Alps Disney Travel Agents Near Me

Overview

Introduction

The Italian Alps stretch for 600 mi/966 km across the north of Italy. These mountains, some of which rise 14,000 ft/4,340 m, offer incredible scenery, great skiing, hiking and other activities year-round. They are generally divided into western, central and eastern regions.

The Western Alps stretch from the Mediterranean Sea along the border with France to Switzerland. In the Valle D'Aosta and Piedmont area, visit Italy's largest and best-protected park, the Gran Paradiso National Park, about 80 mi/134 km northwest of Turin. Monte Bianco (better known as Mont Blanc, because the actual peak is in France) is western Europe's highest peak at 15,780 ft/4,810 m and rises above picturesque Alpine villages.

Also visit Monte Rosa (close to the border with Switzerland, east of Gran Paradiso) and the wonderful year-round resort towns of Macugnaga and Alagna. Monte Cervino (the Matterhorn, just over the border in Switzerland), with the Italian resorts of Breuil-Cervinia and Valtourneche, has wonderful views as well. Other area sights include the museums in Turin and the Roman monuments in Aosta.

The Central Alps run along the border with Switzerland and Austria, and they're located in the wealthiest, most densely populated region of Italy. These Alps encompass the towns of Como, Milan and Sondrio, which has several excellent ski areas nearby.

Don't miss Varese (exquisite scenery and lakes) and the prehistoric rock carvings in Valcamonica. The Lombardy region, south of the Central Alps, includes many of Italy's stunning lakes, including Lago di Como, Lago di Garda and Lago Maggiore.

The Eastern Alps continue south of the borders with Austria and Slovenia, embracing the towns of Trento, Bolzano and Belluno. This area of the Alps is called the Dolomites and is a spectacular mountain range dating from the Triassic period. There are a number of particularly beautiful drives in the Dolomites, traversing high mountain passes and providing views of sparkling lakes, gorgeous valleys, charming villages and pastoral meadows. And the hiking in the Dolomites is even better: The trails are well-marked, and along many of them you'll find rifugi, or small hostels, where weary travelers can dine surprisingly well or sometimes stay the night.

Molveno, on the lake of the same name, in the southern part of the Dolomites, near Trento, is a good base for skiing; in summer it's a convenient jumping-off point for hiking. Also check out chic resort towns such as Madonna di Campiglio, Cortina d'Ampezzo and San Candido (Innichen).

While you're in the Dolomites, see the Alpe di Siusi area, hike to the waterfalls in the Valle di Genova, visit a spa, or shop for handmade wooden toys, sculptures and inlaid-wood souvenirs in Val Gardena.

Overview

Introduction

If your idea of Germany is men in lederhosen and women in dirndls, then the Bavarian Alps is the place for you. The kitsch factor can get pretty high, but it's a wonderful part of the country to see. Many people head to the area for its incredible Alpine setting—whether to ski, tour the castles or experience the region's fairy-tale beauty.

At the southern end of the Romantic Road, Fussen is near two 19th-century castles connected to "Mad" King Ludwig II—Hohenschwangau (his boyhood home) and Neuschwanstein (the product of his adult imagination). If the latter castle looks familiar, it's because Walt Disney used it as a model for Sleeping Beauty's castle in Disneyland. Expect long waits (an online reservation of a time slot to visit is highly recommended) and the kinds of crowds you'd find at Disneyland—more than a million people visit the castle every year. For a good view of the exterior, hike the short distance up to the Marienbrucke (Mary's Bridge), but the best view is from the Tegelberg farther up.

The town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is near the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain (9,819 ft/2,962). It's the center of a popular year-round outdoor recreational area. In addition to a downhill ski area, the region has four ski jumps, casinos and facilities for skating and curling (which is sort of like shuffleboard on ice).

In summer, hikers will enjoy the 24 mi/39 km of footpaths, and more sedentary types can take the mountain railway and enjoy magnificent views. There is an exhilarating hike that begins behind the Olympic ski jump and continues into the Partnachklamm Gorge. (The trail passes along and underneath spectacular waterfalls.)

Located 56 mi/90 km southwest of Munich, Garmisch is an easy day trip from there, but an overnight stay, combined with a tour of Ludwig's castles, is an even better idea. In early June 2015, the 41st G7 summit was held at Elmau castle, a luxurious spa hotel between Garmisch and Mittenwald, a romantic Alpine town famous for its violin-making tradition.

Another scenic Bavarian town nearby, Oberammergau is home to a well-known version of the Passion play. In 1633, the town's residents promised that if the plague passed them by, they would perform a Passion play every 10 years in remembrance. They were spared, and the first performance was in 1634: Now it's performed May-early October in years ending in zero (2020, 2030 and so forth).

The play is in German (an easy-to-follow English outline can be purchased) and lasts all day, breaking only for a long lunch. The whole town is involved in its production. Arrangements to see the play should be made at least a year in advance.

In the other nine years of a decade, the village is worth a visit for its extraordinary collection of luftlmalerei, elaborate Bavarian houses covered in trompe l'oeil, of the sort you'd expect to see in a Grimm fairy tale. The Oberammergau area also offers good cross-country and downhill skiing in winter.

Located in the extreme southeastern tip of Germany, the town of Berchtesgaden was home to Hitler's Alpine retreat. It was destroyed by Allied bombing, but the area is well worth visiting for the Obersalzburg Documentation center, which focuses on exhibitions on the history of the area and the Nazi dictatorship.

One of the main attractions there is Kehlsteinhaus, located 6,016 ft/1,834 m up Kehlstein Mountain. The dramatic bus journey up the narrow road is worth the trip alone. But Kehlsteinhaus is more famous as home to Hitler's former tea house, or "Eagle's Nest." It is now a unique museum and restaurant.

Just below is the fjordlike Konigssee, one of the most spectacular Alpine lakes in the region. The lake was a popular getaway for Bavarian royals, and nowadays there are charming electric-powered boat trips across the lake and back. They run year-round, but in the summer more regularly, at half-hour intervals for most of the day from the little village at the head of the lake. Plan at least a half-day for this trip.

You can also take a tour deep into the side of a mountain salt mine called Salzbergwerk, which was the source of Berchtesgaden's prosperity as early as the 1500s. Visitors are given miner's outfits and leather seats for the long slide down a polished wooden ramp (the less adventurous can use the stairs). Berchtesgaden can be seen on a day trip from Munich or as part of a tour of the Bavarian Alps.

Overview

Introduction

Located in the southeast, France's beautiful Alps nudge the mountains of Switzerland and Italy. Though best known as a winter sports mecca dotted with ski stations and picturesque towns, the area holds plenty of allure in summer as well.

The site of the 1968 Winter Olympics, Grenoble is an absolutely beautiful city and a fun place just to stroll and relax. Grenoble is about 65 mi/105 km southeast of Lyon and about 60 mi/100 km south of Geneva, Switzerland, and the winter skiing is excellent.

Be sure to take the cable car up to the Fort de la Bastille for the view, visit Bayard's Tomb in the St. Andre church, see the law courts (marvelous woodwork) and tour the distinguished modern-art collection at the painting and sculpture museum. Festivals include the three-week-long "Cabaret Frappe," which has singing, dancing and other concerts beginning in late July. The concerts and animations are free during the day and require paid tickets in the evening.

On a day trip southeast of Grenoble, take a walking tour of Briancon (about 35 mi/60 km away), the highest town in the European Union. (Switzerland has higher towns, naturally, but it's not a member of the EU.) Briancon has a variety of interesting architecture and fortifications.

Heading north of Grenoble takes you through a series of pleasant mountain towns, beginning with Chambery, a 16th-century town that was home to writer and philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He lived at Les Charmettes, the country house of his mistress, Madame de Warens, which stands on the outskirts of town. Also visit the fine-arts museum and the Chateau of the Dukes of Savoy, which in the 16th century was the home of the Shroud of Turin.

Next comes Annecy, which is about 20 mi/30 km north of Chambery. Set on a lovely lake, Annecy is a high-mountain summer resort offering tennis, golf and hiking. In summer, the grassy promenades on the western flanks of the lake fill with sunbathers and their umbrellas. Water enthusiasts can enjoy sailing, swimming and even scuba diving in what is considered one of Europe's cleanest lakes.

In a valley amid towering mountains east of Annecy, about 30 mi/50 km and very near the border with Switzerland, you'll find the town of Chamonix. It's a ski town in winter and often used as a base for hikers, climbers and those wanting to see Europe's tallest peak, Mont Blanc.

To see Mont Blanc, take a cable car up into the Alps to a point called Aiguille du Midi (Needle of the South), which is at an altitude of 12,500 ft/3,810 m. From there, the view of Mont Blanc (15,800 ft/4,816 m) and the surrounding peaks is spectacular. Allow plenty of time for this excursion—in midsummer, the wait for the cable car can be from one to four hours. Back down in the village, those interested in the history of mountaineering will want to visit the Musee Alpin.

An alternative for a breathtaking view of the Alps is the cable car to Mont d'Arbois at nearby St. Gervais. The cable car, which operates as a ski lift in winter, takes tourists to the top in summer, with no waiting in line. Yet another excursion is to La Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice), an enormous glacier. You can get to La Mer de Glace by a petit train that departs from Montenvers. The train can be quite crowded in the summer, so plan to arrive early.