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10th anniversary in the alps/Austria/Switzerland - where to go?

Hi, my husband and I would like to celebrate our 10th anniversary by spending an extended weekend somewhere in the alps in July. We basically would like to do some walking/hiking in beautiful landscape, stay at a comfortable, romantic hotel (preferably something a little more classy), and eat well... Perhaps combined with a scenic drive/trainride to a bigger city where we also could stay one day/night. What would you recommend? We rarely have a chance to get away these because we have small children, and now that we've managed to arrange babysitters for a few days in July we really want to make this trip something extraordinary! What would be some real diamonds? Thanks!
Pamela

Posted by
1357 posts

Others can comment on Switzerland, I haven't gone there yet, but St. Wolfgang in Austria could fit the bill. It's in a gorgeous area, lots of mountains and lakes. There's tons of hiking in the area. Hallstatt could be another option, it's on the train line, while St. Wolfgang is not. As far as a romantic hotel, the historic Weisses Rossl is right on the lake. It's a quick hour drive to Salzburg from there, and Munich isn't far from there, either.

Posted by
171 posts

I agree - the Salzkammergut area, especially Hallstatt, is absolute heaven on Earth. I just spent two weeks in hallstatt, in a LOVELY room with a view of the lake which was awe inspiring, lots of hiking, lots of boating, lots of sitting around drinking wine spritzers doing absolutely nothing at all. Loved every minute of it! The room was a bed and breakfast, not a hotel, but it was so comfortable and lovely, and my hosts, the Gummerers, at Haus Gummerer, could not have been more welcoming and accommodating.

Posted by
16024 posts

Take a look at Hotel Coeur des Alpes in Zermatt. Very modern and romantic. Zermatt offer wonderful hiking, as well as a scenic train ride up to Gornergrat for a glacier view. You can fly into Geneve and take the train from there, perhaps spending a night on the return in one of the lakeside cities or towns. A lakeside hotel in Montreux, Lausanne or a smaller town such as Vevey or Morges.

Posted by
32171 posts

Pamela, I agree with the others that Hallstatt would definitely be a good possibility. It's a smaller town, so the number of "classy" Hotels is a bit limited. However, you might have a look at This Hotel to see if it fits your criteria. Click the "Hallstatt" tab on the right side to see a list of activities available in the area. If you decide to try Hallstatt, you might enjoy taking a tour of the Salt Mine. For a "drive/train ride" to a bigger city, you could consider Salzburg. It would be several hours by train (one change in Attnang-Pucheim), so having a car would probably be easier. For locations in Switzerland, there are some "classy" Hotels in Interlaken, Mürren & Grindelwald. Check Trip Advisor for listings. Provided the weather co-operates, that would absolutely allow walking/hiking in a beautiful landscape. For travel in July, pre-booking your accommodations would be a good idea. Congratulations on your 10th Anniversary!

Posted by
9403 posts

We absolutely love Murren in the Berner Oberland. We stayed at Hotel Eiger, I think it's the most expensive hotel in Murren, and really liked it. Had a really nice room with a balcony.

Posted by
3 posts

Thankyou so much everyone for being so helpful, this is just the sort of advice I was hoping for. It all sounds wonderful! I'll definitely google and read up on every single one of your tips, and try to book as soon as possible. Can't wait!

Posted by
12040 posts

I´m going there either next weekend or the one after, but some people I know have raved about Lech am Arlsberg in western Austria.

Posted by
358 posts

My wife and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary by taking a trip to Switzerland later this week. We will be staying in Montreux,Zermatt,Lugano,St Moritz,Grindelwald and Lucerne. Our actual anniversary date will be in Lugano.

Posted by
54 posts

We were there three years ago and loved Lucerne and the Grimiwald area. Hotel Schweizerhof is awesome!

Posted by
408 posts

I vote for the berner Oberland area of Switzerland. I stayed in Grindelwald and loved it but for a special occasion I would stay in Murren or Wengen. I always find hotels and B&B at Tripadvisor.com.

Posted by
813 posts

St. Moritz or Lech/Zurs area of Austria. Nicer, romantic areas of Switzerland are Davos or Verbier.

Posted by
90 posts

To be in the Lauterbrunnen Valley of Switzerland is to be in heaven. There probably is no prettier place in all of the Swiss Alps than the view from Muerren across the valley to the Eiger, Jungfrau and Moench. Hiking is absolutely wonderful in the area and especially recommend a most scenic and easy hike between Mannlichen and Kleine Scheidegg above the village of Wengen. As far as staying in a wonderful and romantic hotel you might want to try Victoria Jungfrau in Interlaken. Hope you have a wondeful time and if the mountains are not in the clouds in the Alps you will find no place more beautiful in Switzerland than Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen Valley.

Posted by
299 posts

I agree about Murren in Switzerland. The hikes through flower-strewn meadows with the panorama of those massive peaks and the soft sound of cow bells in the background are heaven. We stayed at the Alpina Hotel, which has terrific views, but I think the Hotel Blumental might be nicer. We had some wonderful meals in the restaurant of that hotel last year. Happy 10th!