AUSTRIA AND SWITZERLAND – JUNGFRAU AND GLACIER EXPRESS

10 DAYS WITH EXCURSIONS AND SOME MEALS INCLUDED FROM £1,295

ALPINE ADVENTURE – Visit the Austrian and Swiss Alps and visit Salzburg, Innsbruck, Feldkirch, Interlaken and Lucerne. Travel on two wonderful trains through valleys, tunnels through mountains and high up in the mountains. Even in mild weather, with sun in the valleys, the train will come through a tunnel to snow at the other side. A wonderful experience awaits you when you travel on the Jungfrau and Glacier Express trains.

The Glacier Express, labelled the “slowest express train in the world”, travels from Zermatt to Brig to Chur to St. Moritz. Settle into a first-class panorama car on the train which connects St Moritz and Zermatt in just under eight hours. Between these two places are 291 bridges, 91 tunnels, and the 6,700-foot-tall Oberalp Pass. Narration provided by staff on board provides detail, and point out, some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe. Dense forests, snow- capped peaks, including the Matterhorn, rushing mountain streams, and centuries-old villages will pass you by on this journey.

See Austria and Switzerland by rail during the warmer months and the lush, green alpine meadows will provide a contrast to the snow-capped peaks above them. Travel from the gems of Salzburg and Innsbruck and you will experience some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery that central Europe has to offer. Relax in the comfort of your carriage as the trains wind their way past picture postcard villages dotting the verdant valleys, striking ravines and tumbling waterfalls. No rail journey through Switzerland would be complete without a taste of the Glacier Express. This famous narrow-gauge railway climbs up to the Oberalp Pass, some 6,700-foot above sea level. Perhaps conclude your holiday with a relaxing stay in the delightful lakeside ‘City of Lights’, Lucerne.

Travel to Salzburg, an elegant and spacious town set against a backdrop of breathtaking mountain scenery, and take a guided walking tour of Old Salzburg. The old town is overlooked by the fortress of Hohenzsazburg. Built between 1614 and 1655, the cathedral is a fine example of the Baroque style and shows the last features of the Italian Renaissance. Perhaps take a coach tour to the pretty lake district, including the village of St Wolfgang, with its White Horse Inn which has become immortalised in operetta.

Board the train, following the River Salzach as it meanders through the Alps. Arrive in Innsbruck early afternoon and allow yourself time to stay and discover Innsbruck. Take a guided walking tour of this culturally rich city, which has hosted the Winter Olympics on two occasions. The main street of the old town is the Herzog-Fredrich Strasse and the mountains in the backdrop make you feel as if you are on a film set and that they are unreal and at any moment they will take away the scenery. It is beautiful. Close by is the Baroque Cathedral of St. Jacob, built in 1720. You may wish to visit the museums, explore the art treasures or simply browse the myriad of shops on offer.

Travel by train to Feldkirch - a city whose roots go far back into history and which has hardly been altered since the Middle Ages. Described by many as a ‘picture book town’ with its Gothic cathedral and the Schattenburg Fortress.

Travel to Chur to board the Glacier Express for one of the world’s great rail journeys. From your comfortable seat experience the splendid beauty of the Swiss Alpine world. The train climbs over 6,000 ft through the Oberalp Pass, travelling by small picturesque villages nestling beneath snow capped mountains, through unspoilt mountain pine forests, and past gushing mountain streams, all of which make this journey a truly unforgettable experience. You will arrive at the alpine resort of Brig mid afternoon, where you could make time for a look around before travelling onwards to Interlaken at the base of the three famous mountains, the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau. Stay a day or two to take in the mountain air and the scenery.

Join the Jungfrau railway and ascend to the highest railway station in Europe, the Jungfraujoch. At this station, The Sphinx Observation Hall provides magnificent views extending as far as the heights of neighbouring France and Germany. Allow yourself time for sightseeing and refreshments before you commence the descent through the mountains to Grindelwald and on to Interlaken. Interlaken, the name means ‘place between two lakes’. The scenery is breathtaking. The shops selling wooden artefacts are worth a visit, some of them have the wood-workers making the sculptures as you watch.

The next day (or whenever), you could board the train to Lucerne, passing through the beautiful scenery of central Switzerland. You may wish to explore Lucerne’s maze of small streets, promenades lined with historical towers, bridges, medieval buildings and fountains. There are many attractions to choose from.

Lucerne - often referred to as the City of Lights. Lucerne has many architectural wonders to be admired, which include the Old City Hall, the Baroque Cathedral and, of course, the Chapel Bridge, made entirely of wood and being a pedestrian bridge. A visit to The Lion Monument - described by Mark Twain as the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world - should not be missed. Or, take the Golden Roundtrip by cable car to Mount Pilatus returning to Lucerne by cog railway and boat, or, alternatively, take the cable car trip with revolving gondolas to the summit of Mount Titlis. With so much beauty and so many sights around you, you are spoilt for choice!

This is only a suggested itinerary for this journey on two different train trips through the mountains and valleys of Austria and Switzerland. We can tailor make a trip to your requirements, with duration, places visited, and stops en route entirely up to you. You can extend your stay at any point during your trip. Why not visit other places in Austria or Switzerland whilst you are nearby, places like Lake Como or Lake Geneva, for a really relaxing time. Or take a boat trip on one of the lakes nearby. Perhaps visit Munich or nearby Bavaria. The choice is yours!

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