On the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Vacation Path
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe a German writer (1749-1832), novelist, diplomat, statesman, and civil servant born on August 28th, 1749 in Germany. Some of the notable works he did include the Sorrows of Young Werther, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, Faust, and many more. In addition; numerous literary and scientific fragments, more than 10,000 letters, and nearly 3000 drawings by him exist. A literary celebrity by the age 0f 25, Goethe was ennobled by the Duke of Saxe-Weimar in 1782. Goethe’s poems were set to music throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by a number of composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Charles Gounod, Richard Wagner, Hugo Wolf, Felix Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz, Gustav Mahler, and Jules Massenet.
Where he stayed during his Travels
( Hotel Zum Schwarzen Loewen is under new ownership since 2020)
, , Hotel Zum Schwarzen Loewen in Altdorf, Switzerland! A small boutique-style hotel in the middle of this quaint, small town of approximately 10,000 inhabitants, Goethe, on his tour to Italy, during which his first major scientific work, the Metamorphosis of Plants, was created and then published, had to travel through Switzerland in order to get to Italy across the Gotthard pass by means of horse and carriage, those days that was the only way to get to the south of Europe. That is when he stayed at the Hotel Zum Schwarzen Loewen around 1788, the room in which he stayed is still available today and looks just like the days Goethe visited, the only difference today is the TV and of course the light switch on the wall, however, if you prefer candles as he used then they are available at the front desk for sale, Yankee Candles that is, from the USA!
Since 1532!
This Hotel was built in 1532, then over the course of the years, it has undergone several renovations including in the year 1799 when most of the City of Altdorf burnt down. The Hotel is situated a few yards away from the Wilhelm Tell monument, the famous Swiss hero. There are 16 rooms on two floors, one of them is named after the famous poet “The Goethe Room”. Room rates range from the middle of October until the middle of May from CHF 130 to 200 and from the middle of May through the middle of October CHF 150 to 270, prices include continental breakfast which really turned out to be a full-size little buffet with selections of cheeses, cold cuts, boiled eggs, fruit salad, yogurt, and beverages. The latest renovations were done in 2012, including a new bar, lobby area, and restaurant, which combines this almost 500-year-old design with today’s modern architecture. During the summer months, guests can enjoy a beautiful terrace behind the hotel for their dining pleasure. The food at the hotel is superb, consistent, and innovative, there is a choice of menus for lunch, and an a la carte menu with daily specialties for dinner, ranging from such items as premium cuts of meat, fresh seafood, game specialties, pasta, and the famous Flammkuchen, a flatbread pizza. Should you visit, or travel through Switzerland I highly recommend that you are taking a side trip to Altdorf. Whether you decide to take the train through the longest tunnel in the world, the Gotthard Tunnel, (which just opened in June 2016) it’s 9.3 miles long and takes about 8 minutes from Goeschenen, Switzerland to Airolo, the Italian part of Switzerland, or if you prefer to drive through the tunnel by automobile, or over the Gotthard pass either way it will be an unforgettable experience!
Website: www.hotel-loewen-altdorf.ch Email: info@hotel-loewen-altdorf.ch Address: Tellsgasse 17, 6460 Altdorf, URI Phone: +41(0)41 874 80 80 Swiss Train Schedule info: fahrplan.sbb.ch/bin/query.exe/e Airolo Info: www.myswitzerland.com/de/airolo.html Altdorf Tourism Info: www.uri.info/en/localita-turistiche/altdorf Andermatt Vacation Resort: www.andermatt.ch/en
