Charlotte’s Doug Eberhart conquers the Traveler’s Century Club

Night falls on Rio de Janeiro in Brazil -- One of 100 countries visited by Doug Eberhart  (wikipedia)

CHARLOTTE, NC, October 24, 2015 – Football season is in full swing and as every player and fan knows, 100 is the magic number. Be it 100 yards for a touchdown or 100 yards rushing or passing, 100 is the standard of excellence in America’s favorite sport.

Seeing the world up close is Doug's passion 

Perhaps that’s why former All-Ohio offensive center for Massillon Washington High School, Doug Eberhart, chose as his next landmark to travel to 100 countries. Today Eberhart measures his success in miles rather than yards but the number 100 remains the standard.

Recently Eberhart, a graduate of Princeton, “touched down” in Piran, Slovenia to become a full-fledged member of the Traveler’s Century Club; people who have visited 100 countries or more in their travels.

Like many “Centurians” Doug followed the wind and Slovenia just happened to be the country that captured the elusive trophy. As a rule Eberhart visits multiple countries when he can, not only for convenience but also as a cost and logistics factor.

Though Eberhart is an expert at finding a deal, he does not scrimp to necessarily seek out the lowest price because he knows all too well that that can be detrimental for a traveler even though it may keep his wallet a little bit fatter.

Antartica was a once in a lifetime experience, even for someone as well traveled as Doug Eberhart  (wikipedia)

Over his years of travel, Eberhart estimates he has spent between $200,000 and $250,000 to accomplish his feat, but considering the number of countries he has seen that number is relatively inexpensive. Furthermore, there is no price tag he can put on his memories or his experiences.

The most expensive trip Eberhart has ever taken was to Tahiti and Bora Bora which rang up a tab of about $8,500. Spending that kind of money is a rarity, however.

Transiting the Panama Canal  (wikipedia)

Most people do not think of football players as having an interest in seeing the world, but Doug was heavily influenced by his great uncle Eugene Jeffers who was an undercover agent for the CIA for many years. During school holidays, Eberhart and his twin brother, an All-Ohio high school quarterback, were enthralled by “Uncle Jeff's” stories of exotic places from the world’s most intriguing “hot spots.”

Iguazu Falls are one of those sights you have to experience to understand its magnitude  (wikipedia)

Eberhart also credits a French professor who brought the world alive, especially when teaching the Renaissance and the Reformation.

That laid the groundwork and Doug has been on a mission ever since. While at Princeton he went to Taipei with a friend as part of the International Student Body. During his visit he contacted a contagious disease know as “wanderlust” which is incurable. Once bitten the only thing that will stop someone is time and money.

Pha That Luang Vientiane in Laos is an example of world far different than our own  (wikipedia)

Though Doug did not initially set out to travel to 100 countries, somewhere between 2000 and 2003 he realized he wanted to set a goal of visiting at least 100 countries and territories. Eberhart is careful to qualify his dream because technically territories are not countries and determining prescisely what constitutes a country can be tricky at times.

For example, the Vatican is a country but it still feels like Rome anyway you look at it. And that’s just one tiny sample of countless other questionable destinations.

 “I always had an interest in the diversity of other countries and seeing the world through other people’s eyes,” says Doug. “I’m not interested in just checking off places for the sake of saying I have been there. I like to immerse myself in the culture as much as possible.”

Eberhart's favorite is Kenya, but he clarifies that he savors the diversity of all of Africa  (wikipedia)

The most obvious question Eberhart gets is which is his favorite country to which he says “Kenya” but actually he qualifies all of Africa in that assessment.

Paraguay is Eberhart;s least favorite destination, but someplace had to be last on the list  (wikipedia)

By contrast, his least favorite country is Paraguay which Eberhart found boring.

Like most world travelers, there are gaps in Doug’s personal itinerary: Israel, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Jordan, Poland, the Seychelles, Bhutan, Tibet and Myanmar to name a few.

Stockholm< Sweden ranks as one of Eberhart's top five cities in the world  (wikipedia)

Eberhart’s top five cities, in no particular order, are Sydney, Vancouver, Stockholm, Prague and Rio. Look closely and you will notice that somehow water makes its mark in the rankings.

Bali is another exotic favorite  (wikipedia)

One of the best things about his job as a sales rep for Merit Medical says Doug is that it has allowed him the freedom of time to pursue his dream.

And so the quest continues as Eberhart pursues some of those “gaps.” Don’t bet against him. He has already scored once and now he is working on his second 100 following his personal “turn of the century.”

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Honfleur: The picturesque port that inspired Impressionist art

The port of Honfleur is filled with sidewalk cafes and colorful facades   (wikipedia)

HONFLEUR, FRANCE November 17, 2013 – Honfleur is one of those places that immediately captivates visitors. In fact, Honfleur itself is the attraction.

Not that the picturesque harbor on the northern coast of Normandy lacks history -- it is a fascinating little seaport village. It really has more to do with the charming colorful buildings that line the perimeter of the rectangular port amid a perpetual pageant of changing light. Little wonder the Impressionist artists of the 19th century were drawn to the region.

Belfry of the wooden Church of Sainte Catherine (wikipedia)

Today, more than a century and a half later, artists still favor a spot at the northeast corner of town beside the Old Dock of the harbor. Here they paint the same scene that has captured the imagination for nearly two hundred years. And yet, somehow each new interpretation seems to maintain a certain individuality despite myriad renditions that have been transferred from palette to canvas over the decades.

When native son Eugene Boudin was advised by Dutch painter Johan Jongkind to practice his craft outdoors, or en plein air, it marked the early beginnings of Impressionism. Later Boudin befriended Claude Monet, who was only 18 at the time, and convinced the young prodigy to give up doing caricatures and concentrate on landscapes. The rest is history.

Monet’s 1872 painting Impression, Sunrise, which depicts the harbor in nearby Le Havre, gave the Impressionist movement its name, though it was initially intended as a derogatory description.

Monet's Impression Sunrise gave Impressionism its name  (wikiart)

Honfleur’s glorious light is typical of the region where white cotton ball clouds can become sinister rolling gray thunderheads in mere minutes. The ever-evolving shades of shadow and light represent the character of Honfleur and provide a kaleidoscope backdrop that rivets the imagination.

Situated on the estuary of the River Seine that flows through Paris, Honfleur thrived at the beginning of the Hundred Years War when Charles V bolstered the town’s defenses for strategic purposes. It was first mentioned in the early 11^th century, but it was not until the middle of the 12^th century that Honfleur became a major shipping lane for goods moving from Rouen to England.

The permanent carousel is a favorite for children  (wikipedia)

During the 16^th and 17^th centuries, Honfleur was an important departure point for several major explorations. Binot Paulmierde Gonneville sailed to the coast of Brazil in 1503. Three years later, Jean Denis, who lived in Honfleur, traveled to Newfoundland and through the mouth of the Saint Lawrence River. In 1608, Samuel de Champlain founded the city of Quebec.. Later, in 1681, Cavalier de La Salle, discovered the mouth of the Mississippi River. Both expeditions  began from Honfleur.

That maritime flavor remains an important facet of the appeal of Honfleur today. The tiny seaport thrives with sidewalk cafes, charming galleries, narrow streets and architectural allure.

The wooden Church of Sainte-Catherine of Alexandria looks like an upside down boat  (wikipedia)

A walk around the harbor is all the orientation one needs. Just behind the harbor is the Church of Saint-Catherine of Alexandria -- the main landmark of the village. The distinct wooden structure with its engaging bell tower was constructed shortly after the Hundred Years War using naval building techniques. A second nave was added later in the 16^th century. 

Le Havre at Sunset by Eugene Boudin  (wikiart)

Honfleur has four museums of note. Museum Eugene Boudin pays homage to the master who brought notoriety to the city with his art. Naturally, the town would be incomplete without a Naval Museum. Vieux Honfleur Museum focuses on the village’s history, while the Erik Satie House gets mixed reviews from travelers desiring to know more about the life of the eccentric early 20^th century musician.

Saturday is market day until 1 p.m. Regional farmers bring fresh meat, fish and produce to the center of town, which adds another distinct layer of personality to Honfleur’s already seductive charms.

Occasionally a festival will pop up, but for the most part Honfleur is content to exist within its bewitching magnetism.

Access to Honfleur must be done by motor transportation, or by boat, but there is rail service to nearby Deauville and Le Havre.

The ancient wood and stone Lieutenance is one of Honfleur's landmarks  (wikipedia)

You see, Honfleur is one of those in-between places … a place that evokes optimism, a place where the whole world just seems to be right.

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European Christmas Markets rekindle the spirit of the holidays

Toy wooden soldier guards the entrance to the Christmas Market in Baden Baden  (Taylor)

UPPER RHINE VALLEY, EUROPE, October 17, 2015 – Two of travel’s most popular new trends are set to converge as the holiday season approaches. The first is off-season travel and the second is European Christmas Markets.

Manger scenes have live animals  (Taylor)

Christmas Markets rekindle the lost spirit of the season within your soul. Furthermore, a visit to the Chriskindelsmariks (markets of the Child Jesus) of Europe may be the only trip a traveler ever takes where bad weather is an asset. Be it snow, sleet, freezing rain, drizzle or plain old sub-zero temperatures, it just doesn’t matter. Nothing can dampen your enthusiasm.

When the weather is rotten hot mulled wine and sausages taste better, music is cheerier, cheeks are rosier and Christmas renews itself by reaching into forgotten recesses of childhood memories.

It really doesn’t matter which Christmas Market you choose. They are everywhere. Oddly enough, though they are all basically the same, each one is unique. Some are festivals of light. Others feature local arts and crafts. Still others focus on food and entertainment.

Some markets take one square while others spread throughout a city  (wikipedia)

Many sprawl throughout a city while others center around a small main square in front of the cathedral. No matter where you go or what you choose to do, the only thing guaranteed to happen is that your spirits will soar in a personal metamorphosis that would do Ebenezer Scrooge proud.

One region especially suited for travelers during the holiday season is the Upper Rhine Valley, which includes Switzerland, France and Germany. The area is compact, making it convenient by rail, boat or car, while offering the cultural flavor of three different countries.  

Narrow streets and ancient houses add to the aura of the Christmas season  (Taylor)

There are large markets such as Strasbourg and Basel, medium sized hamlets like Baden-Baden and Freiburg and smaller towns where entire villages become a market as in Obernai. The important thing is to visit more than one because the food, music, art, crafts, lights, decorations and individual stalls vary widely from city to city and, even, from square to square.

The Strasbourg Market in France is a festival of light  (Taylor)

Though not the largest, Strasbourg features the oldest market in France. It also ranks among the best known Christmas Markets in Europe dating to the year 1570. Vienna held something called a December Market during Christmas in 1294, but it was more of a traditional market than anything to do with the season. As far as Christmas is concerned, Munich may be the oldest going all the way back to 1310.

No market is complete without huge pretzels  (Taylor)

Despite that, Strasbourg places so much emphasis on illumination that it calls itself (at least during Christmas) “the City of Light” while proudly proclaiming the title “Capital of Christmas” thanks to its role in the evolution of the Christmas Market story.

Historically, the traditional day for gifts and handing out candy in Europe was December 6^th to honor the day the patron saint of Lorraine, Saint Nicholas, died in the late 4^th century. Many places in Europe still observe December 6^th as the day of giving.

In 1570 a protestant preacher in Strasbourg named Johannes Flinner became upset that Catholics were venerating a saint. He convinced local authorities to do away with the St. Nicholas Market. What took its place was a Christmas Market later in the month of December.

Hot wein is the drink of choice everywhere  (Taylor)

At first the market was only a three-day event held in front of the cathedral just before Christmas. Over the centuries there were several changes of venue until the market took permanent residence at Place Broglie, one of the main squares in the city. Today the market spreads throughout Strasbourg where its primary theme of light is ever-present.

In Germany, the hot mulled wine is called gluhwein while in France it is simply vin chaud, or hot wine. It is arguably the drink of choice at virtually any market, but be forewarned, especially in Germany where inhaling the spices too quickly can take your breath away until you learn to sip properly.

Bad weather is a plus that adds to the Christmas atmosphere  (Taylor)

Nativity scenes are also mood inspiring because they usually include live sheep, goats and other animals calmly grazing on hay covered floors in front of a crèche. Though Europeans long ago abandoned church-going on a regular basis, there remains a sense of serenity about live animals in a manger scene where nobody gets upset over political correctness.  Somehow tradition wins out and that adds to the ambiance of the surroundings.

Christmas markets appeal to young and old alike -- It is Charles Dickens reincarnated  (Taylor)

Savor the aromas of the season while strolling from booth to booth. Spices, cinnamon, perfumes, scented candles, hot doughnuts and pretzels permeate the frigid air and lull you into a realm of long- lost sensations.

Church bells ring out. Choirs sing in the distance. Sleigh bells jingle.

If the Christmas Markets don't rekindle your yuletide spirit, nothing will  (Taylor)

Mingle with locals. Stroll among half-timbered buildings and colorful wooden stalls. Inhale deeply and take in Christmas as you never have before. 

“Oh, come all ye faithful” for the European Christmas markets are truly a “joy to the world.”

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Winter fun from start to Finnish

The Finlandia Ski Race attracts thousands of visitors each year in February  (wikipedia)

FINLAND. October 16, 2015 – If ever there was a season suited to one nationality, it would have to be winter in Finland.

Finns greet the first snowflakes of winter with eager anticipation where Mother Nature turns an entire country into a crystalline playground filled with exhilarating activities.

No country thrives on snow more than Finland  (wikipedia)

No sport represents the Finnish passion for winter more than cross country skiing. Even today, the Finn’s love of their woodlands and lakes is deeply rooted in their rural heritage. Skis have evolved from a primary means of transportation to the most popular source of recreation

Outdoor loving travelers with an appetite for exercise can do cross country hut-to-hut ski tours by trekking through pristine nature, through snow laden forests and across frozen lakes.

Hut-to-hut tours feature rustic accommodations, sometimes with no electricity. On the other hand, you’re in Finland, which means no amount of rusticity ever goes without a sauna at every location.

Saunas are Finland's national pastime  (wikipedia)

While much of Finland is relatively flat, all the familiar winter activities are available with plenty of opportunities to hit the slopes for downhill or alpine skiing. Just below the Arctic Circle in Kuusamo, Mt. Ruka is one of the most popular spots in the country for traditional ski experiences.

Telemark skiing is another favorite. Perhaps the best way to describe it is that it’s like doing cross country skiing on downhill terrain. Like other forms of the sport, telemark is challenging because it demands stamina combined with rhythm, coordination and balance in order to derive maximum pleasure from skimming across soufflés of powdery white snow.

Much of the fun of Finland in winter however, is leaving traditional enterprises behind to find bold adventures unlike anywhere else in the world. It is here that Finnish creativity has no peer.

Snow trekking and cross country skiing through pristine wilderness and virgin snow  (wikipedia)

Each year in February, the Finlandia Ski Race attracts nearly 10,000 participants from around the world for a marathon on skis. Beginning at the Lahti Ski Center about two hours northeast of Helsinki, this test of speed and endurance features two major competitions. The first is a 20-mile race followed by the main event which is 47-miles long. For some the race represents a commitment to a healthy lifestyle, but for most the ultimate goal is to simply cross the “Finnish line.”

How about reindeer skiing which is popular in Lapland? Just hook a bridle and tow-rope to your favorite reindeer and race across the tundra at breakneck speed.

Snowmobiles are fast, fun and invigorating  (wikipedia)

Lapland is also home to annual reindeer round-ups. Just as bison were integral to the lives of native Americans in the western United States for food, shelter and clothing, so too, are reindeer for the Lapps. Round-ups allow visitors to participate in herding reindeer, often by helicopter, as the animals are separated for breeding, slaughter, being returned to their owners or released back into the wild.

Throughout the dark-shortened days of winter in Finland ice sculpture contests are a popular diversion in many small villages.

Just because temperatures are freezing and summer has long been forgotten or is too far in the future to dream about, does not mean that Finns don’t remember the range of activities that await after the snow melts.

Play a round of snow golf with orange balls or just wait until the spring thaw  (wikipedia)

Ever heard of snow golf? The “greens” become “whites” and the balls are orange so you can find them, but a little snow will never  keep a Finnish duffer from his appointed rounds.

How about fishing? After all, the fish are still under that frozen water. Drill a hole, set up a stool, get a hot glass of cider, drop a line and you’re in business.

Some brave souls even swim  (wikipedia)

There is horse racing too. The trotters at Vermo run all year long.

For members of the Polar Bear Club, why not compete in a winter swim meet. A regulation pool is chiseled out of the ice and all the events are just like summer; breast stroke, butterfly, backstroke and freestyle.

Many travelers find cruising relaxing. So do the Finns. That’s why they offer ice-breaker cruises more than half of the year. The best known and most popular is aboard the Sampo, a retired government ice-breaker that takes travelers out to chop up the ice. Sampo sails out of the seaport city of Kemi. During the tour, participants are allowed to outfit themselves in brightly colored wetsuits and go for a dip in the Gulf of Bothnia.

The mysterious Northern Lights are spectacular to behold on a winter night  (wikipedia)

Summer has the midnight sun, but even that cannot compete with the Aurora Borealis or Northern lights of winter. When conditions are exactly right, another phenomenon known as the “blue-moment” occurs just before sunset when eerie shades of blue envelop the surroundings to create an alien-like atmosphere.

Try snowmobiling or dog-sledding. If no dogs are available, no matter, you can do a reindeer safari instead.

Dog sledding is an activity where travelers can actively hook up the team or just go for the ride  (Taylor)

Of course there’s always sledding, skating and campfire cookouts.

Ice hotels have become popular throughout Scandinavia -- Some even have ice churches  (wikipedia)

Whatever your interests, be they offbeat, traditional, adventure or something in between, Finland welcomes visitors to the wonders of winter. The Finns call it “snow-how” because in Finland, there’s no business like “snow” business.

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The Fairy Tale Road: Germany’s Grimm family adventure

The Brothers Grimm were linguists who preserved German culture by writing down traditional stories (wikipedia)

GERMANY, October 10, 2015 – In 2012 Germany celebrated the 200^th anniversary of the contributions of the brothers Grimm to the realm of children’s literature throughout the world. 

Today, the Fairy Tale Road, which exists only as an imaginary route tracing the sites where the Grimm stories originated, is a serpentine 400 mile “path” through the back roads and countryside of Hesse and Lower Saxony.

Waterpark in Kassel at night -- Kassel in one of the popular stops on the Fairy Tale route  (wikipedia)

Once upon a time, Volume I of several books was published called Children’s and Household Tales. While the title might not send you racing to Amazon.com, it was a collection of children’s stories now known worldwide as Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

The collection was the collaborative work of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm who published 86 stories in their first manuscript. Among them were familiar tales including Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, Thumblina (Tom Thumb), Little Briar-Rose (Sleeping Beauty), Snow White and The Fox and The Geese.

Steinau is also a favorite stop  (wikipedia)

For lovers of quaint villages and towns nestled amid pastoral landscapes, this is an ideal tour for parents and grandparents seeking to relive their childhood and for children to explore the sights where the stories took place.

The Grimm’s stories can be viewed on multiple levels. First, they are folkloric narratives that have become familiar to us all thanks largely to Walt Disney and television. But there is also a deeper, political layer of intrigue that many people do not know about.

During World War II the Nazis used these legends as propaganda to instill concepts of racial purity. So influential were they that other collectors were inspired by a similar nationalistic spirit that reflected their own cultures.

Bremen is one of the final places to visit on the Fairy Tale Road   (wikipedia)

Initially, Jacob and Wilhelm were harshly criticized because the stories were considered unsuitable for children. Boiling pots, people being thrown into ovens and cutting off limbs were not the stuff of sugar plum dreams. Some of the subject matter dealt with missing children, infanticide, abandonment and other assorted atrocities.

In the original version of Rapunzel, though the prince was no doubt “Charming,” the golden-haired damsel became pregnant after visits from her suitor.

Delores Viehmann kept the Grimm's well informed  (wikipedia)

Beginning just east of Frankfurt in Hanau where the Grimms were born, the Fairy Tale Road follows the lives of the brothers, as well as the fables themselves, all the way to Bremen. Maps are readily available at many places along the route.

To do the full itinerary without racing through it, allow four days. While you need to be wary of villages using contrived alliances to pose vaguely as backdrops for the tales, the half-timbered towns and rural settings more than make up for the sins of the pretenders.

The Grimms were highly educated linguists who spoke more than ten languages between them. Though born into prominence, they fell upon hard times after the death of their father, eventually winding up in the nearby poorhouse where they struggled to survive. 

Bremen's marketplace is always lively and filled with activity  (wikipedia)

Eventually, Jacob was appointed court librarian to the King of Westphalia in 1808. Wilhelm later joined him and the environment could not have been richer for their pioneering work in gathering traditional folklore.

Traveling the Fairy Tale Road is a driving tour that requires, at a minimum, a rental car, a good map, patience and a sense of humor. Many landmarks may be difficult to locate. There are no neon signs and billboards saying “This way to the wicked witch’s house,” or “Seven dwarfs, next right.” But that’s part of the adventure. “Seek and ye shall find.”

Most of the stories were handed down from approximately forty sources. Many were provided by a loose-knit group of upper-class women and relatives.

The most prominent tipster, and one of the few who was identified, was Dorothea Viehmann, an innkeeper’s daughter in Kassel who heard the tales from passing travelers. Viehmann’s most famous story is, arguably, that of Cinderella.

The Viehmann family inn, Brauhaus Knallhutte, still exists today, where traveler’s can order a Cinderella meal which includes a slipper carved from a baked potato.

Though Jacob and Wilhelm only contributed two stories of their own, it was their dedication to the preservation of German folklore that sealed their legacy as pioneers of mythology.

It is believed that many of the narratives had already been written down during the Middle Ages and then rewritten again in 17^th century before the Grimms did their own editing.

Even today Bremen can conjure images of days long ago that inspired the Grimm stories  (wikipedia)

As Maria Tatar, an American scholar with expertise in children’s literature, expresses, “the brothers’ goal of preserving and shaping the tales as something uniquely German at a time of French occupation was a form of ‘intellectual resistance’, and in so doing they established a methodology for collecting and preserving folklore that set the model to be followed later by writers throughout Europe during periods of occupation.”

After two centuries the stories of Jacob and Wilhelm endure. While some may have been Grimm, they rank second only to the Bible in the number of translations. The Fairy Tale Road is well worth a visit. You might even say enchanting.

All you need to do is follow the bread crumbs and live happily ever after.  

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Switzerland's Art & Culture -- Mountains of Creativity

Villa Favorita on in Lugano is home to the Thyssen-Bornemiza art collection  (wikipedia)

SWITZERLAND, October 9, 2015 – When most travelers consider the great centers of art in Europe, they usually think of Florence, Rome, Venice, Paris or Madrid among others

.

Chateau d'Oex is a favorite place for ballooning  (wikipedia)

If you mention Switzerland, the images that first come to mind are majestic peaks rising from the earth, villages nestled upon the shores of deep glacial lakes or panoramic tableaux that fade into infinity.

But these are only a prologue to a country that ignites the flames of artistic expression which are frequently unknown to many visitors. Switzerland is a place where the omnipotent hand of nature has created a breathtaking palette for the brushstrokes of man.

To understand the art and culture of Switzerland, you must first look at its history. Centuries before Christ, people settled among the hills of what is now Bellinzona; a gateway between northern and southern Europe near the border of Italy. Switzerland has been a crossroads ever since.

Surprising Roman ruins on the Rhine River at Augusta Raurica near Basel  (wikipedia)

Julius Caesar came to Geneva in 58 BC. The Romans later migrated north near present day Basel to establish a colony known as Augusta Raurica in 44 BC. The thriving commercial center of 20,000 people was the oldest Roman settlement on the Rhine.

Stained glass by Marc Chagall in Zurich  (wikipedia)

By 15 BC the Romans had developed a customs post at a place called “Turicum.” Today we know it as Zurich.

With the conquering of the Alps, Switzerland’s cultural landscape was altered forever during the latter part of the 18^th century with the onset of tourism.

By the middle of the 20^th century, Switzerland was home to some of the finest private art collections in the world; the Buhrle Collection in Zurich, the Oskar Reinhart Foundation in Winterthur and Thyssen-Boremisza in Lugano; all world class exhibitions featuring works by Monet, Renoir, Gauguin and Van Gogh to name a few.

When the city of Basel founded the oldest university in Switzerland in 1460, it also etched an indelible impression upon the cultural canvas of the country.

Amerbach portrait by Hans Holbein  (wikipedia)

In 1661, the Amerbach Collection of Basel was acquired for the university, establishing the first public art museum in the world. Today, the Holbein collection combined with the works of native son, 19^th century painter Arnold Bocklin, are among the highlights that contribute to Basel’s Fine Arts Museum as one of the best in the world.

The canton of Ticino has been called “a fragment of the Mediterranean on the fringes of the north” featuring frescoes by Bernardino Luini in the Church of St. Mary of the Angels in Lugano. Luini is often compared to his Renaissance contemporary  Leonardo da Vinci.

Lugano is also home to internationally acclaimed architect Mario Botta who has just two projects in the United States, one in San Francisco and the other in Charlotte.

Building by Mario Botta in Basel  (wikipedia)

At the Swiss Alpine Museum in Bern, Ferdinand Hodler paints man’s challenges of conquering nature by attempting to ascend to the summit of the Matterhorn.

The Segantini Museum is tucked in a lovely nook overlooking  the lake in St Moritz  (myswitzerland.com)

In the early part of the 20^th century, Expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner also took  inspiration from the mountains. While living in several locations around Davos, the region provided a temporary refuge in Kirchner’s deeply troubled life. Today the Kirchner Museum has received accolades as an excellent example of modern Swiss architecture.

Painting by Giovanni Segantini  (wikipedia)

Just over the mountains tucked in the corner of a hillside in St. Moritz, sits a museum that honors Giovanni Segantini whose mountain motifs are characterized by short, thick brushstrokes that magically blend into poetic rural scenes.

The Olympic Museum in Lausanne rises from wide-stepped, landscaped terraces overlooking the Lake of Geneva to capture the concept of “Olympism” which combines the development of man’s physical and moral senses with his cultural and artistic qualities. Outside the Olympic flame burns as an eternal symbol of the games. It is a celebration of the games of antiquity that is both archive and learning center.

The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, built of white marble from Greece, faces Lake Geneva  (myswitzerland.com -- 

At the Fraumunster in Zurich, Marc Chagall’s stained glass windows attract visitors from all over the world. Just across the river, the Kronenhalle is one of the city’s liveliest and most sophisticated restaurants where diners are surrounded by original works of many of the world’s greatest artists.

As art critic Judd Tully says, “Switzerland is really a very rich and diverse palette, if you will, of what you can see without having to know that much about it, really.”

TIP: In Switzerland a Swiss Travel Pass (railpass) offers FREE admission to more than 450 museums.

Alexander Calame took his inspiration from the majestic breathtaking beauty of the Alps  (wikipedia)

With a vibrant artistic heritage, Switzerland looks brightly toward the future where art tells a story  that is a chronology of man’s evolving creativity. It tells of men’s lives and the world in which they lived, yesterday and today with an eye always toward tomorrow.

In Switzerland art is a visual diary of the centuries and a footnote to history.

Read more travel and tours at:  Magellan Travel Club