Pearls summer

At nightfall in the old town of Schaffhausen and Stein am Rhein, the Middle Ages comes back to life; for this is the hour at which the night watchman begins his rounds. And if you accompany him, you will get to see not only the town’s best beauty spots, but also its best kept secrets. Your guide, moreover, will regale you with tales both instructive and ghoulish, ranging from the town’s brothels and the iron hand of the law to plague epidemics and conflagrations.

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Josin Neuhäusler is not only a dyed-in-the-wool Engadine native, but also an inspired sgrafitto artist. On his tours of the village, he shows guests the many outstanding examples of sgraffito on the houses there, explains how this typically Engadine style of house-painting is done and what it means to the region. Last, but not least, amateur artists are given a crash course in the art of sgraffito and can take their own attempts home with them as a souvenir.

Scarcely anyone knows Silwängen Caves as do the Schniders, a family of alpine farmers. Escorted by them, guests can climb down a ladder into a wonderland of stalagmites and stalactites. More than 250 passages with a combined length of over 32 km have been explored to date. So here in the belly of the mountain, even hardy walkers will find what they are looking for.

No, there have not been any reports of a sudden influx of chamois and marmots on the Stanserhorn. Climb this peak with one of the local rangers, however, and you are sure to see lots of wildlife. The fully accredited rangers will explain the local flora and fauna, help you to identify the surrounding mountains and other topographical features and spin their stock of yarns relating to what is popularly known as the “Lazy Man’s Mountain”.

The legendary Via Mala gorge is almost more exciting by night than by day. The stairs built in 1903 are the auditorium from which you embark on a journey back in time. Key scenes from 2,000 years of transalpine traffic are re-enacted for your entertainment and played out against a spectacular backdrop of precipitous cliffs, the upper reaches of the Rhine and a glorious night sky!

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Everyone can drink, but not everyone can brew. Except in Switzerland’s smallest brewery, the Hof Hopfentropfen, where visitors can attend a brewing seminar or a demonstration brewing and there help with the production of the brewery’s own special beer. Later, on the hop theme trail, you will discover that hops are used not just in beer, but also find their way into schnapps, vinegar, oil, pralines, pasta, tea, cosmetics and herbal remedies.

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An unforgettable experience for all the senses! The fields near the old mill in San Carlo are sown with buckwheat. This is later harvested and separated from the chaff before being sent to the mill for threshing and milling. After that, it’s off to Poschiavo, where the fresh flour is made into Pizzoccheri, a typical Poschiavo speciality.

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Imagine what it feels like to have 480 horsepower at your command, nothing but snow as far as the eye can see, a pale moon in the sky and only the hiss and crackle of your colleagues' radio messages for company. That is the world of the Pistenbully operator. Those who want to experience it live can hitch a lift on one in Zermatt. They will even have a chance to pilot the monster caterpillar and to prepare part of the glacier piste ready for the next day’s skiing.

So much for the idea that mixing drinks is for men only! Since there’s no reason why women should not be able to mix a perfect drink, Kay Prüfert, Chef de Bar at the Eden au Lac, invites ladies to take a look at his very own recipe books and to learn from him how some of the best loved drinks are mixed. After learning all about spirits and taking a crash course in cocktails, the new bar tenders come away with their own book of recipes and lots of great ideas for the bar at home.

A spine-chilling adventure! Those who love horror movies can get to know the creepier side of Zurich by going on a ghost walk with Dan Dent. Blood-curdling stories of the city’s violent past and tales of the many spooks and poltergeists that still haunt some of the gloomier streets are sure to generate a pleasantly titillating sense of horror, despite the seemingly picturesque backdrop.