The anniversary trip

On Saturday, 22 June 2013, almost 150 years to the day to Switzerland's first Grand Tour, a band of 18 adventurers set out for Switzerland to travel part of the orginal journey. Many highlights of the first Grand Tour, such as the baths of Leukerbad and sunrise on Mt Rigi will be re-visited, plus some of today's 'must-do' on a Swiss holiday - a trip up to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station and the official opening of the 'Miss Jemima Exhibition' in Unterseen near Interlaken. As with the original tour, the experiences, adventures and impressions will be documented. Back in 1863, Miss Jemima Morrell did it the old-fashioned way with pen and paper, this time around we have embraced the 21st century and our modern-day Jemima, Helen Mort, will be tweeting and blogging from the trip.

Miss J reloaded

Taking part on the first Grand Tour was Miss Jemima Morrell, who recorded every detail of that historic tour in her journal, which was later published as Miss Jemima's Swiss Journal. As part of the 150th anniversary celebration, we only thought it would be appropriate to have our very own modern-day Miss Jemima to record her adventures. Together with the tour operator, Inntravel, we launched a campaign to find today's Miss J to follow in Jemima Morrell's footsteps. The winner was Helen Mort, an avid climber, runner, writer and poet, and alongside her fellow adventurers Helen embarked on the anniversary trip last Saturday. As a modern-day Jemima, Helen will share her experiences live from the trip through her blog, tweets and posts and introduce Switzerland to a whole new audience. A true 21st century Miss J.

You can follow Helen's blog on Miss Jemima's adventures in Switzerland

To follow our twitter feed please visit www.MySwitzerland.com/grandtour

To view images from the trip go to http://bit.ly/grandtourpics

It started with the Swiss

The Grand Tour was once all about rich young men experiencing the wine and women (and culture) of Europe. That changed in 1863 when Thomas Cook launched his first Conducted Tour of Switzerland. This was a people's grand tour, one that the middle classes could afford, in terms of both time and money. It was dawn of the age of tours for the many not travel for the few, and Switzerland was its birthplace. Modern tourism had arrived.

All this began on 26 June, when the first Conducted Tour of Switzerland set off "to Geneva, Lucerne and other principal places in the Alpine Districts." It was a trip that would help transform Switzerland and change the world of travel. Those intrepid Tourists went by boat and by train, on foot and on horseback through the Alps.

The 21-day itinerary from London to Lucerne and back wasn't always relaxing - 5am starts and 18-hour days, scrambling over glaciers and battling with beggars - but the scenery made it all worthwhile. The Tour turned Switzerland into the first mass tourist destination and the playground of Europe. This sowed the seeds of the modern travel industry: it started with the Swiss so there's nowhere better to re-discover the art of slow travel.

Following in Miss J's footsteps

As well as resurrecting Miss Jemima, Inntravel has also re-created her historic tour with a 12-night journey through Switzerland by train and on foot. From Leukerbad to Lucerne via the Bernese Oberland, the self-guided rail tour includes hiking options (with luggage transported on ahead) and plenty of time for slow exploration of the magnificent scenery. From 26 June to 2 October 2013 Jemima Morrell's Victorian Adventure costs from £1,740 per person based on two sharing, including 12 nights' B&B, 9 dinners & 4-day Swiss travel pass with Inntravel (www.inntravel.co.uk, 01653 617000). Travel to Switzerland extra.

One tour, two trips, 150 years apart

Miss Jemima discovered a Switzerland of unspoilt beauty but surprising poverty, with few trains and no milk chocolate. Travel writer and author Diccon Bewes has retraced that historic adventure to see how much has changed. And how much hasn't. Same itinerary, different century. Slow Train to Switzerland will be published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing in October 2013. £18.99 hardback. More information: www.dicconbewes.com.

FURTHER MEDIA INFORMATION
Please contact Marcelline Kuonen, Switzerland Tourism, 30 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9ED
Phone +44 (0) 20 7845 7688, mobile +44 (0) 77 8842 0842
E-mail marcelline.kuonen@switzerland.com
www.MySwitzerland.com