GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Most of Switzerland will be taking a long weekend, the Ascension holiday, starting Thursday 9 May. Weather forecast: mixed, with temperatures slipping down, with the long-term forecast improving as of next Tuesday – can we blame the weatherman for this poor planning?
Meteo Swiss says Wednesday’s sunshine and highs of 20-24C will retreat as storms build up along the Jura Thursday and skies become only occasionally sunny. The high temperature Thursday, 17-20C, with the snow line at 2,200 metres, falling to 13-15C Friday and the snow line at 1,700m. Both will drop again Saturday and Sunday, with the snow line at 1,400m.
The Swiss Highway Office has issued its list of times and places to avoid if you don’t want to be part of the traffic jams over the long weekend, as well as the next one, Pentecost/Whit, starting 24 May.
This weekend signals the start of what has become a popular nationwide series of events, winery open days. Canton Valais, the largest of the wine-producing regions, holds its open days, Caves Ouvertes, 9, 10 and 11 May. Vaud, then Geneva follow, and a number of smaller cantonal and local wine events are scheduled for coming weeks. Given the size of Valais, shuttle bus service exists in some areas, but not canton-wide, but many of the wineries can be reached by train or bus, since many of the wineries run along the Rhone river valley. A beautiful vineyards cycling trail runs along much of it, from Martigny to Salgesch/Salquenen. A series of activities help make this a hugely popular weekend. One such is the guided wine walk to study the famed dry stone walls above Sion, along the bisse (glacier stream irrigation channel) de Claveau, offered by the wine and vine museum in Sierre (reservations, in French with German).
It’s also Swiss Mother’s Day Sunday 12 May, with scores of special meals on offer at restaurants and special activities. The CGN Lake Geneva boat company has a special menu and fare for the day (reservations needed). Be sure to check out our new sister web site, Events.GenevaLunch.com where you’ll find plenty of ideas for the weekend.
Note that starting next week we will be adding more wine events such as this one to our new sister site.