Dreaming of Switzerland

From chocolate to cheese, Switzerland is slowly becoming one of my favourite weekend escapes. Work related travel brings me to Lugano in the Italian part of the country, but i’m dreaming of adventuring in to the other areas of it too.

Picture lakes that lie still for as far as the eye can see, Switzerland is a wintry fairytale and a summery retreat. It’s got the ultimate adventurer appeal with most landscapes available all year round. From quaint cobblestone streets, fountains that date back to the 1500’s and medieval architecture that line the town’s, highlighted by Gothic cathedrals in their centres too. With an average annual temperature of 14°C and up to 24°C in the summer, the place to be is at the heart of the Lake Geneva region, which is dubbed “the Swiss Riviera” thanks to its microclimate.

Lausanne is one town that has a younger appeal with a very cosmo, arty and up-and-coming urban scene in the city and is very used to tourists. Lausanne is the capital of the Canton de Vaud, often referred to as the “Olympic Capital” because it’s the home to the International Olympic Committee and the only museum of its kind in the world, as well as lots of individual, global sporting institutions too. And as it’s hosting the next edition of the Winter Youth Olympic Games in 2020, so there’s definitely more of an appeal in its panoramic snowy peaks for me.

With altitudes of 3,000m and 25kms of runs, the open season is from October to May and the backdrop here is supposed to be uniquely beautiful. It’s a high alpine terrain with a variety of runs for all levels of skier and a snow park to test your ability too. It also houses the worlds highest bobsleigh track, a 107m suspension bridge from peak to peak and dog sleigh rides too.

As for where to stay… there’s plenty of beautiful options with the Alps as their backdrop and located right on Lake Geneva so you have the best of both worlds, but i’ll let you know next time I visit 😉