Adventure Guide: The Alps (Hunter Travel Guides)

432 Pages·2004·7.3 MB·English

by  Krista Dana

dventure Guide
The Alps
n SWITZERLAND, ITALY, FRANCE
n GERMANY, AUSTRIA, LIECHTENSTEIN
n THE BEST HIKES, FESTIVALS, FOODS Krista Dana
n WHERE TO STAY, EAT, PLAY & PARTY
dventure Guide
The Alps
Krista Dana
HUNTER
HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC,
130 Campus Drive, Edison, NJ 08818
% 732-225-1900; 800-255-0343; fax [phone]
www.hunterpublishing.com
Ulysses Travel Publications
4176 Saint-Denis, Montréal, Québec
Canada H2W 2M5
% 514-843-9882, ext. 2232; fax [phone]
Windsor Books
The Boundary, Wheatley Road, Garsington
Oxford, OX44 9EJ England
% 01865-361122; fax [phone]
ISBN 1-58843-391-9
© 2004 Hunter Publishing, Inc.
This and other Hunter travel guides are also available as e-books through
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Contents
INTRODUCTION 1 Innsbruck & the Tyrol 69
Alpine History 1 Innsbruck 69
The Land 2 History & Overview 69
Travel Basics 8 The Town 70
When To Go 8 Getting Here & Around 70
Transportation 10 Getting Connected 71
Currency 15 The Sights 71
Where to Sleep 16 The Adventures 72
Dining 17 Where to Sleep 75
Connections 19 Where to Eat 76
Health & Safety 21 Where to Party 77
Getting More Information 22 Where to Play 77
Pick-A-List Planning 23 Festivals & Events 78
AUSTRIA 31 Seefeld 78
History 31 The Ötztal 79
Overview & Government 33 The Stubaital 83
People & Culture 34 The Zillertal 84
Bregenz & the Arlberg 35 Kitzbühel 87
Bregenz 35 History & Overview 87
History & Orientation 36 The Town 87
The Town 37 Getting Here & Around 88
Getting Here & Around 37 Getting Connected 88
Getting Connected 38 The Sights 89
The Sights 38 The Adventures 90
The Adventures 39 Where to Sleep 93
Where to Stay 40 Where to Eat 94
Where to Eat 41 Where to Party 95
Where to Party 41 Where to Play 95
Where to Play 42 Festivals & Events 95
Festivals & Events 42 St. Johann 96
St. Anton am Arlberg 44 Söll 97
History & Overview 44 Salzburg & the Salzburgerland 99
The Town 44 Salzburg 99
Getting Here & Around 45 History & Overview 100
Getting Connected 45 The Town 101
The Sights 46 Getting Here & Around 102
The Adventures 46 Getting Connected 102
Where to Sleep 50 The Sights 103
Where to Eat 50 The Adventures 108
Where to Party 51 Where to Sleep 109
Where to Play 52 Where to Eat 110
Festivals & Events 52 Where to Party 111
St. Christoph 53 Festivals & Events 112
Lech 55 The Salzkammergut 112
Ischgl 57 Zell am See & Kaprun 114
History & Overview 57 History & Overview 114
The Town 57 Zell 115
Getting Here & Around 58 Kaprun 115
Getting Connected 59 Getting Here & Around 116
The Sights 59 Getting Connected 117
The Adventures 60 The Sights 117
Where to Sleep 63 Where to Sleep 122
Where to Eat 64 Where to Eat 123
Where to Party 65 Where to Party 124
Where to Play 65 Where to Play 124
Festivals & Events 65 Festivals & Events 125
Galtür 66 Höhe Tauern Park 125
Krimml 127
iv n Contents
FRANCE 129 Where to Play 183
History 129 Festivals & Events 184
Overview & Government 131 Dachau 186
People & Culture 132 Chiemsee 187
Mont Blanc 133 Garmisch-Partenkirchen 189
Chamonix 133 History & Orientation 189
History & Orientation 134 The Town 190
The Town 134 Getting Here & Around 190
Getting Here & Around 134 Getting Connected 191
Getting Connected 135 The Sights 191
The Sights 135 The Adventures 193
The Adventures 137 Where to Sleep 196
Where to Sleep 141 Where to Eat 197
Where to Eat 141 Where to Party 198
Where to Party 143 Where to Play 198
Where to Play 143 Festivals & Events 198
Festivals & Events 143 Mittenwald 199
Argentière 144 Oberammergau 200
The Tarantaise 145 Füssen 202
Méribel 146 Berchtesgaden 204
History & Overview 146 History & Overview 204
The Town 147 The Town 205
Getting Here & Around 147 Getting Here & Around 205
Getting Connected 148 Getting Connected 205
The Sights 148 The Sights 206
The Adventures 149 The Adventures 207
Where to Sleep 152 Where to Sleep 210
Where to Eat 152 Where to Eat 211
Where to Party 153 Where to Party 211
Where to Play 154 Where to Play 212
Festivals & Events 154 Festivals & Events 212
Courchevel 1850 155 Berchtesgaden Park 212
Val Thorens 156 Königsee 213
Val d’Isère 157 ITALY 217
History & Overview 157 History 217
The Town 158 Overview & Government 219
Getting Here & Around 158 People & Culture 219
Getting Connected 159 Milan & Northwest Italy 221
The Sights 160 Milan 221
The Adventures 160 History & Overview 221
Where to Sleep 163 The Town 222
Where to Eat 164 Getting Here & Around 222
Where to Party 165 Getting Connected 224
Where to Play 165 The Sights 224
Festivals & Events 166 Where to Sleep 226
La Vanoise National Park 166 Where to Eat 227
GERMANY 169 Where to Party 227
History 169 Festivals & Events 228
Orientation & Government 171 Lake Como 228
People & Culture 171 Turin 230
Munich & The Bavarian Alps 172 Courmayeur 232
Munich 173 History & Orientation 233
History & Orientation 173 The Town 233
The Town 173 Getting Here & Around 233
Getting Here & Around 174 Getting Connected 234
Getting Connected 175 The Sights 234
The Sights 175 The Adventures 235
Where to Sleep 238
Tours 178
Where to Eat 239
The Adventures 179
Where to Party 240
Where to Sleep 180
Where to Play 240
Where to Eat 181
Aosta 242
Where to Party 182
Gran Paradiso Park 243
Contents n v
Venice & Northeast Italy 244 Verbier 298
Venice 244 History & Orientation 298
History & Orientation 246 The Town 299
The Town 246 Getting Here & Around 299
Getting Here & Around 247 Getting Connected 300
Getting Connected 249 The Adventures 300
The Sights 249 Where to Sleep 304
The Adventures 253 Where to Eat 305
Where to Sleep 255 Where to Party 306
Where to Eat 257 Where to Play 307
Where to Party 258 Festivals & Events 307
Where to Play 259 Martigny 308
Festivals & Events 259 Zermatt 310
Cortina d’Ampezzo 259 History & Orientation 310
History & Orientation 260 The Town 311
The Town 260 Getting Here & Around 311
Getting Here & Around 261 Getting Connected 312
Getting Connected 262 The Sights 312
The Sights 262 The Adventures 313
The Adventures 262 Where to Sleep 317
Where to Sleep 266 Where to Eat 318
Where to Eat 266 Where to Party 319
Where to Party 267 Where to Play 319
Where to Play 268 Festivals & Events 320
Festivals & Events 268 Saas-Fee 320
The Val Gardena 269 Interlaken & the Jungfrau 322
LIECHTENSTEIN 271 Interlaken 323
History & Government 271 History & Orientation 323
Orientation, Economy & People 272 The Town 324
Vaduz 274 Getting Here & Around 324
The Town 274 Getting Connected 324
Getting Here & Around 274 The Sights 325
Getting More Info 275 The Adventures 325
The Sights 275 Where to Sleep 333
Where to Sleep 277 Where to Eat 334
Where to Eat 278 Where to Party 335
Where to Party 278 Where to Play 336
Where to Play 279 Festivals & Events 336
Festivals & Events 279 Grindelwald 337
Malbun 280 Lauterbrunnen 339
Steg 281 Wengen 339
Mürren 341
SWITZERLAND 283
Zürich & Central Switzerland 343
History 283
Zürich 343
The First Tribes 283
History & Orientation 344
Charlemagne & Hapsburgs 283
The Town 345
The Expansion 284
Getting Here & Around 345
Neutrality 284
Getting Connected 346
Orientation & Government 285
The Sights 347
People & Culture 287
The Adventures 348
Geneva & The Valais 289
Where to Sleep 349
Geneva 289
Where to Eat 350
History & Orientation 289
Where to Party 351
The Town 290
Where to Play 351
Getting Here & Around 290
Festivals & Events 352
Getting Connected 291
Winterthür 352
The Sights 291
Rheinfall 353
The Adventures 293
Lucerne 354
Where to Sleep 294
History & Orientation 354
Where to Eat 295
The Town 355
Where to Party 296
Getting Here & Around 356
Festivals & Events 296
Getting Connected 356
Lausanne 297
The Sights 357
vi n Contents
The Adventures 358 Where to Sleep 397
Where to Sleep 360 Where to Eat 398
Where to Eat 362 Where to Party 399
Where to Party 362 Where to Play 400
Where to Play 363 Festivals & Events 400
Festivals & Events 363 Arosa 400
Engelberg 363 History & Orientation 401
History & Orientation 364 The Town 401
The Town 364 Getting Here & Around 401
Getting Here & Around 364 Getting Connected 402
Getting Connected 365 The Sights 403
The Sights 365 The Adventures 404
The Adventures 366 Where to Sleep 407
Where to Sleep 372 Where to Eat 408
Where to Eat 373 Where to Party 408
Where to Party 373 Where to Play 409
Where to Play 374 Festivals & Events 409
Festivals & Events 374 Chur 409
The Graubünden 374 Lenzerheide 410
St. Moritz 375
LANGUAGE PRIMER 411
History & Orientation 375
The Town 376 INDEX 415
Getting Here & Around 377 MAPS
Getting Connected 378 Regions of Alpine Austria 32
The Sights 378 Bregenz & the Arlberg 36
The Adventures 379 Innsbruck & the Tyrol 68
Where to Sleep 384 Salzburg & Salzburgerland 100
Where to Eat 385 Regions of Alpine France 131
Where to Party 386 The Mont Blanc Region 133
Where to Play 386 The Tarantaise Region 146
Festivals & Events 387 Alpine Germany 168
Silvaplana 388 Regions of Alpine Italy 216
The Swiss National Park 389 Milan & Northwest Italy 223
Davos 390 Venice & Northeast Italy 245
History & Orientation 390 Venice 247
The Town 392 Regions of Alpine Switzerland 286
Getting Here & Around 392 Geneva & the Valais 288
Getting Connected 393 The Jungfrau Region 322
The Sights 393 Central Switzerland 344
The Adventures 394 The Graubünden Region 375
About the Author
A native of Southern California, Krista Dana has chased the sun to live in Europe,
Asia, and Salt Lake City, Utah. Along the way she’s wrestled cocktails from thiev-
ing primates in Kenya, drifted on a broken-down boat through the Indonesian is-
lands, and raced Chinese school children to the top of The Great Wall. An avid skier
and hiker, she has explored terrain ranging from Switzerland’s Matterhorn to
South Korea’s Muju Mountain. Today, when not basking in the glow of her com-
puter monitor, Krista plays in the dirt and snow near her current home in southern
Germany. Krista has written over 800 travel features, hotel reviews, and destina-
tion guides. She holds a master’s degree in Cross-Cultural Human Relations.
Dedication
To my mom and dad,
who roused in me this wanderlust;
And to my husband and dog,
who now put up with it.
Going Metric
To make your travel a bit easier, we have provided
this chart that shows metric equivalents for the measurements
you are familiar with.
GENERAL MEASUREMENTS
1 kilometer = .6124 miles
1 mile = 1.6093 kilometers
1 foot = .304 meters
1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
1 square mile = 2.59 square kilometers
1 pound = .4536 kilograms
1 ounce = 28.35 grams
1 imperial gallon = 4.5459 liters
1 US gallon = 3.7854 liters
1 quart = .94635 liters
TEMPERATURES
For Fahrenheit: Multiply Centigrade figure by 1.8 and add 32.
For Centigrade: Subtract 32 from Fahrenheit figure and divide
by 1.8.
Centigrade Fahrenheit
40° 104°
35° 95°
30° 86°
25° 77°
20° 64°
15° 59°
10° 50°
Introduction
Alpine History
an has long wandered the Alps, and evidence sug-
Mgests that the earliest Paleolithic hunter-gatherers
had already moved into local caves some 100,000 years
ago. Following the last ice age, Neolithic settlers entered
the lower valleys, where subsequent generations estab-
lished farms, mines, and transalpine trade routes.
The earliest of these settlers were the Celts – a name derived from
the Greek word Keltoi, or barbarian. They migrated from the east,
gradually settling into the lowlands of central Europe around
1200BC; eventually they would settle as far west as Ireland. The old-
est of the Celtic cultures settled in Hallstatt, a lakeside Austrian vil-
lage that now gives the anthropological era its name. Here and in
other Alpine regions, the Celts lived as farmers, herders, and miners
– mostly for iron and valuable salt. The Celtic word for salt is hall, a
root word still observed in the names of the ancient Celtic
salt-mining and trade towns.
Around 400BC, the Celts’ migration approached the fertile Po Valley
in northern Italy, where they fought and defeated the local Etruscan
inhabitants. However, the Etruscans appealed to their Roman allies
and, after a mild rattling of swords, the Celts signed onto a peace
agreement with their neighbors to the south. However, the Romans
promptly reneged on the deal, inciting the Celts – renowned through
history for ferociousness and bravery – to lay siege to Rome, sacking
the city in 390BC.
However, Celtic dominance began to crumble when, in 49BC, a young
Roman Caesar named Julius set his sights on Gaul, where the Celtic
up-and-comer Vercingetorix was organizing a threatening unifica-
tion of tribes. Julius Caesar prevailed in the ensuing conflict,
Vercingetorix was imprisoned in Rome, and the Roman Empire was
off and running in the Alps. They built roads, established trade cen-
ters, and laid the foundational stones of the cities we visit today.
Eventually, as Roman power weakened in the Alps, other empires
followed, including those under Charlemagne and the Hapsburgs of
Austria – subsequent eras addressed in later chapters of this book.
Introduction
2 n The Land
The Land
n Prehistory
Hundreds of millions of years ago, the Alps began their
formation with the upward surge of the earth’s crust.
Over the course of millions of years more, limestone
forced up along the Alpine axis, granite thrust into the
western Alps, and – some 20 million years ago — the Af-
rican continent collided with the Eurasian landmass, pushing, fold-
ing, and rippling the Alps to their current height. Nonetheless, the
shape of the Alps has forever been in flux, as ever-present glaciers
grow and recede, whittling valleys and ravines as they go. Addi-
tionally, these glaciers serve as the headwaters for many Alpine
streams and rivers – forces of water that shift and erode the land,
changing the layout of the mountains as they go. Together, the pre-
historic subterranean collisions and glacial processes have sculpted
one of the world’s great mountain ranges.
Today, the Alps span some 1,000 km from east to west. Starting in
France, the range forms a crescent that arches through Switzerland,
Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Italy, and then drops down
into Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia. The range includes several
hundred peaks over 4,000 m, with the tallest peak, Mont Blanc,
reaching 4,810 m.
n Climate
The Alps harbor a variety of localized micro-climates,
with climatic zones stacking up the long, narrow wall of
mountains at steep gradients; in the south, for example,
travelers go from just above sea level at the foot of the
Alps to over 2,500 m above sea level with just a short
drive. Further complicating the matter, the range runs east to west,
dividing northern and southern Europe, and sides of the mountain
range see very different amounts of precipitation and sunlight
through the course of the seasons. Below, I offer weather statistics
from a representative sample of Alpine destinations. For comparison
purposes, I’ve included a couple of more familiar cities, too.
DENVER CO, USA
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. °F 43 46 54 61 70 82 88 86 77 66 52 45
Min. °F 16 19 25 34 45 54 60 57 46 36 25 16
Precip.
inches .5 .5 1.3 2 2.4 1.6 2.2 1.8 1.1 1 1 .6