The World Cup provides an opportunity for participating countries to put their best foot forward and invite visitors in. Earlier I looked at fabulous and in most cases affordable hotels in countries in the World Cup's Groups A through D, hotels that fit their country's ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Switzerland
From World Cup to contemporary tourist destination: part two
The World Cup provides an opportunity for participating countries to put their best foot forward and invite visitors in. Earlier I looked at fabulous and in most cases affordable hotels in countries in the World Cup's Groups A through D, hotels that fit their country's ...Must have: Swiss fondue
If you find yourself in Switzerland, you absolutely must treat yourself to some fondue. The Swiss are known for fondue because they invented it and they do it right. It's tremendous.
Swiss fondue is served in earthenware pots with handles, none of that crazy stainless ...Swiss town offers "bike hotels"
Switzerland is a mountainbiker's dream. There are hundreds of miles of trails, beautiful scenery, and a generally bike-friendly culture.
One town has decided to get even friendlier. Gstaad, in the Berne canton, has organized "bike hotels" to specifically care for ...Concorde Hotels turns up the heat with summer deal
The euro has never been lower, and Europe is calling. With the Concorde Hotels & Resorts "Summer Offer," you can get on a plane and out the door without breaking the bank. The Hotel Lutetia in Paris and Hotel de la Paix in Geneva are on the list, with rates as low as ...Naked hiker wins right to bare all
All he wanted to do was hike naked.
The 46 year-old man headed out, sans habillement, through the Swiss canton of Appenzell Inner-Rhodes to enjoy the scenery. He passed by a public barbecue area, keeping a safe distance so as not to get his wiener cooked, and near a ...Where Swiss cheese lovers must go:
Swiss cheese is not all full of big holes like the stuff you see in American grocery stores. That's a specific regional cheese called Emmentaler (from Emmental). Despite its holey reputation, some of the hundreds of varieties of Swiss cheese have no holes at all.
...Daily Pampering: Learn to cook "wegetarian" in Switzerland
You don't have to be a vegetarian to like vegetarian food. Many of us are vegetarians one day and want a cheeseburger the next. That's okay.
Hiltl, pronounced HILL-tuhl, is a 112-year-old institution of a vegetarian restaurant and club in Zürich. They call such ...Daily Pampering: Shack up at a Swiss winery
If you love wine and scenery -- and who doesn't, right? -- Chexbres, Switzerland (above) may well be your personal heaven.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting UNESCO World Heritage Site Domaine Bovy, a Chexbres vineyard and winery located on the beautiful Lake ...Off the beaten path: St. Mauritius Cathedral in Appenzell
On a tip from the Switzerland Tourism Board, during my stay at The Null Stern (Zero Star) Hotel, I spent a day wandering Appenzell, a small town known as "the tourist center of Appenzellerland" ... a region in the eastern Swiss highlands of which I had never heard. ...Gadling takes on the Null Stern (Zero Star) Hotel
You may remember an article back in 2008 called Zero Star Hotel opens in Switzerland fallout shelter. Well, it took me a year and a half, but I managed to get there.
The "Null Stern," or "Zero Star" Hotel is a cross between a hostel and an art installation by Swiss ...Daily Pampering: Detox at The Dolder Grand
This Switzerland retreat knows you've had a rough winter. All those hot totties by the fireplace skewed your usual caloric intake, and the cold winter winds wreaked havoc on your skin. No worries, the healing process is about to begin.
Zurich's Dolder Grand is offering ...Trade Mocked
You were a cheerleader, you dated a cheerleader, or you hated the cheerleaders. As I recall, that's how high school worked.
Thanks to travel PR, that same primeval paradigm lives on long after graduation. That miniskirts-shouting-slogans thing still works, whether you're ...Hitchhiker's Requiem
My father taught me to never, ever hitchhike because I would die. He illustrated the point with dinner table horror stories starring chopped up teenage bodies strewn along the highway and acid-crazed madmen speeding across America at 120 mph: "Those are the kind of people ...Carry cash for the country you're going TO - International travel tip
When traveling abroad, get at least a small amount of foreign currency for tips and other unexpected cash expenses before leaving the airport or crossing the border. Although many countries in Europe are now using the Euro, there are still some that are not.
Imagine our ...Old Spice is looking for guys to send on the "ultimate internship"
Old Spice (yes, Old Spice) is looking for a couple of adventure seeking guys to send on the internship of a lifetime.
In the Old Spice Adventure, the company will send you surfing in Fiji or snowboarding in Switzerland (in lederhosen of course). Interns will be assisted ...The world's best hikes
With so much challenging terrain, magnificent vistas, and unique cultural opportunities on the planet, shining a spotlight on the world's best hikes is a difficult task. After all, there are various styles of hiking fitting different skill levels: some people enjoy long ...Adventure Tourism Development Index rates top adventure destinations
The Adventure Tourism Development Index is a study put together by the Adventure Travel Trade Association, in conjunction with George Washington University and Xola Consulting. The joint effort examines 192 countries and ranks them based on their commitment to sustainable ...Five steps to a better Valentine's Day from Fairmont
After the toll that 2009 took on your spirit and your body, it's time for you to commit to a relaxed and steady 2010. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in on board with this and is kicking in some amazing deals through its Willow Stream spa brand, which is available around the ...Go easy on the pedal in St Gallen
Imagine you're behind the wheel of a red Ferrari Testarossa. You have nothing but open road in front of you in St Gallen, Switzerland. You're rich. You're in Europe. Maybe you've got a hottie riding shotgun and whispering incredibly absurd things in your ear. It's impossible ...The best ski resorts in the Alps
There are few places on Earth that offer better skiing than the Alps. The mountains, which stretch across France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and beyond, offer a mix of culture, history, atmosphere, and amazing slopes covered in some of the best powder on the planet. It ...
