Best Trip Ever: Switzerland and Burgundy
 

I'm not going to get super-detailed, but we just got back from the perfect trip and I wanted to share.

We took Swiss Air to Zurich (wonderful airline!) and immediately got a train south to St. Moritz where we killed an hour before grabbing the post bus to Soglio, a stunning little hamlet perched high overlooking the Bregaglia Valley. We stayed at the lovely, old-world Palazzo Salis. www.palazzosalis.ch/ Beautiful old home, stunning views. We spent our days hiking on the Via Panoramica and the Via Bregaglia. Only one time we weren't really on the Via Bregaglia as we'd thought, the trail ended, and we kind of slid down the mountain. We can only laugh about it now, of course. The food was fine, although when we got to France we realized the food in Switzerland is no comparison. Three nights and two dinners for two and a good deal of wine and beer came to almost $1000. A very nice breakfast was included. The garden behind the house is too beautiful for words.

The post bus goes up and down the valley quite frequently, so it's easy to get from town to town, or walk one way and bus back another. One afternoon, I went to Sils Maria where I did some walking and had the dark chocolate crepe of my dreams.

After two full days in Soglio, we took the post bus back up to St. Moritz where we picked up our rental car. We then drove to our friend's house between Lyon and Grenoble, stopping on the way for lunch on Lake Como. We got a little lost around Milan, but it could have been worse, and I didn't enjoy all of the tunnels, although it is exciting to know the one near Frejus is the 6th longest auto tunnel in the world. 13 kilometers.

Well, it was a long trip, but we arrived to Thodure in the Isere around 7:30 and spent three wonderful nights with our friend. Since he is, sadly, not renting out rooms, I will not go into detail.

From Thodure, we drove to Burgundy, exiting the A6 at Beaune, seeing some of the wine country, backtracking to Autun for lunch and to see the wonderful church there. From Autun we drove to Avallon with its really nice church of St. Lazare. It was a quick drive to the village of Pontaubert and the valley of the river Cousin where the www.hotel-des-moulin-des-templiers.com/ is located. What a lovely, country hotel! A charming host and hostess run the place, and they're eager to please. He is the chef, preparing rustic fare quite well. The house is a vine-covered converted mill along a shady stream, full of atmosphere. The rooms are small, but comfortable with nice aesthetic touches. And all so cheap! The double room was 60 euros a night. A four course dinner was 19.50 euros.

From the hotel, we loved taking drives to nearby Vezelay, a very important Romanesque basilica (we went to Sunday mass-quite an experience!), and all the picture-perfect villages in the region. Gorgeous green countryside, varying from fields to forests to rivers to villages kept us always entertained. I even stumbled upon a few antiques markets, always a plus. Had we the time, we could have easily filled several more days visiting castles which abound in this region.

After two nights at the Moulin des Templiers, we drove to Zurich where we found our hotel, the NH airport hotel. A very pleasant, stylish, clean, friendly place, despite what some may claim on tripadvisor. I dropped off the car and we made our way into central Zurich where we browsed around the shops. We'd been there a couple of years ago, so weren't driven to see the museums and other attractions again. We met the son of a friend of ours and his girlfriend who are hosteling around Europe and who happened to be in Zurich at the same time, and had dinner at a Thai place on a square right off the limmitquai and Niederdorf. Terrible food, terrible service. At 35 dollars a main plate, this was a dissapointment. As I'd remembered, food in Zurich is off the charts. Perhaps we were paying for the location.

Well, we flew out the next day, from what must be the world's most entertaining airport. I got my requisite Nordsee lunch, sampled some Sprungli Luxemurgli, and ogled the watches before departing.

Nine days of heaven, indeed! Happy to answer any questions you may have. Thanks to those who were so helpful in advance of this trip!

Strange...my edits didn't take. It's the www.hotel-moulin-des-templiers.com/ And I won't be held responsible for any inelegant writing! :)

Has no one read my scribblings? One more try, in case Fodorites were all asleep the last I posted...

Well, I for one read your ramblings, Cimbrone. I love Switzerland, so I try to read as many trip reports as I can on that subject.

DH and I have been going to Switzerland twice a year for a long time. We always fly into Zurich and usually take Swiss Air. Yes, it is a nice airline. I agree.

We've not done St Moritz, as our trips are usually business related and seem to take us to the same places time and again. If we have a few extra days, we usually like to go to Interlaken and Locarno. Maybe we'll try something new and different one of these times...

We've never tried to find Thai food in Zurich, although we also go to Thailand a lot, and like the food. When in Zurich, we like a place called Santa Lucia (I think that's the right name) in the old town area.

Thanks for sharing. I'm glad that you had such a lovely trip!

Carol

Thanks, Carol. St. Moritz is a bit sterile, in my opinion. We were mainly south of there, in the Bregaglia Valley. Another really nice town is Lugano. Yes, Switzerland is very special. Happy travels!

Hello Cimbrone :)

I'm always on the lookout for that "special" hotel, and from what I can see, the Moulin des Templiers looks to fit that bill. I've definitely bookmarked that one!

You "kind of slid down the mountain"? Yikes!

I'm glad you enjoyed the beautiful countryside. We've just returned ourselves and could not get over how gorgeous everything was. Miles and miles we drove, thru one tiny village after another, each absolutely picture perfect.

And that Zurich airport is pretty awesome. Always easy to get that last meal before the long flight.

Thanks for the post!

Hi C,

Thanks for sharing.

>had dinner at a Thai place on a square right off the limmitquai and Niederdorf. Terrible food, terrible service. At 35 dollars a main plate, this was a dissapointment. ... Perhaps we were paying for the location.<

Too bad.

On your next visi, try Ban Song Thai, Kirchgasse 6.

((I))

Hi Cimbrone! We were also in Burgundy this summer...north of Montbard up the canal..French food is definitely wonderful, but we loved the homemade pasta at the Palazzo Salis! Yes, the gardens are gorgeous. Did the goats do their little show in the back? Speaking of goats, did you see the man selling homemade goat cheese on the Panoramica? What a joy he was! Soglio is hard to describe...it feels like another world up there. We are planning our Swiss trip for next June. I was hoping for Corsica, but my husband can't get Switzerland out of his system...

Hi Cimbrone - It has been, lets see.....I'm 64 now and my son was 2 yrs old, so that makes it 27 years ago we went all the way up that narrow mountain road to Soglio!!
I have never ever heard it been mentioned - we got to hear about it from some folks who had just come down on the cableway from Mount Pilatus like us.
I still have those precious photos of my son & I sitting on the stone wall with the valley below!

Thank you so much for the trip report!

swisshiker-I'm glad you might be interested in our Burgundy hotel! I don't think you'd be dissapointed.

Ira-you're welcome. If we return to Zurich, we will try your suggestion.

Linda-No, we didn't see the goat. Nor did we run into your cheesemaker. Were you the one who also mentioned beer being sold along the trail? I'd kept my eyes open for that, but, alas, missed it as well. We only did the panoramica as far as Stampa, so maybe that's why.

tod-glad I could bring back such nice memories!

Cimbrone, I loved your trip report, and agree, Switerland is so beautiful,, I particualarily liked a two night stay I had in Wengan( just a train ride up from Lautebrunnen( think I spelt that wrong, too lazy to go look it up, LOL ) ... I have also been to Zermatt ( loved it) and Lucern..

Switzerland is my favorite country in Europe after France.. Thanks for your report..

I've been away on a business trip for some days, thus couldn't read your trip report. Thanks for sharing - excellent. I'm very glad you enjoyed the Switzerland part of your trip so much. I guess I contributed a bit with tips/recommendations, eh? ;-)

Ingo

Wonderful report. I'm so glad you had a great experience in Soglio, and at the Salis (with no teething babies next door). Soglio is a wonderful place. I now have a pic I took from panoramica trail on my desktop. I long to go back. I'm thinking my next trip will be to southern France, though -- Dordogne region.

Thanks for posting.