1-Night Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof — CALL

Grindelwald, Switzerland, is a good base for both winter and summer activities in the mountains, about 50 mi/80 km southwest of Lucerne. In winter, this town in the Jungfrau region has good skiing; during other seasons, there are plenty of opportunities for hiking and more adventurous pursuits, such as canyoning. Be sure to visit one of the nearby glaciers; the higher one, Obergletscher, is the best.

Visiting the town via the train from Interlaken is recommended. From Grindelwald, you can also continue on the train to Kleine Scheidegg, at the base of the famous north face of Eiger mountain. In Kleine Scheidegg, you can transfer to another train that takes you to Jungfraujoch. The train travels through the Eiger tunnel to the Eigerwand and Eismeer stations, making a five-minute stop at each one, before finally reaching the Jungfraujoch station, the highest railway station in Europe.

On clear days (there's no point in taking the expensive trip if the skies aren't clear) you can see as far as the Vosges Mountains in France and the Black Forest in Germany from the Sphinx Observatory. The Great Aletsch Glacier begins near the station. But don't expect to have the place all to yourself: It is usually very crowded.

One of the many tourist amenities is the Ice Palace, which has several ice sculptures carved in the glacier. There are also a ski and snowboard park, sled rides and pricey restaurants.