Christmas in Zurich and Zug

Winter night in Zurich

While it does feel a bit early to be writing about Christmas, we are now half -way through November, most of the ski resorts have opened and we can see snow on the mountains and I can definitely feel the Christmas spirit coming alive, so perhaps it’s time to divulge a few Zurich and Zug Christmas secrets.

Zurich and Zug are beautiful during the Christmas period with Christmas markets, concerts, sunday sales and night shopping as well as events like santa swimming and advent concerts so I thought I would give you a little run down.

ZURICH

Christmas Markets

Christmas market in the Niederdorf : The oldest Christmas market in Zurich is held every year in the “lower village” in old town. The market stalls are located next to central Niederdorfstrasse. The Christmas market during advent season is a must in this picture perfect location of cobbled streets, even if it’s just a stroll to see all the market stands and to taste the mulled wine.

Opening times: 24^thNovember – 23^rd December.

Monday to Saturday: 11.00 to 21.00

Sunday: 11.00 to 19.00

Address: Niederdorfstrasse, 8001 Zurich

Christkindlimarkt in Central Station: This is one of the largest indoor Christmas markets in Europe. Over 150 stalls, mulled wine and a 15-meter-high Christmas tree decorated in Swarovski crystals transform Zurich main station to a winter wonderland.

Opening times: 23^rd November – 24^th December

Sunday to Wednesday: 10.30 to 21.00

Thursday to Saturday: 10.30 to 22.00

Address: Hauptbahnhof Zurich, 8001 Zurich

Christmas Carols Tree and Market: The market at Werdmuhleplatz is the youngest market in the city. On a beautifully decorated stage in the form of a Christmas tree daily evening concerts from choirs from the region make it feel like Christmas every day. Again this is a market not to be missed.

Opening times: 24^th November – 23^rd December

Christmas market

Monday to Thursday 4.00pm – 9.00pm

Friday 4.00pm – 10.00pm

Saturday 1.00pm – 10.00pm

Sunday 1.00pm – 9.00pm

Choir performances

Monday to Friday 5.30pm / 6.30pm

Saturday and Sunday 2.30pm / 3.30pm / 5.30pm / 6.30pm

Address: Werdmuhleplatz, 8001 Zurich

Zurich Christmas Market Bellevue –This fabulous Christmas market has over 100 stalls and is located right in front of the Opera House in Bellevue. What makes this market so special is the ice skating rink in front of the Opera house and the fondue Stübli in the Chalet by the Christmas tree.

Opening times: 24th November – 23rd December 2015

Monday to Saturday 11am – 10pm

Sunday 11am – 8pm

Address: Sechselaeutenplatz in front of the Opera House

Christmas Shopping

Christmas lights and Night Shopping: On the 24^th November the pre-Christmas shopping starts with the switching on of the Christmas lights at Bahnhofstrasse at 18.00 and then night shopping till 22.00. Night shopping should not be missed on the 24th as many shops have festive events either inside or outside which include free mulled wine, concerts and other festive events.

Sunday sales in Advent: On 3 Sundays many shops in the centre of Zurich are open. The dates for these are:

Sunday, 27 November, 2016: 11.00am – 6.00pm

Sunday, 4 December, 2016: 11.00am – 6.00pm

Sunday, 18 December, 2016: 11.00am – 6.00pm.

New Year Shopping: Even though the 2^nd of January is a holiday in Zurich many of the shops are open in the city. The shops will close at 20.00 on the 2^nd.

Events

Unique events make Christmas magical in Zurich. There are Christmas events on almost every day from the 17^th November till the New Year.

Christmas Circus Conelli: 17^th November – 31^st December

Top acrobatics, poetry, comedy and musical delights make this a must visit event with the family, friends and loved ones.

Christmas Procession: 27^th November at 17.00

The procession travels from Werdmuhleplatz to Buerkliplatz. The parade celebrates the arrival of “Santa Claus”. The parade is led by a bishop with many children dressed up as Santa’s helpers.

Musical Advent Calendar: December 1^st – December 23^rd

At the Zurich Opera house, there is a free concert every day at 17.30 for 15 minutes. Its free to watch and they sing both well and lesser known music to get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

Santa Claus swim: 4^th December –Zurich Schiffslande

This is the 2^nd largest winter swim in Switzerland and is limited to 350 entries so book early to get your place. hallo@limmatschwimmen.ch

Zurich Silvesterlauf: 11^th December at 12.00

For those who like to keep fit (and stave off the effects of the mince pies) before the festive season really starts this is the perfect event. A traditional fun run though the old town of Zurich. Various distances ranging from 1.4 to 8.6 km are available.

Lichterschwimmen: 22^nd December at 18.00

Floating candles are sent from Stadthausquai on a Christmas journey. At Weinplatz, Zurich tourism offers guests warm punch and something sweet between 17.00 and 19.00.

Christmas Nativity: 25^th November to 8^th January.

Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday – 10.00 to 17.00

Thursday – 10.00 to 19.00

The national museum in Zurich presents a selection of nativity scenes. This is very popular with parents as its great entertainment for the kids. The event happens at the Swiss National Museum, Museum Street 2, 8001 Zurich.

I hope that gives you a good insight into the goings on in Zurich during the Christmas break, particularly if you have friends and family to entertain.

Zug

Christmas Market

Klausmarkt mit Kinderattraktion: With over 70 stands and entertainment for the kids this is a great market to visit in Zug. Its on for 1 day on the 27^th of November from 09.00 to 18.00 at Landsgemeindeplatz, Zug.

Einsiedein Market: Even though it’s not in Zug, this market is the biggest in central Switzerland. Its located right by the monastery and with amazing decorations, Christmas carols, market stands and so much more, this is best authentic market in Switzerland and is set in such a stunning location.

Opening times: 26^th November – 4^th December

Sunday to Thursday: 11.00 to 19.30

Friday and Saturday: 11.00 to 21.00

Events

Fairy Tale Sunday in Zug: 4^th December 14.00 – 18.00

This is an enchanting Christmas event for all ages in Zug. Zug’s old town is turned into a wonderland for a day with fairies, storytellers, magicians, witches and Gnomes.

There are pony rides, refreshments, delightful food treats, fair ground rides, live music and much much more.

The event comes to a climax at 17.30pm when the St. Nicholases convene with the cowbell ringers, whip crackers, jesters, magicians and fairy tale figures at the Landesgemeindeplatz to bring Fairy tale Sunday to a close with a spectacular fireworks display.

Whether you are excited or stressed out about Christmas approaching – why not consider asking Allow Me Lifestyle Management Services to make your life easier? Planning your Christmas/New Year’s Eve party, present or food shopping, gift wrapping, catering, picking up relatives from the airport, planning ski trips and anything else – all at a very reasonable price and without the drama. More time for you to relax and enjoy the festive season!?! What’s not to love…

Winter Events and The Start of The Ski Season in Laax

Winter is finally here! With the snow falling on the hills around Zurich and Zug we can all start to enjoy the mountains and the excitement for Christmas has started.

Christmas Parties and Events

With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s parties just around the corner why not ask Allow Me to take away the stress of the event by letting us organize and run your event. We offer bespoke event planning to individuals and corporate clients for events of all sizes – from a small and elegant gathering to a large office party.

We can help you with every aspect of planning and organising your event, from idea generation to execution. If you have already planned your event but would like to enjoy it rather than worrying about it on the day, Allow Me can also provide on-site assistance, hosting, managing service providers and ensuring attention to detail.

Allow Me specialises in designing bespoke, sophisticated and memorable events from dinner parties to baby showers, anniversary/engagement parties, weddings, birthday parties, BBQs, wine tasting and corporate events. We love this time of year and have some great ideas for events that will round of 2016 for you and your friends and colleagues in style.

Don’t forget that we are also available for any Thanksgiving and Christmas-related services prior to the holiday season. We can help with present or food shopping, gift wrapping, catering, picking up relatives from the airport, planning ski trips and pet/house sitting – at a very reasonable price, leaving you more time to relax and enjoy your time off.

For more details, please contact us.

Start your Ski Season in LAAX

Allow Me can help with all your weekend (or longer) ski break bookings during the winter season and with over twelve years of involvement in the winter sports industry we can make sure you have an unforgettable and stress free ski break.

Films-Laax-Falera – Located just a short (circa 90 minutes) drive from Zurich, LAAX is the marketing name for the linked ski circuit above the villages of Flims, Laax and Falera, which is regarded – glorified, even – as Europe’s leading freestyle resort. With 224 kilometres of slopes and five downhill runs with artificial snow, multiple snow parks and the world’s largest superpipe, Laax is unquestionably one of the best winter resorts in Europe. The original village of Laax is a short bus ride away from the lifts but Laax Murschetg, a more ski-friendly purpose built satellite, has recently been built around the base-station with the rocksresort at its heart. This resort has become a serious magnet for snowboarders, who congregate at the trendy Riders Palace hotel, but the accessibility to the lifts, and on-site food and shopping make it ideal for skiers and families too. With a number of cool eateries and an apres-ski scene that explodes at the weekend when young people pour in from Zurich, the rocksresort is the perfect mix of great skiing and après-ski for a weekend break.

With over a metre of fresh snow last weekend, LAAX will be opening the ski resort and some of the slopes around Crap Sogn Gion this weekend, starting on Saturday 12^th November.

ALLOW ME is very happy to be able to offer you PREMIUM access to the LAAX INSIDE APP free of charge, worth 69 CHF. The LAAX INSIDE APP gives access to background information, lift ticket webcams & queue alerts and free Wi-Fi in the ski resort. For more information, please email Robert Brommer for the free access code: Robert.brommer@laax.com

LAAX INSIDE APP:

The LAAX INSIDE app is your ideal companion for you winter adventure in Flims Laax Falera. Book tickets at the best available rate within seconds, reserve your parking spot next to the gondola, check the snow conditions on the top of the mountain, track your on-mountain activities and get rewarded for the days you spend in LAAX skiing, snowboarding, sledging or simply having a good time.

Discounted lift tickets from 49 CHF (instead of 77 CHF) available in the LAAX INSIDE APP and on the designated ticket website:

SAVE NOW, SKI LATER

Benefit from the early bird rates and book your lift tickets for the coming winter season now. The amount of lift tickets is limited and the prices can change at any time. Be the quick, it pays off!

For information on all the up and coming events happening at Laax this winter please click here.

Accommodation deals at Rocksresort

Short break with Family

Laax family deal 4 Nights offer is ideal for a spontaneous short break in the richly varied ski resort in LAAX. Enjoy spending time with your family in the spacious apartments at the rocksresort and take advantage of the lift tickets included in the offer to explore the ski resort with your nearest and dearest. Please click here for more details.

Short break with Friends

Enjoy four nights with your friends in a rocksresort apartment and discover the richly varied ski resort in LAAX.

Thanks to our 4 Nights for Friends offer, all this awaits you and your companions. Make the most of the rocksresort’s ideal location by the base station and enjoy perfect days on the slopes. Please click here for more details.

New Partners

New Partners for Allow Me

It has been a busy few months for Allow Me and we are also proud to be working with 2 new partners. Please see below all the details and also the discount codes for the services.

COSMO BUTLER

All your Laundry, dry cleaning and shoe repair with pick-up and delivery service to your door

in the greater Zurich area, Basel, Bern, St. Gallen, Solothurn, Zug and Winterthur area. This services are designed to make your life easier so that you no longer have to worry about finding time to visit a dry cleaning services. The services are very efficient and they also offer great customer care and Allow Me can highly recommend using them for all your dry cleaning, laundry and shoe repair needs.

Please use voucher code “allowme20” where you can redeem it once and gets a discount of 20CHF on the first order. Please click on this link to be redirected to their ordering page:

Cosmo Butler is also launching a home cleaning service and if you are looking for a 5* cleaning services then please call their multilingual Customer Service at 043 960 94 66 from Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Vouchers can be redeemed on the phone as well) They will then set up an appointment to see your flat and gather all information needed before making an individual offer.The customer will then be able to order a package consisting of Cleaning, Laundry, Shoe Care…

For more details, then please just ask Allow Me for more details or get in contact with Cosmo Butler directly.

MASTER OF WINE, ROBIN KICK

Olivier Maire-photographer

Originally from the Chicago area, Robin is presently based in Lugano, Switzerland where she is working as an independent wine consultant, wine judge and educator. Following university studies in French and English literature, she changed career paths in 1998 when she left her teaching position at the Université de Nice to study wine at the Université du Vin in Suze-la-Rousse in France’s Rhône Valley.

She then worked as a wine specialist at Christie’s auction house in Los Angeles, California for numerous years before returning to Europe where she lived for ten years in London, spending seven of them as a fine wine buyer at a Burgundy, Bordeaux and Italian specialist. In 2014, she became a Master of Wine.

Robin can organise and host bespoke tastings, wine dinners, wine trips to viticultural regions and can advise on wine collecting and cellar management.

For more details on how Robin can help you then please get in contact with Allow Me and we can help you with all your requirements.

In the next few weeks we will let you know about some great discounts that are on offer at Laax and also the best places to go for an early season ski around Zurich.

Have a great weekend and please get in touch to see how Allow Me can make your life easier.

What is a Concierge Service?

Running a concierge company in Zurich and Zug I am often asked, what is a concierge service? What services do you provide? Is it just for the wealthy? Do I need to be a member to use your services? Today’s concierge companies offer a wide range of services to suit the client’s needs, ranging from personal concierge right the way though to corporate concierge for business – but each company, like it’s clients, is individual.

For Allow Me Lifestyle Management Services, our services range from finding a garage for your car to be serviced and helping with household errands, to booking private jets and 5* holidays. We also help companies to look after their employees and clients’ needs, helping with their events and any other services that they require. In a nutshell, there is no real limit to the services we provide, or type of person that we provide them for.

The overall goal of a personal concierge is often to take care of all the little odds and ends that can get overlooked in the frenetic pace of daily life. A concierge can do tasks that might be time consuming (or simply boring) so that you have more time to focus on the things you want to do. We can also offer our expert view, based on years of experience, to save you time searching the internet or checking reviews.

So to answer the questions, Allow Me offers a dedicated lifestyle management and personal assistant service in Zurich, Zug, Thalwil and surrounding areas. We offer trustworthy, professional and efficient lifestyle management services so that you have more free personal time and peace of mind.

Our services are for everyone, are prices start at 40CHF an hour for members and the fee for non-members is worked out individual as each service is personal to the individual and varies depending on duration, complexity and timing.

SOME EXAMPLES OF PERSONAL CONCIERGE SERVICES

We have helped many personal clients save money and time already – for example, we recently saved a client 5400 CHF on a garage repair bill. We also love to organize summer and winter dinner parties – we have a number of preferred private chefs, cookery schools, and wine specialists to call upon to help – and can even offer a spare pair of hands to help out during the event (serving, hosting or even helping with the washing up). We have a number of excellent cleaners and baby-sitters on standby for any last minute requests.

One of our many partners

Taking a client wine tasting in Klosters

Because of our background in winter sports we specialize in weekend breaks in the mountains, but we can make any travel arrangements you need, and look after your plants or pets while you are away.

Allow Me will take care of whatever needs to get done. The only limit to what we will do is the customer’s imagination (and the legality of the request!). We’ve even helped out with wedding planning!

Juggling daily responsibilities as an individual or as a family can be stressful and time consuming. We can help. Allow Me will give you back your most valued commodity — time. We work with all our clients individually and will do whatever is necessary to customize a solution for their needs. Allow Me provides one-call problem solving, time saving, organizational and personal assistant services.

SOME EXAMPLES OF CORPORATE CONCIERGE SERVICES

Taking some corporate clients to Mont Stanserhorn on their visit to Zug

Allow Me recently looked after a delegation of foreign government representatives visiting a private company in Zug – in this case we helped with transport and accommodation as well as developing a full itinerary for meetings, entertainment and sightseeing. We went above and beyond by offering them a 24/7 dedicated personal concierge service, ensuring that the trip went without a hitch.

We work with a number of partners offering business accommodation, car rentals and meet and greet services. We know that your clients and employees are important to you, and want to make sure that your business objectives are met. We want to understand your brand and the services you offer so that we can inspire loyalty with your clients and help maintain your business relationships, while freeing up your valuable employees’ time. We’d love to help organize your corporate retreats, and have many creative ideas for team building and wellness activities in Switzerland and beyond.

Allow Me has a passion for corporate concierge services. We listen, take time to understand your requirements and offer support from planning and organizing to executing your requirements to ensure complete satisfaction. We customize each package exclusively for our clients. We have experience in assisting both large organizations and small private wealth funds. Discretion, efficiency and reliability are of the utmost importance.

In summary, Allow Me is for available for everyone, we can help with any situation and we have local as well as global partners to suit all your needs. So please just call or email us and let’s talk about how we can help make your life easier. Have a great week.

Summer In Switzerland

With the glorious April sun shining, our minds start to wander away from a cold and snowy winter into what we are hoping will be a repeat of last summer with long, hot and sunny days. Switzerland has so much to offer in the summer and here are a few suggestions on how to spend your free time. If you need help with anything from a weekend break, a holiday abroad, helping with errands or even booking a tee time then please get in touch with Allow Me as we would love to make sure that you have the most amazing summer.

MOUNTAIN BREAKS AT THE ROCKSRESORT, LAAX

If you are looking for a little trip to the mountains, then for me the obvious destination is Laax. The RocksResort is situated in the center of Laax, a 90 min drive from Zug or Zurich. The Rocksresort never fails to impress guests with its unique design based on materials from the local area. The comfortably furnished apartments for four, six or eight people are ideal for smaller groups and families. Further venues, shops and

The Rocksresort in Laax

restaurants to meet all your needs and requirements are available within walking distance in the resort. When booking an apartment for 3 nights or longer RocksResort offers you free mountain lift tickets for 4 persons, worth 168 CHF. Fun family actives that Laax also offer are: swimming lake Cauma and Cresta, Freestyle Academy Indoor Base, daily children’s programme at rocksresort free of charge from 5 nights onwards, various playgrounds incl. ping pong, badminton, football and slackline, hiking, biking and climbing in UNESCO World Heritage area, whitewater rafting and kayaking on the Rhine Gorge and many more. For more info, please click here.

BBQ AND SUMMER PARTIES

What could be better than having a few friends over for a BBQ in the sunshine, either at home or on one of the many grilling areas you can find alongside most of the lakes in Switzerland. If you are looking to have a summer party then why not ask Allow Me to help with all the preparation, invitations and even cooking or hosting so that you can relax and enjoy the party.

BIKING IN THE MOUNTAINS SURROUND ZURICH AND ZUG

Biking in the mountains around Zurich

Amazing biking routes in Hirzel

With both Zurich and Zug surrounded by amazing countryside, why not explore the beautiful countryside on your bike. There are lots of lovely restaurants to have a relaxing meal and with lots of quiet cycle paths and country roads, it’s a great day out for the whole family. For ideas on where to go then please get in touch as we know routes for all levels of cyclists, and can also recommend bike shops!

CORPORATE WINE TASTING/SUMMER PARTIES AND PRIVATE WINE TASTING AT HOME

Allow Me is working closely with Premium Trade Fine Wines & Spirits who cater for many top restaurants and companies and we are proud to recommend their wine event service.

Their section of great wines, together with a personalized service can help provide a unique entertainment opportunity for businesses that wish to give a different concept or an extra touch to an event. Team building programs, press conferences and receptions or celebrations; these can be at your office, one of their centrally located stores or any other venues you can think of.

They can also organize wine tasting and wine pairing for private parties and dinners. Claudio Martins is a wine director, consultant and connoisseur and his knowledge of wine will open up a new world of wine to your guests. For more details, please get in touch with Allow Me and we can help you plan your event.

TAKE A TRAIN UP TO UETLIBERG

A watch tower you can climb up and get amazing views

Departing from the main station, the SZU takes you all the way up Zurich’s backyard mountain, the Uetliberg. At the top you will be able to enjoy views that span way past Zurich. A planet-themed trail takes you over to the Felsenegg, from where you can take the cable car down to Adliswil (and return to Zurich on the train). You can also take one of the many hiking trails to the top but be warned, some sections can be quite steep and watch out for the mountain bikers…

OPEN AIR CINEMAS

The open air cinemas normally start in July and go on till the end of August. You will find screens put up by the lake and if you have not been, it’s definitely worth a visit. The best screen to visit is the Salt Openair which will take place at the specially built open air cinema at the Zurichhorn in Zurich from 16th July to 16th August. Be warned, spaces can fill up fast, so it’s best to make a booking as soon as the schedule is announced.

BOAT TRIPS ON LAKE ZURICH AND LAKE ZUG

Lake Zurich on Thursday evening

Both lake Zurich and lake Zug have amazing cruises where you can enjoy a leisurely boat ride and enjoy the countryside, stopping off at various points along the lake or just go on a lunch cruise and enjoy your trip in style. This is a great trip for visiting guests (especially those with mobility issues) or a nice family day out.

BADI TIME!

One of the best things about living in Switzerland in the summer has to be swimming in the “Badis” (the outdoor pools). Not only are there plenty of badis to choose from but they are all slightly different. Some offer snacks and drinks, live music and DJ’s, and others are a bit more family friendly. The facilities vary widely and they all have their own special character and charm – everyone has their own favorite! For a list of badis in Zurich click here and for Zug click here. It’s often best to buy a season pass and then you have unlimited access to check out them all!

Though out the summer Allow Me will keep you up to date with what is going in Zurich and Zug so that we can help you have the best summer. If Allow Me can help you in any way during the busy summer period, then please get in touch. Have a great week and thanks for reading.

Laax, Easter and Golf4Fun

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The mountains in Laax on Sunday

Laax/Flims, located about 1 hour 45 from Zurich is the perfect place to go for a weekend break or even to take your clients. Laax is the marketing name for the linked ski circuit above the villages of Flims base stations, Laax and Falera, which is regarded – glorified, even – as Europe’s leading freestyle resort. It was one of the world’s first ski areas to embrace the freestyle skiing and snowboarding movement and is today considered the Granddaddy of the sport.

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Allow Me can plan any special event you want!!!

Located in the Graubunden region, Flims has been a spa resort since the 1880s, and a ski reser newort since 1962 when the glacier above was first developed for skiing. It is made up of the two quite separate hamlets of Flims Dorf, which is the most convenient, and Waldhaus Flims Mountain Resort & Spa, which is more isolated from the ski area but has the better choice of hotels. Laax is also a bus ride away from the lifts but has Laax Murschetg, a more ski-friendly satellite, built around the base-station with rocksresort at its heart. This has become a serious destination for snowboarders, who congregate at the Riders Palace hotel. With this comes all the cool eateries and an apres-ski scene that explodes at the weekend when teens and twentysomethings pour in from Zurich.

Falera is a smaller and more rural community, but with a direct lift link into the ski area. A shuttle bus connects all the accommodation and

Allow Me can collect you from home, show you around any resort, find the perfect place for lunch and then drop you at home. If you had wee little ones, we can also look after them in the resort while you have a great day on the mountain. With 12 years as a professional winter sports athlete, we would make sure that you have the most unforgettable day on the hill…

Allow Me can organize even your most wildest fantasy in Laax for corporate groups, whether that be a champagne BBQ grill in a remote off-piste location, a evening meal for your group in a mountain restaurant and sledging down
afterwards or even a private corporate retreat… Get in touch to see how we can help you……

Golf4Fun

Allow Me is also proud to be sponsoring Golf4Fun again this year. Golf4Fun offers a platform for both golf enthusiasts and those who are interested in either improving their game or would like to start to play the game. Aimed at every type of golfer – the absolute beginner all the way through to the low HCP’ers – our major aim is the make golf more enjoyable and accessible for everyone.

Membership is 100% free and provides access to training and courses with a Swiss & British PGA Pro as well as some great value Partner Offers exclusive to Golf4Fun.

Spring in Zurich

With spring setting in Zurich and the warm weather fast approaching, why not ask Allow Me to help you out with all the tasks that you don’t have time to do? Have not planned anything for Easter? Allow Me can help….. For more details about our services then please get in touch. Have a lovely week.

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Zurich lake this morning

Winter fast approching

With winter fast approaching why not ask Allow Me to plan your winter ski break? We can help with all your ski holiday bookings during the season and with over 14 years of being professionally involved in the winter sports industry we can make sure you have a holiday that you wont forget. We can also plan corporate ski weekends away in the mountains and make sure it suits everyones needs from heli skiing to luxury spa’s. For more information on how Allow Me can plan your unforgettable break then please get in contact.

Dan from our members ski trip last winter in Flims.

Allow Me had a great day at the expo-expat in Zurich yesterday. We have some amazing new partners which have really expanded the services that we can offer to our clients.

I hope everyone has a great week and please get in contact with Allow Me if you think we can help make your life easier. We are also doing a special September deal with 15% of membership or up to 5 hours of concierge service. Please use the code Allowme15% to qualify for the discount.

Valentine’s Day with Allow Me

As if you could fail to notice that it’s Valentine’s Day this weekend! While many of us want to show our loved one how much we care, it’s sometimes hard to find original and thoughtful ways to spoil that special someone while avoiding traditional clichés. Why not let Allow Me organise a unique Valentine’s day that you and your partner will never forget? Whether that be a weekend skiing in the mountains, a romantic boat trip on the lake, an unforgettable dinner at home or a night out in the city – Allow Me can organise a tailored day to suit all your needs.

Fancy a weekend away in the mountains?

Klosters last weekend in the sun….

With all the resorts boasting amazing snow conditions why not escape for a lovely day trip to nearby resorts such as Klosters/Davos, Andermatt or Lenzerheide? Allow Me can recommend romantic hotels, incredible restaurants, top rated ski guides and much more. With some great powder to be find almost everywhere it’s a weekend you don’t really want to miss out on (although with the snow pack being not as stable as it normally is we highly recommend that if you are skiing off piste you take a guide). In certain resorts we offer a bespoke picnic in the snow which would be an unforgettable way of spending Valentine’s Day. If the evenings are more your scene how about drinking champagne in a horse-drawn sledge being driven around the village or even en route to a tranquil restaurant with a burning log fire? Allow Me can make almost anything happen so please get in contact with us so that we can tailor your mountain break to your specific needs.

Valentine’s Day with Allowme in Zurich

Zurich is such a beautiful old city and has a wealth of hidden gems beyond the usual tourist traps. The old town is awash with romantic restaurants and amazing bars that sometimes you only find through personal recommendations. If you really want to treat your loved one why not head to the Dolder Grand where on Valentine’s Day they are offering a number of special deals including a Valentine’s Day brunch, wonderful meals in their Michelin starred restaurant or even a pampering day in their incredible spa. If you are more of a morning person you could go for a romantic brunch, check out Quai61, Café des Amis, Volkshaus or for a more healthy option, Hiltl. You could also indulge in the British tradition of afternoon tea at one of Switzerland’s most iconic, luxury hotels, the Baur au Lac. For more ideas on our favorite places to go in Zurich feel free to contact Allow Me.

A great view walking along the Albis ridge

As well as eating out, Zurich has many attractions. One of my favourite weekend activities is wandering through the old town, taking in the churches of Fraumünster (don’t miss the windows designed by Marc Chagall) and Grossmünster (the largest church in Zurich, where you can visit the crypt – maybe not so romantic – and climb up the tower), then checking out the Bahnhofstrasse for window shopping (and people watching). If it’s rainy you can take shelter in one of the many museums (Kunsthaus for art and Landesmuseum for history are the most famous), or even visit the zoo including its unique covered rainforest hall and elephant viewing area. In good weather, nothing beats a romantic boat trip on the lake to take in the breathtaking views of the snowcapped alps and maybe stop at one of the towns for lunch – top tip, nip into a supermarket on your way, and you can sneak a small bottle of champagne or prosecco and some paper cups to enjoy some bubbles on the upper deck. If you are looking for a more energetic way to spend your day in Zurich then why not take a walk up to Uetilberg and hike along the Albis ridge towards Adliswil, which takes between one and two hours. Forested trails weave between panoramic countryside, views of the lake of Zurich and the alps ahead and there are some lovely restaurants for a spot of lunch during your hike or even better, have a romantic picnic in the woods. At Adliswil, the Felsenegg cablecar will take you down, or there is a steep trail you can walk down. Five minutes beyond the cablecar station, there is a lovely restaurant with a terrace overlooking the view for some well-deserved coffee and homemade apple strudel after the walk.

In Zurich the possibilities are endless and with a little bit of imagination, you will be able to have an unforgettable valentines day.

And finally… Instead of buying flowers for your loved one, why not order some unique cupcakes with a personal message from Oh Sweetest Thing? I often find in love it’s the smallest personal gestures that provide the most happiness.

If you have any questions or you would like Allow Me to help you organise your Valentine’s Day please get in contact. I hope you all have a great Valentine’s Day, I will be making sure that I spoil my Fiancée rotten…….

Early Bird Skiing

With snow on the hills already it’s time to start thinking about visiting the mountains. We are very lucky in the Zurich area as we have so many world class ski resorts within a 2-hour drive and even better news, quite a few of them are already open during weekends. Be warned, it’s still very early in the season so most resorts only have a limited ski area open, but it’s still worth going for a weekend to start building your fitness in the legs and enjoy the fresh mountain air (not to mention the famous après-ski!).

So what’s open and where is the best place to go?

Last weekend I was lucky enough to have my first snowboard run of the season in Davos. The Parsenn ski lift was open and they had about seven runs open. The snow was very good on the piste but a bit rocky if you ventured into the powder (at the very least – not to be considered without a helmet). The slopes were not too crowded and being just under a 2-hour drive from Zurich, I would recommend making the trip over this weekend if you are looking for somewhere to go. There’s a huge variety of hotels in Klosters and Davos, from budget and family-friendly to super-luxury, and with many offering a reduction in prices for both accommodation and lift passes, it could be the perfect break before the festive season is upon us.

Apart from Davos, here is a little list of some of the bigger resorts open this weekend within a 2-hour drive of Zurich:

· Andermatt – From the 29^th of November you can ski daily at Gemsstock. With Andermatt only 1 ½ hours from Zurich, with a charming village and easy access to the runs, it’s an ideal a day trip.

· Engelberg – Only and 1 ½ hours from Zurich, Engelberg has been lucky with some great early season snow including a few powder days already. Their last snow was on the 17^th of November and they have 6 lifts open.

· Films-Laax-Falera – Just on the cusp of being within the 2-hour drive from Zurich. From the 29^th Laax will be open daily and for freestyle skiers and snowboarders, Laax has one of the best parks in Europe as well as a huge ski area with plenty of fun and challenging runs.

Allow Me can help with all your weekend ski break bookings during the season and with over twelve years of being professionally involved in the winter sports industry we can make sure you have a weekend that you wont forget.

Don’t forget that the Allow Me Concierge service is also available for any Christmas-related services prior to the holiday season. We can help with present or food shopping, gift wrapping, catering, picking up relatives from the airport, planning ski trips and pet/house sitting – at a very reasonable price, leaving you more time to relax and enjoy your time off.