If you haven’t purchased our great Know-it-all passport guide yet and have been wondering what wonderful things we have included, then wonder no more! Here is a sample of what you will find in the 2011/2012 edition:
ANNECY
Directions: If you take the autoroute A41 (toll) it will take about 25 minutes to the exit Annecy Centre Ville. Or take the D1201 through Cruseilles and on to Annecy which will take about 45 minutes from the center of Geneva.
Canals run through the old town of Annecy and restaurants line every street. The lake is well-known for its beauty and paddle or row boats, may be hired. There is a large old-fashioned carousel near the lake that runs most of the year.
All Swiss chocolate is not the same, as we’re sure you have already discovered!
Commercial chocolate is good, but the hand-crafted stuff is better! Tempt your taste-buds with these small family-run businesses. You will usually be surprised at how different they are and how they will make chocolate-eating a whole new experience! Some of these places are also tea-rooms and serve their own specialty of homemade hot chocolate; you literally need a spoon to eat it!
It is fun to peer through the windows of these shops as the holiday themes make their appearance. Apart from the obvious: Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, there are cute themes such as the Car Show in March, Poisson d’Avril (see page 210), chestnuts in September, and the Marmite de l’Escalade (see page 203). As demands are high in the chocolate-giving seasons, make sure to order in advance.
To give you an idea of some of the spectacular places you can visit in this region, we will feature each month a photo of one of its many great locations. Since we rely on recommendations, please send us your special photo taken, for example, on a memorable day out at a water park or from a remarkable viewpoint in the area.
Fribourg
http://www.fr.ch
http://www.ville-fribourg.ch
http://www.fribourgregion.ch/en/welcome.cfm?
http://www.fribourgtourisme.ch/en/welcome.cfm?
Text and photos by Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman
This beautiful Swiss town is built on a cliff hugging the river, La Sarine, and is a city to discover without further delay!
Because of it’s location, access to the city center is possible via one of the numerous bridges scattered on all sides. Architecturally interesting by themselves, you might like to park your car and walk across some. From the old town we drove across the Zähringen Bridge, built in 1924 that replaced a suspended bridge (1834), and is now 165-meters long. I noticed that we were on the top “deck” as when we circled back I saw the lower “deck” below. It reminded me of the Bay Bridge between Oakland and San Francisco!
To give you an idea of some of the spectacular places you can visit in this region, we will feature each month a photo of one of its many great locations. Since we rely on recommendations, please send us your special photo taken, for example, on a memorable day out at a water park or from a remarkable viewpoint in the area.
Megève, the heart of the French Alps.
By Mike Beaudet, www.SkiProsMegeve.com
Megève is well known by few and is a jealously guarded secret among those that frequent its ski slopes; Michelin Guide rated hotels and restaurants, high-end shopping stores, Casino and quaint narrow cobbled streets. The village is dominated by the traditional church belfry, and a square all in a pedestrian friendly atmosphere. Horse drawn sleighs carry tourists all over during the peak periods adding a festive and memorable experience for young and old. A truly civilized ski area of real old world charm, with a history that goes back for more than 1000 years. The village still has over 40 working farms from where the milk is used to produce the local cheeses that are known all over the world.
To give you an idea of some of the spectacular places you can visit in this region, we will feature each month a photo of one of its many great locations. Since we rely on recommendations, please send us your special photo taken, for example, on a memorable day out at a water park or from a remarkable viewpoint in the area.
Montreux, Switzerland
Located at one extremity of Lake Geneva (Lac Léman), Montreux is known for its Jazz festival that takes place in May. Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury (both have statues erected by the lakefront) as well as other famous people have lived and continue to live on the Vaud Riviera covering Vevey, Montreux, and surrounding areas. We thought it would be a good idea to present Montreux for the month of December, 2010, for their Christmas market is extremely well-known and loved.
There are many things you can enjoy in a day, even if you already live there! If you live further away you may drive, use the train, or take a cruise on the lake to your destination. Here are just a few ideas to get you going.
