Swiss Escapes

Mark Twain slept here when he toured Europe, Al Gore stayed here after his ill-fated presidential campaign, and I’m sitting here on my private patio in the perfect late-afternoon sunlight in the shadow of the Jungfrau, sipping champagne and eating chocolates. Not a bad way to recover from jet lag along with two mountain hikes and a spa treatment, in little more than two days in Switzerland.

Outrageous mountain scenery, chocolate-box villages, elegant castles, idyllic farms and a mild climate have for centuries lured the well-heeled and well-informed to Interlaken, situated between two lakes in the heart of Switzerland. Superb new Swiss spas are luring today’s travelers who seek health and rejuvenation along with great scenery. Body wraps, massages, facials, fitness testing and all manner of treatments help relieve jet lag, chronic health problems or aching muscles from Interlaken’s huge array of year-round outdoor pursuits, which include hiking, biking, watersports, skiing and paragliding.

“Swiss hospitality is something special,” said native German, Carsten Hundertmark. “The Swiss have a slower pace, are friendlier, more hospitable and more earthy than the Germans, which is why a lot of Germans along with everyone else come to Switzerland.”

Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa

Hundertmark is the new spa manager at Interlaken’s Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, which has been hosting celebrities since 1865. Hundertmark is proud to be heading one of Europe’s largest and newest spas, where guests can take the haute route to health, beauty and fitness. Along with haute cuisine at four different dining venues plus a spa cafe and two bars, the hotel offers elegant updated rooms in the historic section or sleek, new Euro-contemporary Belair suites attached to the spa.

In 1992, the hotel opened a 60,000-square-foot Clarins spa complex, and in December 2003 expanded it with a $13 million luxury E’Spa, one of the world’s top spa brands. Guests arrive at the hotel’s sprawling spa complex through an airy, two-story glass atrium filled with plants. Warm colors and textures of terra cotta and natural wood welcome guests to the two different spas.

Jet-lagged on arrival day, it wasn’t easy staying awake during my soothing one-hour facial at the Clarins spa, in the softly lit, ivory treatment room. But “scentsational” cleansing, moisturizing, soothing and toning treatments were too good to miss.

Guests can choose among age-defying, hydrating, radiance and purifying treatments. Body treatments include redefining, pro-polish exfoliation with fruit enzymes and renewing with Clarin’s special plant-based formulations and aromatic oils applied with specialized massage movements, known as “The Clarins Touch.” Before long, my stressed, aging and travel-weary face felt brand-new.

After my treatment, I chose a dip in the indoor Roman-style pool and frothing, open-air, saltwater Jacuzzi with mountain views.

After two days of hiking and sightseeing, “Time The Ultimate Treatment” sounded appealing at E’Spa. This two-hour signature treatment is customized and different for everyone. I felt like I was transported to Japan with the Zen-like simplicity and tranquility of the E’Spa. Done in ecru and natural wood, the treatment room walls resembled rice-paper screens. Big, white-shaded windows and doorways opened onto bamboo and river-rock gardens. While the therapist conducted a relaxing and welcoming foot ritual by massaging reflex zones on my feet, I relayed my personal preferences and problem areas of strain or stress. She then selected and blended the appropriate Ayurvedic-inspired oils and herbs. A full-body salt and oil scrub, followed by a rinsing shower and massage, was definitely the ultimate preparation for further travel.

The Palace Lucerne

Lucerne is a beautiful medieval city of swans, chestnut trees and graceful spires about 90 minutes by train from Interlaken. Stately turn-of-the-century hotels line Lake Lucerne, and among them is the Palace Lucerne, a sister hotel of the Victoria-Jungfrau, with its new spa that required the removal of 40 hotel rooms.

Quite different in atmosphere from the Victoria-Jungfrau spas, the new $10 million E’Spa at the Palace Lucerne opened in 2005 with treatment rooms overlooking this fairy-tale city. A private 800-square-foot spa suite located in one of the hotel’s turrets houses a circular petal pool for two with a twinkling planetarium-type ceiling and commanding views of the lake and city truly a spa in a palace.

After a chilly day of sightseeing, I chose a 55-minute energizing treatment to warm up and prepare for a gourmet dinner at one of Switzerland’s top restaurants, Jasper, also located in the hotel. After the massage, I treated myself to a stop in the shimmering, aquamarine mosaic steam room with tiny ceiling lights winking through a range of colors. A tropical-toned recovery room offered chaise lounges, soft music, teas and fruit. This was the perfect elixir for travel, rich meals, late nights and mountain excursions still to come.