Switzerland’s Classic Walk
2008 Itinerary
Day 1: Geneva-Lenk. ( 2.5 hrs)
You will be met at Geneva airport upon arrival at the arrivals hall. You will then be transferred by mini bus from Geneva airport to Lenk. The small village of Lenk is situated at the foot of the Wildstrubel mountain range in an ideal location. You will arrive in time for a small evening stroll (30 minutes); welcome drinks at the hotel bar followed by dinner, your guide will outline the week’s itinerary in more detail. You may even have the chance to relax at the hotel’s indoor swimming pool and sauna.
Day 2: Lenk-Siebenbrunnen-Rezliberg ( 5 hrs)
After breakfast, you walk along the valley floor past Lenker Lake to the end of the valley floor at Sieben Brunnen. Famous for its mighty waterfalls, Siebenbrunnen also has a charming restaurant. You then climb through the forest to the hut of Rezliberg and see more waterfalls! There is a nice cheese farm here where you can stop for lunch. Either continue to Langermatte and Iffigenfall (an even bigger waterfall) before descending back to Lenk.
Day 3: Lenk-Lauenen (5 hours)
Today’s walk starts with the help of the Leiterli cable car to the Stoss. From here you will gradually climb to the Leiterli and then follow the alpine flower trail along the open ridge to the Col., taking in breath taking views over the surrounding meadows and snow-capped peaks. The views include the Wildhorn and Diablerets Glaciers! We will have a picnic lunch today along the high ridge. Then you descend to the small village of Lauenen with its romantic lake which is 8 km away.
Day 4: Lauenen-Lauenen lake- Gstaad (5 hours)
Today you walk to the romantic Lauenen Lake and back in the morning passing through a Nature Reserve. There are many wild flowers and birds en route. Lunch at Lauenen and free time to either walk down to Gstaad or take the local bus. It is a beautiful walk following the river and allows time to explore Gstaad. In the winter, Gstaad is an elite ski resort accustomed to hosting royalty and celebrities, in the summer it is a paradise for walkers. The Swiss Open tennis championships are held in Gstaad the first 10 days of July and the Music Festival runs from mid-July to early September with superb classical music.
Day 5: Lauenen-Rougemont- Chateau d’Oex (6 hours)
You will be driven to Gstaad in the morning and will start your walk from Gstaad. You walk along the valley floor by the river to Saanen, famous for its Saanen goats. You will then start climbing to gain views and then descend to Rougemont where we will have lunch. You continue in the afternoon along the pine scented trail by the river to Chateau d’Oex. Known for its Hot Air Balloon Festival, Chateau d’Oex represents a true image of Switzerland; picture-perfect chalets with flower-filled window boxes, brown cows with bells grazing in the pastures and children skipping down cobblestone streets. Stay at the Gourmet Hotel.
Day 6: Chateau d’Oex-Montbovon-Gruyeres Castle (5 hours)
You can spend your last day sight seeing with time to explore the impressive castle of Chateau d’Oex. The walk follows the famous Corniche Trail and the last stretch involves a bus transfer to medieval Gruyeres where you can look around the impressive castle of Gruyeres and taste its fine cheeses. Gruyeres is perched at an altitude of 800m and was formerly the regional seat of power, occupied from 1080 to 1554 by the nineteen counts of Gruyeres. The H.R. Giger museum is the permanent home of an impressive collection of the work of Swiss surrealist HR Giger, the Academy Award designer of Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’. To view traditional cheese-making and try ‘degustation’ or sampling, you can visit ‘La Maison du Gruyere’. Having visited the town, you are then transferred back to your hotel in Château d’Oex. Since this area is the hot air balloon capital of Switzerland a fabulous hot air balloon is highly recommended on a clear day.
Day 7: Departure day.
Transfer from Chateau d’Oex to Geneva at 10:00AM for your flight back to the USA. Approx 2 hours.
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