Organized 3x a week by the St Bernard kennels in Martigny, choice of a walk in the vineyards or around Champex
Location: Fondation Barry, Martigny
Link out: http://www.fondation-barry.ch/%28S%28q1m21f45ls…
Start date: 8 Feb 2012
End date: 28 Apr 2012
The Lake Geneva region is good for weekend urban hikes: Geneva's Mont-Blanc bridge adorned with the UN and Geneva flags this week mark major world health and meteorology conferences
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Expect comfortable temperatures, with highs of 24-26C in western Switzerland over the weekend, but with sunshine mixed with thunderstorms, says MeteoSwiss.
Several events in the area should get you out of the house this weekend, including:
The Chateau de Chillon has on display 10 very special models of Lake Geneva’s historic paddle-wheel steamships, 1:50 scale models and some even 1:25: “La Suisse”, “Simplon”, “Helvétie”, “Rhône”, “Lausanne”, “Montreux”, “Savoie”, “Italie”, “Vevey” and the “Major-Davel”. The Lavaux vineyards that are a Unesco World Heritage site near the castle are now budding and green from the week’s rains, making it perfect for hiking.
Alpine and Jura mountain walks are never far away - cows out for a walk in Visperterminen, Valais
La Cote is learning a lesson from Geneva’s winemakers and this weekend’s winery open days in Mont-sur-Rolle will offer a shuttle bus to and from the Rolle train station and the 30 wineries that are participating. Pay CHF10 for a glass and you can sample the new wines in all the cellars for free (but don’t lose your glass!).
Nyon’s Gaos (Geneva Amateur Opera Society) offers good laughs with The Producer, which ends Saturday.
Rates for young people to rise 11%
Health insurance premiums to increase
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The average increase for Swiss health insurance premiums in 2011 will be 6.5 percent, although most French-speaking cantons will see smaller increases than the rest of the country, under 6 percent.
Overall, the range of increases runs from 2.1 to 10.3 percent. The average represents a monthly increase of CHF22.50 for an adult policy with a CHF300 annual deductible.
The group that will feel the impact of the rate hikes, announced in Bern Friday 1 October, are people under age 26, whose rates will rise on average 11 percent. The larger increase is due primarily to insurance companies reducing their discounts for this group.
The increase is slightly lower than the 2009 increase of 9 percent, but well above the 5.5 percent average since obligatory health insurance began. The federal government approves annual rates every autumn, based on rates that will fully cover real costs: subsidies from other parts of the insurance business that would keep rates artificially low are not allowed.
The new rates ensure that insurance companies costs will be completely covered and their reserves meet government requirements.
The famous Barry dogs from the St Bernard hospice, can be visited during the summer, 10-18:00 daily. Hikes with them start in July.
Location: St Bernard pass, Martigny
Link out: http://www.fondation-barry.ch/%28S%28dqrjax20vh…
Start date: 10 Jun 2010
End date: 12 Sep 2010
Lake Geneva boats connect France with Vaud and Geneva in Switzerland
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Boat trips on Lake Geneva will go up by 5.5 percent in 2011, the CGN (Compagnie Générale de la Navigation) has announced, with smaller price increases on the Lausanne-Thonon line starting 1 June 2010. The 2011 ticket prices go into effect 12 December 2010, when Swiss public transport companies put new rates into effect. The Swiss federal government ordered public transport companies to delay price hikes in 2009, with the result that in 2010-11 they will be steeper than usual. The CGN says its increase is slightly under the average for Swiss public transport companies.
The CGN distinguishes between its tourist boats and public transport, with plans to develop more public transport in the next few years. The company’s traffic on the lake has grown steadily since 2002: from 1.37 to 1.85 million in 2009.
Hydroelectric station, canton Valais, Switzerland
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Electricity price increases announced in 2009 by several suppliers were provisionally rejected in July 2009 by Bern as unnecessarily high, and Monday 8 March the federal electricity commission confirmed this. The commission’s report says that the increases were based on costs that were over-estimated in some cases and unacceptable inefficiency in other cases. The energy companies have the right to appeal, but if they do not the rate hikes will have to be abandoned.
The companies concerned are: Alpiq, BKW, Axpo (Axpo AG, CKW, EGL), EWZ and Rätia Energie, along with a number of smaller firms.
Latest on Jura and Swiss ski conditions, weather forecast, avalanche courses, winter vineyards walk
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Let it snow, let it snow! City dwellers might have had enough of the white stuff in the past week, with the airport closed and cantons scrambling to find enough salt for their slippery streets. But on the slopes, it’s been good news, especially in the Jura resorts close to Geneva. Swiss resorts report that the holidays were good, with enough snow to keep most visitors happy. The Christmas-New Year’s period was one of the five best in the past 15 years.
Title: Saleve Sunday group hikes
Location: Geneva and Saleve
Link out: Click here
Description: Starts from Veyrier-douane no. 8 bus final stop, free, for good hikers, 5-8 hours, 800 metre climb. Every Sunday, no advance registration necessary.
Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2010-01-03
New day in the Alps, 21 November 2009
Days' end in the Alps, Friday 20 November
Lake Geneva region, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - It’s the in-between season in Switzerland, too early for snow for the skiers, too late for warm pools and barbecues for the summer folk.
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, consider a hike. Better yet, take a hike in the vineyards, anywhere from Geneva to Vaud to Valais. The vineyards are etched with small paths, open to the public, which is one of Switzerland’s great assets and the reason the Swiss are some of the world’s best walkers.
The weather has been exceptionally mild, with few strong winds, and the autumn colours are still lingering. You can hike up to 1,000 metres among the vines without more than a sweater or light jacket this weekend.
Weather forecast: highs of 12C in the Lake Geneva region to 16C in Valais, with mostly sunny skies, dry, some cloud cover (MeteoSwiss)
New GenevaLunch photo album: Switzerland outdoors November 2009
Title: Self-guided walks through Lavaux
Location: Lavaux, Vaud
Link out: Click here
Description: A downhill hike dotted with several points of interest to help you appreciate the views over Lake Geneva and its mountain backdrop along the way.
Start Date: 27 Apr 2009
End Date: 30 Aug 2009
Title: Dimanche a pied (Sunday walks)
Location: Geneva
Description: Walking tours with themes, in and around Geneva, perfect for families. First Sunday of every month
Date: 2008-10-05
