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With ascents of one of the major Swiss Alpine passes---Klausen Pass (1950m)--along with other minor peaks, (Brünigpass 1002m, the Saanenmöser 1273m, and Hongrin 1558m), this tour is not for the faint of heart! The rewards are fantastic views of the mountains, the ice caves of glaciers, exhillrating downhills, and eventually leisurely rides by the picturesque medieval castles on the shores of Lake Geneva and along the vineyards of the Lavaux.
Trip duration: 11 days.
Difficulty: Challenging.
Day 1: Registration and Welcome Dinner
Meet the VeloTours team at our booth in the St. Gallen Train Station. We will escort you to the hotel and after settling in, join us for a trip briefing and welcome dinner in the heart of downtown St. Gallen!
Day 2: Stage: St.Gallen-Glarus. Trip distance: 92 kms. Elevation gain: -203m.
Don't be deceived by the negative elevation gain! There are plenty of hills to climb on our first day as we make our way through the most traditional Swiss Canton of Appenzell and the fjord-like lakes of Glarus. With its long kilometer count and three or four climbs to an elevation of up to 1070 meters, this is the perfect warmup start to our athletic tour through the Alps!
Day 3: Stage: Glarus-Altdorf. Trip distance: 60kms. Elevation gain: -20 m.
Today we tackle the (in)famous Klausen Pass (1950m) with an elevation gain of over 1200 meters in 25 kilometers! The rewards are breathtaking alpine views and an exhilarating downhill ride into the tiny town of Altdorf, William Tell's birthplace and the cradle of the Swiss Confederation.
Day 4: Stage: Altdorf-Lucerne. Trip distance: 55 kms. Elevation gain: -11 m.
Today we have a short and relaxing ride along the Vierwaldstättersee, in the beautiful Four Forest Cantons region. After a short boat cruise cross the lake and lunch at Stans, we take the old iron railway to the top of the Stanserhorn, where we can see an Alpine panorama of mountain chains more than 100kms long! A pretty afternoon ride along the banks of the lake then takes us into the heart of downtown Lucerne for the evening.
Day 5: Lucerne
Take a full day to explore the historic centre and admire the medieval paintings in the wooden bridges of Lucerne! Visit its church towers, squares, and gardens, the Swiss Transportation Museum, or take a trip to Mt. Pilatus (2120m) on the world's steepest cogwheel railway!
Day 6: Stage: Lucerne-Interlaken. Trip distance: 64 kms. Elevation gain: 132m.
Today's ride up and down the Brünigpass (1002m) takes us right to the gates of the Bernese Oberland coasting the shores of Lake Brienz. We arrive into cosmopolitan Interlaken, with its variety of ethnic restaurants and active nightlife, an ideal base of operations for mountain adventures.
Day 7: Interlaken
Take a full day to explore the Bernese Oberland at your leisure: head to Meiringen to admire the Reichenbach Falls (where Sherlock Holmes had his fated last battle with Professor Moriarty!), the glacier indoor waterfalls of Trümmelbach, the 197m high cliffs of the Aare gorge, or take a stroll over the Trift glacier across the longest hanging bridge in the Alps! Or, if you're feeling adventurous, why not take a skydiving or parasailing trip from one of the guides in Interlaken?
Day 8: Stage: Interlaken-Gstaad. Trip distance: 68 kms. Elevation gain: 482m.
A beautiful ride along the picturesque Simmental Valley and a gradual climb up to the Saanenmöser (1279m) brings us after a quick descent to the famous ski resort town of Gstaad, where the glitterati like Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana, Grace Kelley, and King Juan Carlos of Spain have come to see and be seen and enjoy the nightlife.
Day 9: Stage: Gstaad-Montreux. Trip distance: 69 kms. Elevation gain: -660m.
Today we claim yet another peak, the Hongrin (1558m), as we transition from the cheese-making region of Gruyères to the wine-making region of the Lavaux (a UNESCO World Heritage Site!). We arrive then to Montreux, where you can take a stroll eating ice-cream along the lakeshore and perhaps even catch the notes of an evening concert at its world-famous Jazz Festival!
Day 10: Stage: Montreux-Lausanne. Trip distance: 26 kms. Elevation gain: 105 m.
Our cycling ends with a short, leisurely ride along the vineyards of the Lavaux into the cosmopolitan student city of Lausanne. We arrive with plenty of time to visit some of its prominent sights, relax a bit at a street-side cafe in the old city center, go shopping, or even take a dip in Lake Geneva before our goodbye dinner by the lakeshore!
Day 11: Time to go home!
Free shuttle to Lausanne train station provided by the VeloTours van team. Route Map Book this tour! |
