September 7–13, 2025

September 7: The travel day, you will depart O’Hare (ORD) International Airport for 5 exciting days in the land of cheese, chocolate and BERNINA!

Day One (September 8): Lucerne

Upon landing, our chariot will await to bring us via coach to Lucerne. We will stroll across the 14th-century Chapel Bridge that spans the Reuss River and listen to legends surrounding the oldest surviving truss bridge in the world with a guided walking tour.

You won’t want to miss out, so make sure you have plenty of film and batteries in your camera😊to capture photographs of the Water Tower that flanks the famous bridge.

Continue to the Jesuit Church. Absorb the tranquil atmosphere of the sacred structure and gaze at the first Baroque church in Switzerland. Learn about its cultural and architectural significance, then head to the Culture and Congress Center to admire its dynamic design.

Scour the city for remains of the Musegg Wall. This medieval city rampart was used to protect Lucerne.

Then, navigate the serpentine tangle of alleys and lanes surrounding atmospheric public squares. Watch locals go about their daily business and hear tales of cultural traditions.

Following your walking tour, be enchanted by a delicious lunch and the beautiful view on a boat trip and enjoy the ride across the crystal-clear lake.

The mountain peaks of Central Switzerland surround Lake Lucerne and lie on the territory of the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Nidwalden, and Lucerne. 

The views on the tour range from Mount Pilatus to Mount Bürgenstock and Mount Rigi, the queen of the mountains. After your cruise, we will be transferred to the hotel for check-in.

The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Day Two (September 9): Leave Lucerne and depart for Zurich and experience the Lindtt Chocolate Experience 

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Our guide will meet us at the hotel. Today, we will drive to Zurich. 

On arrival, we will enjoy a city tour. Drive through the Zürichberg district with views of the city, the lake, and the Alps. See the highlights of Zürich, such as the castle-like National Museum, the shopping avenue of Bahnhofstrasse, and the famous financial district. 

Stop at the picturesque harbor of Enge and enjoy the beautiful vistas of the crystal-clear Lake Zürich. Continue past the Zürich Opera House and go into the Zürichberg district. 

Admire numerous mansions that reflect the glorious past, and take in the panoramas of the lake and the snow-covered Alps before going to the university quarter. See buildings like the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZürich) and the Zürich Museum of Art. 

Enter the Old Town to learn Zürich's history during an entertaining stroll through the medieval streets. See the patriarchal guild houses, Zürich Town Hall, and Europe's largest clock face on the Romanesque church of St. Peter. See the imposing cathedral of Grossmünster, and look at the Fraumünster church, whose stained-glass windows are by Marc Chagall. After the tour, we will check in at our final hotel. 

This will be our home base for the rest of our stay.

This evening, we will journey to Kilchberg, home of the headquarters of the world-famous chocolate factory Lindt & Sprüngli. A great shopping opportunity at the Lindt Chocolate Shop awaits you. Browse the immense assortment, heaven for all chocolate lovers, and difficult to resist. Buy some of the most delicious Swiss chocolate at the best conditions as a gift for your friends and family back home.

Continue to Adliswil, where the only aerial cable car in the canton of Zürich takes you to the hilltop station "Felsenegg ."Located on the Albis chain, this area is one of the most popular recreational zones of greater Zürich.

It is only a short hike through the magical forest to get to the restaurant overlooking Lake Zürich. Enjoy the breathtaking view on the terrace and delight in a choice of appetizers while you freshen up with a glass of wine. 

Then, step inside the cozy Swiss restaurant and get seated at the traditionally decorated table. An assorted bowl of salad is followed by the outstanding original Swiss cheese fondue. To complete your culinary experience, a homemade chocolate cake will be served. 

Satisfied in all senses, we drive back to Zürich.

Day Three (September 10): Zurich to St, Gallen to Zurich

Breakfast at the hotel. Our guide will meet us at the hotel. We will drive to St. Gallen for a morning visit.

No trip by a gang of uber sewists, quilters, embroiderers, and such is complete without a visit to St. Gallen, the city south of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in northeastern Switzerland. Named for an Irish Missionary, Gallus, it's home to the Abbey of St. Gall, its breathtaking baroque library, and the Textile Museum, which details this important local trade. 

Many buildings in the old town have decorative bay windows and gorgeous patterned tile roofs.

We will tour the textile museum home to the first-ever embroidery machine! But calm down, it's not a BERNINA.

The machine was able to embroider using more than 300 needles simultaneously and was thus able to repeatedly transfer the desired pattern onto the fabric. Where previously women embroidered by hand, the machine is now operated by men, who produce the fine embroidery en masse. Women did the legwork, such as the laborious and time-consuming threading.

The city of St. Gallen has a long tradition of textile production and processing that began in the Middle Ages and continues to this day. The relationships between St. Gallen textile manufacturers and the Paris fashion scene have always been close. Well-known designers have always favored St. Gallen lace, also known as etching embroidery or Guipure.

If there's time, I'd love to take you to the monastery Library, where I will encourage you to put on your invisibility cloak and visit the restricted section or look for a book of spells or potions.

We will also be visiting the BERNINA Retail store in St Gallen, so pack an extra suitcase for your treasures 😊

Lunch is on our own today, but you will love the offerings for some real Swiss everyday food and maybe even a glass of something special.😉

Enjoy the rest of the afternoon shopping and exploring Zürich. Meet the coach at the designated time and location for the return to the hotel.

Day Four (September 11): Steckborn for the BERNINA Factory Tour and Rhine Falls

Breakfast at the hotel. Our guide will meet you at the hotel and drive to Steckborn, home of the BERNINA Factory since 1893.

Factory Day! We're heading to Steckborn! Oh my God, this is the most exciting part of the trip!

All BERNINA sewing machines are developed, designed, prepared as prototypes and tested at the plant in Steckborn. 

Today, the top-of-line sewing and longarm quilting machines are manufactured in the Steckborn plant, and from there, they are distributed across the world. 

Places like Aurora, Illinois, which is the headquarters of BERNINA of America, and only two miles from BERNINA of Naperville.

The Factory has about 300 people working in Steckborn (Product Management, Research & Development, Production, Sales, Marketing, HR, Finance, and Executive Board). And employees also see themselves as members of the BERNINA family, because many have been working for BERNINA for 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years. Their many years of experience  is brought to bear in the quality of the products.

In 2012, production in Steckborn was modernised and the building was refurbished to be more environmentally friendly. New ergonomic and clearly arranged workstations make work much easier.

Once we have been immersed in the BERNINA Factory tour, we are going to enjoy lunch at the Feldbach Hotel on lake Konstance. 

The Feldbach is where it all got started with BERNINA. 

Starting with Karl Friedrich Gegauf…he's no longer there, but you'll love the quaint design of the building and the fact that the hotel has housed many international visitors and BERNINA of America staff. 

Imagine the secrets those walls must hold about innovative design and those possibilities

Later, drive to nearby Schaffhausen, one of the best-preserved medieval towns. The pedestrians-only old town is perfect for exploring. Then head to Rhine Falls. Enjoy leisure time at the mighty Rhine Falls, one of Switzerland's major attractions.

Rhein Falls should not be missed, but before we marvel at the natural spectacle of the falls, lets do some shopping and exploring in town.

As we all know, sight-seeing works up an appetite, so we will be headed to Schloss Laufen for dinner. This place is simply breathtaking. You will experience the Rhine Falls and cultural heritage. 

Perhaps you will want to take the footpath past the falls to a platform. Or hike along the grounds in search of the largest slugs you will ever see! 

Don't worry, they are not hard to miss.

With slugs and falls on your mind, you can rest easy knowing that your room back at the hotel will be cozy and dry.

Five (September 12): Ride the BERNINA Express to Italy (Breakfast)

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Our guide will meet us at the hotel for an early start to transfer by private coach to the Chur railway station.

This day highlights a journey in BERNINA History because a holiday to St Moritz begot not only a fun vacation for Fritz Gegaulf and his wife but a new brand for the launch of the Gegaulf company's new domestic sewing machine – they just needed a name.

We will hop on the BERNINA Express in Chur. Harry Potter fans will feel like they're departing for a semester at Hogwarts, but the red steam engine has been replaced by a panoramic train through the Alps that is set on a course to Tirano, Italy.

On the train, you will be mesmerized by the majesty of Piz BERNINA, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps, the highest point of the Bernina Range, and the highest peak in the Rhaetian Alps - located along the Italian–Swiss and Austrian–Swiss borders in the canton of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland; in the state of Tyrol in Austria; and in the Italian regions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Lombardy.

The train pauses for about 90 minutes in Tirano, giving you time to explore the small Italian town's piazza, Catholic Church, and winding river, all with the backdrop of snow-capped peaks. Nip in for a drink and snack (meal on your own). Then, board the BERNINA Express to make the return trip to Chur, arriving at approximately 6:20 p.m. You will then transfer back to Zurich by private coach.

Day 6: Breakfast at the Hotel and then you are Driven to the airport. What a fun time, right?

THE THING THAT's ON YOUR MIND

How can you join us? We've put together a package that includes

• 5 nights' Hotel Accommodations
• 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and potentially more.
• Sightseeing with English speaking local guides
• Round Trip BERNINA Express Service
• Airfare* - Final pricing can not be determined until July of this year (333 days before the trip)
• Private coach transfers and transportation in air conditioned coach with same tour guide team.
• And more to be determined :)

CLICK HERE or call/email us to learn how you can go for FREE.

gayle@berninaofnaperville.com

331-472-4231