Scenic Routes – The Swiss Wonder
Three Days, Iconic Passes and an Unmatched Alpine Hideaway
The Scenic Routes series is the sibling of the Balkan Rally: the same spirit, the same community, the same joy of adventure, distilled into a shorter format for those who cannot spare a full week but still want the full experience. This year we imagined that essence in the heart of the Swiss Alps, in Andermatt, where snow-capped peaks and alpine switchbacks surround the five-star Chedi Andermatt, widely regarded as one of the most exceptional retreats in Europe. Until the engines start up, here is our Swiss Wonder interview to give you a taste of what awaits in June.
Why Switzerland this year?
Scenic Routes is designed to capture the atmosphere of the Balkan Rally in a more compact timeframe, with the same crowd, the same feeling, and fewer days off needed. This naturally leads us to destinations where an extraordinary variety of driving routes fit into a small area. Anyone who loves driving usually loves cornering as well, and the best corners are found in the mountains.
In this regard Switzerland stands unmatched. The Alps, the passes, the legendary serpentine roads all lie within a remarkably tight radius, often allowing several iconic routes in a single day. The quality of services is exceptional as well, which elevates the experience beyond the driving itself. Swiss precision, their care for nature, and their devotion to detail also align closely with the values of our community.
Where do Swiss values meet the rally mindset?
What makes Switzerland unique is not that everything is shiny and new, but that even what is old works flawlessly. Sixty years ago they built roads, bridges and buildings to such a standard that today they only require maintenance rather than replacement. This attitude mirrors everything we admire in the world of classic cars and motorcycles. Well-built machines survive decades, and not only survive but still perform and still bring joy. It is a mindset that feels instantly familiar to us.
How did the three-day route come together?
Switzerland offers the rare luxury of having many iconic routes packed into a small radius, so we intend to make full use of it.
We dedicated three full days to explore the area properly and chose routes that reveal three completely different faces of the Alps on three consecutive days.
We roll along the Tremola San Gottardo, the longest historic road monument in Switzerland, with its twenty-four hairpin bends and hand-laid cobblestones that most of us have only seen in photographs. It is an iconic serpentine carved into the mountainside, climbing from more than thirteen hundred meters all the way to the Gotthard Pass.
We also make sure there is time to enjoy the hotel. We selected a place that set a new benchmark for us, offering remarkable wellness, impeccable cuisine and a level of detail that is rarely seen even in Europe’s top hotels. It is a form of understated luxury that feels both effortless and extraordinary.
How does the group travel to Switzerland?
The adventure begins in Vienna with style. We board the ÖBB Nightjet sleeper train and travel across Austria all the way to the Swiss border. There is no need to spend hours on motorways, no fuel consumption, no traffic stress and no risk. Instead there is a comfortable night on the train, time to unwind, talk and settle into the mood of the trip. Meanwhile the vehicles rest as well and save their strength for where it truly matters: the winding alpine passes. It is an elegant, environmentally friendly and pleasantly relaxed beginning to an Alpine journey.
What makes The Chedi Andermatt exceptional?
Through years of planning corporate travel we consistently search for the highest standards, which means we see many five-star hotels from the inside. Over time you learn that five stars is not a category but a spectrum, and The Chedi sits at the very top of it. I first heard about it years ago and followed it out of professional curiosity. Every piece of feedback confirmed that it truly operates in a category of its own. It is no coincidence that next year the Balkan Rally will finish at the newest Chedi hotel in Montenegro. Andermatt simply felt inevitable, a home base worthy of a Scenic Routes weekend.
Why do you consider this Scenic Routes weekend a rare opportunity?
This really is a once-only occasion. Experiencing a place of this calibre, in these conditions and with this group of people, is unlikely to happen again at this price and in this form. If you have ever been curious to see what a truly top-tier property feels like, without compromising on atmosphere or company, this is your moment.