd,  there are 4 5+ Star hotels, with the Gstaad Palace being the most iconic and famous one. 

We stayed at the Le Grand Bellevue which recently re-opened after an extensive renovation. It is like a luxury home at the top of the mountains. It is a small hotel with around 60 rooms which gives it a cosy feeling. It was definitely one of the friendliest 5* hotels we have stayed in, as the staff were genuinely friendly and did not have the "air" sometimes associated with such high end hotels. The facilities and interior decorations are absolutely flawless - it also boasts of the longest sofa in Switzerland :)

The views in front of the hotel are absolutely stunning - check out the pics below!

 Horse Carriage ride in Lauenen

 

As we don't ski, every year we try to find interesting (non-skiing) activities to pursue at ski resorts, e.g. snow shoe hiking, toboggan rides. This year, we tried the horse carriage ride in Lauenen. 

Lauenen is a small city / village around 30 minutes drive from Gstaad.  You can also take the Post Bus, which unfortunately is not very frequent. Taxis are available, but they need to be booked in advance (will cost around 40 Swiss Francs) - check with your hotel if you need one.

The horse carriage ride is like 1 - 1.30 hours, from Lauenen to Lake Lauenen (and back). It costs around 150 Swiss Francs. We went with low expectations, but ended up thoroughly enjoying the ride. It felt like a dream - traveling on a horse carriage through beautiful scenery and snow capped mountains.

 The real icing on the cake was when we finally reached Lake Lauenen - and the lake was completely frozen. Check out the amazing pic below!

Grindelwald - postcard perfect Switzerland

Grindelwald is a popular resort town in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. It is a nature lovers paradise - check out the pics below for a glimpse of why Switzerland is called "postcard perfect".

There is not much to write here except - do not miss the Tissot Cliff walk (link). You can get most other relevant details from the official tourist website (link). Some other parts of the Bernese Oberland have been covered in a previous blog post (link).

Enjoy the heavenly pics for now, and plan your trip asap!!

Picturesque Annecy

We visited Annecy in May, 2015.

Location and Transportation

Annecy is a charming Alpine city - very close to Geneva. So it is a good place to visit if you are flying in to Geneva. Of course, technically, it lies in France - but that shouldn't make any difference as long as you are on a Schengen Visa / Permit.

It only takes about 45 minutes by bus from Geneva to Annecy. Trains are also available, and they are not very expensive; but they end up taking a lot longer (around 2 hrs 20 mins) - as they route you via Culoz and Aix-le-Bains - which is really not the shortest route distance wise. So we would really recommend taking a bus from the Geneva Gare Routiere (bus terminal). It is possible to buy tickets on the spot at the bus terminal.

Scenery

As with most of these Alpine villages, you can see the spectacular combination of lakes and peaks whichever way you look.

Whether you consider it a good or bad thing, Annecy remains a bit hidden from the international touristic landscape. It was nevertheless quite crowded when we visited -  but with mostly locals (both French and Swiss) having a picnic. The place is still quite international that you shouldn't have any problems even if you don't speak any French. Of course, the internationalism is primarily due to its proximity to Geneva, which also implies that you wouldn't get the cheaper French prices for gifts / souvenirs that you would get in most parts of France (other than of course, Paris). So be prepared for prices comparable to the (higher) Swiss prices here.

 

Hotel

We stayed at the Imperial Palace hotel in Annecy. As you can see from the pics below, the hotel and its surroundings are really impressive - easily rivalling a James Bond movie location :) The mandatory lake / mountain views are a given at this hotel. We unfortunately could not get an ariel shot of the hotel, but check out the hotel website for the really impressive pics of the hotel.

"Venice" of the Alps

The most unique and beautiful thing about Annecy is of course its Canals - winding their way through the "old" city - and also the reason for it being called the 'Venice of the Alps'.

The restaurants along the canals make for a picture perfect setting for the senses at night:
mind (peaceful / serene), eyes (alpine scenery), ears (the gentle sound of the water flowing in the canals), and taste buds (authentic french cuisine) - oh, how I wish I was a poet !!.