The Glacier World on Titlis! Winter Fun, Summer Fun, it’s all there on Titlis!

from Snowtubing to the Ice Flyer across the glacier, the Cliff Walk to a stroll through the Glacier Cave, then indulging in a meal or sweets in one of our restaurants at 3000 meters above sea level, the choices are yours!

In the summer, at Trübsee Alpine Lodge Station, you can have fun hiking, mountain biking, rowing on the lake, or have fun at the Titlis Adventure Park.

In the winter there is skiing and snowboarding, tobogganing, ice skating, snowshoe trails, and winter walking.

The world’s first fully revolving cable car transports you conveniently to the Titlis summit station.

For more information: titlis@titlis.ch  Ch-6391 Engelberg, Switzerland. PH:+41416395050

The post Visit Exciting Mount Titlis, Switzerland first appeared on Food, Travel, and Stories from a Swiss Chef Who Cooked Around the World .]]> https://www.ulrichkoepf.website/mount-titlis-switzerland/feed/ 0 https://www.ulrichkoepf.website/castles-of-bellinzona-switzerland/ https://www.ulrichkoepf.website/castles-of-bellinzona-switzerland/#respond Sat, 27 Oct 2018 09:36:39 +0000 https://ulrichkoepf.website/?p=2457 The Castles of Bellinzona are a group of fortifications located around the town of Bellinzona, the capital of the Swiss canton of Ticino. Situated on the Alpine foothills, the group is composed of fortified walls and three castles named Castelgrande, … Read More

The Castles of Bellinzona

are a group of fortifications located around the town of Bellinzona, the capital of the Swiss canton of Ticino. Situated on the Alpine foothills, the group is composed of fortified walls and three castles named Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro. Castelgrande is located on a rocky peak overlooking the valley, with a series of walls that protect the old city and connect to Montebello. Sasso Corbaro, the highest of the three castles, is located on isolated rocky promontory south-east of the other two.^[1] The Castles of Bellinzona with their defensive walls have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

 

Pre-History and Roman era. Bellinzona 

has always occupied an important geographic location in the Alps. To the south, the Po valley is accessible by a lowland route down the valley of the Ticino river and by Lake Maggiore. … The town that grew up around the fortifications was known as Bilitio.

The fight over the Region

Under the control of the Visconti, trade flourished, and the city of Bellinzona grew. Even when an alternative route over the Alps, the Schöllenen bridge opened, traffic in the St. Gotthard increased to the highest levels ever.^[7] During the second half of the 14th century, a long wall, known as the Murata, was built across the entire valley of the Ticino, of which the bottom is about one kilometer wide at Bellinzona. This wall allowed Milan to protect and tax the trade route over the St. Gotthard Pass.^[4] While the city was controlled by Milan through the Visconti after 1340, the Visconti did not have a formal title and feudal rights until 1396, when they were granted by King Wenceslaus. However, the orderly growth of Bellinzona was threatened in 1402 when Duke Gian Galeazzo Visconti died. In 1403, Bellinzona was taken under the control of Alberto di Sacco of Val Mesolcina. He held Bellinzona until 1419, when it was taken over by Uri and Obwalden, which had expanded into the Leventina Valley. Milan attacked the city three years later in 1422, after an offer to buy the city was rejected by the Swiss Confederation. The troops from Uri and Obwalden were quickly driven from the city and later defeated at the Battle of Arbedo on June 30, 1422. This defeat discouraged the expansionist intentions of Uri and its allies towards Lake Maggiore for a time.

My visit to Castelgrande

revealed a beautiful restaurant within the walls of the castle, nestled away in, what seemed like a wine cellar, was the restaurant which was connected to a larger restaurant towards the courtyard of the castle, during the summer, guests can enjoy food and beverages sitting in the open courtyard of the castle. The views over the entire Po valley are breathtaking.

Highlights

• Three castles – the medieval fortifications, with the castles of Castelgrande, Castello di Montebello, and Castello di Sasso Corbaro, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

° Villa Dei Cedri – a municipal art gallery with Swiss and Italian paintings from the late 19th and early 20th century, as well as contemporary art. There is a particular focus on artists from the local area.

• Old Town – in the area around the Piazza Nosetto, Via del Teatro, and Piazza del Governo, the Old Town boasts a wealth of beautiful merchants’ houses, stone gateways, balconies with wrought iron railings, and inn signs from a bygone era.
• Teatro Sociale – inspired by La Scala in Milan, the building is in the typically Italian Classical style and is the only theatre in Switzerland to have been preserved from the 19th century.
• Modern architecture in Bellinzona – in the Castelgrande, the architect Aurelio Galfetti has cleverly integrated a boldly designed restaurant, while the Convento delle Agostiniane on the Monte Carasso has been converted into a modern training center by the architect Luigi Suozzi.

When you visit Switzerland or the North of Italy, I recommend you put this site on your bucket list.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castles_of_Bellinzona

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/bellinzona.html

 

 

The post Castles of Bellinzona, Switzerland first appeared on Food, Travel, and Stories from a Swiss Chef Who Cooked Around the World .]]>

The post Cobblestone Work, Altdorf, Switzerland first appeared on Food, Travel, and Stories from a Swiss Chef Who Cooked Around the World .]]> https://www.ulrichkoepf.website/cobblestone-work-in-altdorf/feed/ 0 https://www.ulrichkoepf.website/burgers-im-clovers-pub-in-schwyz/ https://www.ulrichkoepf.website/burgers-im-clovers-pub-in-schwyz/#respond Wed, 12 Sep 2018 07:52:58 +0000 https://ulrichkoepf.website/?p=2215 Have you eaten at this place? Leave me a message at the end of this page↓ Best Burger in der Stadt! Sie machen keine Witze! Bei einem Besuch in der Stadt Schwyz  hielten wir in einem irischen Pub in der … Read More

Swiss chef Ulrich Koepf has worked all over the world, but his favorite dessert remains a cake from his home canton of Aargau. Here, he takes us on a culinary tour of Switzerland, picking out the local dishes you should look out for.

Click here to read the full magazine write-up

Einige davon sind jedoch nicht so sauber und schön wie sie sein sollten!

Und der Fehler liegt nicht in der Natur, es sind wir die Menschen die rund um den See leben und die Natur mit unserem Müll verschmutzen, insbesondere Plastik, Ballons, Flaschen usw. nach dem Grillieren.

Die Tierwelt rund um den See

Wir beobachteten Enten und Schwäne, die um die verschmutzten Seeufer herum schwimmen, und wie wir alle wissen, und am Fernsehen und social sites sehen, leidet die Tierwelt rund um den See darunter durch diese Verschmutzung.

Unsere Verpflichtung

Nachdem ich im Laufe der Jahre in 8 Ländern gearbeitet und gelebt habe, habe ich viel Vernachlässigung und Umweltverschmutzung erlebt. Die Schweiz ist eines der schönsten Länder in dieser großartigen Welt, man realisiert das wenn man zu vielen verschiedenen Zielen gereist hat. Deshalb ist es wichtig es für die jüngeren Generationen schön und sauber zu halten.

Eines der schönsten Länder dieser Welt

Wir können uns nicht nur darauf verlassen, dass die Regierung unsere Pflichten und verantwortlichkeiten  übernimmt und erfüllt, es liegt an uns allen, an der Schönheit dieses großartigen kleinen, Landes teilzunehmen!

Mein Gattin und ich haben entschlossen, den morgen am letzten Samstag  von jedem Monate zu widmen, um alle Artikel wie Plastik, Papier und Metalle entlang des Seedorf Ufer-Areals aufzuheben.

Samstag, 27. März 2021  10 Uhr – Seedorf Strandbad Restaurant Parkplatz

Sollten Sie daran interessiert sein, sich uns anzuschließen, beginnen wir am Samstag, den 27.März 2021 um 10 Uhr das erste mal für 2021. Treffpunkt ist der Strand restaurant Seedorf Parkplatz.

Bringen Sie Plastik Sack und Handschuhe!

LG Ueli und Nazarine Köpf

The Beautiful Lakeside of  Canton URI !?

However, A few of them are not as clean and beautiful as they should be!

and the fault does not lie within nature, it is us the folks living around it polluting nature with our garbage, especially plastics, balloons, bottles, etc.

The Wildlife

We watched ducks and swans swimming around the dirty, and polluted lake shorelines, and as we all know and have seen on social sites, wildlife feeds suffer through that pollution.

One of the most beautiful countries on this great Planet

Having traveled and lived in five countries over the years I have seen a lot of neglect, waste, and pollution, Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries in this great world of ours, and one realizes that even more after traveling to many different destinations, that is why it is important to keep it beautiful and clean for the younger generations.

Our Responsibility

We can not just rely on the government to do our duties and responsibilities, it is up to all of us to participate in keeping up the beauty of this magnificent little country!

My spouse and I decided to dedicate one morning on the last Saturday of each month to picking up all debris such as plastics, paper, and metals along the Seedorf Shoreline area.

Jaiden’s Catch

Pesca Sportiva Laghetti Audan, Quinto,  Tessin, Switzerland

The Birthplace of Wilhelm Tell, The Swiss Hero

Wilhelm Tell, Swiss Hero

Having lived in half a dozen countries over 40 years, there comes a time when a decision has to be made whether you want to live away from your family circle or join them, wherever they are. I decided to return to my native country of Switzerland, where my Mom (was 100 in January 2021), my sister, and my three sisters-in-law and their families now live. I was personally born and raised in a town called Aarau, in the Canton of Aargau, a town famous for its architectural towers and peaks within the old town, lying on the banks of the Aare River, but that’s worth another story! 

After a long time abroad

It was like being in a Twilight Zone, moving from Miami to Altdorf, a village in the Canton of Uri, surrounded by an absolutely breathtaking mountain range. Altdorf is a large village with approximately 10,000 inhabitants and lots of history. It is where Wilhelm Tell shot the apple off his son’s head with a bow & arrow, and his monument stands tall overlooking the village courtyard. It is also one of the major gateways to Italy via the Base Gotthard Tunnel or Pass.

The village of Altdorf was burnt down three times between 1241 and 1799

and was rebuilt bigger and better after every fire. I could actually see the proof that during a renovation of an apartment, all the supporting ceiling beams were still scorched from the fires back then. My family runs a small, 16-room boutique hotel with a great restaurant and bar. Living here is great, we are within walking distance from work, the post office, shops, banks, and the whole family clan, all 3-5 minutes away, which could be a good or a bad thing!

Danioth is the oldest bakery in town, where they produce some of the finest confiseries and specialty pastries in the canton. You can sit on any of the many terraces of the local restaurants and cafes such as the Restaurant Lehnhof, Cafe Central, and Hotel Zum Schwarzen Loewen, built in 1592, (where The German Poet/Author Johan Von Goethe stayed over), and enjoy the mountain view, breathing fresh, clean and crisp air while enjoying a Kafi Fertig, a very light coffee with lots of Plum Schnapps!

Hotel zum Schwarzen Löwen – Altdorf

My wife drinks two of those Kafi Fertig, and suddenly she rattles away in Swiss German, sometimes Spanish and Italian words mixed in it, lol!

If you want some club action, there is the Tellenbar open until the wee hours. There is Erwin Steinemann Pottery, a local artist producing beautiful handmade pottery items.

A large percentage of the population is working for Daetwiler AG, a local manufacturer of technology and electronics. Attractions are plentiful in the area, the national holiday is August 1st, and the carnival in February is a fun event; the entire village is transformed and participates in this traditional event with lots of parades, everyone wearing creatively designed outfits, and a lot of drinking. They say the birth rate climbs around that time! At the Monastery situated on a hill overlooking the village, they have stone carving lessons where you can learn how to make beautiful stone art by hand. There is a leather shop where they teach you how to make leather items from scratch. Getting to Altdorf from Zurich airport via Luzern is an amazing trip through the countryside and through the carved-out streets along the lakeside. Please put it on your bucket list!

It’s worth a detour!

Best Regards, your Blogging Friend, Ulrich Koepf

Zurich to Locarno,

by train to the southern part of Switzerland.

The Gotthard Tunnel

It was 8 ° Celsius cloudy and raining heading towards the Gotthard tunnel, the longest tunnel in the world at 54 km in length, the ride took 20 minutes, and as soon we came out of the tunnel it was bright and sunny with a temperature of 21° Celsius!

Riding through the valley on the way to our first stop, Bellinzona which is on the other side of the Tunnel; we saw several waterfalls streaming from the snowy mountains. Lunch by the Lake

l

Upon arrival in Locarno, we took off our jackets as it was really warm.
We decided to walk through the narrow streets of the old part of the town when we came across an antique shop by the name of “Bellagio Antichita” ( https://bellerioantichita.wordpress.com ) where we found restored antique furniture, fine jewelry, and sculptures.
This is by far the most interesting antique shop I have visited especially with its lush courtyard in the back. Luggage and Leather shop stores are abundant.
Along the lakeside promenade, there is a range of restaurants with great outdoor dining and people-watching!

We observed that most people strolling around town were really dressed casually chic which gave us the impression of an upscale, cosmopolitan-like small town with a tropical flair!
We stopped at an Italian restaurant called Sensi ( http://www.ristorante-sensi.ch ) serving great upscale Italian fare and great outdoor dining, a perfectly cooked al dente penne with beef bolognese, arugula, and Reggiano cheese made my day and my palate happy, accompanied by a Boston like lettuce salad with balsamic dressing (but the lettuce leaves where left whole layered on top of each other, nice and crisp! )another dish was a Caesar type salad mixed with other greens, 4 extra jumbos grilled shrimp with mustard like dressing, not your usual caesar style but great taste and presentation, Chef Alessandro certainly got my personal compliments!

Drinks on the Floating Ship
The afternoon walk along the 2-mile-long lakeside promenade brought us to the gelato stand where we indulged in homemade gelato, for an afternoon cocktail we stopped at a pier that was leading to a docked ship called “Trinity Boat” a floating bar and restaurant serving Continental and Mexican fare and great drinks. The pier in front of the ship was set up for a large group of 20 people for dinner and while we were enjoying our Pinot Grigio sitting on the swaying pier, with great music in the background, some of the dinner guests slowly arrived gathering around close to where we are sitting.

The wait staff started to bring appetizer plates with nachos, quesadillas, croquettes, mozzarella, and arugula salad with chicken, etc.
The southern hospitality became evident when the host invited us to join them in the feast including the Mojito punch sitting on the table! What a perfect setup for a birthday party.

We had a hard time saying goodbye as we had to head back to catch the train, it was great just sitting along the pier looking at the beautiful glistening lake, the million-dollar yachts listening to great music, and enjoying the warm sun!

On the way back to the train station we stopped off at the restaurant Sensi again for espresso and to say goodbye to our waiter.

Great day, a beautiful town we shall be back for a long weekend! Don’t miss this glorious part of Switzerland!

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