Swiss Information – Tourism & Products

Swiss Pass Prices

About the AuthorRick Steves is on a mission: to help make European travel accessible and significant for Americans. Rick has expended 100 days each year since 1973 exploring Europe. He's researched and written 24 travel guidebooks and hosts the public television series Rick Steves' Europe, now in it is seventh season. He likewise organizes and leads tours of Europe and offers an information-packed website (www.ricksteves.com). Rick lives in Edmonds, WA, just north of Seattle, with his family.

Most helpful client reviews

65 of 73 persons found the following review helpful.
Some further and added websites and comments
By Jean Pellegrini
The book does not mention the city of Solothurn just 20 miles north of Bern. This city is packed with sights on a little space: Monolithic late baroque/early classical cathedral built by Vatican architect Gaetano Pisoni, very ornate early baroque Jesuit church, baroque Vauban type city fortification, medieval city gates, clock tower older than in Bern, colorfull renaissance fountains, Europe's second greatest collection of medieval armours and an interesting art museum with paintings from Hodler (Wilhelm Tell), Cuno Amiet and Frank Buchser who portrayed famous Americans such as John August Sutter (art museum Solothurn), General Lee, General Sherman, President Andrew Johnson (art museum Bern and Basel). Close to the city at the end of a gorge is a very authentic hermitage (Einsidelei). In fall the chairlift up to the Weissenstein offers stunning views of the Alps.
The book other than as supposed or expected gives a reasonable picture of Switzerland omitting a heap of other places of interest (that I confess require more particular interest) such as Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds with their watch museums, the monastery cities of Einsiedeln and Sankt Gallen. North of Zurich are a couple sights too, Kyburg castle, Chartreuse of Ittingen, the Rhine fall (biggest water fall in Europe and very impressive because you may walk up to it as close as to a Yosemite waterfall). In the children zoo in Rapperswil you may pet and feed rhinos, giraffes and ride elephants. Close to Basel is another roman city 'Augusta Raurica' that demonstrates roman live north of the Alps. Hidden in the village of Seewen south of Basel is the Automatic Music Instrument Museum. Self playing Grand Pianos and entire Orchestrons from the 19th century play music recorded 100 years ago. I do not exclusively part the writers preference of the Berner Oberland over Zermatt or the Wallis / Valais in general. Hiking under the Matterhorn or hiking up to the Hoernli hut (2 hrs from Schwarzsee station)from where the Matterhorn climb starts is as impressive or even more stimulating than hiking beneath the Eiger north face in the Berner Oberland. Also keep in mind that if you hike anyplace in the Wallis and peculiarly in places like Zermatt or Saas Fee you are surrounded by a multitude of peaks reaching over 4000m, whereas in the Berner Oberland you are oftentimes on prealpine terrain facing the Alps only to the south and looking at prealpine lower mountains to the north. The south Alps many times have better weather too. For kids the Briger Bad (hot spring river pool near Brig) is fun (closed in winter), other hot spring pools are in Leukerbad.
In larger cities in Switzerland stay in chain hotels close to downtown buying goods areas, if you have cash and like it old choose Romantik hotels.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful.
Geneva is ommitted
By Dan Newman
I purchased this book because I am planning a trip to Geneva--but Geneva is exclusively omitted from the book! It is not even listed in the index. Buying this book was a waste of time and cash for me.

33 of 38 persons found the following review helpful.
Worst book by Rick Steves
By A. Matalon
I'm a Rick Steves fan. In our each year vacations to Europe, his books were always the most accurate, elaborate and useful.
But this one is genuinely different, as if there is a good deal of (political? commercial?) agenda behind it - for example -
- Gimmelwald as the center of the Bernese Oberland alps? Are you insane? A vilage with two BB and no restaurants... Is an individual reviewing these books?
- And Grindelwald (there) is only noted as a side comment while it is the biggest resort in that area.
Not even mentioning that Geneva is poorly covered (not interesting...). And these are only the items I've seen until now.
If you are going to Switzerland, exceptionally if focusing on the Bernese Oberland, do yourself a favor and don't buy this book. Don't even read it because you will only get confused, exceptionally if you applied to believe Rick Steves.

See all 32 client reviews...