Culinary activities

The day begins at the bakery, where you make your own Appenzeller Biber, a traditional gingerbread with honey and nuts, which you can of course take home with you. After lunch you visit a craftsman, and make your own key ring; and round off the day with a coffee and a visit to the producers of traditional Appenzeller Alpenbitter – an herbal digestive liqueur.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Bärenplatz, Bundesplatz and the adjacent side streets feature a market selling fruit, vegetables and flowers. From May to October, the market is held every day on Bärenplatz. Enjoy the lively atmosphere on a leisurely and tasty stroll past the many stalls.

This cottage industry museum is located in a farmhouse built in 1790 and uses slides, a collection of tools and historical costumes to tell the history of wheat and bread. The ovens really work and so every day you can watch the bakers at work.

Accompany a professional fisherman on his boat as he makes his early-morning catch. You get to help – pulling in the net to catch such fish as Egli and Bondelle – and gain a fascinating insight into an occupation with a long tradition. Your reward will be the sumptuous breakfast waiting for you here when you get back ashore!

Fabulous views for the eyes, and even better food for the tastebuds: this is the glorious blend you'll find on two culinary trails, "Mountains & View" and "Woods & Water". As you walk along the panoramic trails, you stop at a different mountain restaurant for each course of a progressive meal.

Take to your bicycle or even walk to discover the 800 hectares of terraced vineyards of the Lavaux that have been accorded UNESCO World-Heritage listing. A footpath of 32 km in length leads from Lausanne-Ouchy to Chillon Castle. En route you'll find 7 circuits complete with information panels detailing every facet of local viticulture.

You will discover the region’s train stations, sample local products and enjoy the rural lifestyle. Monday: Breakfast on the Ferrage Alm. Tuesday: Brunch in the courtyard. Wednesday: Snacks at the Tovassière mountain restaurant. Thursday: Dinner and a night in the hay (optional) at the Chalet Motteux, Savolaire.

Michel Rapp would be pleased to initiate you into the secrets of chocolate-making and let you have a taste (visits by appointment only). At the end of the course, you will receive a diploma as a chocolate connoisseur.

you buy a packet of fondue mix, pick up a rucksack packed with all the other things you need such as the caquelon or fondue pan, burner and bread and set off on the path to "haute" cuisine.
The Fondue Trail offers walkers and gourmets the combination of an open-air fondue party and a scenic walk with culinary highs. First you collect the fondue rucksack with everything you need from the Schönrieder dairy. Then off you go up to the Rellerli or the Horneggli, and at the end of your panoramic walk you can have your fondue in the open air. You can hand the rucksack back at the bottom station of the lift or at the hotel (and the dairy does the washing up!).

This walkway among the vineyards connects Salgesch with the Château de Villa in Siders. Each of the 80 information signs along the way features a theme. The wine museum at two locations: from Haus Zumofen in Salgesch to the Château de Villa in Siders.

Cross the Bernina Pass in the Rhaetian Railway and savour regional culinary delights en route to Puschlav – an appetiser on Alp Grüm with views of the Palü Glacier, lunch on the piazza in Poschiavo and dessert on the banks of Lake Poschiavo. In between times all you have to do is to lean back and marvel at the breathtaking scenery unfolding before you.

Follow this beautiful path for a pleasant hour of walking between Twann and Ligerz through the Lake Biel winegrowing district, with views over the St. Peter peninsula. A series of informational signs describes the history of the vineyards and of winemaking in this striking landscape.

On our fleet of paddle steamers and motor vessels on Lake Lucerne, we have a host of culinary treats in store. Whether you opt for a fondue cruise or a sushi sailing, or a raclette, fajita, spaghetti, wine, cake, coffee, brunch, teatime or sunset cruise, Lake Lucerne makes a spectacular and unforgettable backdrop. Welcome aboard!

Winemaker Otto und hotelier Beat Hürlimann of the Hotel Aesch welcome guests to their own wine cellar for a fascinating introduction to the wines of Walchwil. Enjoy a glass of Pinot noir from the hotel's own vineyards, while taking in the glorious views of Lake Zug and the Rigi massif, a memorable experience for wine lovers.

On a paddle steamer from the Belle Époque, enjoy a delicate dish of the day or a gourmet dinner menu, while gazing at the Lake Geneva landscape as it glides by. During the summer months, the Michelin-starred chef Philippe Chevrier is at work the kitchen of the historic steamer Savoie, while in winter, special fondue cruises sail every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. An excursion that is both relaxing and invigorating at any time of year.

This small, high-quality Basel brewery gives tastings, opens as a venue for private parties, and also offers beer lovers the chance to try their own hand at brewing. Each participant makes his or her own brew, and can later collect the result in a barrel. Those wishing to learn more can deepen their knowledge at further workshops.

The impressive Château de Boudry, which rises above the Neuchâtel vineyards, is home to a fascinating museum devoted to the development of grape varieties and winegrowing over the centuries. The château also has a wine bar that offers local wines and other products for tasting.

The Entlebuch UNESCO Biosphere Reserve was established both to protect a unique natural habitat and to promote traditional human activities on the land. “Gastropartners” are designated restaurants in the region that support the biosphere ethos, and use regional produce with the “Echt Entlebuch” (genuine Entlebuch) label.

A monument to cheese: more than 3,000 wheels, including his- toric rarities, have been gathered here at the Gstaad cheese cathedral by master cheese maker Hanspeter Reust. The display, covering several storeys of a structure that extends for 25 m underground, is impressive and evocatively lit. A tour tells the story of cheese, from grass to gourmet.

From the cocoa tree through to chocolate: demonstrations are given here of how chocolate is hand made; you can also sample various cocoas sourced from different regions of the world. You’ll try your own hand and learn the various techniques involved in making individual chocolates.

A special culinary treat in the Panorama Winter Garden awaits our guests on the Rinderhütte, 2,350 metres above sea level. The 3-course menu includes getting to know the planets, galaxies and Milky Way. After a good night’s sleep and sumptuous breakfast take a trip to Leukerbad on a monster scooter.

2,456 metres closer to the sky and surrounded by a magnificent panorama - this is the ideal setting in which to indulge yourself, whether at lunch, with an appetiser at sunset, or at a magnificent candlelit dinner. Starting point for breathtaking summertime walks through superb landscapes.

Trasadingen was the first community in the canton of Schaffhausen to establish a wine trail. This gentle and pleasant walk leads up into the vineyards that look out over the picturesque Klettgau region, passing informational panels on winegrowing along the way, before looping back into the village.

A visit to this Emmental bakery is fascinating as well as delicious. From a gallery you can watch the bakers making bread, pastries and chocolates before tasting their creations for yourself. The generous Sunday morning breakfast buffet is the perfect prelude to a hike either along the river Emme, or through the delightfully hilly countryside of the Emmental.

Wy-Erläbnis is a unique walk through the glorious Basel country- side from Buus through Wintersingen to Maisprach. On the way walkers stop to enjoy local wines, accompanied by appropriate delicacies from the region. The walk takes place on the last Saturday in August per person; reservations are advisable.

Experience an unforgettable wine trip to the "Hofkellerei" in Vaduz - the winery of the Prince of Liechtenstein. Try high quality wines that have garnered multiple awards. The Wine Trail in the Princely House-owned Herawingert region has twelve information panels with texts and pictures that explain the activities over the course of the vine year, from grape to wine.

Explore the rural side of Geneva the best way, through the vineyards. The Route du Vignoble stretches for 9 km, and the wine trail from Dardagny offers walks between 2.25 km and 7.2 km. Whether you explore on foot, by bike, or in a car, you will learn about the vines, the local architecture, the grape varieties and the work of the winemakers – as well as having the chance to savour Geneva specialities at a country restaurant. Tasting yearround.

Would you like to combine a boat trip with a gourmet meal? Then step aboard one of the cruise company’s “Belle Epoque” boats in the afternoon or evening. Drift through the scenery of Lake Geneva and enjoy an exquisite menu.

This is an unusual combination of sport and gastronomy for the active and discerning gourmet. On a challenging 5-day mountain- bike tour around the Swiss National Park, participants notch up no less than 70 GaultMillau points and seven Michelin stars. This selection of top-class restaurants takes in the very best that the Engadine has to offer.

The small but pretty winegrowing area of Vully is criss-crossed with paths that are a delight to explore at leisure. For children it is particularly fun to follow the signs along the educational trail, accompanied by the mascot "Viny", and learn how wine and grape juice are made.

Visitors have the chance to learn all about winemaking as they walk through a romantic landscape of the vineyards. The trail leads through the Klusberg as far as Tschöpperli. Along the way 24 illustrated panels cover everything from the growth of the vines to the work of the winegrower and the development of wine over the seasons.

Switzerland’s first fruit trail leads through the lush orchards of Altnau, with glorious views of Lake Constance along the way. Informational panels tell the story of the local cultivation of apples and pears. You can follow the 9 km trail on foot, by bike, or even in a horse-drawn carriage. Outdoor grills available at picnic sites along the way.

Welcome to our lounge! Guests enjoying a drink in the bakery lounge of the hotel's own bakery-patisserie will be able to glance over the shoulders of master bakers at work and enjoy the smell of freshly-baked breads. If you wish, you can even try your hand at making “Spanischbrödli”, the famous butter pastries made from puff-pastry, or even you own creations.

These routes lead through the entire canton of Ticino, through well-known wine-growing areas, past vineyards set on slopes and wonderful wine cellars, as well as important cultural and historic attractions and wonders of nature. A special manner of discovering Ticino, its landscape and especially its offering of wines.

Leading you on a tour of discovery in the upper Malcantone, via a nature trail that leads along slopes filled with old chestnut trees. A route that appeals to all the senses and on which walkers will learn to value the chestnut, this typical fruit of the region with its long economic, historic and gastronomic tradition.

At Confiserie Isler, a confectioner well known among aficionados, you can learn all about the fine art of chocolate making. Without any previous experience, you can make and decorate your own chocolates, and learn how to make and decorate a moulded Easter bunny. Along the way you get to taste a variety of chocolates,finishing off with an aperitif.

A route with views across Lake Lugano, on which a landscape reminiscent of the Mediterranean can be enjoyed. The trail winds between Castagnola and Gandria, passes across the remains of old olive groves and areas on which this prized tree is again being planted. The route is also suitable for the blind and visually impaired – observe the respective signs.

Walk between the two cheese factories through green meadows and past cattle herds and authentic alpine huts with their shingle roofs (Pringy-Gruyères to Moléson-Village or reverse). Be sure to get a map and a trail description at the starting point. It takes two hours to get to the second factory, where you'll receive a souvenir certificate.

The Alimentarium is an internationally-renowned museum that presents the many different aspects of nutrition in an engaging and dynamic manner. The are four exhibition areas dealing with the themes of cooking, eating, purchasing and digestion. Electronic games, audio-visual presentations and activities for children – something for the entire family.