Clock work
Catherine Quinn
Switzerland's incredible scenery and enviable facilities make it a popular business destination. Catherine Quinn finds out why
2008-10-12
If you're making a trip to Switzerland, you can expect it to be several things. Firstly, count on the scenery being of the impossible colour scheme and beauty of a fairy-tale picture book. Secondly, welcome to a magical land where everything runs, not only well, but to the kind of efficiency which has business travellers sleeping soundly at night to the regular chimes of precise clocks. And before you get too accustomed to the professional perfection of this diminutive country, it has a rather quirky side too.
If you're wondering whether the clichés of Swiss organisation are true, look no further than the arrivals area at either Zurich or Geneva airport. Both offer train services designed to coalesce perfectly with the arriving flights, and offer both platform and departure information to travellers before they've even stepped off the plane. The other truism is the love of clocks. There are timepieces everywhere here from the largest city to the smallest village, and even the most humble hamlet will have at least two church clocks which chime throughout the night, to the lowing of nearby cows.
Touching down in Zurich or Geneva gives visitors an immediate feel for the Swiss way of life. Both are clean, well run, attractive, and boasting an impressive blend of tasteful heritage and contemporary architecture. In contrast to the well-ordered propriety of Swiss-style Zurich, Geneva is a cosmopolitan hub which showcases architecture and traditions from all over Europe. You can enjoy almost any kind of cuisine in the city centre, not to mention the welcoming bars dotted throughout the historic streets, and the plethora of arts and culture up for grabs. But it's not just the mix of regionalities which make Geneva so attractive to visitors. Like Zurich the city retains a uniquely Swiss appeal, including chocolate-box street-scenes, and the iconographic Jet D'Eau fountain – the highest in Europe, and a stalwart image of picture postcards.
Sport mad
In addition to Switzerland's metropolitan charms, it's the winter sports which really draw the crowds come mid December. Almost every region has easy access to snow-clad slopes, making the country a Mecca for skiers, snowboarders, and all fans of snow-bound pursuits. In fact the Swiss are sports mad, and for those looking for a quirkier pursuit or incentive on a business trip, there are plenty of innovative ways to get your heart racing. For skiers looking to break up the monotony of business with premium slopes, St Moritz provides the classic premium ski experience, complete with the ultimate après ski. But for those looking for a less involved way to enjoy the rolling vistas, Switzerland is also one of the first countries to integrate e-biking trails into their breathtaking topography.
An e-bike is a light weight pedal bike with a small lithium battery attached, which can add extra power to your pedalling going up steep slopes, or simply for riders who want an easy biking experience. It's a great way to get professionals of mixed ability on a short active trip, as less able bikers can utilise the full battery enhancement, whilst regular cyclists can retain the normal push-bike experience. And it's perfect to get a team out amongst all of that staggering green landscape for which Switzerland is so famous without donning full ski kit.
Another popular way to make the most of the scenery is a walking excursion, which can be as simple or as demanding as you care to make it. With iconic mountains like the Matterhorn to enjoy, alongside enormous smooth lakes, well appointed forest pathways, and trails which lead up and down almost every mountain and hill in the country, walking is the Swiss national pastime after skiing, and well worth taking up during your stay. The local trend is to carry Nordic walking poles which purportedly burn more calories as you hike around. But those travelling a la pied without sticks should have no trouble traversing the more gentle routes.
A slightly more outlandish way to enjoy the slopes in the summertime is to book a stay in the Cube Hotel in the Graubunden region of Switzerland. This quirky box shaped residence teams a number of unusual 'downhill vehicles' with the local slopes, as well as offering a bed for the night inside a leisure complex with restaurant, bar and on-site nightclub. Guests head out in the daytime to grab one of the many weird and wonderful looking vehicles from the bottom of the slope before heading up to ride their go-karts, monster rollers, Stanley riders, or other fast-moving machinery of their choice downhill at speed.
Recover in style
But if all this high-speed travel sounds too hectic for a business trip, Switzerland also does an excellent line in facilities to refresh the body and revive the soul. For professionals looking to relax and unwind, the country's sumptuous hotels should more than accommodate, and a great number come with their own enviable spa offerings. With a geography of mountains and glaciers, it's no surprise that Switzerland boasts some of the best spas in the world, as quality Swiss engineering comes into play to harness all that raw nature.
Some excellent examples include the five-star Park Hotel Waldhaus which includes a superb 'wellness centre' housed in a futuristic glass cube, complete with self cleaning natural water pool, and access through an underground tunnel leading directly to the hotel rooms. So guests can walk straight from their spa experience to their room in their bathrobes.
Deeper into the region, Vals Therme Hotel has a unique spa which uses naturally heated spring waters to heat it's various pools amongst a strikingly designed contemporary cave interior. Guests can wander amongst the soothing stone walls discovering the different spa areas, which include a floral pool complete with rose petal contents, and a sound pool enhanced by soothing echoes of music. Taking advantage of one of these fabulous hotel and spa combinations can be the ideal way to maximise enjoyment of a trip, by using both the onsite business and leisure facilities to their full potential. Swiss signature treatments include hot stone therapy and body wraps, and are a relaxing way to enjoy the local elements.
If you're looking for a premium combination of scenery and local eating, then almost any local village can accommodate. Although sometimes remote, these outposts of rural Swiss farming can actually be surprisingly accessible via the country's uber-efficient network of train and bus connections. Using the system is a real joy for those used to commuting, with all services arriving to the minute, despite reaching some of the furthest corners of mountain life. Once in the villagers, local restaurants will whip you up a comfortingly large plate of potato rosti, fondue, or raclette – cheese-heavy dishes perfect for braving the winter chill.
For those with a business or incentive trip in mind, however, there are more premium ways to enjoy Switzerland's scenery and dining. To enjoy nature at it's most captivating, St Moritz offers the perfect base from which to trek the spectacular Piz Bernina or 'Ballroom of the Alps'. The hike across a stunning glacier takes five hours and some sturdy shoes, but is suitable for most fitness levels – in fact Swiss locals of eighty-plus regularly make the trek. And for the ultimate in scenic dining, the nearby Engadine Restaurant housed high in the Alps is accessed by a cable car for incredible views over fine local cuisine. With elk on the menu, and schnapps in your glass, you'll have to remember to tear yourself away from the views early enough to take the last cable car back down again.
With all this on offer it's no wonder that Switzerland is one of the world's most popular destinations for business travellers. And with some eccentric local additions locals thrown in, it's a great way to enjoy all that efficiency without getting too serious about it all.
