Alpine Splendours of Switzerland & Bavaria - May 2025 - Hostess Round Up - Shani Vander Young

'Alpine Splendours' certainly encapsulates the essence of this wonderful tour. Throughout most of our 19 days here, we all felt we were moving through some magic place, walking or enjoying train journeys through a picture postcard of mountain magnificence. From the Top of Europe's Jungfraujoch to the Matterhorn at Zermatt punctuated with a touch of the Swiss Riviera at Montreux, the magic continued. As alpine scenery softened to the wineries and meadows of southern Switzerland where the Heidi novels were written, the beauty continued and the quaint villages of Bad Ragaz and Maienfeld further broadened our view of what Switzerland has to offer. 

After Zermatt, happy to be labelled the Swiss Sisters, we thought the journey could not get any better but the Glacier Express from Zermatt to Chur proved to be an incredible 6 hour visual experience through stunning spring scenery, including the Rhine Gorge, over viaducts and bridges and over a snow covered Oberalp Pass. A few days later, as we continued from Maienfeld to Innsbruck, we reflected on our Swiss experience, the wonderful balance of experiences thus far. Firstly, our initial walking tour of Zurich on arrival, giving us an insight into Zurich's long history, our time in chic and beautiful Lucerne located on the magnificent Lake Lucerne, followed by our 3 nights in Wengen, a true highlight for everyone. Here our inner hikers were inspired to discover the breathtaking scenery surrounding us! Walking Trails continually beckoned us. The Jungfraujoch experience (home to the highest railway station in Europe) was one for the bucket list and we were blessed with perfect weather and clear skies. On our free day based in Wengen, some chose to explore Grindelwald, with its shopping opportunities and  popular lookout Grindelwald First, while the other group took on a hiking route interspersed with the waterfalls of the Lauterbruennen Valley, two gondola rides, a visit to the carless upper mountain village of Muerren. All wonderful!

French speaking Montreux on Lake Geneva was like a Riviera get away, a real juxtaposition to our previous alpine days. We couldn't believe our luck with the hotel, located right on the water with all our rooms having balconies facing the lake. Heaven! From here we made a short but interesting visit to Geneva and then onto the lovely medieval village of Gruyeres to explore its castle, a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Of course, while in Switzerland the sisters all delighted in the iconic flavours of cheese and chocolate... our tour manager Tassos made sure we did not miss out, supplying us with chocolate on numerous occasions��

As our train journey continued into Innsbruck in Austria, the mountain scenery was unending... and, before we knew it we were back in German Bavaria to visit Fuessen and the King Ludwig II Neuschwanstein Castle which inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. On route the sisters learned more about the quirky King Ludwig and the history of the castle which made the tour all the more fascinating. All the while, spectacular surrounding scenery and great weather enhanced our overall experience here. Back to Austria and a few nights in Salzburg, the home of Mozart, culture and traditional coffee houses. Before our finale in Munich, we managed a coach trip to iconic Hallstatt, a 90 minute drive from Salzburg. All agreed this excursion was well worth it, greeted by sunshine we all opted for a lake cruise and all the photo opportunities it provided.

Numerous unforgettable experiences were packed into these 19 days, perhaps serving as an enticing reason to return and further explore these amazing regions in the future. A special thanks goes to our Tour Manager, Tassos whose support was invaluable in ensuring everything ran seamlessly throughout the tour.

If you love what you read, you're in luck! We are excited to be returning to Switzerland in 2026 - Please click here for our itineray and we'd love to welcome you!