Exotic here in Switzerland

1. Grisons

Culture: Lavin, the beautiful little Engadine village of just 220 inhabitants, is big on culture. You can spend the night at the Art Nouveau Hotel Piz Linard. Many cultural event organizers, including Bistro Staziun and La Vouta cultural center, organize concerts, readings and more. The Giacometti bakery makes the famous hazelnut cake, which it distributes all over the world. You can linger in the beautiful Giardina Biologica nursery and buy organically produced Demeter products from the surrounding farmers at the Volg, which is jointly run by the villagers rescued. And let’s not even start with the view.

dreamy mountains: If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the cities, there is no better place in Switzerland than Avers. Juf, the highest village in Europe, is located in the municipality. Avers-Cresta is more likely to find accommodation, but there are also a variety of great mountain hotels. Switzerland shows its best side here: high valleys, crystal clear streams and small alpine lakes stand before the white-topped mountains. If you can’t find peace here, you won’t find peace anywhere.

Regarding the kitchen: Star chef Andreas Caminada’s restaurant is mostly for the rich. If you want to eat the same quality for less, go straight to the source of Caminada. At least when it comes to sausages and cured meats. Tanya Giovanoli, the butcher from a traditional Maloj company, makes the exquisite sausages that are on Caminada’s menu and can be found in many better restaurants. She also sells directly from the plant with prior notice she. And since this is located in Reichenau Castle in front of Chur, it is ideally located for the detour on the way home from Graubünden. For more information and contact meatdesign.ch.

Sports and family: From a height of 120 cm, the dwarfs of the family are also there. And in possibly the most beautiful rope park in the world. At “Il Parco Avventura” near San Bernardino, you can swing through the trees above the bright blue mountain lake, where you can swim if you feel like it.

2. Ticino

Culture: Even if the crystal clear rivers are beautiful and you can’t get enough of the scenery – sometimes it feels like a man-made beauty. Ticino has a lot of these, especially when it comes to architecture. You just need to know where it is. An international directory of architecture can be found on the Archinform portal. If you type “Ticino” in the search mask, a list of notable buildings by region appears that you can use to plan your trips. Mario Bot is just the beginning.

Family: Sometimes kids want action and luckily in Ticino, Rivera in Monte Ceneri has a kind of Alpamare. It offers indoor and outdoor pools called “Splash & Spa Tamaro” with slides, wave pool and bar for fun. Open 365 days a year. Attention: If you are looking for peace and quiet, this is not the place for you, sometimes there are even DJs. If you want to escape Halligalli, you can retreat to the spa, where there are several saunas.

Shopping: Where is the best coffee? Local specialties like the best cheese, honey, jam and chestnut flour? Of course in local markets. Every Saturday in Bellinzona, locals and tourists gather around the picturesque Piazza Nosetto, chat and stock up not only with food, but also with household items. If you come here to buy souvenirs and gifts, you should not bring the thinnest wallet with you – there are so many delicious things on offer.

Art: Sometimes there are stories in the art scene that you can hardly make up. Andrea and Greta Biasca-Caroni have long run the Hotel Ascona in Ascona. The duo discovered a real treasure when they purchased a long-empty house next to their hotel in 2016: The entire house is filled with work by the formerly internationally successful and nearly forgotten artist Luigi Pericle. He was once supported by a wealthy Basel family and worked in Ascona from the 1950s until his death in 2001. Realizing the quality of countless works, the hoteli couple created an archive at home. The impressive work can be visited, for more information visit luigipericle.org.

3. Novel

Shopping: Unfortunately, culture is often equated with shopping. One can certainly speak of culture, given the fascinating market that takes place every Thursday morning at Cully VD. During the summer months, a seaside market is held on Sundays from May to October at Place d’Armes in Cully. Local artisans and designers, local farmers and cheese makers sell their products here. Everything from food culture to crafts and clothing is covered.

Rest and relaxation: Meditation helps our brain waves and makes us happier. Tibetan monks have long known what Western science has only recently confirmed. At Rabten Choeling, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery on Cape Mountain above Lake Geneva, you can rent rooms with stunning views of Lake Geneva, have dinner, and attend meditations by Buddhist monks if you wish. It’s a different holiday.

Cooling down: As long as we have glaciers, you shouldn’t miss them. The Valais Aletsch Glacier is Europe’s longest glacier and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Longer – Attention: guided! – Hiking on it just takes some stamina, a head for height, and sure-footed steps. Various providers of glacier hikes can be found online, the journey is usually via the beautiful car-free Bettmeralp, where accommodation can also be found.

Regarding the kitchen: What would be holiday tips on Welschland without at least one insider tip for wine! Geneva is the third largest wine region in Switzerland, almost unknown in German-speaking Switzerland. The reason is this: the people of Geneva drink most of their wine themselves – which of course speaks for the drop. Tourists can now taste it every Saturday in Geneva. Then the wine cellars open. Just google “Geneve”, “Terroir” and “Caves ouvertes” and you’ll get a map with all the open cellars.