Urban Switzerland

HIKING URBAN SWITZERLAND
Doctor's Review, April, 2008

One of my favourite things to do when I am in Switzerland for work is to play hooky. Who can concentrate on conference lectures or work files when those mountains, all snowy peaks and green meadows, beckon? And really, haven’t we all, at one time or another, pictured ourselves in an Alpine pasture surrounded by edelweiss and snow capped peaks swirling around like Julie Andrews (or is that just me?)

Regardless, Switzerland is designed to indulge any Alpine yen, and you don’t need to be an Alpinist to do it. For even in the capital, Bern, or major cites like Zurich and Geneva, you can easily find your way into one of those picture postcard panoramas in no time at all: I once walked out of my hotel in central Zurich and only 30 minutes and a funicular ride later, I was walking along a well-marked, leafy trail high above the Zürichzee. I walked for hours in view of snow-capped peaks and a crystal blue lake, completely forgetting about the work that awaited me below.

Nature is never far away in Switzerland and with 60,000kms of hiking trails, many found in or just outside urban areas, and an amazingly efficient public transport system, just because you’re in the city doesn’t mean you can’t have an afternoon of Heidi-like adventure. No country has such dense and well-connected public transport; with 5000km of railway lines and 1000km of mountain railway lines plus 13,000km bus lines and countless lake boats, you can easily get to any point in the country, from cosmopolitan cities to alpine summits. The following are just a few of the many walking and hiking day trip options from three of Switzerland’s cities: Zurich, Bern and Geneva. But don’t stop there. There is almost no point in Switzerland that isn’t a short train, boat, funicular or even walk away from a yodel-inspiring landscape. So go ahead, play hooky, and find your inner Julie.

ZURICH
Often topping the list of the world’s most liveable cities, Zurich is well known for its staidly suited bankers (rather tongue-in-cheekily referred to as Zurich’s “gnomes”) and elegant Bahnhofstrasse, one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world. But despite its cosmopolitan air, Zurich is a outdoorsy city at heart (as is much of Switzerland; you’d be hard pressed to find a Swiss resident without a pair of hiking boots in their closet) and remains small enough with less than 400,000 inhabitants to keep nature a part of urban life. The city is situated at the north end of Lake Zurich, which is so clean you can see the swan’s legs as they swim by, with the wooded slopes of the Uetliberg and the Zurichberg rising around it.

Zurichers’ favourite hiking escape is the 871-metre Uetliberg which can be summited by foot or a 20-minute train ride. At the top, after admiring the jaw dropping views of the whole Zurich district and the Alpine Range (you can see the Jungfrau on clear days), I followed the “Planetenweg,” an 1h45m ‘planet path’ that follows the mountain ridge above Lake Zurich and features models of the planets, which I honestly didn’t look at as I was too engrossed in the landscape: blue lake views to one side and rolling pastures dotted with cows and classic wooden Swiss houses on the other. At the Planetenweg’s end in Felsenegg there is a funicular that links up with a train that zooms back to Zurich in 10mins. Or continue on the trail; at almost every trail end, there are always others that begin.

If your quads have had enough of mountainous ascents, there are also walking trails all around Lake Zurich. Begin in the city and wander along the lakeside Utoquai or hop on boat for a scenic ride the length of the lake (29kms). There are numerous stops along the way where you can step off and find a walking path back to Zurich or into the surrounding hills. I sailed to the far north shore of the lake and got off at the town of Rapperswil, known for its imposing medieval castle and the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland, an 841-metre-long wooden footbridge crossing to the south side of the lake and offering yet more spectacular views.

For more information: Visit the Zurich tourist office in the Hauptbahnhof for hiking ideas and maps. Or visit their website: www.zuerich.com.

BERN
Dramatically wrapped around a bend in the Aare River, Bern feels both cosmopolitan and just a bit old-fashioned. It is a medieval city (and a UNESCO heritage site since 1983) filled with vistas of gothic spires and red tiled roofs, as well as the seat of the Swiss government, filled with multi-lingual politicos and international diplomats. It’s also a green city where riverside paths lead to gardens, parks and up to the high point of the city, the 858-metre Gurten that offers divine panoramic vistas. There is also the 13-hectare Tierpark (zoological gardens) Dählhölzli within the city limits – a dense riverside forest home to bison, reindeer and elk that can make you forget you are in a capital city.

With classic Swiss organization, hikers can find signed walking trails within the city leading out into the surrounding countryside. One of the newest city-to-nature walks is the “Wege zu Klee,” (Paths to Klee), a series of trails following in Bern-born artist Paul Klee’s footsteps through the city to the new Paul Klee Centre (www.paulkleezentrum.ch) found in rolling green hills just outside the city. I followed the trail across the river Aare into surprisingly green suburbs dotted with mix of new and traditional Bernese houses – wooden houses with long, low-pitched roofs and carved gables – and pastures of horses and sheep; all landscapes which Klee had captured in his paintings.

Bern is also a short train ride from one of Switzerland’s loveliest natural regions, the Bernese Oberland, containing some of Switzerland’s most majestic peaks. Take a train to Interlaken (55 minutes) and follow the historic ‘Höheweg” (High Path) promenade that has been dropping jaws for centuries with its dazzling views of the Jungfrau (3475m). Or continue up to the Jungfraujoch on the highest rack railway in Europe and walk in the rocky moonscape of the high Alps. But bring warm cloths and good boots; walking there in the early summer, I could see my breath and after an hour or so of walking, happily stumbled into a cosy mountain lodge for a hot chocolate and a warm fire.

For more information: visit the Bern Tourist Office (at Amthausgasse 4 in the city centre) for ideas and maps or see their website: www.berninfo.com

GENEVA

Filled with bureaucrats and international organizations, Geneva has a reputation for being dull; all paperwork and no fun. But anyone who has been to this multi-cultural city set where the Rhone River meets the 72km long Lake Geneva and in view of the famous Mont-Blanc, knows that theory has as many holes in it as a fine piece of Swiss cheese.

If you are bored in Geneva, you just aren’t trying. For walkers, there are more excursions in and around this city than cow bells in a mountain pasture. Ascend Geneva’s own mountain, the Salève (670m) for stunning views extending over the lake, Savoy Alps and Jura Mountains. Do the round trip (5.6km each way) on foot or take the funicular.

One of my favourite things (along with “brown paper packages tied up with string”) is walking in vineyards and the Lake Geneva region offers many opportunities to do just that, with Swiss twist. There is a wine trail (about 3 hours) in and around the village of Dardagny, reached by Geneva city bus, which passes through rolling vineyards and offers opportunities to taste the local Chasselas and Gamay cepages. More vineyard trails are found in nearby Lausanne (30 minutes by train), home to the Lavaux Vineyards, which were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. Covering about 30 kilometres, the vineyards climb steep slopes along Lake Geneva, and on a sunny day offer stunning, almost mirage like views of the Savoy Alps and shimmering lake.

If you are an Alpine peak or nothing type, then continue on to Montreux (55 minutes by train from Geneva). This city known for jazz is also the starting point for a trip to the awe-inspiring summit of Rochers-de-Naye (2045km). After a short cog train ride, the trail (which takes about about 4 hours) climbs over 1000 metres, an effort rewarded by perhaps the most ubiquitous thing in Switzerland: a mind-bogglingly beautiful panorama. Now that’s worth playing hooky for.

For more information: visit the Geneva Tourist Office (rue du Mont-Blanc 18) or see their website: www.geneve-tourisme.ch

IF YOU GO:
For help planning a day (or longer) trip, see the website of Swiss Tourism: www.mySwitzerland.com which has a list of all hiking trails in Switzerland and links to Swiss hiking associations. You can also download or order various brochures about hiking in Switzerland.

Multi-day Swiss Passes (available in 4, 8, 15, 22 days or one month unlimited access) work on almost all transport in Switzerland, including trains, funiculars and lake boats, and include free access to many museums and attractions. For more information see www.swisstravelsystem.ch

Hiking fuel:
In Zurich:
Restaurant Hiltl (Sihlstrasse 28, www.hiltl.ch): fuel up with gourmet vegetarian fare in one of the world’s chicest veggie restaurants.

Confiserie Sprüngli (Bahnhofstrasse 21, www.spruengli.ch): look for one of the many branches of this historic chocolate shop throughout Switzerland to fill your backpack with magnificent chocolates and hearty sandwiches.

Restaurant Uto Klum (Uetliberg, www.utokulm.ch): This berg top restaurant’s fondue is almost as heavenly as the views; come at night for a starry view over Zurich.

In Bern:
Schwellenmaetteli (Dalmaziquai 11, www.schwellenmaetteli.ch): lounge on a chic terrace after a long hike at this stylish riverside restaurant.

Altes Tramdepot (Grosser Muristalden 6, www.altestramdepot.ch): a microbrewery and restaurant serving Swiss classics in a converted tram terminal.

In Geneva:
Globus Gourmet: (Rue de Rhone 48): This upscale grocery is the place to stock up on decadent hiking fare: crusty multigrain breads, creamy Swiss cheeses, and of course, chocolate.

Café du Centre (5, pl. du Molard, www.cafeducentre.ch) is a classic Geneva bistro, specializing in fish dishes.

Where to stay:
Zurich :
Hotel Uto Klum (Uetliberg, www.utokulm.ch): stay on the mountain for 175 to 450 CHF per night per double room.

Widder Hotel (Rennweg 7, www.widderhotel.ch): Luxurious hotel whose impeccable décor ranges from medieval frescos to furniture by Corbusier. Such style doesn’t come cheap and doubles start at 645 CHF.

Bern:
Hotel Sternen Muri (Thunstrasse 80, www.sternenmuri.ch): a Bernese chalet-style hotel in a leafy neighbourhood 10-minutes out of the centre. Doubles from 230 CHF.

Hotel Belle Epoque (Gerechtigkeitgasse 18, www.belle-epoque.ch) An elegant art nouveau-style hotel in a medieval house in the old city with doubles from 280 CHF.

Geneva:
Hotel Cornavin: (Gare du Cornavin, www.fassbindhotels.com/e/3_cornavin.html#) Stay ate the newly refurbished hotel featured in a “Tin Tin” story. Doubles from 304 CHF.

Hotel Beau-Rivage (13 quai du Mont-Blanc, www.beau-rivage.ch) If money is no object, this fabled hotel dates to 1865 and its guest list includes Richard Wagner, Empress Elizabeth of Austria (who was infamously assassinated in 1898 leaving the hotel) and Francois Mitterand. Doubles from 790 CHF.