Swiss Alpine Glories & the Golden Pass Train

Swiss Alpine Glories & the GoldenPass Train

Immerse yourself in the natural glories and historic towns of the world’s most beautiful Alpine paradise, with a train journey you won’t forget.

GoldenPass Train

Gruyères Day One – Fly to Geneva Upon arrival, meet your tour manager and make the scenic transfer by coach to Chateau d’Oex and your hotel. Settle in and get to know your surroundings, and depending upon your time of arrival, take a stroll through the village before dinner is served.

Day Two – Included visit to cheese-making

Gruyères This wonderful week-long tour commences with an included full-day excursion to nearby Gruyères, the famous cheeseproducing village that is also a medieval gem with an exquisite flower-decked, cobbled main square. Enjoy a demonstration of the cheesemaking process (entrance to the factory and museum payable locally), which combines ultra-modern technology with centuries’-old traditions, and soak up the atmosphere of this most typically Swiss of villages, before returning to Chateau d’Oex. Day Three – Optional excursion to Bern Today you can discover and explore Switzerland’s historic capital city, Bern, on an optional tour. With its medieval houses, great churches and wonderful covered shopping arcades all huddled together above a sweeping meander in the River Aare, Bern is one of the world’s most picturesque capitals. One of its most unusual features is the fascinating mechanical clock. Be sure to hear – and see – it strike the hour. We return to Chateau d’Oex in the late afternoon, time-permitting making a call in the charming town of Fribourg, an ancient university seat boasting an especially attractive Old Town, with haphazardly arranged houses on cobbled streets sloping steeply away from the River Sarine.

Day Four – Included mountain scenery

tour Join your tour manager this morning for an included panoramic tour of your stunning Alpine surrounds. Call at the picturesque timber-lined village of Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland, an upscale ski resort previously graced by the likes of George Clooney and Madonna. Enjoy a stroll around this charming village and its designer boutiques, which is framed by a scenic mountain backdrop, before

Available May to Jun & Sep to Oct 2023

Fly direct from these airports. Prices from

• Bristol £1,015 • Edinburgh £1,029 • Gatwick £995 • Heathrow £1,029 • Luton £995 • Manchester £1,015

Personalise your holiday

• Bern (full day) – from £50 • Guided Walk (half day) – from £20 • Interlaken & Grindelwald (full day) – from £50 Room for Sole Use from £119

Please note: The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately two hours.

Gruyères Montreux

Geneva Switzerland

Bern Chateau d’Oex Interlaken

Gstaad

France Italy

• Rest and relax in the idyllic surroundings of the Pays d’Enhaut (High Country), at your base in exquisite Chateau d’Oex • Visit the fascinating Hot Air Balloon and

Cheese museums • Visit medieval gem and cheese-making village Gruyères • Panoramic tour of the surrounding mountains and villages, including Gstaad and Les Diablerets • Enjoy a breathtaking ride on the GoldenPass train to/from Montreux, with some free time in Montreux • Seven nights’ carefully chosen three-star bed and breakfast accommodation • Return flights to Geneva, with coach travel and transfers throughout • Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

fun fact...

Did you know that the region of Gruyère has been famed for its cheese production since the 12th century?

Bern Gstaad Lake Oeschinen

continuing to Les Diablerets in neighbouring Ormont-Dessus. Sitting in the shadow of the eponymous mountain peak, which rises to 3,210m above sea level, the village of Les Diablerets is a popular resort, occupying three of the area’s main ski areas. Savour the dramatic scenery as you explore this lively mountain resort, perhaps pausing for a spot of lunch (payable locally) before the tour continues through more picturesque scenery and back to Chateau d’Oex.

Day Five – At leisure and optional riverside walk

Today is free for you to explore Chateau d’Oex and its surroundings a little further. In the heart of the Pays d’Enhaut (Upper Country) region, the village has been a favourite of Newmarket guests for over 30 years and offers everything to ensure a memorable stay. For the energetic, there’s a fine outdoor pool (open mid-May until early Sept), a super sports complex, riding stables, mini-golf, ten pin bowling, tennis courts and miles of walking trails. A trio of fascinating museums chronicle life in this corner of Switzerland, the history of cheese-making, and, thanks to the village’s world renown as a hot-airballoon centre, the magnificent men (and women) and their flying baskets! During the day, there’s the option to join a delightful guided walk along the bank of the babbling River Sarine, which winds its way through the forests and green pastures of the beautiful valley. This gentle, maximum four-mile easy hike, which will cross the historic Pont de Turrain suspension bridge en route to the beautiful Ramaclé Waterfall, will be the perfect way to enjoy the idyllic countryside surrounding the village and its neighbours.

Day Six – Included GoldenPass train journey to

Montreux Today’s included excursion heads to the sun-kissed shores of Lake Geneva, travelling on the spectacular GoldenPass Train through the heart of the Swiss wine-producing Valais region to the fashionable resort of Montreux. You’ll enjoy a fantastic panoramic view as the train rolls gently down the mountains and through a picturesque patchwork of vineyards, framed by a dramatic mountain backdrop and the shores of Lake Geneva. Basking in a microclimate, sheltered from the north wind by the Alps, Montreux is home to the famous Jazz Festival, has a delightful lakefront promenade and a host of shops and stores. Close by, brooding Chateau Chillon, Switzerland’s most famous landmark, guards the dark secrets of the past, and makes for a fascinating visit. Enjoy some free time to explore before your return train later.

Day Seven – Optional Interlaken and Grindelwald

excursion Today’s final optional excursion heads into the beautiful Bernese Oberland. Travelling through stunning countryside, you’ll take in scenic Lake Thun and the famous resort town of Interlaken, overlooked by the snow-capped peaks of the Jungfrau range, and one of Switzerland’s most popular places to shop. From here, journey to the truly spectacular resort of Grindelwald, famously set at the foot of the mighty Eiger, before making the scenic journey back to Chateau d’Oex at the end of a memorable day. Day Eight – Fly back to the UK Bid farewell to your Alpine idyll, returning to Geneva Airport for the return flight, after a memorable few days.

your hotel

The Roc et Neige, Chateau d’Oex HHH Bed & Breakfast & five dinners

In the heart of the mountain village, the traditional and welcoming Roc et Neige hotel is close to all the local amenities. There is a comfortable bar and lounge area, and a restaurant serving food made from local produce. There is also a garden and terrace with stunning views of the surrounding mountains, plus a sauna and laundry room. Cosy bedrooms all have a TV and hairdryer, and complimentary Wi-Fi is available. There is a safe deposit box at reception.

The Roc et Neige

our product manager loves...

This really is the perfect allencompassing trip to Switzerland, as it includes cheese and chocolatemaking coupled with an iconic train journey. Our eight-day trip also features a visit to the playground. of the rich and famous, Gstaad.

The Roc et Neige Gruyére Cheese