August 1 -
Appenzell
Arrive Zurich airport, where we’ll meet you with
the van and relieve you of bikes/tandems and baggage for the train ride
to Appenzell. Train fare will be provided, and you'll be
shown to the airport train departure platforms. As the
train speeds beyond the suburbs, you'll soon be treated to the
sight of tidy farms, brilliant green and flower-dotted pastures,
and tidy farms. From the train station in Appenzell, it’s just a
short stroll to our hotel. This charming town will have you wondering if you just
stepped out of the pages of a fairytale book, with its ornately
painted buildings and flower lined shopping streets; a perfect
town and a perfect place to begin our tour of this most
beautiful region. We will have our get-acquainted dinner
tonight at the hotel, followed by an overview of the tour.
August 1 is Unification Day for Switzerland and there will be
plenty of activities in town to celebrate the formation of the
Swiss Federation of Cantons. This evening there will be
singing, music and dancing, and fireworks.
August 2 – Romanshorn
- 40mi, 800ft, or 50mi,
1500ft
Since this is the first day and people may still
be jet lagged, we will have a leisurely breakfast, a late start,
and an easy day of riding. The area around Appenzell has some
of the most beautiful landscapes anywhere and easily explored by
bicycle and tandem. We will zigzag our way through the lush
green valleys and hills (and we mean green; perhaps the
world standard for this color originated in Switzerland!), from
village to village until we arrive in St Gallen for lunch. From
here it is a downhill run to the lakeside city of Romanshorn, on
the shores of the Bodensee – also known as Lake
Constance. The longer route takes an extra loop out of Appenzell.
August 3 - Stein am Rhein
- 42mi, 1500ft
We have two choices this morning, ride up the
coast to Konstanz, or take the ferry to Friedrichshafen, ride up
the German coast and take another ferry back to Switzerland at
Konstanz. A short way up the Boenrucken peninsula we will stop
at the Flower Island of Mainau. Here the exiled Prince
Bernadotte changed his little island into a fantastic park full
of flowers and exotic plants all arranged in the most artful
ways. A series of small country roads take us back to the
lakeshore road, which we follow around to Stein. Stein is quite
simply delightful, its medieval center completely captivating.
Unused film in your camera stands no chance; the Rathausplatz
(town square) will claim it before you can turn around.
August 4 - Zurzach
- 42mi, 1000ft
Our first stop today is Schaffhausen, one of
Switzerland’s most attractive cities, with its Renaissance and
Classical buildings. Schaffhausen retains some of the country’s
largest still-intact fortifications, and will be an interesting
place for any history buff to explore. Just down river is a
mandatory stop to see the Rheinfall, a most impressive sight as
the Rhein river suddenly loses 70 feet of altitude. With a
volume of 30,000 cubic feet of water per second, the turbulence
and noise are staggering; the boat ride to a large rock in
mid-cascade is well worth it. From here the ride is all down
river as we cross over and back as well as in and out of
Germany. Our destination, Zurzach, is a town with natural hot
springs, and a trip to the spa is uniquely interesting, very
enjoyable, and ultimately relaxing.
August 5 - Sempach
- 50mi, 2300ft
One of Switzerland’s biggest industries is dairy
- anything that can be made from milk, especially cheese and
chocolate. This requires lots of cows and more pasture land
than one can imagine, probably a higher percentage of
Switzerland’s total area than any other country in the world.
As we head south and west from Zurzach towards the mountains, we
will be cycling through rolling green hills all day long. These
we call Swiss rollers; green and beautiful, easy to descend but
deceptively hard to climb. There is nothing spectacular today,
just a constant sense of tranquility. At the end of the day we
will only remember that it was a most pleasant day of riding,
nothing in particular, just small roads, farms and pastures,
hills and forests, meadows lakes and rivers.
August 6- Kemmeriboden
- 42mi, 2500ft –or- 64mi,
3400ft
Today we will leave the Swiss rollers behind and
enter the Swiss
Mountains, precisely, the Bernese Oberland. Dairy is still the main industry
here, and the green fields seem to go on forever. Grass: if the
cows aren’t eating it, then the farmers are cutting it, often by
hand, and family members raking it for winter storage. The
short route climbs a very gentle valley, the Emme, home of the
well-known Emmenthal cheese. Our hotel is located on the banks
of the Emme
River near its source, high in a mountain valley, surrounded
by tall rocky peaks. The hotel is an historic building and is
still part of a working farm, which produces many of the
ingredients for their excellent kitchen. There are many walking
trails, so an early arrival can be rewarded with a relaxing
stroll before dinner. The longer route circles around the Napf
mountains to the Emme River before climbing the last of the
Swiss rollers, traversing high above the Emme; a totally
beautiful day of riding.
August 7 - Grindelwald
- 49mi, 2700ft - or- 49mi,
4700ft
Mile for mile, today’s ride is probably one of
the most incredible and beautiful you will ever encounter. To
begin with, the mountains, valleys and meadows we are leaving
are beautiful. After we climb the Shallenberg, we have one of
the best descents of the trip, followed by a beautiful lakeshore
road along the Thuner See to Interlaken. Here we see for the
first time the big mountains of the Alps. The longer route climbs above the Thuner See for even greater views
of the big mountains. As we start our climb up towards
Grindelwald, the massive north face of the
Jungfrau towers
above us. Soon we are greeted with the north face of the Eiger,
the Monch, Schreckhorn, and the Wetterhorn. Words can hardly
describe these views, so sit back, sip a beer, relax and enjoy.
August 8 - Grindelwald
Today is a rest day, no ride is scheduled, but
there is plenty to do. Grindelwald is one of the premiere
hiking areas in the world. There are trains, cog railways
and cable cars to assist you getting to the best spots for
sightseeing, hiking, or a mountain-top luncheon.
August 9 – Giessbach - 36mi, 850ft
Today’s ride is very short and mostly downhill or
flat, so there will be plenty of time for other activities.
After coasting down hill for 7 miles we turn left for the short
climb to the Lauterbrunnen valley. Below the snow-covered peaks
of some of the world’s most majestic mountains, the vertical,
glacier-carved cliffs of the Lauterbrunnen make this one of the
most spectacular valleys anywhere. Huge waterfalls cascade down
these cliffs, dissipating into mist before reaching the valley
floor, 2000 feet below. From these cliffs James Bond escaped on
skis via parachute during the famous scene in ‘The Spy Who Loved
Me’. From here, it is all downhill to Interlaken, a lovely
tourist town with shops, restaurants, pâtisseries, cafés, and
numerous possibilities for sightseeing boat excursions.
Thirteen miles further down the lakeshore is our ‘Grandhotel
Giessbach’, which is situated next to the Giessbachfalle, a
stunning cascade of water plummeting from the surrounding 10,000
foot peaks. One would be hard-pressed to find a more elegant
hotel in such beautiful surroundings.
August 10 - Vitznau - 40mi, 2500ft
Today we have one of the harder climbs of the
trip, 1400 feet up the Brünigpass, however, from here it is
mostly gradual down hill for the rest of the day. But hold on
to your handlebar tape and be ready for more scenic overload.
With tall mountains all around us, we encounter five large
lakes, numerous quaint villages and countless green pastures.
An optional side excursion is to take the world’s steepest cog
railway up Mount
Pilatus, its summit offering one of the great alpine panoramas in the
country. We take a small ferry across the Stätter See and from
the middle of the lake we can experience the incredible
grandness of the Swiss
Lakes region. Vitznau is on the lakeshore, and from the
terrace of our hotel we’ll luxuriate in the view of the sunset
over the Bergenstock to the south and Luzern to the west.
August 11 - Vitznau loop rides - 41mi, 2000ft –or-
34mi, 600ft
Central
Switzerland is know for its many beautiful lakes, but certainly
the most stunning scenery is in and around what we call Lake
Luzern. The Swiss use five different names, one for each of the five arms.
This lake is surrounded everywhere by tall mountains, in many
places, rising so steeply from the lake’s edge, that there are
no roads for large stretches. But one of the prettiest sections
of road, in all of
Switzerland, is the 10 mile stretch from Weggis to Brunnen that
includes our hotel in Vitznau. The main ride for today starts
with a ride on the little car ferry, to the south side of the
lake. We take a popular bike route up the beautiful Engelberg
valley to the resort town of the same name, and then back
again. The short ride takes us along the lakes shore to the
world famous city of Luzern. The history and beauty of Luzern,
coupled with its magnificent mountain and lakeside setting, make
this an almost mandatory excursion. Another option is to take
one of the sightseeing boats into Luzern and stay off the bike
completely. For those wanting an alpine experience, the
mountain of Rigi can be reached by cog rail from Vitznau. This is the oldest cog rail
in Europe. The views are splendid and there are hiking trails
and wonderful walks through the alpine meadows.
August 12 - Weesen - 51mi, 2000ft –or- 56mi,
4400ft
Today we continue or ride through the lakes
region, starting with the beautiful stretch of road leaving from
the hotel. In Schwyz (from whose name came the name for the
modern Switzerland), the two routes split. The longer route
climbs the Ibergeregg, this being the biggest climb of the tour,
followed by the smaller climb of the Sattlegg. Both passes are
beautiful with panoramic views. The shorter route is
resplendent with views overlooking the lakes as it climbs out of
Schwyz to a broad valley, before descending to the Zürich See.
Both routes have a highly recommended short detour into
Einsiedeln. The setting is beautiful, but its fame comes from
the grandeur of the Benedictine monastery, the Abbey of Maria
Einsiedeln. This is well worth a visit, viewed both from the
outside and from the interior. Weesen sits on the western end
off the Walensee, a long narrow lake nestled between tall
mountain cliffs on either side, and our hotel’s lakeview terrace
will be a good spot to relax before dinner.
August 13 - Wildhaus - 41mi, 2700ft
The morning’s ride is spectacular, as we ride
along the lakeshore, with towering cliffs above us, and towering
mountains across from us. Soon we enter the Rhein river valley,
and across the river from us is the Principality of
Liechtenstein; just beyond the high mountains lies Austria.
Passing through Buchs, our next stop is the tiny two-lane
village of
Werdenberg. The ornate wooden buildings have been well maintained and unchanged
since the early 1500’s, with a small castle sitting atop the
hill. Our climb to Wildhaus traverses back and forth up the
open hillside, affording great views of
Liechtenstein
and the Rhein valley. Wildhaus sits at the high end of the
Toggenberg valley, framed spectacularly by the seven jagged
peaks of the Churfirsten range to the south and the Alpstein
massif and the Säntis to the north.
August 14 - Appenzell 30mi, 2300ft
On a trip filled with superlatives, today may
seem redundant, but in no way is it average. Our last day of
cycling starts with the gradual descent of one of the most
beautiful high mountain valleys of the tour. At Neu St.Johann
we start our last climb, the Schwägalp, which sits beneath the
high rocky face of the Säntis. A trip up to the top on the
cable car will provide one last view of all the mountains of our
tour, all the way from the Jungfrau to mountains in
Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein. Appenzell
lies below us, 13 miles of downhill still to go, where a large
stein of beer awaits us. Farewell dinner tonight at the hotel.
August 15 – Departure
We'll send you off to the train station in Appenzell for
your return trip to the Zurich airport; bikes, tandems, and
luggage will be loaded in the van for transport to the airport,
where we'll meet you upon arrival at the train platforms.
Paris-Brest-Paris participants will board their plane to Paris,
and we'll meet you at your Paris hotel with your bikes and
tandems.
COST $2750.00 per person based on Double Occupancy 500.00 Single Supplement
INCLUDES:
·2-4 star Hotel Accommodations
·Breakfast daily (except arrival day)
·Dinner daily (except one night and arrival/departure
·Airport transfers from/to Geneva & Nice airports
·Bike mechanic and van
support with cellular phone
·Ground transportation for all passengers, luggage & bikes
·Regional map plus detailed daily route maps & cue sheets
NOT INCLUDED:
·International airfare ·Tips, gratuities, laundry, telephone, & items of a personal nature
.Lunches and alcoholic beverages (a supplemental fee will be
charged for those who want wine with dinner, and can be prepaid
before departure)
PRE-TRIP PLANNING
A complete trip
packet will be sent upon receipt of your secondary deposit with information on what to bring, how to pack your bike for flying, equipment list, and changing currencies. All participants must possess a current passport.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Erickson Cycle Tours strongly recommends purchasing insurance for trip cancellation, injury, illness & loss of effects. A traveler’s insurance brochure will be included with your confirmation letter.
AIRFARE
We offer the services of
our travel agent, Claus Claussen of Des Peres Travel in obtaining economical, expedient air reservations, and can assist with lodging for pre- and post-tour accommodations. For flight information contact Des Peres Travel at 800.264.7717 or
dptravel@primary.net. Of course you may use your own travel agent if you prefer. |
