When Tour Consultant Kevin Amante set out for his second Go Ahead tour, he chose one of our favorites: the Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour. “I was looking for a tour with both great scenery and a chance to indulge in great cuisine…and I found it in the Alps.” Over just twelve days, Kevin set foot in six countries, summited three mountains, made 45 new friends and came away with a lifetime’s worth of memories.
Breathtaking Alpine scenery near the world-renowned ski resort of St. Moritz.
“The mountains are really high—and I know that sounds silly, but then in a matter of hours, you’re back down the mountain and sunbathing next to a lake!” Kevin’s Alpine journey began in Switzerland with a short guided tour of Lucerne’s famous sights, including the Lion Monument, a sculpture once described by Mark Twain as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.” His favorite part of his time in Lucerne, though, was the ascent up nearby Mt. Pilatus. “You ride up the world’s steepest cog railway and enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view as the valley recedes below you. On a clear day, they say you can see 73 other peaks from the top of Mt. Pilatus.”
Kevin stands atop Mt. Titlis amidst the tracks of other travelers playing in the snow.
The scenery at the top of Mt. Pilatus narrowly edged out the fun he had the next day on a different mountain. “We took a cable car up to the top of Mt. Titlis, and once we got to the top, people were snow-tubing and sledding—in the middle of the summer! I went on all the optional excursions, and our trip to the top of Mt. Titlis was by far my favorite.”
Next, Kevin’s tour group headed toward the French border, stopping along the way to visit Albert Einstein’s house in Bern, where they found a pleasant surprise. “In Bern, there are these bears that just sort of roam throughout the town. They’re technically in captivity, but their cages are huge open areas next to roadways and turquoise streams, so they’re totally used to humans. It was adorable, and everyone in our group took at least one picture of a bear.” Kevin’s next stop was in the “quaint French lakeside town” of Annecy. This hidden gem has yet to be discovered by most American tourists, and since Kevin’s group was traveling in the summer (the Alpine “off” season), the group had the chance to explore the town as they chose. “I rented a mountain bike and set out into the hills and pastures outside town,” Kevin recalled.
A tranquil stream runs through Annecy to the Alpine lake with which the town shares a name. Annecy's medieval jail sits on a small island in the stream, where Kevin snapped this shot.
Annecy served as Kevin’s homebase for not only the foothills of the French Alps but also his journey to their highest peak: Mt. Blanc. At nearly 16,000 feet, Mt. Blanc is the highest point in Western Europe, and remembering the long ascent to the top prompted Kevin to offer a piece of advice: “Pack layers! We traveled in the summer, during a heat wave, but on top of the mountains, the temperature change can be really significant. Of course, once you come back down, you’re back in warm weather again, so it’s important to pack layers so you can stay comfortable.”
A view of Lake Como from an historic home.
Kevin’s other highlights included his cruise of Lake Como, tours of the stunning mansions on its shores and a visit to “Mad” King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein Castle. But throughout the trip, Kevin was impressed by the food. “I’m a carnivore,” he said, “so the sausage, ham and veal we saw throughout the Alps really appealed to me. There’s a somewhat standard dish, veal with rosti that you could find just about everywhere. My fellow travelers loved the fondue while we were in Switzerland, and while we were in Annecy, everyone tried escargot and some local wine.”
Come delight in Alpine cuisine and see some of Europe’s last, pristine wildernesses high in the Alps on our Jewels of Alpine Europe Tour!
