A Swiss Christmas in Zermatt

Your tour commences this evening in cosmopolitan Munich. Shopping is always excellent in Munich – particularly around the town hall and the decorated wooden Christmas Market stalls. Before your Bavarian style buffet dinner enjoy a welcome drink in the hotel.
 

A leisurely start as we cross into Austria to spend lunchtime in Mondsee on Lake Mondsee, and visit the church made famous in the wedding scene of the film ‘The Sound of Music’. Later we drive deep into the Lakes District and visit Hallstatt. Set on a rocky terrace jutting into the quiet dark water of the lake surrounded by towering peaks, this is considered the oldest inhabited village in Europe and perhaps the most beautiful in Austria. Our home for the next two nights is Fuschl in the Lakes District. This evening join in a torchlit village walk followed by mulled wine.

Today includes a full day excursion to Salzburg. Our first stop is at the nearby village of Oberndorf where we visit the famous ‘Silent Night Chapel’ on the site where the Christmas carol was first performed. We then continue onto Salzburg – the baroque city of Mozart sitting beneath its enormous Festung (Fortess). A walking tour with an expert local guide will introduce you to this enchanting city, including several locations used in the film ‘The Sound of Music’.

As a finalé you will gather amongst the fir trees in the small stone courtyard of the St Peter’s Keller, dating back to the 1500’s and Salzburg’s oldest restaurant, for a hot drink and biscuits. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the city. Maybe take time to visit the huge castle which is fascinating, or savour the atmosphere of the famous Salzburg Christmas
Markets.

A leisurely day as we follow the spectacular Inn Valley across the Tyrol to reach the Winter Olympic resort of Innsbruck mid morning. You will have plenty of time to explore the old
town with its famous ‘Golden Roof’ and Christmas Markets. After lunchtime we continue past St Anton and through The Arlberg Tunnel into the Appenzell Region of Switzerland.
Surrounded by undulating fields, hills and mountains, Appenzell is old fashioned even by Swiss standards being full of well-preserved 16th-century buildings, including some delightfully painted wooden houses. We stay here two nights.
 

At Chur we board the famous Glacier Express train which takes us along the ‘Valais’ through Switzerland’s finest mountain scenery to the world famous alpine resort of Zermatt, where we stay the next four magical nights over Christmas. Set at an altitude of 1,620 metres (5,310 ft), the village is surrounded by dozens of huge Alpine peaks and dominating all is the mighty Matterhorn. Petrol-driven vehicles are banned from the village and as such the peace and quiet enhances the wooden chalets and small winding village streets. Stunning!

This morning a local guide will join us for a walking tour of this fascinating mountain retreat, from its modern chic apartments and hotels to little winding streets still lined with traditional stone and slate hamlets and cottages. The rest of the day is free to relax in the crisp clean air. Perhaps explore the town or go for a walk on the 70 kilometres of winter trails along the valley.

Christmas Eve! To celebrate, we have included a ride on the Gornergrat funicular train (cog railway) up to the highest open air railway station in Europe - the Gornergrat. At 3,100 metres (10,170 feet) the view from the top across the Alps is beyond belief. We have also included a cup of warming mulled wine on the terrace of the Kulmhotel restaurant, surrounded by one of the great vistas of the world – the mighty Matterhorn and the 28 other 4,000 metre high peaks that surround you. Tonight we continue the celebrations with a wonderful four course Christmas Eve dinner in our hotel.
 

Christmas Day! What a magnificent location to relax and do as much, or as little, as you want! Whether you are a ‘super active snow sports’ person or a ‘take it easy and relax’ person there are numerous activities you can enjoy, and your Tour Manager will be at hand to assist and advise you. You will be in the heart of the Matterhorn glacier paradise and the whole valley and mountainside is alive with activity.

There are numerous cable cars and lifts that can whisk you up the mountains. At virtually all ‘drop off’ points there are restaurants, cafés and observation points - usually with extraordinary panoramic views spanning the jagged Alps. Perhaps take a cable car up to the Klein Matterhorn. At 3,883 metres, it is the highest cable car station in Europe. From here you can clearly see Europe’s highest mountain Mont Blanc (4,810 metres) which is in France, and the summit of the Gran Paradiso in Italy. Alternatively, catch a lift to Rotenboden and visit the igloo village where you can enjoy a Swiss cheese fondue or a ‘white igloo mulled wine’ in the ice bar. The toboggan ride down to Zermatt also starts from here! A five course Christmas Day dinner is included at your hotel.
 

Driving to Montreux on Lake Geneva, we have included entrance and a guided tour through the beautifully preserved Château Chillon. Later we journey on to the lovely lake-side
town of Luzern with its covered wooden bridges. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner.
 

Your Christmas tour comes to a close and it is time to say farewell. For those of you joining one of our wonderful New Year Tours that begin in Munich or Milan, the good news is, we have arranged complimentary Group transfers on 28 December.