Faced with the majestic mountain scenery of Switzerland, you at first think that it is eternal. But there are always changes -- a new resort opening up or an old favorite shutting down. The roster of what's hot in dining can shift from year to year. Here are some highlights of the latest developments in Switzerland.
Planning a Trip
Swissair, once a symbol of financial stability in the financially troubled airline industry, shocked much of the business world by going belly up. Service has been replaced by Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. (simply called "Swiss"). Although some nonprofit routes have been cut, Swiss is still flying the popular routes from North America, including daily flights into Zurich or Geneva. Call tel. 800/221-4750 for more information.
Appenzell
A restaurant avec chambers, Hof, Engelgasse 4 (tel. 071/787-2210), is generating buzz in this tranquil, folkloric town in northeastern Switzerland. Against a rustic backdrop of artifacts and memorabilia, a topnotch Swiss cuisine of bold but harmonizing flavors and an alluring repertoire of dishes are awaiting to entice you to the premises.
Arosa
In one of the highest of all alpine resorts at 1,800m (6,000 ft.) above sea level, a new restaurant, Cuculouche, Unterseestrasse (tel. 081/377-5505), is bringing a Mexican and Spanish flavor to the local cuisine in the Grisons. Many locals are experiencing zesty Latino cooking for the first time, and the night-owl skiers are flocking here to sample the tacos, tortillas, burritos, and fajitas, as the blizzards howl outside.
Basel
The history of the building dates from half a century ago, but the 43-room Hotel Drachen, Aeschenvorstadt 124 (tel. 061/270-23-23), has been completely renewed and it now better than ever, competing successfully against better established upmarket choices. On a curious note, some 14 Spanish artists decorated the walls and ceilings of the bedrooms, with cityscapes that range from Venice to Istanbul.
Foundation Beyeler, Baselstrasse 101, Riehan (tel. 061/645-9700), has opened in the suburb of Riehan, a 15-minute ride from the center of Basel. The new gallery shelters one of the greatest private art collections in Switzerland, the accumulation of years of "shopping" for great art by Ernest and Hildy Beyeler who now share their finds with the world, ranging from Van Gogh all the way up to Andy Warhol.
Bern
Fans of the 1913 deluxe Bellevue Palace, Kochergasse 3-5 (tel. 031/320-45-45), are delighted that this grand old dame with 130 luxurious rooms has had a massive face-lift, reopening in 2003. It is the most lavish and opulent choice in town, rich in the renewed trappings of the Belle Epoque era.
Brent
Near a historic bridge in the hamlet of Brent, in the hills above Montreux, chef Gérard Rabaey at his Le Pont de Brent (tel. 021/964-52-30), has recently been named Gault and Millau's chef of the year for Switzerland. For some 15 years, Rabaey maintained an awesome 19/20 rating from the guide (its highest rating is 20/20). With its combined French/Swiss cuisine, this is one of the most highly rated restaurants in the world -- worth a major detour but only with a reservation in hand.
Geneva
This French-speaking city's dining picture has brightened considerably with the opening of new restaurants or else the installations of new chefs with creative menus at more established dining citadels. Within the city, Brasserie International, Rue Bovy-Lysberg 2, Place du Cirque (tel. 022/807-11-99), is the latest incarnation of the once famous Brasserie Victoria. Evoking a turn-of-the-20th-century brasserie, this popular citadel serves a finely tuned international cuisine to satisfied customers. Bigger culinary news is being generated by deluxe restaurants on the periphery, especially Domaine de Chateauviex, at Peney-Dessus, (tel. 022/753-1511), 15km (9 1/3 miles) to the south. The international cuisine here is among the finest in western Switzerland. Housed in the annex of a château, the inventive cuisine and impeccable ingredients combine to create what is viewed as a local dining sensation. In the suburb of Petit-Saconnex, 5km (3 miles) north of the center of Geneva, Café du Soleil, Place du Petit-Saconnex (tel. 022/733-3417), is a dining hideaway of charm and sophistication, serving one of the best and most refined Swiss cuisines at a position close to the frontier with France. Evocative recipes, many long established in the Alps, including wintery fondues, ensure a never-ending stream of satisfied clients to this bastion of fine dining.
Opening in February of 2004, Meliá Rex Boutique Hotel, Avenue Wendt 42-44 (tel. 022/9544-74-74) lies close to the train station and near the headquarters of many international organizations. Some 70 handsomely furnished bedrooms, each with a balcony, are spread across six floors, each containing all the modern equipment such as dataports and internet access.
Unique for Geneva, Hotel Ascot Manotel, 55 rue Rothschild (tel. 022/54438-38), draws inspiration from the ancestral art of Feng Shui, an art of living that aims to improve the flow of chi (energy) in the environment. The hotel creates an atmosphere of harmony and serenity, aiming for the peace of mind of its guests. All the 48 comfortable bedrooms have undergone a Feng Shui makeover, and boast state-of-the-art modern equipment such as internet access. And, of course, serenity.
At the Swissotel Metropole Geneva, Quai Général-Guisan 34 (tel. 022/318-32-00), a landmark since 1854, the first deluxe sandwich bar in a government-rated, five-star hotel has opened. Le Bistropole is a new concept for luxe properties such as the Metropole. Ideal for lunches all afternoon or snacks, the bistro offers "five-star sandwiches" and sells wine by the glass in a chic modern atmosphere with leather seats and background jazz. Live music is played in the bar form 6pm to midnight Monday to Friday.
Grindelwald
Skiers to this mountain resort in 2003 discovered the Restaurant Fiescherblick, in the Hotel Fiescherblick (tel. 033/854-53-53), and justifiably praised it for its top-notch take on an international cuisine, the menu studded with a lot of Swiss mountain favorite dishes as well. We too followed the ski trail, arriving in time to enjoy such delights as king prawns in a zesty salsa or else marinated duck liver with a compote of figs.
Lucerne
The dramatic peak of Mount Pilatus lies 9 miles (15 km) south of Lucerne. It is one of the most popular attractions in central Switzerland. Between May and November, a cogwheel railway with a 48% gradient operates from Alpnachstad to Chretzen-Alp on Mount Pilatus. If this view from this peak wasn't enough, today you can also visit two traditional alpine dairies on Pilatus. One dairy is close to the disembarkation point for the cogwheel railway at Aemsigen-Alp. Or else you can take a well-marked path offering panoramic views leading from Aemsigen to the panoramic Chretzen-Alp dairy.
Montreux
The opulent Le Montreux Palace, 100 Grand Rue (tel. 021/962-12-12), has since 1906 been one of the swankiest addresses along Lake Geneva. In 2003, the deluxe citadel got even better with the opening of the Amrita Wellness Spa, one of the greatest in Switzerland, with fantastic body treatments in a series of 10 womblike salons with waterfalls and stone floors.
The top-rated casino in Switzerland, Casino Barrière de Montreux, Rue du Theatre 9 (tel. 0219/62-83-83), has opened at this swank resort on Lake Geneva. Worthy of the continent's best gaming clubs, it offers such games of chance as a horse race called Royal Ascot and even "electronic roulette." Black jack, standard roulette, and stud poker, along with craps, round out the agenda for the night. With three deluxe restaurants, the gambling parlor is also something of a gastronomic enclave.
Neuchâtel
Champagne at 1,000 feet (304 m) while flying over Lake Lucerne is a possibility aboard Skycruise Switzerland. The world's most luxurious airship, Skyship 600, carries 8 to 12 passengers for one-hour round-trips originating in Neuchâtel in western Switzerland. Big windows open onto panoramic views, and you travel in first-class comfort. You fly over such Lake Lucerne resorts as B?rgenstock, Rigi, and even the fabled Mount Pilatus. The cost is 380F ($285).
Nyon
At Nyon, a city on Lake Geneva, a new four-star hotel has opened: Hotel Real, Place de Savoie 1 (tel. 0223/65-85-85). On the banks of the lake, the hotel is the headquarters of the European Soccer Union (USFA). Offered are 30 large and comfortably furnished rooms and suites spread across four floors of a modern building. The hotel adjoins the Grand Café, a well-recommended local restaurant.
St. Moritz
In this ritzy Engadine resort, the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains (tel. 081/838-38-38), has opened with 184 luxuriously furnished rooms and suites, providing serious competition to the long reigning citadels of deluxe living, including Badrutt's Palace and Kulm. The German Kempinski chain has taken a lavish architectural masterpiece of the 19th century and made it even more spectacular, with all modern facilities, including spa suites.
Vevey
Instead of staying at the famous resort of Vevey on Lake Geneva, many discerning visitors are heading for the hills to find food and lodging at Les Sapins, route des Monts (tel. 0219/431-395), in the hamlet at Lally at an altitude of 4,000 feet (1,219 m). This 14-room inn has been completely refurbished and is now more inviting than ever, with panoramic views of the Vaud mountains. A family-owned hotel and restaurant, it offers a cozy Swiss ambience. In colder months, the lounge with its blazing fireplace is an allure. In fair weather guests are found on the sunny terrace.
Zurich
The government-rated four-star hotel, Glarnischhof, Claridenstrasse 30 (tel. 01/286-2222), was recently renovated into a top-notch 62-room choice, and now vies successfully for an upmarket clientele. Lying only a short walk from Lake Zurich, the hotel offers spacious and well-equipped bedrooms along with a first-class seafood restaurant on site. Although Bar Hotel Seehof, Seehofstrasse 11 (tel. 01/254-57-57), opened quietly in 1999, it is only now being "discovered" in the wake of a lot of favorable publicity from European news media. You can check out this 1930s era converted private house if you snare one of its 19 impressive bedrooms with such artful touches as well-crafted oaken floors and original artwork by Swiss artists. A unique hotel for Switzerland, Lady's First, Mainsaustrasse 24 at Kreis 8 (tel. 01/3808010), reserves its top two floors just for women. A well-known Swiss architect, Pia Scmid, renovated it into a charming 28-room hotel with bedrooms that come in various shapes and sizes, all of them delightful, as is the summer rose garden.
Attracting a media blitz, Caduff's Wine Loft, Kanzleistrasse 126 (tel. 01/2402255), lies 3km (2 miles) west of the center. In a converted former industrial warehouse built at the turn of the 20th century, a refined Continental cuisine of market-fresh ingredients is tempting some of the most discerning palates in Zurich to head out here for delectable platters of food.
Serious culture vultures will buy the new ZurichCARD, a bargain pass granting not only entrance to 43 museums and reduced rates at the zoo, but a 50% reduction on public transportation such as trams. Not only that, but you get a welcome drink in 24 different restaurants.
As a novelty, the Zurich-born artist, Hans-Christian Jenssen, was commissioned to design the 23 well-furnished bedrooms n the Hotel Alstadt, Kirchgasse 4 (tel. 012/250-5354). For inspiration, Jenssen looked to such novelists and poets as Yoko Tawada and Kim Kwang-kyu. All the bedrooms, which have been renovated, are filled with original oil paintings by Jenssen and boast wooden floors and tastefully selected furnishings.
At the Zoologischer Garten, Zurichbergstrasse 221 (tel. 01/254-25-00), an indoor eco-system has been created. A piece of rain forest of Masoala has been designed so that you can explore it along a twisting path. This habitat is found naturally at the Mosoala National Park on Madagasgar, one of the world's most species-rich and endangered habitats. In Zurich, visitors wander in through a palms-filled setting inhabited by lemurs and discover swamps with brightly colored frogs. There are no restraints for animals. They can approach visitors or else keep their distance.