THE TRIP begins with a flight to Zurich, then a smooth, short train ride from the airport to Lucerne, and a five-minute walk from the station to the pier for a catamaran glide across the lake. With the snow-capped Bernese Alps visible in the distance, London seems further away than the three and a half hours it has taken to travel from the bustle of Heathrow to the calm Bürgenstock Resort, pitched 500m above Lake Lucerne. After disembarking from the catamaran, the hotel reception is reached via an electric funicular or, leaving your luggage to be taken to your room, with a healthy hike up to the resort.
Lobby Lounge at Royal Savoy Lausanne
Gazing through the ceiling-to-floor windows competes for attention when considering lunch and the specialty coffees from the outstanding menu in the lounge area adjoining reception. The restaurants, I come to realize, are inseparable from the enjoyment of being at Bürgenstock Resort: whether joining the zestful atmosphere and Asian cuisine of Spices or the more serene setting of Oak Grill with its wood-fire grill. Swiss and Spanish tomahawk steaks are a big draw at Oak Grill, but so are the exceptional vegetarian and vegan choices.
A view from the spa at Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne
Most windows in the resort, from ones in bedrooms to the glass-encased spa, look across the expanse of Lake Lucerne. The views, among the best anywhere in Europe, exert a magical presence throughout daytime hours. In the gym, a giant window faces landscapes of lakes and mountains and which help pass time spent on the range of Matrix machines; the infinity pool is faultlessly situated for more splendid vistas.
The spa covers a huge area and offers a range of experiences; there are also indoor tennis courts. Not content with being some 1100m above sea level, a stroll along a cliff walk leads to the Hammetschwand Lift, which, in 60 seconds, whizzes me up another 153m to the mountain’s summit for more entrancing views.
A lakeside view from a Bürgenstock Hotel bedroom
Two nights at Bürgenstock Resort and I am primed for more travel so back on the catamaran to Lucerne and a gentle one-hour journey to the city of Berne and Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa. Being minutes away from the train station, the hotel is perfectly located for a city that invites exploration on foot.
I begin by following the route that Albert Einstein took on his daily commute from his apartment on Kramgasse to the patent office where he was employed. He would pass a medieval tower clock, the Zyglogge, which provided the eureka moment that led to his paper outlining the special theory of relativity in 1905. The clock that changed our understanding of time is now more of a tourist attraction for its mechanical performances of moving puppets on the stroke of every hour.
Jack’s Brasserie at Schweizerhof Hotel Bern & Spa © Hotel Schweizerhof Bern & Spa
A walk down Kramgasse to the river passes the unusual sight of three bears lounging and lumbering around in hilly grass. They cannot escape from their own park, but their close presence gives an excuse for retreating back up the street to find one of the buildings that has transformed its cellar into a music bar, Marta (at Kramgasse, 8), serving warm cocoa, cold beers, and a convivial atmosphere.
The only hotel in town with a spa is the Schweizerhof, and this makes it an inviting prospect for tired limbs after a day’s sightseeing. Just as welcomed is the vintage appeal of the hotel’s restaurant, Jack’s Brasserie, and its renowned weiner schnitzels. Berne’s visual charm comes from its handsome old limestone buildings in pastel shades, and traditional features of the hotel, like the design of the restaurant and the chandeliers in bedrooms, do not detract from this. There is, though, nothing stuffy about the decor and the seating in the lobby, with lots of artwork and a library of reading material, makes a nice spot for relaxing.
The clock that changed Einstein’s understanding of time. © Bern Welcome
The next morning, one more train ride, and my journey across Switzerland concludes in Lausanne, on the shores of Lake Geneva. Lausanne’s pedestrian-friendly city centre and rapid transit system – the smallest city in the world to have one – makes it simple to get around. The attractions for me were twofold. The austere, eloquent architecture of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, built as a Catholic church until the Protestant Reformation changed all that and rejected colourful decorations in places of worship (while preserving the cathedral’s 13th-century rose window).
The second attraction is to be found and tasted in the artisanal chocolate shops, a dozen or so of which are dotted around the city. I began with Blondel, in the same premises that opened here in 1850, then chocolatier Durig for his delicious organic creations, and finally one of the specialties at Jacot Haute Chocolaterie that boosts its product with La Clandestine (a Swiss brand of absinthe, the notorious anise-flavoured spirit).
Blondel chocolates in Lausanne
As city accommodation goes, the Royal Savoy Hotel in Lausanne is a complete surprise when it first comes into view. The soft pastel colours and projecting turrets suggest a fairy-tale castle materializing as a fantasy wish in the midst of mundane urban surroundings; this being the French-speaking part of Switzerland, a mise en scène no less. Inside, from the Sky Lounge on the seventh-floor rooftop, a scene composed mostly of nature is equally appealing: the spa town of Évian-les-Bains on the other side of Lake Geneva with the French Alps as a majestic backdrop. A walk of a few minutes from the hotel brings me to the shoreline at Ouchy, where frequent ferries ply across to Évian in half an hour.
The spa at Royal Savoy may not be as large as the one at Bürgenstock Resort, but it is capacious and includes indoor and outdoor pools, eight treatment rooms and and a dedicated area for women. Food with a view is available most days at the Sky Lounge, while La Brasserie du Royal spoils you with classic French dishes. The Lounge Bar has its own menu and tables outside, by the garden that separates the hotel’s old and new wings, which is a treat when the sun is shining.
The area around Lausanne is a noted wine-growing region, and the Royal Savoy excels with its choice of the country’s wines. With only one per cent of Swiss wines being exported – the country’s vineyard areas amount to only half the size of Burgundy – they are worth experiencing at all three hotels of the Bürgenstock Collection.
by Sean Sheehan
Room rates per night, including breakfast, start at CHF800 (£756) at Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne ; CHF370 (£350) at Hotel Schweizerhof Berne & Spa; CHF395 (£373) at Royal Savoy Hotel& Spa, Lausanne.
For flights to Zurich and back to London from Geneva, see SWISS; for rail travel across Switzerland,tickets start at £40 one-way and Swiss Travel Passes start at £229 for three days, see swisstravelpass.com and SBB; for Switzerland Tourism, see My Switzerland