Black Forest & Switzerland MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAY 2018

Transcription

1 Black Forest & Switzerland MULTI-CENTRE HOLIDAY 2018

2 WELCOME TO & Switzerland This holiday offers you a variety of walking and touring, giving you a fascinating mix of walks, unmissable sights and hidden gems. It has a dedicated tour guide and a number of local guides to give you the best insight to the area that you are visiting. This holiday includes the Black Forest or Schwarzwald, which stands out as a place of special mystique. Its dark covered forested hills stretching out 107 miles north to south, and up to 38 miles east to west, is by far the largest German forest and one of the most visited upland regions in Europe. Feldberg (4899 feet) dominates the southern region, scenically perhaps the most magnificent part of the range. With its picturesque farmhouses, wild beauty of watery gorges, exhilarating mountain views, its Black Forest gateau and cuckoo clocks it ranks at the front of stereotype images of the country. Hinterzarten This is a remote village, located between the Hoellental (Hell) valley and the most picturesque Titisee Lake, formed during the last ice age. The setting of this rural village is in an unspoiled landscape of alpine meadows, woods and views of the highest peak, the Feldberg. Just 10,000 years ago, a glacier extended from the Feldberg to the present-day lake. The lake is 850 meters above sea level, 2 kilometers long, just under 1 kilometer wide and approximately 40 meters deep. Switzerland In Europe s most spectacular country and one of the world s matchless centres for walking, you can immerse yourself in the culture, history, and folklore of the eastern and central Swiss Alps. Many of the trails and paths you will traverse, have played a significant role in Swiss history for centuries. They weave through the foothills of the Alps, alpine meadows, pastures and along rivers 2 Call or visit hfholidays.co.uk and picturesque lakes. As a result of geographic patterns, these cantons (states) and their inhabitants have a variety of dialects, religions and lifestyles and yet you are within close distances to some of the countries major cities. Appenzell 2,589 feet above sea level, situated in the northeast of Switzerland, is a region where the Landsgemeinde, (open air parliament) is still held. The town center is well preserved, with fine old traditional, painted houses. It is surrounded by fertile valleys and rolling hills; dairy farming is their major industry. ACCOMMODATION All our chosen hotels have comfortable ensuite bedrooms. 3 STAR HOTEL SCHWARZWALDHOF, HINTERZARTEN Freiburger Str. 2, Hinterzarten, Tel: Situated amidst the spa town of Hinterzarten, it s one of the most centrally located buildings within town. It offers an architecture that s filled with history; comfort and hospitality. Hinterzarten has a unique and diverse setting to explore with lush meadows, thick forests and clear mountain lakes all around. 4 STAR ROMANTIK HOTEL SÄNTIS Landsgemeindepl. 3, 9050 Appenzell, Switzerland Tel: It s grand facade faces onto the Landsgemeindeplatz and offers a magnificent view of the surrounding hills and mountains. The interesting region Appenzellerland entertains all ages with its history and traditions. Call or visit hfholidays.co.uk 3

3 Guided Walking ITINERARY A unique feature of our Guided Walking holidays is the daily choice of walks. Each evening your leaders will give a short talk about the options for the next day and answer any questions that you may have. Easier Walks: 5-8 miles on good paths with some rocky sections. Up to 1,500ft of ascent in a day. Day 1: Arrival day Arrival at Zurich airport and transfer to Hinterzarten in the Black Forest, the largest forested region of with picturesque farmhouses, wild and beautiful gorges, the home of cuckoo clocks and Black Forest gateau 4 Call or visit hfholidays.co.uk This holiday is a combination of walking, sightseeing and touring as detailed in the itinerary below. Hotel: Hotel Schwarzwaldhof Meals: Welcome Drink and Dinner Day 2: Hinterzarten and Freiburg Today we walk along the Heimatpfad, a high Black Forest footpath known as the local history path, to Loffel Creek. Continue onto Höllsteig and after lunch we transfer to the train station and travel to Freiburg. This is the capital of the Black Forest and has been a university town since We then enjoy a city tour visiting the famous cathedral built in Hotel: Hotel Schwarzwaldhof Day 3: Feldberg and Titisee After Breakfast we transfer by postal bus to Feldberg Pass (4,000ft) and walk in a nature reserve to the glacial Lake Feldsee, through a mountain forest with plentiful birdlife. We cross over a morain and along the Seebach Creek to finish at a mountain pasture. After lunch, we walk along the Seebach Valley. On our return transfer we stop at Lake Titisee, a large glacial lake, and take a relaxing boat ride. Hotel: Hotel Mona Zlatibor (4*) Day 4: Transfer Day Rheinfall and Appenzell Today s journey takes us across to Appenzell, Switzerland, we stop en route to visit the Rhein Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe. This cascade is 492ft in width and up to 75ft in height. We experience the falls close up and take a short cruise before continuing onto Rheinau with an opportunity to explore this quaint village. After settling into our host hotel at Appenzell, we can take an orientation stroll around the village and learn about the Biberli, a traditional honey gingerbread. Day 5: Hoher Kasten This morning we walk from the hotel along the Sitter River to Weissbad (altitude of 2,300ft) then we take a cable car up Mt Hoher Kasten (6,000ft). Enjoy the magnificent views of the Alpstein, Autrian Alps and the Rhine Valley. After lunch there will be time to explore independently. Transfer back to Appenzell. Day 6: Kronberg Our groups take a train to Gontenbad and then walk on a high plateau, through pleasant meadows to Jakobsbad. A cable car will take us up Kronberg Mountain (5,450ft) with views of the highest peak of the Alpstein range, Mt Saentis (8,300ft). After lunch, there is another cable car ride followed by a train journey which takes us back to Appenzell. Day 7: Ebenalp-Schaefler A train journey to Wasserauen starts the day, followed by a cable car to Ebenalp (5,000ft). Our groups will then descend through the prehistoric cave of Wildkirchli and visit the guesthouse of the Alpstein in its iconic location. Following a picnic lunch, the walk continues to the Chlus saddle at the foot of Mt Schaefler, offering magnificent views of the Appenzeller Mountains. We then return to Appenzell by cable car and train. Hotel: Romantick Hotel Säntis Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch on trail and Dinner Day 8: Departure Day Breakfast and transfer to Zurich airport. Dietary Requirements All our holidays include breakfast and evening meal. If you have any special dietary requirements, including vegetarian. It is strongly recommend you advise us before you travel. On arrival, can you please confirm your request to our agent who will ensure that, where possible, your requirements will be met. Call or visit hfholidays.co.uk 5

4 WALKING SAFETY Hydration: In warm weather it is very important to keep hydrated. You will need to carry water with you on walks, more during hot weather or on more demanding walks. One good way of hydrating is to use a hydration pack which allows drinking without constant stopping. This can then be filled up from additional water sources as required. Insurance: Insurance is a condition of booking. Therefore if you have not already arranged insurance, it is imperative that you do so, and advise us of the insurance company and policy number. We have negotiated special holiday insurance and full details of this cover can be found in our brochure or at hfholidays.co.uk. There is no extra charge for pre-existing illnesses. If you would like to purchase insurance from us please call us on or holidayservices@hfholidays. co.uk. Even with an EHIC card, medicines and out-patient treatment normally have to be paid for at the time and the costs reclaimed afterwards details are available at dh.gov.uk/travellers. Therefore insurance is extremely important, as is access to emergency money, preferably a credit card. WHAT TO WEAR & BRING To enjoy your walking comfortably and safely, it is essential that your footwear, clothing and equipment are suitable for the conditions likely to be encountered. Changeable weather is possible throughout the year, so our advice is to come prepared for all eventualities. You will need: comfortable outdoor clothing waterproof jacket and overtrousers ankle supporting footwear with non-slip soles small rucksack water bottle (at least 2 litres, more for hot climates) and a thermos flask if you wish sunhat, sun cream and sunglasses In addition to the above, the following are recommended to all walkers, and are essential for mountainous and hilly areas: walking boots spare pullover or fleece hat and gloves 6 Call or visit hfholidays.co.uk spare high-energy food e.g. chocolate bar or Kendal mint cake torch You may also wish to consider bringing: walking pole(s) many guests find these useful, particularly for descents camera personal first aid kit Footwear: We recommend wearing walking boots on all our walks, as these provide the best ankle support and grip. Modern approach shoes offer appropriate levels of grip and may be worn on some low level walks, but users should be aware that they offer less ankle support. Lightweight trainers, denim jeans and waterproof capes are not recommended for any walks. HOLIDAY TIPS Language: : Germam Switzerland: Usually German, French, Italian but in this region of Appenzell, German Currency: Euro Money: Access to emergency money, preferably via a credit card, is very important as you never know when an emergency may arise. Electricity: 230 Volt AC with round two round pin plugs; you will need an adaptor for any appliances brought from the UK. Please note that Plug C is require for Switzerland. TRANSFER INFORMATION Zurich Airport from London Heathrow Please note that meals are not provided on most European flights, although some airlines may offer a small snack. Airport parking and accommodation If you require airport parking or accommodation before your flight, we recommend our partner Holiday Extras. Call and quote HX031 or book online at holidayextras.co.uk/ hfholidays RECOMMEND A FRIEND AND SAVE 50 Do you know someone who would enjoy our holidays as much as you do? Invite them to book a holiday and you ll receive 50! If you recommend HF Holidays to a friend who subsequently makes their first ever booking with us, we will give you 50 off your next holiday for each person recommended. Plus, as a welcome, we will also give your recommended friend or friends 50 per person off their holiday, meaning savings for everyone! Claim your 50 in three easy steps When your friend books a holiday, ask them to mention at time of booking your name and address. If they have never travelled with us before, we will give them a discount of 50 per person. We will send you a 50 voucher off a future HF Holidays break for each friend you have recommended. Terms & conditions apply, visit hfholidays.co.uk/raf for details. PATHWAYS FUND Last year guests donated 19,500 to our Pathways Fund and we spent 25,000 on projects. For more information on the projects the Pathways Fund has supported, plus how to donate, please visit hfholidays.co.uk/pathways HF Holidays continues to work in partnership with the Family Holiday Association to provide Feel Good Breaks designed to reward families who could not otherwise afford it with the gift of a break in the outdoors and the chance to spend quality time together. Help us continue this work by donating to the Pathways Fund. JOIN US TODAY AND BENEFIT TOMORROW HF Holidays is the only UK holiday provider that s a co-operative. We re owned by our members who help shape our business for future generations. Join our award-winning and sociably responsible society that s passionate about helping others to enjoy holidays in beautiful countryside. For a minimum purchase of shares you can benefit from: Members loyalty scheme earn points on your holidays and use as a discount on your next holiday Member-only events and holidays Members come first with advance registration for the holiday you want 10% discount at our country house bars 15% discount at Cotswold Outdoor 15% discount at Rohan 25% discount at Hi-Tec Annual interest on your shares ALREADY A MEMBER? There are many ways for you to further your support: Help choose our Board Attend member events Encourage others to join us Increase your shares at any time Top up to 1,000 shares to become an investment member with enhanced benefits Give membership as a gift To join or increase your investment call our Membership team on , membership@hfholidays.co.uk or visit hfholidays.co.uk/membership Call or visit hfholidays.co.uk 7

5 Contact details HF Holidays Ltd Catalyst House 720 Centennial Court Centennial Park Elstree Borehamwood, WD6 3SY hfholidays.co.uk For any questions before your holiday, we re here to help, so please contact us on: (local rate) +44 (0) (from outside the UK) Monday-Friday: 9am-7pm. Emergency contact details: In all instances during your holiday, your first point of contact should be our HF Holidays leaders. If for any reason this is not possible, HF Holidays emergency contact details are as above or between the hours of Friday 7pm to Monday 9am are: +44 (0) or