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Swiss Tour Booklet Page1
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Swiss Tour
11th April to 20th April 1960.
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On Monday the 11th of April we will be leaving Newport Railway Station on the first part of our long but interesting journey of approx. 950 miles, with the anticipation of a holiday in Switzerland lying ahead. On our journey what do we expect to see, and on arrival what shall we find?
The
journey to London will be known by many of us, but even as we
leave Newport the site of the new Llanwern Steel Strip Mill will
be a scene that heralds an even brighter future for Newport.
Points of interest between Newport and Paddington include,
Sudbury Pumping Station just before going through the Severn
Tunnel; Filton Aerodrome just beyond, Railway Repair Shops
Swindon the Southern Region Sheds at Reading, riverside views,
then LONDON and PADDINGTON.
From PADDINGTON we go to VICTORIA Station and then are
transported through the hopfields of KENT;- maybe sighting
scattered coalmines- to our embarkation port of FOLKESTONE.
From FOLKESTONE to CALAIS by cross-Channel steamer with high tea on board; the sight of the English coastline becoming lost behind us, the thrill of our first glimpse of France, then another language Customs formalities, then the steel coaches of the French Railways. Our rail journey through France will be during the hours of darkness, probably via AMIEN and LAON to the Swiss frontier town of BASEL. At BASEL we first set foot on Swiss soil. This City boasts the largest inland Dock in Europe and owes much of its importance to its position on the River Rhine.
At Basel, after breakfast in the Station Restaurant, we leave on the electrified Swiss Railway for a journey of about 200 miles to Montreux.
Our
journey takes us through the Bir Valley to Delemont, and on our
way we pass through.... ARLESHEIM, and on the mountainsides just
beyond lie the Chateaux of Reichenstein and Birseck. More castles
will be seen on the hillsides between the towns of DARNACH,
GRELINGEN and LAUFEN, among them a strange temple-like building,
where beautiful craftwork is taught. Laufen, a city with a
glorious past, still enclosed within its ancient walls, is the
chief community of the Bir Valley.
DELEMONT, some miles beyond, is a watchmaking centre and has
quite an historic background. Between Delemont and Moutier we
pass through mountainside tunnels with views of the rivers
rushing through the tree covered valley beneath. MOUTIER is a
favourite haunt of skiers, and the district between Delemont and
Moutier is noted for horse breeding.
Through the Taubebeck Tunnel -almost a mile long - to Biel an industrial town with an Aerodrome and funiculars; there is one at TWAN and another at St BLAISE. The journey from Biel through the lovely University city of NEUCHATEL to YVERDON runs for more than 30 miles alongside the lakes of Bieler and Neuchatel, with contrasting plains, orchards, vineyards and distant snow-capped mountains. At the busy little market & industrial town of Yverdon we leave the Lac de Neuchatel, and travel almost due South passing several agricultural towns.
After going through RENENS the next city of importance is LAUSANNE, on the northern edge of LAC LEMAN, and within an hour we should be at our destination. Lausanne is built in tiers, has its own University and boasts Olympic swimming pools, and a great stadium in which were staged the 1954 world football championship. A funicular railway runs from the lakeside under and through the main-line Station up to Mont Jorat some miles behind the city. To the east of Lausanne, there is a remarkably beautiful region of vineyards, and the 'clos' rise sheer up the hillside from the shore along the 15 mile stretch from Pully, just outside Lausanne, to Montreux. Brown-roofed stone villages in the Savoy style, old defence towers and small baronial castles stud the green and brown landscape. The vineyards, enclosed within low stone walls, are accessible only on foot. All work must be done by hand. Insect-chemicals, manures, and even the soil -washed down by summer storms- are carried in baskets and containers strapped to the men's backs. VEVEY is a popular resort facing the lofty Dent-d'Oche peak across the lake, and is also the headquarters of the worldwide firm of Nestles. After passing through the tunnel just beyond Vevey, there are the three railway stations of Clarens, Montreux and our destination..... Territet.
Our hotel - The Grand Hotel des Alpes- is just opposite the Station and was once the residence of the Empress Elizabeth of Austria and of famous aristocrats and politicians.
We have arrived.
Telephone: 07762 919898 or email Len Jones