5/07/2008 at 9:30 AM
Tags: Switzerland Travel, Hiking, Mountain Biking, Biking, Active Travel, Outdoor Travel (all tags)
We already credit the Swiss with being quite good at a range of things: Army knives, watches, chocolate and banks. Turns out we can add something else to the list: an impressive network of hiking, cycling, skating and canoeing paths perfectly signposted for us to use, as part of the SwitzerlandMobility project.
Apparently all of these trails and paths have been around for ages, but now that they've got them properly interconnected and have standardized the signage, there's no stopping us, whichever method of getting around we choose.
Hikers can choose from almost 4,000 miles of paths, cyclists from nearly 5,300 miles and even mountain-bikers get over 2,000 miles of signposted Swiss beauty. Those clever Swiss have even tied in public transport routes to help us get to and from these trails. No excuse for staying still in Switzerland now.
Related Stories:
· Switzerland Mobility [Official Site]
· Switzerland Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Donnie Ray]
by amandak
11/19/2007 at 9:15 AM
Tags: Low Cost Carriers, LCCs, flybaboo, Switzerland Travel, Europe Travel (all tags)
We've heard some pretty funny budget airline names in our time, with Central Europe's Wizz Air sitting on top of the pile. Then we stumbled across a Swiss carrier called flybaboo.
We can't seem to uncover the origin of a name like flybaboo, but we can tell you that their motto is "a breath of Swiss air;" good, if that's the kind of air you're after. Flybaboo is based in Geneva and flies to coastal destinations like Nice, Ibiza, Sardinia and Venice.
Like many new airlines in Europe--flybaboo started up in late 2003--this one is flying on the tails of budget airlines without offering extremely low prices. Look up a Geneva to Lugano flight for January and a return trip will come in at around 230 Swiss francs (including taxes and charges); that's just over $200, which, while certainly reasonable for two flights, doesn't have the excitement of a $10 fare. Then again, you'll be able to say you flew with an airline called flybaboo.
Related Stories:
· Bad Jokes Are Free At Wizz Air [Jaunted]
· Travel Stories in Switzerland [Jaunted]
· flybaboo [Official Site]
[Photo: JustGraham]
by amandak
10/31/2007 at 9:15 AM
Tags: Switzerland Travel, Crimes, Festivals, Art (all tags)
In Basel, Switzerland, the Shift Festival has just wound up. It's a new festival for the electronic arts, which they plan to hold every fall from now on. The theme for this year's festival was "access", but access to the exhibits seems to have got a bit out of hand.
That's because there was a theft at this year's Shift Festival. A group of artists from Vienna working under the name of Ubermorgen had created an exhibit involving a book--the Abbie Hoffman classic "Steal This Book"--placed inside an incubator. Apparently the exhibit was supposed to praise those who fought for literary freedom by celebrating a hacking operation on Amazon.
Perhaps not surprisingly, somebody did steal the book. Shift Festival organizers have decided not to press charges but hope the thief will return the stolen book. We can't wait to see what crazy things get shifted or lifted at next year's Shift Festival.
Related Stories:
· Shift Festival [Official Site]
· Thief Accepts Invitation [Independent Online]
· Fall Culture Travel in Basel [Jaunted]
· Switzerland Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: shiftfestival]
by amandak
10/18/2007 at 10:00 AM
Tags: Fall-Culture-Travel-Map, Museums, Beer, Switzerland Travel, Europe Travel (all tags)
You don't have to stay at home just because the leaves are changing. Follow along on our Fall Culture Map to discover what's happening this autumn.
If you're not quite an art gallery fan but need to get inside during a fall day in Basel, Switzerland, then try the eccentric but well-renowned Jean Tinguely Museum. Initially created by the (allegedly) crazy artist Tinguely, it's a collection of unusual sculptures, decorations and other kinds of artwork, a large proportion of which were created from junk. The artwork also tends to move, make noises, jump, clatter and generally surprise you. Rotating exhibitions from like-minded artists keep the Tinguely a fascinating place to return to, too.
In the center of Basel, there's also a Tinguely statue and sculpture set, all designed to function as a fountain. Weird things spray water in unexpected places, and you'll usually find a bunch of tourists taking pictures.
Afterwards, back near the central train station in the Gundeldinger District, you'll find the simply-named brewery Unser Bier, which translates to "Our Beer". You'll have to time your visit right as Unser Bier is usually only open to the public on Thursday and Friday nights (the rest of the week it's often booked for private functions), but it's such a sweet Swiss success story that you've got to try it. It's a microbrewery that opened just a decade ago but is quickly grabbing market share from people who want to buy strictly local beer--that tastes really good.
Related Stories:
· When Garbage is More Than Garbage [Jaunted]
· Tinguely Museum [Official Site]
· Unser Bier [Official Site]
· Fall Culture Travel Map [Jaunted]
· Fall Culture Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: tbonejuju]
by amandak
1/15/2007 at 11:31 AM
Tags: World's Most Dangerous Airports, Switzerland Travel, Airports (all tags)
For the next couple of days we are doing a quick fly-over of the world's most dangerous airports. And by dangerous we mean formidable, adventurous, and fear inspiring. Know a stomach dropping, palm sweat inducing airport we should check out? Send it along.
LUG is in a mountain valley, bordered by a lake and subject to strong alpine winds. Crossair / Swiss, have been flying there for years with aircraft as big as the BAe 146. Until one day, the Swiss aviation overseers have found out that the approach is so steep that it's illegal.
For a while, commercial air traffic into the area came to a virtual standstill. Eventually, Saab 2000 planes were again permitted to fly there. Too bad that Swiss had just sold all of these. So now they are wet-leasing Saabs for the Zurich-Lugano route.
Especially during inclement weather, approaching LUG is more fun than a roller coaster ride at your local Six Flags. Or, as the elderly American couple behind me once exclaimed: "Oh my god, we're all gonna die in here!!"
These days, Lugano airport is served by Baboo, Avilu, Darwin, and Swiss Air.
Thanks Nikolai!
Click more to check out some video over Lugano airport.
Related Stories:
· World's Most Dangerous Airports [Jaunted]
· Lugano Airport Map [Google Maps]
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by markj
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