Images: By Chesa Grischuna and Swiss Tourism
Ryder-Walker celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2009. To commemorate the special event, we offered a celebratory tour called the Jubliäum. The signature tour visited three of the most cherished mountain retreats that inspired the company’s inception, Zermatt, Saas Fee, and Kandersteg. The Jubilaum tour proved so successful that we decided to offer it again in 2010. This year’s tour, Jubiläum 2.0, visits three more villages that we’ve come to know and love during 26 years of guiding in Europe.
Occupying the entire southeastern part of Switzerland, the canton Gräubunden offers some of the finest and most rewarding scenery in the Alps. It is a folded landscape filled with deep, isolated valleys, sheer rocky summits, multifaceted glaciers and thick pine forests. The region is also officially trilingual, known as Gräubunden in German, Grigioni in Italian and Grischun in Romansh, the last of which is a direct dialect of Latin that survived locked away in remote mountain recesses since the last Roman legions departed 1500 years ago. We’ll spend the first half of the trip exploring two alpine jewels in this wild and exotic region, Pontresina and Klosters.
The second part of the trip explores the Jungfrau, a region that couldn’t be more characteristically Swiss. The Jungfrau is quintessential storybook Switzerland, replete with appealing huddles of sun-darkened chalets, sparkling, glaciated peaks, and alphorns resounding in the distance. We’ll spend the latter part of our tour enjoying challenging hikes and a relaxed mountain lifestyle from our home base in Mürren, a tranquil village perched precipitously beneath the imposing walls of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks.
Tour Highlights:
- A multilingual adventure through two of Switzerland’s most unique and irresistible landscapes.
- A chance to say “Bene” and “Wunderbar” during the same tour.
- Italian inspired cuisine and traditional Swiss favorites brought together in one exciting trip.
- Village based hiking for maximum flexibility.
- Exceptional accommodations with every amenity in all three villages.
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Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive and transfer to Pontresina, an adventure filled village lying in the heart of the upper Engadine Valley . We’ll overnight in a lovingly restored, traditional Engadin guesthouse that dates to the 17th century. The personal touches and comfortable atmosphere, combined with inspired local cuisine, guarantee a relaxing stay. Meet the guides and group for a welcome orientation and mouthwatering dinner.
Day 2 Wake up to fresh coffee, Bircher müsli and delicious homemade bread with local butter from Engadin. We’ll spend a full day in the mountains as we enjoy breathtaking views of the Morteratsch Glacier and the Piz Bernina (4049 m).
Day 3 The sunny village of Pontresina rests on a wind-sheltered terrace amidst meadows and fragrant pine filled woods. It also enjoys a commanding view of the Val Roseg, a stunning valley surrounded by jagged mountain peaks and sparkling glaciers. We’ll enjoy one of the many challenging hikes lying just outside our back door.
Day 4 Today we’ll transfer by rail to the Prättigau, a meadow filled valley known for it’s quietly elegant village of Klosters, our home for the night. The Walser people, an early Germanic population, first migrated to this valley in the 13th century and the area, surrounded on three sides by Romansh, remains German speaking today. We’ll spend the afternoon exploring this region made famous by its world-class hiking and limitless opportunities for outdoor pursuits.
Day 5 Wake to the smell of fragrant pine paneling and fresh mountain air. The region surrounding Klosters boasts nearly 700 km of hiking trails traversing beautiful meadows, woods, pastures and jagged mountain peaks. We’ll spend the day exploring this delightful region.
Day 6 Today we’ll enjoy a scenic transfer to the carless little village of Mürren, a peaceful hamlet perched on a ledge above the mighty Lauterbrunnen Valley. Spend the afternoon sightseeing or join our guides for a half-day hike into the wonderful mountain world surrounding Mürren.
Day 7 Today we’ll hike beneath the Alp’s most notable mountain peaks , the Eiger (3,970 m), the Monch (4,107 m) and the Jungfrau (4,158 m). Return to our family owned inn offering traditional Swiss cuisine and a unique alpine flavor.
Day 8 A rewarding loop hike offers eye-popping views of the region's tallest peaks and pleasantly rolling hills before ascending to a high alpine club hut for lunch. The mountains fill the skyline in every direction and keep us visually satisfied all the way back to our comfortable little home in Mürren. We’ll offer easier and harder options as requested.
Day 9 Wake to a delicious breakfast and then depart. Most guests fly out of Zurich. Transfer to the airport or to other destinations in Europe.
