Things To See & Do In Switzerland and The Swiss Alps

Posted on January 24, 2012 by admin

Thinks to do in the Swiss Alps

This is an excellent collection of links of things to see and do in Switzerland and the Swiss Alps.

Most of these links are in English, a few are in German, but most of them are in several languages.

Things to See and Do in Switzerland

Sights & Attractions in Switzerland

Swimming & Thermal Baths

Railways

#switzerland #Swiss_Alps #Swiss_Pass #Swiss_Rail_passes #SwissRailPasses.com

Crans-Montana – Switzerland’s Ski & Snowboard Secret

Posted on January 23, 2012 by admin

Crans-Montana, Switzerland

You know about Zermatt and St. Moritz and Davos…but have you heard about Crans-Montana?

This is both a summer and winter destination that deserves your consideration.

This link will take you to their website that is loaded with good useful information.

Click Here

You can view this site in French, Italian, English, Russian and German languages

Switzerland Snow and Ski Report – Swiss Alps

Posted on January 22, 2012 by admin

SwissRailPasses.com - Snow in the Swiss Alps

Big Snow in the Swiss Alps

Here is the snow and ski report from genevalunch.com for the weekend of January 21 – 22.

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Snow again, and plenty of it throughout Swiss and French mountain regions. The roads were very icy Friday night and, very exceptionally, we needed chains at 800 metres, for the slippery surface rather than deep snow. Snow has been falling steadily since Friday afternoon and the wind has picked up from central to eastern canton Valais resort areas. Be sure to carry chains if you’re driving to the mountains.
Weather forecast

Snow expected through Tuesday in the Jura and the Alps, although Jura areas can expect it to turn to rain in the afternoons this weekend.

The snow line will move up and down between 600 and 1,400 metres and by Monday in canton Valais it will start to be drier, with intermittent sunshine and temperatures rising to 8C at lower altitudes.

Expect sunny slopes again Wednesday, says MeteoSwiss.
Ski report, Alps

Several lifts are closed Saturday morning due to a mix of snow and high winds, with local situations varying considerably. At 10:00 Saturday:

Crans-Montana Entire area closed due to high winds; next update at noon Saturday.

Gstaad Snowing and winds of 45kph and 32 of 57 lifts open. La Vidamanette and Glacier 3000 area closed.

Morgins La Crete and La Tuche closed, but the rest of the lifts are open, 20cm of fresh snow; snowing.

Verbier About 50 percent open, with Mont Forte and Gentiane closed. Winds at 15-35kph, snowing. Snow depth now at 330cm at Col des Gentianes.

Villars-Gryon Mostly open but Glacier 3000 area closed and link to Diableret opening at 11:00, 30cm of fresh snow.

Zermatt Three Furi lifts open but the rest closed. Snowing, but should end by afternoon, with snow Sunday morning and sun/partly cloudy weather in the afternoon.

Avalanche bulletin

Considerable risk, level 3, in most areas and notably for back country skiers and ski touring, although a large swath north of a line running from the Upper Goms Valley in canton Valais to Andermatt and over to Chur in canton Graubuenden has a high risk, level 4.

“The bonding of the new fallen snow and snowdrift to the surface of the old snowpack is generally unfavourable. The old snowpack is favourably structured far and wide. Particularly on the Main Alpine Ridge and in the Upper Engadine on north facing slopes above approximately 2500 m, the snowpack layers near the ground are weakly bonded. Numerous avalanche corridors are filled to the brim with snow or have been effectively obliterated by earlier avalanche releases,” reports the national avalanche research centre’s daily bulletin.
Jura ski resorts

Conditions in the Jura resorts have been exceptional. The very cold weather has permitted the making of vast mounds of artificial snow at Crozet and Lélex to fill bare spots later in the season. Sadly, the long spell of clear cold weather broke on Thursday. Three or four days of snow and rain are now predicted. As usual you are encouraged to go to the website of MontsJura.com to see for yourself what the conditions are like on the slopes.

#snow #ski #snowboard #Switzerland #Swiss_Pass #Swiss_Alps #Alps

Writers who created imaginary Graubünden

Posted on January 20, 2012 by admin

SwissRailPasses.com Sils, Graubunden, Switzerland

Nietzsche summer house in Sils, CH

Graubünden is best known for its ski resorts. But the alpine canton also lives in the books of famous authors who came to write there.

Literary tourists on the trail of the great authors in Graubünden often end up at Elisabeth Maranta’s bookshop Il Palantin in the city of Chur, a small, old-fashioned, rather famous, literary bookshop, the shelves crowded with books in the four languages of Switzerland and also English too.

Map Switzerland Chur

Maranta has owned and operated the store for the past 20 years.

“They came here for three reasons,” she says, referring to the great writers who have been drawn to the canton. “They were travelling through, over the mountain passes, to and from Italy, and some of them liked the scenery so much they came back; for the sake of their health; and just as visiting tourists.”

The Nineteenth century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche spent a lot of time in the Engadine valley. What did the mountains mean for his philosophy?

“He started his great work Zarathustra there,” recalls Maranta. “But he also worked on most of his other books in the time he spent there.” Between 1881 and 1888 he spent seven summer holidays in Sils Maria. Today the Nietzsche House, where the author took lodgings, has been made into a museum (see photo).

Nietzsche suffered from terrible headaches. He had looked in various parts of Switzerland for a climate that would help him, but he only found it in Sils-Maria. His idea of the Superman, the exalted wisdom figure who pushes himself to the limit, is largely inspired by the bracing air and lofty landscape he enjoyed in the Engadine.

The French novelist Marcel Proust was also in the Engadine in the 1890s as a young man, and his work Présence réelle, which was published at the time, talks about love in a beautiful landscape.

“He could not be explicit as to the relationship he was talking about, because it was a homosexual affair with a young man from Geneva. But it is a hymn of praise to the Engadine,” says Maranta.

Elisabeth Maranta runs the “Il Palantin ” bookshop in Chur

“The Magic Mountain”

The trace of the Graubünden landscape is much more explicit with Thomas Mann. He came to Davos, where his wife was staying in a sanatorium, in 1912, and he went on to write “The Magic Mountain”.

The hero of the novel, Hans Castorp, arrives in Landquart at the beginning of the story and takes the narrow-gauge Rhaetian railway up into the mountains. Like many visitors after him, he is not sure which station he should get off at in Davos, “Dorf” or “Platz”.

Maranta explains that the Berghof of the novel was the real Wald-Sanatorium, where Mann stayed. Later it became a hotel.

“Mann actually made Davos famous as a health resort. At first local people wanted to sue him when the book came out. They thought ‘he is harming us’. But later they saw things differently and became quite well disposed to him.”

Hippy favourite

Hermann Hesse, a friend of Thomas Mann’s who became the favourite author of the American hippies of the 1960s, also spent a lot of time in Graubünden, although his adopted home was further south in Ticino.

The imaginary alpine province Castalia in his Glass Bead Game, which contains characters based on Nietzsche and Mann, seems to be Graubünden. But where exactly are the monastic settlements where the 25th-century game-players live, the bamboo grove, or the lake where the hero Knecht eventually drowns?

“Castalia has to be seen as a counterweight to the Third Reich,” says Maranta. “It is idealised, in the distant future, so it has really no geographical location.

“You have to remember that all the years Hesse was writing the book, he never set foot in Graubünden. Later he did spend time in Sils-Maria. From the description in the book it must be Lake Sils where Knecht drowns.“

Maranta has an explanation as to why Hesse came back to Graubünden. His wife Ninon had to escape from Ticino because she suffered from asthma. They went up to Sils-Maria every year, although Hesse complained bitterly about the cold.

“Hesse must have been the only writer who did not come to Graubünden voluntarily. He preferred to stay in Ticino, where it was warmer,” she adds with a wry smile.

English-speaking authors

Writers also came to Graubünden from English-speaking countries. Scottish novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson was always in poor health, and came to Davos for the healthy mountain air.

“It was there he wrote most of Treasure Island that is the furthest thing imaginable from the Graubünden Alps,” says Maranta.

James Fenimore Cooper, author of The Last of the Mohicans and other tales of the early American frontier, spent years of his life in Europe, including Switzerland, which he described in travel books. In Graubünden, he got so far as Disentis and the Oberalp pass.

His description of his 1828 trip into the Surselva in search of the source of the upper Rhine descends into broad farce when he discovers that the locals at the inn where he stays speak Romansh and nothing else. A man breaks into his room while he is asleep, and when a startled Cooper jumps out of bed and demands, “Who the devil are you, sir?”, all the man, who has been deputed to act as interpreter for the guest, can manage to say is “serviteur” – “your servant”, his knowledge of languages going no further than that.

Maranta reflects: “That is the only thing I always wonder about: the great German authors, like Nietzsche, talk about meeting locals and talking to them, but did they never notice that the locals had a language of their own – Romansh?”

Terence MacNamee, swissinfo.ch

Austria RailJet Train

Posted on January 19, 2012 by admin

Austria's RailJet Train

Heading down south with ÖBB RailJet

The premium train of ÖBB in now running on the “Südbahn” line.
From now on, ÖBB railjet takes you to Graz, and from 07.11.2011 on to Klagenfurt and Villach, too.

ÖBB are successively converting existing ÖBB Inter-City connections to southern Austria into RailJet connections. In the final stage, ÖBB RailJet will connect Vienna with Graz every hour, and run between Vienna and Villach. In July 2012, the conversion to the premium train will be completed.

Austria's RailJet map

You can choose from three classes on the Austrian ÖBB RailJet

The ÖBB RailJet stands for speed, comfort, design, top modern equipment and a completely new service concept. Its generous service offer and compartment space as well as its state-of-the-art interior guarantee a travel experience in a new dimension and pleasant environment.

In Premium Class you will not only enjoy an exclusive travel ambiance, but also an extensive service offer including tasty delicacies, beverages and many other things. First Class offers you sophisticated leather seats, generous compartment space as well as an ideal atmosphere for work or relaxation. Ergonomic seats with comfortable legroom and the RailJett trolley service await you as passenger in Economy Class.

The ÖBB RailJet offers separate women and men toilets.
Note:

Austria’s fastest restaurant. The RailJett Bistro is turned into a restaurant!
ÖBB RailJet destinations at a glance

From Vienna via Salzburg to Innsbruck, Bregenz and Zurich, from Munich via Vienna to Budapest and to Stuttgart, Mannheim and Frankfurt. Heading south from Vienna to Graz and Vienna to Villach. The ÖBB RailJett takes you to your destination with highest comfort and utmost consideration to our environment.
Tipp:

ÖBB RailJett now operated hourly from Vienna to Salzburg and back!
In addition to the 33 already established ÖBB IC train connections, there is now also an ÖBB RailJet being operated between Vienna and Salzburg every hour.* 32 times daily, you can travel in comfort and with high speed on ÖBB’s premium train from city centre to city centre in only 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Graphic Seat Reservation

Economy compartment in the ÖBB railjet

What is graphic reservation?
Would you like to purchase a ticket on the Internet and at the same time make a seat reservation? Or reserve a seat for a ticket that you have bought at one of the ticket counters? For seats on the railjet trains, this is now possible using the simple and clear graphic reservation page available on the Internet. Graphic seat reservation works the same way as with airlines or in cinemas: simply select your seat on a graphic by clicking it – that’s all it takes to reserve it for you.

How do I find the graphic reservation?
Select “with” or “only” reservation under Seat reservation in the Online Ticket section of the ÖBB website, If you want to reserve a seat in Premium Class, please select 1st class. Select the respective connection on the next page. If the selected connection is a railjet train, the button

Instructions for the graphic seat reservation

1. Car information
You can see at the first glance the travel direction of the train – the locomotive is not always in front – and whether the direction changes during your trip on the railjet. The cars corresponding with your selected class are available for seat reservation. “Greyed out” cars are cars of other classes. Clicking them will display further information on these cars.

If you move the mouse across the individual cars in the train view or click e.g. “Kinderwagenabstellplätze [Pushchair bays]” or “Bistro” in the field “Im Zug verfügbar [Available on the train]“, you can immediately see where these special areas are located on the train.

2. Seat reservations
Markings show the seats that are still available and whether the seating direction will change during the trip. Furthermore, there is an overview on how many seats can still be selected.

If you move the mouse across the individual elements in the car view or select e.g. “WC” or “Gepäckablage [Luggage rack]“in the field “Im Wagen verfügbar [Available in the car]“, the requested area will be immediately displayed. And there are photos showing you the respective area.

3. Customer data and reservation
Then the selected seats are displayed once more for confirmation. After having made your selection, continue entering the customer data. If your connection includes a preceding or subsequent train on which seats can be reserved, you will be informed that such seats will also be automatically reserved for you.

ÖBB RailJet Classes of Service

Businessclass compartment in the ÖBB railjet

Economy Class

Economy Class offers ergonomic seats with comfortable legroom as well as laptop tables and power outlets allowing you to work efficiently during your trip. There are also large luggage racks available where you can easily store all your baggage.

And you can get railjet trolley coffee, cold beverages and snacks from the Trolley service of the railjet team.

The ÖBB railjet offer in Economy Class also includes cinema entertainment for children.

First Class

Recline in a comfortable leather seat offering you an optimal atmosphere to work or relax and enjoy the general compartment space with its extra large tables.

If you feel like having something to eat or drink from the menu, you can have it brought to your seat by the railjet crew.
Your First Class ticket also includes the following services:

welcome drink
cold towel
an extensive range of newspapers and magazines

Premium Class

The Premium Class is the “TOP class” in the ÖBB railjet and is tantamount to a sense of utmost wellbeing:

Premium seat
Take a seat in one of the comfortable Premium Class chairs, which can be adjusted according to your needs, allowing you to find the ideal working or reading position. The Premium seat has an integrated leg support ensuring utmost relaxation during your trip on the railjet.

Premium service
Let yourself be spoilt on your trip by the Meinl am Graben team.
For a surcharge of 25,- Euro (surcharge to 1st class ticket), your Premium Class ticket includes:

hot towel
an extensive range of newspapers and magazines
warm and cold beverages
gourmet catering

If you would like to eat à la carte (pay service), you can have your food served at your seat.

The ÖBB RailJet Bistro & Restaurant

Bistro wagon in the ÖBB railjet

It makes you feel like sitting in a nice little restaurant savouring your coffee.

ÖBB’s railjet restaurant* has 14 seats and is the perfect place to enjoy a culinary treat with pleasant company during your trip. Because the restaurant has something to offer for any craving: from small snack to a complete lunch.

**The railjet Bistro* awaits you with culinary highlights.**

You will be pleasantly surprised by the extensive offer of Austrian “Schmankerln”, international specialities and seasonal dishes. Apart from having a coffee at the bar, you can also get yourself something to eat and drink from the railjet Bistro and enjoy it in comfort at your seat.

* All ÖBB railjet Bistros will be converted into restaurants by the end of 2012.

The ÖBB RailJet has additional equipment

Luggage rack in the ÖBB railjet

Passenger information system
The passenger information system of the ÖBB railjet gives you all timetable information during your trip on 80 monitors throughout the train and shows the actual route of your train on digital maps. The passenger information system also has an electronic reservation display so you can easily find your seat.

Infopoint
The railjet team at the Infopoint of the ÖBB railjet will be happy to assist you with any questions you may have. Here, you can also make reservations or bookings.

Barrier free access
The ÖBB railjet offers special equipment and services to passengers with limited mobility:

vehicle-integrated lift
3 seats for wheelchair users
toilet with barrier free access
power outlets (suitable for wheelchair batteries)
space for guide dog
assistance call service
all meals and beverages brought to your seat from the railjet Bistro

FREE Wi-Fi ob the ÖBB RailJet

WLAN in the ÖBB railjet

While travelling in Austria, access our ÖBB Wi-Fi in the ÖBB railjet, to ensure you stay online even while your are on the road. Surfing the Internet or staying in touch with friends, acquaintances and colleagues during your journey just became a lot easier.

The first Wi-Fi trains will be operated on the Western route by the end of 2011. By the end of 2012, all railjets will be equipped with Wi-Fi, including those in operation on the Southern route. Once a railjet has been equipped with Wi-Fi, it will be marked with the Wi-Fi logo, which is placed directly at the entrance door. The Wi-Fi service will be available on the entire Austrian route network (Western and Southern routes).

The availability of the Wi-Fi service, of course, also depends on the mobile service operators’ network coverage. In certain areas there may, therefore, be restrictions.

What you need
In order to go online via the ÖBB railjet’s Wi-Fi service, you need a device (e.g. notebook, smart phone or tablet PC) with Wi-Fi capabilities. The ÖBB railjet’s free Wi-Fi service is only available within Austria.

Quick and easy: here’s how it works

Get onboard the ÖBB railjet. Start your device. Please ensure that your Wi-Fi device and your software are configured correctly.

Choose the network with the name or SSID of “OEBB”
Open your Internet browser, and after entering any URL you will automatically be redirected to ÖBB railjet’s Wi-Fi homepage
After accepting the terms of use in the ÖBB railjet, you can surf the Internet for free

Required Wi-Fi settings
On your device, the option to obtain a dynamic IP address must be activated.
For this, you need to make the following settings. For most end devices, these are the default settings:

Channel selection =automatic
Network name (= SSID) = “OEBB”
DHCP (obtain IP address automatically) = activated
Encryption = deactivated

For customers who also use their end device for business purposes
Please ensure that any automatic configuration, as well as any proxy server is not activated in your Internet browser. You may need to access ÖBB’s homepage. You will find this at: http://www.oebb.at

Quality of ÖBB’s Wi-Fi service
UMTS antennas on the ÖBB railjet receive and bundle the data signals from mobile service providers. This allows ÖBB railjet to provide you with a wireless Internet connection. The availability and quality of the Internet service on the ÖBB railjet depends mainly on the coverage of the mobile service network along the tracks of the route. We therefore ask for your comprehension that in areas with little mobile service infrastructure, the availability of the Internet service cannot be guaranteed.

Fair use principle
The ÖBB Wi-Fi service on the ÖBB railjet is operated under the fair use principle. This means that the available bandwidth provided by the mobile service providers is distributed equally and fairly among all users. Data-intensive services such as video streaming, online gaming, etc. may therefore be restricted.

CLICK HERE for information and booking on the RailJet

Faith-Based-Travel in Switzerland – Swiss Churches

Posted on January 17, 2012 by admin

St. Martin's, built around 1500, Chur Switzerland

Mountains, lakes, cathedrals. Visitors to Switzerland are being encouraged to discover sites of spiritual significance alongside other attractions.

The Swiss churches have joined forces with Switzerland Tourism to launch “Switzerland’s Religious Landscape”, aimed at providing Swiss and foreign visitors with an overview of the country’s religious heritage.

Launched at the end of 2011, the German and English language website details the different faiths represented in Switzerland and provides links to information about religious history, sacred buildings and places of pilgrimage.

“Faith-based travel is an interesting niche market for Switzerland,” said Alex Hermann, director for North America at Switzerland Tourism. He added, however, that it was hard to gauge the size of this market.

Lorenz Moser of the Catholic Commission on Tourism, Leisure and Pastoral Care for Pilgrims told swissinfo.ch the site was aimed at all tourists – domestic and foreign.

“It is important to us that tourists are also confronted with the religious dimension and can find information on that. Of course for us there’s also a pastoral aspect to this,” he said.

Hermann points out that Switzerland has plenty of sites for visitors interested in the Christian faith, including the abbey at Einsiedeln, cathedrals such as St Gallen’s, pilgrimage sites such as Flueli-Ranft and part of the Way of St James, which crosses Switzerland from the northeast to the west.

City tours

“Then there are cities with a specific connection to the life of a person of faith. For example, Calvin and Geneva or Zwingli and Zurich as two of the defining personalities of the Reformation in Europe,” he added.

Reformation Tours is a United States-based operator, organising five to ten trips to Switzerland a year.

“The main places we go to are Geneva and Zurich. We often have a couple of nights in Grindelwald [in the Bernese Oberland] so people can go to the Alps,” vice-president Rowena Drinkhouse told swissinfo.ch.

“We plan on travelling with groups to Switzerland more in the future. It’s such a beautiful country, there is so much Christian heritage, and it is an excellent place to travel by either road or rail.”

Hermann says many faith-based tours of Europe make a stop in Switzerland. Usually participants want to combine normal sightseeing with visits to places of religious significance.

“Travellers are not exclusively looking for sites with a religious connection; they combine these with popular sightseeing attractions or even elements of active vacations including walking or hiking trips,” he said.

Christian bias?

The website is the brainchild of the Roman Catholic Church, the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches and Switzerland Tourism, and is currently slanted towards the main Christian churches. But other churches and religious communities are encouraged to provide information of their own, as Moser explained.

“The concept is for as neutral as possible an overview of the different faiths in Switzerland,” said Moser.

“The separate religions then have the chance to present themselves in more detail, as the Catholic Church has done. But apart from the Protestant Church no other faith group has yet shown an interest.”

Contacted by swissinfo.ch, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities said they were “not aware” of the Religious Landscape site. Judaism is the fifth-biggest faith group in Switzerland after Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism but has a long history in the country.

Jewish history

“It is not our aim to provide touristic information, but we provide information about Judaism in Switzerland on our website,” general-secretary Jonathan Kreutner told swissinfo.ch.

“We are the umbrella organisation of the Jewish communities in Switzerland, and when people contact us for information, we connect them with the specific communities.”

According to Kreutner, there are many Jewish historical sites in Switzerland, which could be of interest to visitors, including the synagogue in Endingen in northern Switzerland.

“Endingen and Lengnau were the only villages where Jews were allowed to live until the late 19th century,” he said, adding that there is a Jewish Culture Path in Endingen-Lengnau.

He also points out that there are a number of Jewish historical buildings in cities such as Zurich and Geneva, which were home to sizeable communities. Also, tours of “Jewish Zurich” are offered by the Zürcher Lehrhaus, an educational establishment promoting dialogue between Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Lacking visibility

As the project has only been running a couple of months, it is unclear how much resonance it has found among tourists.

Moser says there are no reliable statistics yet on the number of visitors to the site. But he is not particularly upbeat – “I’m afraid not many visitors will have discovered it as it’s rather buried on the Switzerland Tourism site and not easy to find.”

“Our agreement with the Commission on Tourism, Leisure and Pastoral Care for Pilgrims was to provide a link to Switzerland’s Religious Landscape on the Switzerland Tourism website. This link now appears among all external links regarding culture in Switzerland,” responded Switzerland Tourism’s Véronique Kanel.

“In addition, we sent out the press release on behalf of the Commission on Tourism, Leisure and Pastoral Care for Pilgrims, giving the new website an optimal media exposure in Switzerland.”

Hermann of Switzerland Tourism is optimistic though that religious tourism is a growth area.

“Faith-based travel allows us to target potential visitors, especially in parts of the US which traditionally don’t belong to our key markets, such as the Midwest and more rural parts.”

This article was written by Morven McLean and Karin Kamp, of swissinfo.ch

#SwissRailPasses.com #SwissPass #SwissRailPass

Casino’s in Switzerland

Posted on January 17, 2012 by admin

List/directory of gambling Casinos in Switzerland.

Keep in mind that casinos in Switzerland are “European” style casinos where the games, rules, odds and such may be different from American casinos. See the description of Switzerland Casinos below.

Bad Ragaz – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Bad Ragaz.

Casino Bad Ragaz,
CH-7310, Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 (0)81 303 39 39, Email: casino@casinoragaz.ch, Website: www.resortragaz.ch
Nearest Airport: Zurich, 110 km
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport : Required
Dress Code: Casual (A jacket is required in the live game area)
Gaming Currency: Swiss Francs
Opening Times: Sunday to Thursday 14.00 to 03.00, Friday and Saturday 14.00 to 04.00. Live game from 18.00. Closed Good Friday and 24 December
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines (all slot machines are linked with a mystery jackpot – Tamina Slot Jackpot), Electronic Multi-Roulette; Live table games: American Roulette (4), Black Jack (2), Stud Poker (1 – with Tamina Stud Jackpot)
Facilities: Golden Wave Bar
[Aug 2007 last update]

Baden – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Baden.

Grand Casino Baden,
Haselstrasse 2, 5400 Baden, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 56 204 0707, Fax: +41 56 204 0708, Website: www.grandcasinobaden.ch
Opening Times: 3:00pm to 4:00am, (Slots from 12:00 noon)
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines; Live table games: American Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker
[Aug 2007 last update]

Basel – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Basel.

Grand Casino Basel (Groupe Tranchant),
Flughafenstrasse 225, CH-4025 Basel / Bâle, Switzerland. Phone: +41 61 327 2020, Fax: +41 61 327 2030, E-Mail: infograndcasinobasel@groupetranchant.com, Website: www.grandcasinobasel.com
Nearest Airport: EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (the Airport is nearby)
Minimum Gaming age: 18
Entrance Fee: Free admission
ID/Passport: Required
Opening Times: Sun-Thu 12:00pm-3:00am, Fri, Sat and Holidays 12:00pm-5:00am
Dress Code: Smart/Casual
Games to play: Slot Machines (349 total, 12 Touch-bet Electronic Roulette); Live table games (15 total): American Roulette (Mon-Sat 6 tables, Sun 7 tables), Blackjack (5 tables), Poker (2 tables Texas Hold’em among players, 1 table Ultimate Texas Hold’em against the casino); Poker tournaments on Sundays (5-7 small tournaments), one table 11 players.
Restaurants/Bars: 3 Bars, 2 restaurants – le restaurant Chez Georges, la Brasserie. Non-stop hot food until late at night.
Facilities: Multilingual Staff, Free Parking, Entertainment (one event hall, ongoing events)
Hotel accommodation: Airport Hotel Basel (opening 6 June, 2007) part of Grand Casino Basel.
Review – Editor’s personal experience at the Grand Casino Basel:
This is a very pleasant casino to be in. The food is first class. The atmosphere is welcoming and the personnel are friendly and helpful.
Rating: Very good casino!
[May 2007 last update. Reviewed May 2007]
Go to top of this page . See “Casino Reviews” Index page

Bern – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Bern.

Grand Casino Bern (Grand Casino Kursaal Bern AG),
Kornhausstrasse 3, 3000 Bern 25, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 (0)31 339 55 55, Fax: +41 (0)31 339 55 50, Email: info@grandcasino-bern.ch, Website: www.grandcasino-bern.ch
Nearest Airport: Bern, 10
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport : Required
Entrance Fee: Yes, One complimentary drink. Club membership option available giving you free admission, free parking, other advantages and preferential discounts (Membership fee: CHF 990.— per annum).
Dress Code: Smart/Casual (men do not have to wear a jacket and tie)
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs)
Opening Times: Open daily from 11.30am to 2am, Thursday to Saturday 11:30 am – 4:00 am. The gaming tables open at 2 pm every day. The gallery opens at 7 pm every day. Gaming starts: Slots/Video games from 7 pm, Table games from 8 pm.
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines with Swiss Jackpot and Mystery Jackpot progressives, Touchbet Roulette (Electronic Roulette); Live table games: American Roulette, Blackjack, Bärenpoker with Bären Pokerjackpot (Tropical/Caribbean Stud Poker with progressive Jackpot), Poker card-room (Texas Hold’Em, Omaha Hold’Em, Seven Card Stud Poker), Poker Tournaments
Facilities: Bar, Non-smoking area, Parking
Remarks: Kursaal Bern Corporation’s unique mix of amenities: 4-star Lifestyle Hotel Allegro, four restaurants, four terraces, three bars, conference and seminar facilities, plus the Grand Casino – all under one roof. There are also Food/Hotel/Entertainment + Casino packages (see casino website above for details).
[Aug 2007 last update]

Courrendin – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Courrendin.

Casino Barrière du Jura,
Sur Haute Rive 1, BP 57, CH-2830 Courrendin, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 32 436 10 80, Fax: +41 32 436 10 81, Email: casinojura@lucienbarriere.com, Website: www.lucienbarriere.com
Nearest Airport: Basel, 40 km
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Smart/Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF, major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Slots/video games Sun to Thu 10am to 3am, Fri and Sat 10am to 4am. Table games Mon to Thu 6:15pm to 2:45am, Fri and Sat 6:15 to 3:45am, Sun 3pm to 2:45am
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines; Live table games: American Roulette (2), Blackjack (2), Stud Poker (2)
Facilities: Restaurant, Bar, Parking
[Aug 2007 last update]

Crans-Montana – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Crans-Montana.

Casino de Crans-Montana,
CH-3963 Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 27 485 9040, Fax: +41 27 485 9041, Email: info@casinocm.ch, Website: www.casinocm.ch
Opening Times: 10am to 4am, daily, Fri and Sat to 5am
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines (131); Live table games: American Roulette, Blackjack, Poker
Facilities: Restaurant, Bar
[Aug 2007 last update]

Davos-Platz – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Davos-Platz.

Casino Davos,
Promenade 63, 7270 Davos Platz, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 81 410 03 03, Fax: +41 81 410 03 09, Email: info@casinodavos.ch, Website: www.casinodavos.ch
Nearest Airport: Zurich, 200 km
ID/Passport: Required
Gaming Currency: CHF, All major currencies accepted
Opening Times: daily from 2pm, table games from 7pm
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines; Live table games: American Roulette, Blackjack, Poker
Facilities: Bar
[Aug 2007 last update]

Geneve – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Geneve.

Casino du Lac Meyrin,
Hotel Mövenpick, Case postale 1822, 1215 Genève 15 Aéroport, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 22 592 0000, Fax: +41 22 592 0001, Website: www.meyrin.casinos.ch
Nearest Airport: Geneve
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Daily from 10am to 5am, table games from 4pm
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines; Live table games: American Roulette, Black Jack, Stud Poker
Facilities: Restaurant, Bar, Parking
[Aug 2007 last update]

Granges-Paccot – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Granges-Paccot.

Casino Barrière de Fribourg,
Route du Lac 11, CH-1763 Granges-Paccot, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 26 467 7000, Fax: +41 26 467 7007, Email: casinodefribourg@lucienbarriere.com, Website: www.lucienbarriere.com
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Smart/Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: 11:45am to 3am, daily, weekends to 4am. Gaming starts at 11.45 am for slots/video games and 6pm for table games.
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines, Automatic/Electronic Roulette; Live table games: American Roulette (2), Blackjack (2), Stud Poker (2)
Facilities: Restaurant, Bar, Parking
[Aug 2007 last update]

Interlaken – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Interlaken.

Casino Interlaken (Casino Kursaal Interlaken),
Strandbadstrasse 44, CH-3800, Interlaken, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 33 827 62 10 (+41 33 827 61 00), Fax: +41 33 827 61 05, Email: info@casino-interlaken.ch, Website: www.casino-interlaken.ch (part of www.casino-kursaal.ch)
Nearest Airports, by car: Bern Airport 45 minutes, Basel Airport 1.5 hours, Zurich Airport 2.0 hours, Geneva Airport 2.5 hours
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Yes
Dress Code: Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Daily from 12.00 noon to 02.00 am, Friday and Saturday until 03.00 am. Table games start from 6.00 pm daily – Sunday from 4.00 pm
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines (128); Live table games: American Roulette, Blackjack, Texas Hold’em Poker
Facilities: 2 Restaurants
[Aug 2007 last update]

Locarno – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Locarno.

Grand Casino Locarno (Casinò Locarno SA),
Largo Zorzi 1, Casella postale (BP) 1543, 6601 Locarno, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 (0)91 756 30 30, Fax: +41 (0)91 756 30 31, Email: info@casinolocarno.ch, Website: www.casinolocarno.ch
Nearest Airports: Magadino and Lugano
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Dress Code: Smart/Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Daily from 12.00 noon to 03.00 am, Friday and Saturday until 04.00 am. Table games start from 5 pm.
Games to play: 150 Slots/Video Machines; Live table games (8): 4 American Roulette (min. from 2 CHF), Blackjack, Ticino Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em Poker (card games min. from 10 CHF)
Facilities: Restaurant, Bar
Review – Editor’s personal experience at the Grand Casino Locarno:
This is a small and nice casino but not busy. The management and casino personnel are friendly and helpful. There is a casino bar in the gaming hall and a bistro just outside the casino entrance, next to the reception desk, serving good food at very resonable prices and the service is excellent. There is one main gaming area with slots, roulette and card games, and a separate small smoking gaming room with slots only.
Rating: Good casino!
[Mar 2009 last update. Reviewed Mar 2009]
Go to top of this page . See “Casino Reviews” Index page

Lugano – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Lugano.

Casino Lugano (Casinò di Lugano),
Via Stauffacher 1, casella postale (BP) 6482, 6901 Lugano, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 91 973 7111, Fax: +41 91 973 7149, Email: info@casinolugano.ch, Website: www.casinolugano.ch
Nearest Airport: Lugano, 5 km
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Smart/Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Daily from 12.00 noon to 04.00, Friday and Saturday until 05.00; Table games from 17:00
Games to play: 350 Slots/Video Machines, Automatic/Electronic TouchBet Roulette, Sega Royal Ascot Electronic Horse Racing; Live table games (29): American Roulette, French Roulette, Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, Punto Banco/Baccarat, Poker (roulette min. from 5 CHF, card games min. from 10 CHF); Cardroom area: Texas Hold’em (4 tables)
Facilities: Restaurant, Snack bar, Parking, Promotions
Review – Editor’s personal experience at the Casino Lugano:
This is a large casino with gaming spread on four floors. The first and second floors have slots, video games and other electronic games including touchbet roulette and SEGA horse racing. The third and fourth floors have table games and some slot machines. The fourth floor is also a smoking gaming area. There is a snack bar and a restaurant. The food is very good but pricey.
Rating: Good casino!
[Mar 2009 last update. Reviewed Mar 2009]
Go to top of this page . See “Casino Reviews” Index page

Luzern – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Luzern.

Grand Casino Luzern,
Haldenstrasse 6, CH-6006 Luzern, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 (0)41 418 56 56, Fax: +41 (0)41 418 56 55, Email: info@grandcasinoluzern.ch, Website: www.grandcasinoluzern.ch
Nearest Airport: Lugano, 90 km
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Yes
Dress Code: Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Daily from 12.00 noon to 04.00 am
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines (243), Automatic/Electronic TouchBet Roulette (16); Live table games: American Roulette (5), Black Jack Tische, Texas Hold’em Poker (1), Ultimate Texas Hold’em (1), Lion Jackpot Poker (1), Punto Banco/Baccarat (1)
Facilities: 2 Restaurants, Bar, Parking
Remarks: Dinner + Casino, Hotel & Dinner + Casino packages (see casino website above for details)
[Aug 2007 last update]

Mendrisio – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Mendrisio.

Casino Admiral Mendrisio (Casinò Admiral SA),
Fox Town shopping centre, Via Angelo Maspoli 18, 6850 Mendrisio. Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 (091) 640 50 20, Fax: +41 (091) 640 50 25, Email: welcome@casinomendrisio.ch, Website: www.casinomendrisio.ch
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Sun – Thu 11.00 – 05.00 hrs; Fri, Sat and days before public holidays 11.00 – 07.00 hrs. Gaming times: Sun – Thu 13.00 – 05.00 hrs; Fri, Sat and days before public holidays 13.00 – 06.00 hrs
Games to play: 150 Slots/Video Machines; Live table games (31): 18 American Roulette, 9 Black Jack, 4 Punto Banco/Baccarat (roulette min. from 5 CHF, card games min. from 10 CHF)
Facilities: Restaurant, Snack bar, Bar, Parking (free), Shopping centre
Remarks: Casino Admiral Mendrisio is part of the Fox Town (www.foxtown.com) shopping complex with 160 stores, 7 bars and restaurants, 1200 parking spaces, and is open seven days a week, including public holidays, from 11am to 7pm.
Review – Editor’s personal experience at the Casino Admiral in Mendrisio:
This is a large casino inside a shopping centre. Many table games and 150 slots/video machines. There is a casino restaurant and a snack bar and a complimentary mini-buffet. The food is good, the service is good and the prices are reasonable. Entrance is free and no registration is required. However, a passport or photo-ID is required. Open daily from 11am for slots and table games start at 1pm. Pleasant atmosphere and friendly casino staff. Access to the casino is possible from inside the shopping centre and from the street.
Rating: Very good casino!
[Mar 2009 last update. Reviewed Mar 2009]
Go to top of this page . See “Casino Reviews” Index page

Montreux – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Montreux.

Casino Barrière de Montreux,
Rue du Théâtre 9, CH-1820 Montreux, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 21 962 83 83, Fax: +41 21 962 83 90, Email: casinomontreux@lucienbarriere.com, Website: www.lucienbarriere.com
Nearest Airport: Geneve, 80 km
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free. Club membership option available giving you advantages and preferential discounts
Dress Code: Smart/Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Slots/video games 11am to 3am daily, Fri and Sat to 5am. Table games 4pm to 3am daily, Fri and Sat to 5am
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines (363), Automatic/Electronic Multi-Roulette (12), Royal Ascot Electronic Horse Racing; Live table games: American Roulette (9), French Roulette (1), Blackjack (9), Stud Poker (2), Punto Banco/Baccarat (2), Hold’em Poker (2)
Facilities: 3 Restaurants, 2 Bars, Disco, Private pool, Convention and meeting space, Shopping, Parking, Handicap/Disabled access
[Aug 2007 last update]

Pfaeffikon – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Pfaeffikon.

Casino Zurichsee (Casino Zürichsee AG),
Seedammstrasse 3, 8808 Pfäeffikon SZ, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 (0) 55 416 30 30, Fax +41 (0) 55 416 30 31, Website: www.casinozuerichsee.ch
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Smart
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: 364 days a year; Sunday to Wednesday 12.00 to 03.00, Thursday to Saturday 12.00 to 04.00; Table games commence at 15.00. Closed Christmas Day (25 December
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines (150) with the Mystery Jackpot; Live table games: American Roulette, Black Jack, Tropical Stud Poker
Facilities: Parking, Casino Bar, Restaurant Plaetzli, Japanese Restaurant, 4-Star Congress Hotel, Banquet and party rooms for events with up to 1’000 people, Seminars and congress rooms for 4 to 400 people, Fitness and Wellness club
Remarks: Dinner + Casino, Hotel & Dinner + Casino packages (see casino website above for details). The Zürichsee Casino is within the Hotel Seedamm Plaza.
[Aug 2007 last update]

Schaffhausen – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in Schaffhausen.

Casino Schaffhausen (CSA Casino Schaffhausen AG),
Herrenacker 7, Postfach (BP) 205, 8201 Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 (0)52 630 30 30, Fax: +41 (0)52 630 30 31, Website: www.casinoschaffhausen.ch
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Smart
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Daily from 14.00 to 03.00, Fridays and Saturdays till 05.00, 362 days a year. Closed on Good Friday, national Penance day, Christmas Eve (December 24).
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines with Mystery Jackpot; Live table games: American Roulette, Blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold’em Poker
Facilities: Snack Bar, Parking, Event hall
[Aug 2007 last update]

St Gallen – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in St Gallen.

Grand Casino St. Gallen (Grand Casino St. Gallen AG),
St. Jakob Strasse 55, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland. Casino Phone +41 (0)71 394 30 30, Fax: +41 (0)71 394 30 31, Website: www.grandcasinostgallen.ch
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Smart/Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: 365 days a year, Sunday to Thursday 12.00 to 03.00, Friday and Saturday 12.00 to 04.00; Table games open at 15.00.
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines (75) with Jackpots; Live table games: American Roulette, Black Jack, Tropical Stud Poker, Texas Hold’em Poker
Facilities: Hotel, Parking, Snack Bar
Remarks: Dinner + Casino, Hotel & Dinner + Casino packages (see casino website above for details). The Casino St. Grand Casino St. Gallen is on the ground floor of the Radisson SAS Hotel.
[Aug 2007 last update]

St. Moritz – There is 1 listed land-based gambling casino in St Moritz.

Casino St. Moritz (Casino St. Moritz AG),
Kempinski Grand Hôtel des Bains, Via Mezdi 29, CH-7500 St. Moritz 3, Switzerland. Casino Phone: +41 (0)81 837 54 54, Fax: +41 (0)81 837 54 50, Email: info@casinostmoritz.ch, Website: www.casinostmoritz.ch
Nearest Airport: Zurich
Minimum Gaming Age: 18
ID/Passport: Required
Entrance Fee: Free
Dress Code: Smart/Neat Casual
Gaming Currency: CHF (Swiss Francs), major currencies and credit cards accepted
Opening Times: Summer season June – October daily 20.00 – 03.00 hrs. Winter season December – April, Sunday – Thursday 20.00 – 03.00 hrs, Friday – Saturday 20.00 – 04.00 hrs. Season breaks: May & November
Games to play: Slots/Video Machines (75) with Mystery Jackpot; Live table games: American Roulette (3), Black Jack (2), “Piz Nair” Stud Poker (1)
Facilities: Hotel, Parking, Event hall
Remarks: Dinner + Casino, Hotel & Dinner + Casino packages (see casino website above for details). The Casino St. Moritz is located in the west wing of the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains.

* * Above information courtesy of Land-based gambling Casinos * *

Description of Switzerland Casinos:

Although slot parlours have existed in Switzerland for many years, „real“ casinos are a relatively new phenomenon here. Five years ago the Swiss Government introduced a new set of laws governing casinos in exchange for issuing casino licences. The laws are policed by the Swiss Gaming Commission , known as the ESBK (Eidgenössische Spiel-Bank Kommission).

Two types of licenses were issued:-

A-Licence (Grand Casino) : Unrestricted licence that allows the operator to offer many different table games and slot machines, with no real capping on maximum bet. 7 of these exist (Baden, Basel, Bern, Lucerne, Montreux, Lugano, St. Gallen).

B-Licence (Casino) : Restricted licence. Generally restricted to 3 table games (normally American Roulette, Black Jack and Tropical Stud Poker). Maximum bet on slot machines of 25chf, table games also normally capped. All casinos in Switzerland not in the above list are B-licences. One exception: Mendrisio is a B-licence with that resembles more like an A-Licence. This place has more tables than most A casinos, to cater to the cross-border punters. (Apparently, Italians don’t mind a little punt now and then J)

With the introduction of these licenses, all poker machine and table gaming activity is confined to these locations.

Sounds great, but the Casinos have a few important rules to follow:

Social Concept / Responsible Gaming : Probably the strictest in the world. You must produce a Passport, Resident Permit or CH-Drivers licence to enter a casino in Switzerland. Your name is then checked against a database of names from people who either are banned from entering (barred patrons) or have playing restrictions (eg. casino employees, shareholders, etc). If you have no ID, you cannot enter.

There are two types of barred patrons: Voluntary (initiated by patron) and involuntary (initiated by casino). Cheats and thieves usually get a permanent CH-wide ban. In some cases, a temporary and/or local ban can also initiated (eg. drunken patron who needs to get the message).
Voluntary bans are a serious thing. If a patron feels he/she is becoming a gambling addict, they can asked to be banned. This is a minimum of 1 year, at the end of which the patron must prove that he/she has the financial means to enter the casino again.
Casinos can be heavily fined (up to 500,000chf) or have their licence revoked for not checking ID at entry and/or allowing banned players to enter. Statistics and records are subject to frequent ESBK audit, and casinos have been criticised for not identifying problem players earlier.

Surveillance: In Switzerland its overkill. Camera footage is saved for either 7 or 28 days, depending on the regulatory requirements. The ESBK can make snap inspections and review footage at anytime.

Tax: Casinos pay at least 40% on the gross gaming income. This could go up in the future.
Player winnings from casinos located in Switzerland, including Jackpot payouts, are not subject to taxation on the win itself. You only pay tax on it if it ends up as part of your assets. Winning from casinos OUTSIDE Switzerland are subject to taxation.

Casinos are subject to Money Laundering monitoring requirements. If you cash out more than 15’000chf in a given gaming day, your transactions will be registered.

Already some casinos here have failed, in particular those in mountain resorts (Arosa and Zermatt), while others still struggle. Others, particularly A-Casinos, enjoy good results.

PLANNING TO HAVE A PUNT? A FEW TIPS:

Casinos are basically taxation for the statistically challenged. All games (except Player vs Player games like Texas Poker) favour the house to varying amounts. If you must play, table games are the best for a disciplined player. Slots will most likely ruin you over time.

Bring ID (passport, Drivers licence, permit). No ID, no entry.
Most casino floor staff speak basic English. Table Gaming staff normally speak good English. However, the official game language is always the local language.
Credit cards/EC cards are normally not accepted, but ATMs are often nearby.
Black Jack min is normally 10chf, Roulette 5chf. Some casinos offer Tropical Stud, Punto Banco, Texas Holdem, Baccarat or French Roulette.
The Roulette wheel is a French style (single “0”). If the 0 falls, all even chances are halved instead of completely lost to the house. Playing outside chances on Roulette is the “best” theoretical return for the player of any casino game.
Slots range from 5 rappen to 1chf credits. I have seen machines that have a total max. bet of 90CHF PER SPIN.
The most popular slot machine in Switzerland is the Super Cherry, a very simple 3-reel with some basic features. It is a very volatile machine, meaning that it occasionally gives big payouts, but most of the time it will empty your pockets really quick. Avoid it like the plague…in fact avoid all slot machines if you can unless you enjoy giving your money away.
All casinos have some sort of local mystery jackpot attached to their slots. This jackpot must go off before 100,000chf.
The A-Casinos are linked to the Swiss Jackpot. This is a WAP jackpot (Wider Area Progressive). On certain machines you have the chance to win this, and it usually goes off somewhere between 1 and 4 million francs.

Relative Links:

www.esbk.ch (Gaming Commission)

The above information is courtesy of englishforum.ch

#Swiss_Rail_passes #Swiss_Pass

Swiss Photo of The Day 1-14-2012

Posted on January 15, 2012 by admin

Swiss Photo of the day 1-14-12

Local hero Beat Feuz has won Saturday’s classic Lauberhorn downhill race in the Swiss Alps.

Hannes Reichelt of Austria and Italy’s Christof Innerhofer came second and third respectively, ahead of another Swiss, Carlo Janka.

Bode Miller finished fifth while Didier Cuche did not make it into the top ten.

An estimated 30,000 spectators followed the race – the longest and one of the oldest of the World Cup circuit – along the 4.5km race track from the top of the Lauberhorn down to the resort of Wengen.

13-15 January 2012 – Weekend snow and winter sports report – SNOW CONDITIONS ARE EXCELLENT

Posted on January 14, 2012 by admin

Swiss Snow Report January 13-15, 2012

Here is the weed end for January 13-15 2011snow report from great people at genevalunch.com

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The huge piles of snow dumped on Switzerland and neighbouring France are turning ski resorts into winter wonderlands and there is an amazing mix of things to do.

Our Jura correspondent, Shirley Curran, was skiing on the mountains you pass over as you fly into Geneva, Friday afternoon, and she says the weather was good (just a few clouds), the snow fantastic, and too few people in Geneva seem to realize that fast chairs, excellent snow and very good slopes are just 20-30 minutes from home.

Weather forecast should send you to the hills

Temperatures hovering around 0C with some cloudiness in the mornings in the mountains and on the plains, sun in the afternoon Saturday and Sunday in the Alps. Gusting winds are a possibility in the Jura.

For those interested in Swiss mountain life, two bits of news are worth checking out.

Avalanche update

The avalanche danger in most areas has eased considerably in the past five days and is now moderate, 2/5, in most Alpine areas. Saturday avalanche bulletin, WSL

JURA SNOW REPORT

Jura, Switzerland Snow Report January 13-15, 2012

Jura skiing

by Shirley Curran

We have exceptionally good conditions in the Jura mountains at the moment. Cold weather has continued and there is a fine covering of snow everywhere with most of our uphill transport operating and no queues at all.

Why would anyone spend an hour or more driving when impressive conditions are available on the doorstep?

My tip is to go to the montsjura.com website and check the webcams. They are the ‘carte de visite’.

Swiss Alps

Conditions in the Alps could not be better, so expect heavy traffic on the roads Saturday morning: Friday evening was busy.

Consider taking the train; Valais super deal SkiCard

The CFF rail company and resorts offer a number of special rail and ski deals that are worth checking out, for example 30 percent off on 1-2 day passes for Nendaz with 30 percent off on the train, from now to the end of January (snow conditions: excellent).

The pre-paid Valais SkiCard is an excellent deal for anyone who intends to get in a lot of skiing this winter and who wants to ski in several resorts and tests run throughout Switzerland’s busiest resort area. One card gives you access to 54 ski areas and 4 thermal baths; several price options exist, starting at CHF100, and you can buy the card in any one of several locations, with an ID and photo.

Plan ahead

A tip from GenevaLiving: sign up now for the 22 January free day of skiing for your children, at several resorts!

Swiss Steam Engine Snowplough Rides – The Bernina Monster

Posted on January 13, 2012 by admin

RhB Steam Snowplow

Swiss Steam Engine Snowplough Rides – The Bernina Monster
This is the experience of a lifetime for Rail Fans

A minor wonder of the world: It takes a crew of up to ten to pilot the Rhaetian Railway’s steam-driven snowplough Xrot 9213 through the high walls of winter snow that fall on the Bernina Line. Now it is also possible for passengers to witness snow-clearing operations on the highest railway crossing in the Alps.

Veteran railwayman Stefano Crameri makes it a point of honour to supervise the operation in person. The RhB possesses the world’s only still-operational steam-powered snow plough, and a ride on this unique piece or railway history – which dates from 1910 – is a truly unforgettable experience for any vintage railway enthusiast. Experience from close-up mankind’s struggle with the snowy elements! An expert guide is on hand to explain all the technical details, from lubrication to firing-up procedures.

Program
The line forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage site: The trip on a train drawn by steam snow-plough takes you from Morteratsch on Alp Grüm (or from Cavaglia) to Ospizio Bernina. The chance to sample some delicious local cuisine awaits you at Ristorante Albergo Alp Grüm: Man and machine can both enjoy a well-earned rest.

Dates
Saturday 21st January 2012
Saturday 25th February 2012

Timetable

Assemble in Pontresina

09.00 Return to Pontresina

at approx. 16.00

Flat-rate fare in CHF per person
incl. lunch in Alp Grüm

Adults

289.00 No discount

RhB steam snowplow map

Conditions of carriage: We reserve the right to amend fares/prices and timetables. The general terms and conditions of carriage of the Rhaetian Railway apply. Trips are organised on the basis of there being sufficient participants.

NOTE: Reservations must be made directly through the RhB office at

Tel +41 81 288 65 65

Information / Reservations / Sales
The number of seats is limited on all travel-experience rides. No numbered reservations are issued however. Reserve your seat in good time at any manned RhB station, or by contacting Railservice (Tel +41 81 288 65 65)