Show Americans Enjoy Switzerland By Edward H. H Sims I This is the best time in cold winter to think of later vacations vacations vacations vaca vaca- in warmer weather It is j I the perfect time if going to I Europe this year to make plans 1 and bookings the Nixon Administration Administration Administration Ad Ad- AdI I ministration plans no restrictions restrictions restrictions I on travel I Perhaps the loved best-loved I country on the continent to toI I Americans is Switzerland It should not be missed by any traveler who visits several i European countries One can enter enter en- en ter Switzerland from Germany I Austria or Italy-from Italy north west east or south And all I parts of the country are interesting interest- interest jing ing enjoyable and scenically re rewarding j If I were to choose one city for Cor the main stop in a trip across Switzerland it would be Lucerne I The weather is slightly warmer I in Ascona Lugano Locarno I etc And Zurich is the business I capital where one can find more city big-city life There is I Geneva with its international side and Latin flavor And all of them are charming as are several other cities and more I than a dozen mountain resorts man many famous as ski centers But Lucerne is special It seems to represent the best of many elements in the country- country and its scenery is unbeatable More than that there is a vacation vacation vacation vaca vaca- tion tradition in Lucerne It is best exemplified by the famous I Grand National Hotel the I leader among a number of lakeside lakeside lakeside lake lake- side hotels And that hotel warrants special mention in an any guide for Switzerland bound vacationers vacationer The managing director and I part the Grand National is HF Elmiger one of a long line of famous Swiss hotel I who managers it might be recalled recalled recalled re re- re- re called managed the RitZ in I Paris for many years and saved its highly valuable wine cellar ellar from the Nazis during the war There are few managers like Elmiger left in the world today today- and few hotels like the Grand National remaining in a world I moving so fast that restfulness luxury and ultra fine service are rapidly becoming memories of the past Director Elmiger's French wife personally selects the materials and de dejor deor or for the Grand Nationals National's suites and kings and other famous persons stop in Lucerne to enjoy the beauty and good taste fied The magnificent dining room of the hotel matches with its cuisine the room itself The service is in the old tradition and help is ample throughout the hotel In addition the spirit among the is friendly and cheerful a must for a great international hotel This is undoubtedly because everyone at the hotel knows the managing director works as ashard ashard ashard hard as they do and because all feel pride in the tradition and excellence of this Lucerne institution If this sounds like an extraordinary recommendation tion it is-and is since one should see Lucerne and enjoy its singular spell and unique Alps and lake beauty the Grand National should be the hotel its it's less full from March to June and after Sept September em ber I would say its it's one of less than ten top hotels remaining alive in the grand old style of Europe today |