No comments about Switzerland (Blue Guides).

No comments about Insight Compact Guide Switzerland (Insight Compact Guides).

No comments about Switzerland: A Picture Book To Remeber Her By.

5 comments about Lonely Planet Hungary.

1. I lived in Hungary for a while, and this is a great resource for traveling around the country. The author captures the Hungarian spirit and quirkiness quite well, and the reviews of the restaurants, hotels, and attractions are usually accurate.
   
   I do caution people that the information isn't as accurate if you're traveling to any of the minor cities. I lived in Szombathely, and many of the hotels and restaurants don't exist any more, and the attractions are rather... er, not quite as they are portrayed.
   
   Also be aware that the train schedules change every January, so even if the guide says a certain leaves from Keleti or Deli, this may not be the case. Verify everything before you can make travel arrangements.



2. Although this edition was only published 2 years ago, the accomodation sections in various towns is already quite out of date . I suppose the accomodation situation changes quite rapidly in Hungary, even the 2005 edition of LP Eastern Europe has much more up to date accomodation info for Hungary, altough as a whole it has less info on Hungary of course.



3. I have visited Budapest and more than five towns around it last summer, and have used this book extensively as my only guide to the country.
   It was of great help, in it you can find everything you will need to get the full experience of the country, including historical informations, sites to visit, maps, well choosed recommendations of restaurants and bars, informations about accommodation, transport and people.
   I can recommend this book to everyone who wants to visit and learn about Hungary.



4. Lonely Planet books are always fairly well organized and this edition of Hungary is no exception. The information is current and doesn't neglect any corner of this very interesting and beautiful country. The book contains information to satisfy a wide range of interests; everything from those interested in winery tours to those looking for a relaxing beach vacation at Europe's largest lake, Lake Balaton. Likewise, the book nicely balances the needs of those who travel by rail, bus or by their own rented car, as we did. One small complaint, not the author's fault, is Lonely Planet's editorial decision to omit good photos, other than the few esoteric token photos near the center of the book. I suppose there is an editorial struggle between pretty pictures versus content, but it can be frustrating if tackling a country such as Hungary where you have no apriori knowledge of the various landscapes in different regions of the country. A picture is in fact worth a thousand words, but Lonely Planet simply does not see it that way. Perhaps pick up the DK guide for photos to inspire and guide your trip planning for Hungary.



5. This is the kind of book that gives LP the great reputation that it deserves. The guide was generally helpful for both Budapest and Eger, and we used it religiously for our one-week visit to the country.
   
   However, it would have been useful to have translations of the phrase "Is service included in the bill" (I have also found many other LP guides also omit this useful phrase). We would have also appreciated a more in-depth historical background. The historical description between the 1960s-90s was a little light.
   
   This is a far cry from LP's Romania book, which was decent at best.

No comments about Tour of the Matterhorn (Cicerone Guide).

No comments about Switzerland from Above.

No comments about The Painter's House / Das Haus Des Malers: Balthus At The Grand Chalet / Balthus Im Grand Chalet.

2 comments about Eiger: The Vertical Arena.

1. The Eiger is a 3970 m mountain that looms above Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland. Its north face has been quite literally a ca. 2000 meter-high 'vertical arena'. Although the mountain itself was first climbed in 1858 by Charles Barrington, Christian Almer, and Peter Bohren, the north face ('Nordwand' in German) was not conquered until 1938 (when Heinrich Harrer, Anderl Heckmair, Fritz Kasparek, and Wiggerl Vörg were finally successful). In the early 1930s, it was deemed one of the 'last remaining problems' of the Alps and was truly a 'vertical area', as onlookers (including reporters who made sure the rest of the world was also able to vicariously participate) were able to follow the progress of several tragic expeditions from the comfort of the patio of a hotel on an easily-accessible meadow far below. Part of the great difficulty of the climb is that the wall's north-facing aspect means that it remains snow- and ice-covered year round. The rotten rock and ice that coats the Nordwand makes things even more complicated and afternoon rock avalanches are common and treacherous. The weather is also extremely unpredictable and changeable, a condition that is caused in part by the fact that the wall is part of the northern boundary of the Alps.

   The combination of extremely challenging climbing conditions with high visibility has led to a century of high drama centered about the Eiger's north face and this book does an excellent job of summarizing many aspects of this highly notorious and celebrated mountain. The book consists of an eclectic collection of short chapters by different authors about different aspects of the Eiger (and not just the north face). Each chapter is named after one of the distinctive points along the first successful route, but tells a different aspect of the story. Chapters include descriptions of the varied routes, the myriad tragedies and dramatic rescues, the debates about the morality of even attempting to climb the mountain, the controversial politics of the first successful climbers (one of whom, Heinrich Harrer, carried a Nazi flag with him), a summary of the Eiger's appearances in books and the movies, tales of people who skied and snowboarded down the mountain, and the uniquely Swiss engineering feat that is the railway tunnel bored through the mountain and on up to the Jungfrau Joch. There is also a section at the end providing information for visitors (including suggestions for alternative walks and climbs in the area for those who would rather wear sandals or are otherwise not quite ready for the north face itself) and an extensive bibliography.

   My favorite feature of the book is the fantastic and abundant illustrations that range from dramatic contemporary photographs to historical photographs to artwork of various sorts, all of which serve to nicely complement the text. I should mention, however, that the quality of the printing appears to be a bit worse in the English edition than in the German-language original, which probably will detract a bit from the impact of the pictures.




2. If you love the mountains, their glory, their beauty and deceit, then this is the one book you need to have. Not only does it read like a thriller at times, it also has some of the most fabulous mountain photographs one can imagine. And what better mountain than the fascinating Eiger is there? Well, maybe the Matterhorn... but it does not hold such climbing fascination as the treacherous wall of stunning Eiger. So if you plan a vacation in the Bernese Oberland or just want to play couch mountaineer, this is one hell of a book. Go for it!

No comments about Geneva (CitySpots).

No comments about Michelin Map No. 735 Italy Switzerland.