Scenic Swiss SpasBy Caroline M. Jackson
My first introduction to a spa experience came at a most opportune time. Having flown overnight from Vancouver to Zurich via London, my husband and I were a touch disheveled by the time we arrived in the elegant lobby of the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken. On arrival, however, it was music to our ears to learn that we had been booked for a two-hour spa treatment the following day.
Train aficionados will want to take a trip on the Brienzer Rothorn, Switzerland’s last remaining steam cog railway which has been huffing and puffing its way to the top of the 2350 meter high Rothorn since 1892. Because of an exceptionally heavy volume of snow in mid-May, our engine could only push us up as far as the Middle Station. However, on arrival at our destination we had the perfect opportunity to watch the impressive snow clearing equipment in action.
An integral part of enjoying any Swiss spa experience is to breathe in the pristine air of the
Hemmed in by perpendicular cliffs, 72 waterfalls spout onto the valley floor. By far the most spectacular are the Trummelbach Falls. An elevator bored through the rock gives access to a series of illuminated galleries. The ten glacier-waterfalls make for a damp, earsplitting walk along paths which overlook cascading and roiling waters. No-one has described these falls better than Lord Byron “…the sunbow’s rays still arch and torrent with the many hues of heaven, and roll the sheeted silvers’ waving column o’er the crag’s headlong perpendicular” Each evening after our various forays into the mountains, we returned to the Victoria-Jungfrau and relaxed our tired muscles in the saltwater outdoor Jacuzzi or the beautiful swimming pool.
* * *
When our lake boat from Lucerne drew into the tiny dock at Hertenstein, I knew we had arrived in an oasis of tranquility. This modern hotel’s spa facilities include a whirlpool, sauna and solarium and is especially popular with locals and
After visiting a small family-owned cheese factory, we walked up to the Swiss Path which afforded us a stunning view over the turquoise lake and the Rutli meadow – birthplace of Swiss history. From here we walked down to Bauen, an idyllic little village on the lakefront. * * * Our third spa destination was Baden which was one of Switzerland’s most important spas towards the end of the Middle Ages. The town’s 19 sulfur springs yield close to a million liters of salty water a day and have the highest concentration of minerals of any spa in Switzerland.
After this refreshing experience, we took a walk along the Limmat river to the Mediaeval Old town. We found an outdoor restaurant right beside the city tower and breathed in the history of this quaint town. Being less than a 40-minute train journey to Zurich Airport, the spa town of Baden was the perfect stopover before our next international flight. Tourism Contacts: Travel: Where we stayed: Images by Hamish M. Jackson |
|
TM
Where does a neophyte find a spa-centered holiday combined with some Alpine walking and scenic beauty? My dogged research uncovered three locations, each in a different canton of Switzerland. Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland, Hertenstein near Lucerne in Central Switzerland and Baden near Zurich.
After a dreamless sleep in our spacious room, I tiptoed over to the window to check out the view from our balcony. I stood transfixed as I watched the early morning mists lift like gossamer veils from the face of the majestic icy Jungfrau massif. The swathe of green parkland opposite the hotel beckoned and minutes later I was walking briskly across the dew-laden grass breathing in the fresh alpine air. By 8 am, it was time to partake of the sumptuous breakfast which included a great selection of fresh fruit, cheeses, meats, breads, yogurts and Bircher Muesli. After this repast, we became a couple of sleuths checking out the facilities of this 
five-star hotel which is almost one and a half centuries old. Like the patina on a fine oak table, this grandfather of hotels is improving with age and exudes an alluring old-world charm. Soon it was time for our two-hour spa treatment in the new state-of-the-art ESPA facility. After my first ever perfumed footbath, I was cleansed, wrapped up like an Egyptian mummy and deftly massaged. My tired, tight muscles relaxed and the effects of jet lag evaporated. Rejuvenated, my husband and I were now ready to see some of the surrounding countryside.
Interlaken as its name implies, is situated between two lakes, Lake Brienz to the east and Lake Thun to the west. Still relaxed after our spa treatment, we took a lake steamer across the turquoise-blue waters of Lake Brienz to the picturesque town of Brienz. Renown for its famous woodcarving centre, we took a leisurely tour of the Jobin workshop which has been producing artistic carvings and music boxes for collectors and connoisseurs from all over the world since 1835.
For a pleasant outing, we took a short bus ride from Brienz to the Ballenberg open-air museum which features nearly a hundred re-constructed rural buildings arranged in clusters according to their canton of origin. Paths weave between the various hamlets interspersed with picnic areas and inns which serve traditional cuisine. Ballenberg is also a living museum and we observed crafts people at work and gained insight into the harsh conditions under which Swiss peasants survived.
Since clothes could only be laundered twice a year, in spring and fall, we watched how beeswax was rolled into clothes to prevent them from being easily soiled. After walking around nearly a third of the sixty-six-hectare site, we returned to Brienz to shop for some wood carvings and enjoy a leisurely evening stroll along the lakefront.
high Alps and there is no better place to visit than the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe at 3454 m. We took the train from Interlaken up to Kleine Scheidegg then changed trains for the steep ascent through a series of tunnels chiseled out of the Eiger and Monch. On a clear day the views are spectacular and the snow covering the glaciers sparkles like a moving tapestry of diamonds. Inside we followed the signs to the ice palace, an icy gallery hewn out of the glacier with tableaus of creative ice sculptures. We were reminded that the air is pretty thin at this altitude when we came across a distressed gentleman being given oxygen by first aid personnel. Afterwards we walked out on the sun-drenched plateau to join the many international visitors.
On the return journey, we chose an alternative route via the delightful ski resort of Wengen which is dwarfed by the surrounding mountains. The hilly village is car free, but if you hear a whine behind you, it will probably be an electric cart whisking visitors and their luggage to their appointed hotel. After a traditional repast at the Baren restaurant just below the railway station, we took a scenic aerial jaunt from Wengen up to Mannlichen and down into Holenstein. Below our dangling legs, we watched furry marmots stand on their hind legs before scurrying across snow banks then disappearing into their underground homes.
From Wengen, we traveled down to the lush green Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Our second spa experience was at the Wellness Hotel Graziella located on the shores of Lake Lucerne.
Germans seeking ‘time out’. Our balcony overlooked the lake where the only action was the moorhens and swans vying for territory. Nearby the muted cowbells took up their place in nature’s orchestra as heads bowed, the cows treaded along their steep narrow staircases in search of a breakfast of dew-laden buttercups, clover and daisies. Our own breakfast was usually muesli and healthy bread with black cherry jam.
For some exercise, we cycled along the lakeside to the idyllic town of Weggis which boasts several spa hotels. Best of all, its ever-helpful tourist office offers excellent guided walking tours of the area. Headed up by Heidi, we have over the years taken many of these excursions but on this occasion she introduced us to a new route which would lead us to Switzerland’s famous hiking path, the 35km-long Swiss Path. Created in 1991 to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the founding of Switzerland, the path was built all the way round the southernmost end of Lake Lucerne (Lake Uri) from Rutli meadow to Brunnen. 
Visitors can walk along different sections of the Path and make connections by train, boat or bus. With our backpacks stocked with sandwiches and water, we took the boat across lake Lucerne to Trieb where caught a funicular up to the little town of Seelisberg, a well-kept secret retreat for Swiss holidaymakers.
Seeking a quiet location, I found the family-run Atrium Hotel Blume via the internet and we were not disappointed. Built in 1840, this jewel of a hotel is like walking into a time capsule. Each floor of its interior courtyard overlooks a fountain surrounded by basket chairs and a proliferation of healthy green plants. On arrival, a tiny elevator whisked us up to the fourth floor. Our spacious room with creaky parquet flooring overlooked a quiet square. Double-facing doors, the inside one being covered in red cushioning, meant that not even a whisper from diners could be heard in our bedroom.
Our hotel was adjacent to the Thermalbad, the public baths which anyone can visit. The idea is to swim round the perimeter of the baths which is ensconced with jets at different levels. A little 
buzzer alerts bathers when to move onto the next jet. It is a very relaxing experience, then one is wrapped in a warm bath robe and directed to the relaxation room where talking and cell phones are not permitted.