What's the point of traveling half way around the world only to sit in a tour bus and "see" the sights? Next time you travel, don't just sit there, get in there! Ask the tourism bureau about festivals, find out about local favorite activities and foods, then go and experience them! Your vacation, and your life, will be richer because of it. Here's a sampling of what you can do when in Switzerland. But first... how to navigate, and not be afraid of, the amazing train system.
Transportation
Don't Be Afraid... How to Travel By Train
Traveling by train in a foreign country can be terrifying if you dont know what you are doing. But it doesnt have to be. Arm yourself with information and the trip can be easier and more enjoyable than renting a car and driving to your destination yourself. Here is what you need to know to navigate the train system when you travel.
Fitness
Curious Goat Along the Chestnut Trail
Forget about sitting in a tour bus all day "seeing the sites" on a vacation. Enrich your experience by getting outside, sweating, touching, smelling, tasting, and really getting a sense of your travel destination while burning calories! I went on a hike along the Chestnut Trail in Ticino Switzerland... with goats. Now THAT'S a cultural fitness experience I will remember.
Trotti Biking Down Mt Titlis
Forget the gym or traditional workouts when on vacation. Instead, hike, count your steps by wearing a pedometer, or hop on a Trotti bike and soar down the mountain like I did! It's a calorie-burning, muscle-toning workout thats super fun too!
Insect-Eating Plants... Hiking Barefoot through the Moorlands
Did you know that there are carnivorous plants? See them (and feel them at your feet) while hiking barefoot through the Upper Moorlands.
Beauty Secrets
Kneipp Beauty Gush
One of my favorite things to do when I travel is explore the local beauty techniques. In Switzerland, the Kneipp Cold Springs treatment is a popular local destination for preventative healing, improving the immune system, minimizing arthritis, and promoting natural beauty. When it comes to beauty, the idea is that you spray the water on your face in a specific manner in order to fight wrinkles, minimize the signs of aging, maintain skins radiance, ease acne and eczema. It was exhilarating! But you can also do the technique at home using a hose.
Food
Risotto in Ticino!
Sure theres cheese and hiking, but Switzerland is also known for amazing wine and risotto! Ticino, Switzerland, the Southern-most Swiss town thats a stones throw from Italy, grows the delicious short grain rice called Loto risotto. Grower Margarit talks about her favorite simple risotto recipe.
Culture
Contact the tourism board BEFORE you go (every city has a tourism board) and find out what local festivities are happening. It's a great way to get a taste of the culture, meet the people, eat the food and get a rich experience of the destination. This is the Alpabfahrt Festival in Schüpfheim (Entlebuch)....
Summer camp is over for the Swiss cows as they come home from the Alps ready for their milk to be made into delicious Summer cheese, with a slightly more herbal flavor thanks to the fresh grasses and clover in the Alps. But the cows don't just stroll down the mountain and back home... there is serious fanfare! The town of Schüpfheim (Entlebuch) puts on a festival called Alpabfahrt, closing the streets and of course selling local sausages and beer to help add to the festivities. It's quite the Swiss tradition!
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