Recommending Local Attractions

In addition to the compelling conference program that will bring you to the 2nd ACM conference on recommender systems, Lausanne (the capital of the Vaud canton of Switzerland) offers a variety of possibilities to explore highly attractive areas throughout Switzerland. Autumn is the golden season for visiting the most spectacular glaciers, wine regions while foliage is at its peak.

Most of the places that we recommend are reachable by the publication transportation system. If you plan to travel for more than few days before or after the conference and visit a few far places from Lausanne, it makes sense to purchase the Europass in your country in advance. The cost can be more reasonable than purchasing train tickets in Switzerland. For public transportation schedules, please go to http://www.sbb.ch/en/index.htm. Notice that even bus schedules can be obtained there.

The following activities are suggested to you based on availabilities of time, proximity to Lausanne, and personal interests.

Wine tasting, scenic and historical sites nearby Lausanne, and hiking. Estimated time: one to two full days

Surrounded by the white tops of the mountains and the soft waves of Lake Geneva, Chillon castle is a historical site as well as a beauty spot. It is built on a rocky island along the antique road to Italy. By train, this castle can be reached from Lausanne in 40 minutes.
Reference: http://www.chillon.ch/en/index.html.

This castle is located nearby Montreux ( http://wikitravel.org/en/Montreux). Within an hour and by a rack train, you can reach The Rochers de Naye (http://www.montreux.ch/naye/ ) where you can get a spectacular view of the lake Geneva, the nearby famous alps, and enjoy some hiking at the same time.

On the way to the Chillon castle, you may be also interested in visiting the wine region either on the same day or in another day.

Imagine yourself high in the Alps, overlooking the clear blue waters of Lake Geneva. There are acres of terraced vineyards all around you following a wide path that cuts across the vineyards, winding through medieval villages and Swiss country cottages. Welcome to the Lavaux Vineyard Trail in Switzerland, just 30 minutes northeast of Geneva, and directly across the lake from Evian, France. This is some of the most beautiful and austere scenery in the world, a perfect place for some hiking and wine tasting.

Source: Hiking the Swiss Wine Trail by Liz Dodder. http://www.egoddess.net/Articles/hiking_the_swiss_wine_trail.htm 

Best areas to visit in Lausanne

Lausanne is a city in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman), and facing Évian-les-Bains (France) and with the Jura mountains to its north. Lausanne is located about 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Geneva. It is the capital of the canton of Vaud and of the district of Lausanne. The headquarter of the International Olympic Committee is located in Lausanne. It lies in the middle of a wine-making region.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lausanne 

Scenic and historical sites nearby Luzern: sightseeing, lake cruises, hiking, souvenir shopping. Estimated time: one to two full days. 

Luzern http://www.luzern.org/en/welcome.cfm

Luzern is within 2 hours of train ride from Lausanne (see train schedules at www.rail.ch) and is located on the Lake Luzern. Thanks to its nearby mountains (the Rigi, Pilatus and Stanserhorn which offer impressive panoramic views of central Switzerland), this city with its beautiful lakeside setting is a favorite touristy destination for those who like cobble stoned European cities as well as those who like to venture to the off-the-beaten-path places.  

Complete with gable paintings, the covered, medieval Chapel Bridge forms the center piece of Luzern’s townscape and is considered to be one of the oldest, covered wooden bridges in Europe. Another landmark of the town is the Museggmauer wall that, with the only exception of its own towers, has been preserved in its original well-fortified state.

Luzern is the ideal starting point for many excursions to the highlights of central Switzerland. A trip up one of Luzern’s regional mountains, the Pilatus or the Rigi – the queen of mountains – is a must. But excursions up onto the Stanserhorn, the Bürgenstock or a steamship cruise on Lake Luzern with its many bends and arms are certainly no less worthy. The Wilhelm Tell Express originates in Luzern and ferries its passengers to the foot of the Gotthard pass via Lake luzern and then continues by rail into Ticino, south of the Alpine ridge. The «cherry road» leads from luzern through the landscape of cheery trees and kirsch.

Highlights

• Chapel Bridge – one of Europe’s oldest wooden bridges and landmark of Luzern, faithfully restored to its original design after a serious fire.
• Culture and Convention Centre of Luzern (KKL) – a multi-functional building with a concert hall, a convention center and a art museum, all under an imposing roof.
• Swiss Museum of Transport – one of the most diverse museums in Europe, it is also a theme park equipped with an IMAX cinema that reveals the history of all forms of transportation and communication in a fascinating way. It is especially appealing to young visitors and those are young at heart.
• Lake Luzern – a lake with its scenic beauty that can be discovered on the many different cruises offered by paddlewheel steamers and motor vessels.
• Pilatus, Rigi, Stanserhorn – nearby mountains made accessible by cableways, offering up picture-book panoramas of the regions around Luzern.

Scenic and historical sites nearby Interlaken: sightseeing, glacier excursions, hiking, souvenir shopping. Estimated time: one to two full days. 

Interlaken  

Interlaken is located in the Bernese Oberland, nestling between Lakes Thun and Brienz at an altitude of 570 meters above the sea level. The name Interlaken literally means in between lakes at the foot of three famous mountains: Eiger, Mönch (monk in German) and Jungfrau (young lady in German). It is a holiday resort of international importance and an ideal starting point for countless excursions to the region’s top destinations. The composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote “If you haven’t seen the Interlaken countryside, you haven’t seen Switzerland.”

Highlights

• Schynige Platte near Wilderswil – a nostalgic rack-railway offering fascinating views of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and an Alpine garden with about 500 plant species. A lot of hiking possibilities in nearby areas.
• Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn – these rides by rack-railway take you to the highest railway station in Europe and the Piz Glora revolving restaurant: two top mountain experiences in the Bernese Oberland.
• Harder Kulm – a cableway takes passengers up to Interlaken’s “house mountain” which affords a view of the health resort and the whole Jungfrau region. The Alpine wild animal park near the valley station is an excellent experience for children.
• Heimwehfluh – a nostalgic funicular taking you to the vantage terrace with a restaurant, an all-weather toboggan run, a model railway display and a large playground.
• Jungfrau Tourism Museum in Unterseen – the regional tourism museum showing 200 years of tourism in the Jungfrau region.
• St. Beatus Caves – one kilometer of lit limestone caves with stalagmites, impressive halls and waterfalls accessible by boat, car, bus or on foot on the historic pilgrims way.
• Swiss Restaurant Spycher-kursaal –a restaurant serving traditional Swiss cuisine. The style of dining resembles sitting at home at your kitchen table

Scenic and historical sites in the Aples: sightseeing, glacier excursions, hiking. Estimated time: one to two full days. 

Bettmeralps   

The car-free village of Bettmeralp which is only accessible by a large-car cableway is located in the immediate vicinity of the impressive Aletsch Glacier, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Alps. The family-friendly summer and fall holiday resort boasts almost 300 sunny days a year.

Bettmeralp is located on a sun terrace high above the Rhone Valley with a view of the four-thousand-meter-high peaks of the Valais including the Weisshorn, Dom and Matterhorn. The resort has been awarded the "Families Welcome" quality certificate and offers a variety of children's activity programs. Even the hiking trails have been designed with small children in mind with pushchair-friendly hiking trails.

Summer and Fall

Summer and fall holidays in the area of the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site are excellent opportunities to explore the unspoilt countryside of Switzerland. The holiday resorts of Belalp, Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp are located in this attractive region characterized by the Aletsch Glacier, the biggest glacier in Europe. The nearby vantage points Bettmerhorn (2643m) and Eggishorn (2926m) offer impressive views of the 23-kilometre-long glacier. Young and young-at-heart visitors have the opportunity to indulge in sport and excitement on scooter trails and downhill bike courses. Romantic Lake Bettmer is perfect for fishing and making a splash in summer.

 

Highlights

• Bettmerhorn –at 2,647 meters (or 8,694 feet) you will be pampered by a fantastic view of the Great Aletsch Glacier (UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site) and the Valais and Bernese Alps.
• Lake Bettmer – an idyllic mountain lake with sports possibilities located immediately above the holiday resort of Bettmeralp
• Mountain trail to the Eggishorn and Lake Märjelen area with a fantastic all-round view of the Aletsch Glacier
• Big Aletsch Glacier - 23 kilometres long, this is the biggest and most imposing glacier in the Alps with 27 billion tones of ice
• Aletsch Forest - the larch and mountain pine forest is home to the oldest trees - about 900 years old to be precise - in Switzerland