Beautiful Places On Earth

Best known as a ski resort in Austria, Kitzbuhel is a medieval city situated in Troy along the river Kitzbuhler Ache. Kitzbuhel is situated in between the mountains Hahnenkamm and Kitzbuhler Horn in the Kitzbuhel Apls. The Hahnenkamm hosts the annual FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. The downhill course of the famous Streif is regarded as one of the hardest race courses on the World Cup circuit.

Kitzbuhel skiing

Besides being one of Austria’s best known winter sport resorts, Kitzbuhel also hosts the ATP Austrian Tennis Open on clay in the summer. In recent years, Kitzbuhel has also earned a reputation for its high end dining. Last but not least, Kitzbuhel had recently been included as one of the 31 places to go in 2010 by New York Times.

Gstaad is a bright pearl located in Bernese Oberland, at the convergence of 4 gorges in the Swiss Alps. It is located in the south western of Switzerland. At 1,050 meters above the sea level, this village is known as the finest ski resort in the world. Although it is just a small countryside village, but the living standard in Gstaad is extremely high. The merchandises there are expensive and its luxurious hotels and restaurants are just not affordable for the poor people, including me. Gstaad is a popular winter getaway spot for celebrities and royal families.

Gstaad, Switzerland

Being one of the largest ski resorts in the Alps, winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, sledding, hiking, ice skating and many more are popular here. Over the year, the village has also become a popular destination in the summer. During the summer, one can go hiking, biking, golfing, mountaineering, river rafting, horse riding, paragliding, ballooning and many more. Not to miss out also is the Yehudi Menuhin Music Festival held every summer.

This video shows Gstaad Palace, one of the luxurious hotels in Gstaad. Built in 1912, the hotel has 107 well decorated rooms offering a lifetime experience for everyone staying there.

Gstaad Palace

Salzburg is a city in central Austria, approximately 150 kilometers east of Munich, Germany and 300 kilometers west of Vienna. Despite being only the fourth largest city in Austria, Salzburg is noted as the birthplace of the greatest composer of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The city is also the filming location of Julie Andrew’s The Sound of Music.

The name Salzburg literally means “Salt Castle” derived from the barges carrying salt on the Salzach River in the 8th century. The city itself is located on the banks of the Salzach River, facing the Alps in the south. Thus, Salzburg is also famous for its alpine setting especially during the winter.

Salzburg has lots more to offer than being Mozart’s birthplace. Salzburg’s Old Town which is famous for it Baroque architecture was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Among the famous buildings found here are Salzburg Cathedral, Fortress Hohensalzburg, Franziskanerchurch, St. Peter Cemetery, Nonnberg Abbey, Mozart’s Birthplace, Mozart’s Residence and the Getreidegasse. Other favorite tourist spots are Palace of Mirabell, Hellbrunn and many more.

Go to Salzburg when the snows fall in November, and you will find one of Europe’s most romantic spots.

Austria – Salzburg

Chamonix is a small town in eastern France, at the foot of Mont Blanc. Lies at an altitude of 1,035 meters above the sea level, Chamonix is a popular winter sports resort in France and Europe. In fact, the town hosted the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics ever.

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe. It holds a special allure for mountain climbers all over the world. It is the heaven for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. Other activities such as mountaineering, hiking, paragliding and rock climbing are also popular here.

Besides its winter activities, Chamonix is also famous for its cable car ride up to the Aiguille du Midi, a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. Constructed in 1955, it was the world’s highest cable car for 2 decades. One could reach the summit of Aiguille in about 20 minutes via cable car from Chamonix where a panoramic view awaiting. The video shows skiing fun at Chamonix Mont Blanc.

Chamonix Mont Blanc

Where in this world that has no war and no fear for dying? The answer is Switzerland. This is a country that has a long history in neutrality. It has not been at war since 1815, neither joining European Union, nor NATO. Switzerland is also one of the richest countries in the world by per capita gross domestic product. In the 2007 worldwide quality of living survey, 3 cities of Switzerland, i.e. Zurich, Geneva and Berne are ranked first, second and ninth respectively. Safe to say Switzerland is really a heaven that one can find peace in mind!

Switzerland is bordered by Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein in Western Europe. Being a landlocked country, Switzerland does not have shoreline. But the country has plenty others to offer. The Swiss Alps are the soul of Switzerland. Having covered by thick snow all year long, it is a skiing paradise. The most famous mountain is Matterhorn.

Situated on the border between Switzerland and Italy, Matterhorn overlooks Swiss village of Zermatt and Italian village of Breuil-Cervinia. Climbers from all over the world come to ascend Matterhorn throughout the year. One can take the Schwarzsee cable car up from Zermatt, hike up to the base of the main ridge, and spend a night there. Climbers have to wake up early the next morning and should be able to reach the summit and descend before noon.

Picture gallery of Matterhorn

Picture gallery of Zermatt

Go to Switzerland for your coming holiday? Plan your trip with us!