标签 瑞士 下的文章
莱辛巴赫瀑布，瑞士伯尔尼高地 Reichenbach Falls, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland (© Chris Milne/Alamy)
莱辛巴赫瀑布，瑞士伯尔尼高地 Reichenbach Falls, Bernese Oberland, Switzerland (© Chris Milne/Alamy)
The scene of a literary crime
Remarkable enough in itself, this 800-foot mountain waterfall is also the site of one of fiction's most enduring showdowns between good and evil. Just outside Meiringen, Switzerland, the Reichenbach Falls are the backdrop for 'The Final Problem'—the 1893 Sherlock Holmes story where, on a precipice near the falls (which in the 19th century gushed with far more power than our recent image shows), the genius detective enters a death duel with the criminal Professor Moriarty. In the end, both men plummet to their presumable doom.
Though the action in 'The Final Problem' was set on May 4th, it's May 22 that's celebrated as Sherlock Holmes Day since it's author Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday. The doctor-turned-author created Holmes with 'A Study in Scarlet' in 1887 and intended to kill off his famous protagonist with 'The Final Problem' to move on with his literary life. Nonetheless, pressure from Doyle's anguished, sleuth-starved public led him to 'resurrect' Holmes (but not Moriarty) a decade later with 'The Adventure of the Empty House.' In all, Doyle issued four novels and over 50 short stories starring Holmes over four decades—and they've inspired countless other books, plays, radio dramas, movies, TV shows, comics, and video games that feature the super-sleuth.
朗德瓦萨桥上的贝尔尼纳快车，瑞士格劳宾登 Bernina Express on the Landwasser Viaduct, Graubünden, Switzerland (© Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images)
朗德瓦萨桥上的贝尔尼纳快车，瑞士格劳宾登 Bernina Express on the Landwasser Viaduct, Graubünden, Switzerland (© Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images)
Taking the scenic route
Often called the most beautiful train ride in Switzerland, if not the world, the Bernina Express offers spectacular views on its sightseeing routes that connect towns in southeastern Switzerland to Tirano, Italy. It's been in operation here since the late 1800s. The classic route takes about four hours and departs from Chur, Switzerland. Outfitted with panoramic windows, the train passes through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges, some over 100 years old, like the Landwasser Viaduct pictured on our homepage today. The cheerful train winds its way up and over the Bernina Pass in the Alps, reaching an elevation of 7,392 feet. Pay special attention on the stretch from Thusis to Tirano—this portion of the route was designated a World Heritage Site in 2008. Reservations recommended!
蒙特勒和日内瓦湖，瑞士 Montreux and Lake Geneva in Switzerland (© Westend61/Getty Images)
蒙特勒和日内瓦湖，瑞士 Montreux and Lake Geneva in Switzerland (© Westend61/Getty Images)
Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz
We're looking at Lake Geneva and Montreux, Switzerland, where the Montreux Jazz Festival begins today. Despite its name, the festival isn't just about jazz. It highlights different styles of music across multiple venues over two weeks. This year's lineup includes three farewell-tour stops (Elton John, Anita Baker, Joan Baez) and big names in jazz (Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin), as well as young artists representing a variety of genres. The festival began in 1967 at the original Montreux Casino, which famously burned down during a December 1971 Frank Zappa performance. The fire was memorialized by Deep Purple in their hit 'Smoke on the Water.' A monument commemorating the band and their song can be found next to the rebuilt casino.
