18 travel ideas for 2018
The first blog lines of 2018 start the same as the ones in 2017: I hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and a happy start into the new year. For the fifth time in a row, I have prepared a fresh list of travel ideas as a prelude to the new year. Like the years before, the list reflects my personal bucket list of fun destinations at home and abroad. At the same time, I don’t claim to necessarily visit the listed destinations in the year in which I put them on the list – I see it more as a steadily growing generator of ideas. In 2017, for example, I went on a city trip to Wroclaw, which I already put on my travel ideas list in 2016. While in 2016 I visited a total of 9 of the 16 presented travel ideas myself, this year it was 10 out of 17. The presented Swiss excursion destinations have a bad balance – there I have only visited Lichtensteig and the Calfeisental (from the list). Who knows if I’ll make it to the Schrattenfluh, the Pragelpass or the Arnisee in 2018. One of my travel highlights in 2017 – the ascent of the highest Iranian – was not on my radar at the beginning of 2017. The same applies to Georgia, which made it to the trend destinations of 2018 in both Travelettes and Reiseinspiration.ch. Among the highlights I had on the list are the island hopping in the Azores as well as the road trip through Nova Scotia.
Over the past two years, the book project has taken up a lot of “free time” for the Swiss Historic Hotels. With an 80% workload with a total of 20 days of vacation, it was important to use the remaining travel time wisely. Thus, in the next six months, we will enjoy the “freedom” of discovering destinations that previously seemed too far away for a two-week holiday. Just in time for the mountain summer, we will be back in Switzerland in July and already have some excursions and European trips in our sights for both summer and autumn. However, the new year will certainly have some surprises in store. We are excited!
#1 Across Chile
Number 1 on the list is the country from which I’m typing these lines. For me, Chile, as an insanely long, narrow strip of land between the Pacific and the Andes, is a grab bag. From the Atacama Desert to the Strait of Magellan, there is so much to discover here in terms of landscape and culture that even with a time budget of just over a month, we only get to see an excerpt of it.
#2 an onsen bath in Japan
It seems to me that Japan is booming! The most popular time to visit is during the cherry blossom season, closely followed by late autumn, when Japan’s mixed deciduous forests are particularly colorful. After watching the freeride film “After the Sky falls”, I also really want to go to Hokkaido in winter. Skiing in the softest powder snow in the world and then relaxing in the hot steaming onsen bath – wonderful!
#3 Uzbekistan: on the trail of the Silk Road
Iran, Georgia, Oman – Central Asian countries (I count Oman among them, although this is not 100% correct) exert a magical attraction on me. I find the architecture, history and culture incredibly fascinating. In 2017 we will follow Gudrun’s footsteps and also travel along the Silk Road through Uzbekistan.
#4 Portugal
Would you like to extend your summer in the Algarve or would you rather discover the lesser-known corners of Portugal in the hinterland? We want to try a combination of both in autumn 2018.
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#5 Lençóis Maranhenses Nationalpark
My parents and brother were out and about in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil in the early summer of 2017. The pictures they showed me from there are fabulously impressive. In the extensive dune area near São Luís, you walk between bright white sand dunes and shimmering turquoise ponds. I definitely want to go there.
#6 Fischland-Darß-Zingst
The Baltic Sea peninsula Fischland-Darß-Zingst not only inspires with beautiful stretches of coastline, but also attracts many photographers with the environmental photo festival. I think here I can relax wonderfully in the off-season and let my head air out. The impressions on the Summer Days Blog definitely make you want more.
#7 Moscow
Since St. Petersburg, I’ve been dreaming of a city trip to Moscow – preferably during the pre-Christmas period or over New Year’s Eve. I want to see all the gigantic metro stations and try my way through creative Russian cuisine.
#8 Matera
The capital of the province of Matera was once considered an eyesore of southern Italy until the city was discovered by filmmakers and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. Since then, Matera has seen a steady increase in the number of tourists and is likely to set a new record in 2019 as the European Capital of Culture. Reason enough to take a detour to the winding streets of Matera before the hype starts.
#9 Biarritz
Extensive walks on the beach. Hair ruffled by the wind. Surfing. And a culinary detour across the border to San Sébastian. I think that sounds incredibly tempting…
#10 Take the cable car to Landarenca
Well, who has ever heard of Landarenca? The pretty village is located at 1,200 metres above sea level in the Calanca Valley in Graubünden and can only be reached on foot or by cable car (and a real insider tip: so shhhh
#11 With all your senses on the “Sentier Pieds Nus”
When was the last time you consciously went barefoot? For me, it’s been two years since I noticed the ground with all my senses on the barefoot path in the Brandnertal. There are also various barefoot hiking trails and Kneipp facilities in Switzerland. The two-kilometre-long “Sentier Pieds Nus” in the Jura Rebeuvelier or the Schwandalp Kneipp pond in the Entlebuch Biosphere sound like a casual Sunday outing for the whole family.
#13 Hood Verde
Madeira, Azores… Cape Verde! I’m fascinated by the green “volcano” islands in the Atlantic. And after Madeira and the Azores, a detour to one (or more) of the nine Cape Verde Islands is obvious.
#14 Alsace Wine Route
Alsace is just around the corner and is ideal for a two-day weekend trip. And if you want to take a look outside the box – i.e. Colmar and/or Strassenburg – you can lazily sit in your car or actively cycle along the Alsace Wine Route, which leads from Marlenheim 170 kilometres south to Thann. Hearty good food and photogenic wine villages are guaranteed.
#15 Poschiavo
With the 100% Valposchiavo project, Poschiavo has backed the right horse. The cooperation project between Valposchiavo and the farmers’ associations of Brusio and Poschiavo with the aim of promoting local products has already received several awards. In addition to the specialities produced in the valley, which are offered every Wednesday at the market in Poschiavo (and can otherwise be found in direct sales or in the village shops), the valley attracts visitors with countless kilometres of beautiful hiking trails. My goal for 2018: Hike San Romerio and the Lagh da Val Viola.
#16 Weekend trip to Como
Dolcefarniente on Lake Como… Is there any need for any more convincing arguments?
#17 Hiking in the Kiental
I’m a little bit in love with the Kiental and I’m drawn there every now and then, winter and summer. For 2018 I finally want to tackle the classic from Griesalp via Hohtürli to Kandersteg. After the treks in Patagonia and Uzbekistan, it should go quickly.
#18 Holidays in a listed building
It’s no secret: I have a flair for historic buildings with patina. That’s why I’m not presenting a place as my last idea for 2018, but a foundation that is committed to the preservation of architectural monuments and makes them accessible as holiday apartments. So if you’re looking for special accommodation in the mountains for two or three days (or more), you might find what you’re looking for at the “Holidays in a Monument” foundation.
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