My husband, 15 year old son and I are going to be on a home exchange in the town of La Tzoumaz (next to Verbier) above the valley of Valais for 3 weeks this summer; July 10 - 31. We are scouring guide books to make the most of our trip but were wondering if anyone who is familiar with this part of Switzerland might be able to make some suggestions of interesting, not-so-touristy things to do? We of course want to see the sights, but also love local culture, food, festivals, interesting places...anything out of the ordinary. We have the time to browse a little! We are also a little worried about the prices! Will shopping in grocery stores help keep costs down? $40 pizza does not excite me...planning to not eat out much! We will have a kitchen at the house and will pack picnics for the day when we go out. Any suggestions for not spending a small fortune on food would be very appreciated! Thanks so much everyone -
Anita
Posted by
Santa Barbara, CA, USA
177 posts
Fun! You can usually limit the cost at lunch if you order the special of the day in restaurants, but yes it is expensive. I assume that you will have a car and that you plan to see Zermatt, the Chillon Castle, and other well known spots. There are many things to do. In no particular order: - Hot springs/bath at Leukerbad. Hot pools while watching the alpine scenery all around. - Anniviers Valley. Very preserved. Some inhabitants still speak Arpitan (Franco-Provencal language) Grimentz in particular is a lovely village. - The remote Lotschenthal valley. Stunning views and is located on the other side of the Jungfrau. - St.Bernard pass and monastery where monks still breed the St.Bernard dogs. - Many wineries down in the Rhone valley.
- Venture to Montreux, Vevey, and Lausanne. Visit the 12th century Lavaux vineyards between Vevey and Lausanne. Go to Gruyeres. Visit the cheese factory and chocolate factory nearby.
Posted by
OP
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
Thank you so much Mark! These are exactly the kind of places I'm looking for! The Anniviers Valley sounds fantastic...I love places like this that don't change. So much of that is gone from the world. Cheers!
Anita
Posted by
Santa Barbara, CA, USA
177 posts
You are welcome. It is possible to get to the Berner Oberland for the day by taking the Lotschberg tunnel. If you are into hiking, some people enjoy following the "bisses" that are waterways that have been built by farmers starting in the 14th century. Several websites are dedicated to those. Also, there is the Herens valley not so far from La Tzoumaz known for the odd chimney rock formations named Pyramides d'Euseigne.
Paragliding is a very popular activity and you may look into tandem jumps.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33821 posts
Yes, no question that Switzerland can be less inexpensive than neighboring countries in many things including food, but I will say that in all my trips to Switzerland over the years I've never paid CHF37 for a pizza, nor anywhere near that price. If you hunt around a bit it really doesn't have to be a bank breaker.
Posted by
OP
Long Beach, California, USA
3398 posts
Thank you Nigel! That is reassuring! I am finding through websites that the costs aren't going to be as bad as I thought... Cheers!
Anita