ZERMATT UNPLUGGED a festival

Switzerland and the jaw dropping Alpine vistas of Zermatt provide an altitudinous festival of acoustic music, love songs and storytelling. It is all about getting back to the simply beautiful song: raw, direct and immediate.

A backdrop that could bring you to your knees, with stages in the airy heights. In its fifth edition from the 17th to the 21st April 2012, Zermatt Unplugged presents singer-songwriters, bands and young talent from the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Zermatt Unplugged was founded in 2007 by Thomas Sterchi and Marco Godat as a singer-song writer festival. It grows continually as a meeting point for avid followers of true sounds. Musicians and bands like Suzanne Vega, Chris de Burgh, Alanis Morissette, Billy Idol, Seal, Lionel Richie, Stephan Eicher, Jason Mraz, David Gray, OneRepublic and Mando Diao enthusiastically agreed to be part of the idea of Zermatt Unplugged and have performed in the past festivals.

Zermatt Unplugged is the only festival of it’s kind in Europe and is promoted by important Swiss music festival organisers, such as Claude Nobs (Montreux Jazz Festival) and Urs Leierer (Blue Balls Festival). In 2009 the concept artist and musician Dieter Meier (Yello) became the Festival’s patron. Princess Anni-Frid von Reuss, the A from ABBA, and Jon Lord, Hammond organ player and founder of Deep Purple also support Zermatt Unplugged.

This year, Chris de Burgh, Gregoire and Aloe Blacc are just some of the performers taking stage – get yourself off for a little mountainous culture – more Zermatt Unplugged 2012 here and remember – White Line Hotels have just the perfect pad for the festival – Cervo Mountain Boutique Resort.

White Line Hotels – Cervo Mountain Boutique Resort, Zermatt Switzerland

THE ALPINE EDIT & mountain hopping

White Line Hotels – the collection of more than 40 indie hotels, has introduced the cool concept of Mountain Hopping through a selection of creative boltholes; The Alpine Edit – the insider guide to hotels, ski chalets, retreats and lodges from across Switzerland, France, Austria and Italy.

We don’t list many places, just those that capture the soul of the Alps for those aficionados who seek accommodation that echoes of the setting. Abstract wooden elements of the chalet marry with the contemporary, aged components relish designer furnishings whilst others are simply Alpine being a tapestry of naturalness.

Whether you are a ski junkie, a carver or a boarder, or someone who gravitates towards the slow lane, you can soak up the holistic of the snowy and sun decked Alps.

Hop through our edit of diversity, that the line smartly draws together – each very different, each very much like-minded.

Enough words have a gander through The Alpine Edit and get yourself off – just click on each place to book.

Delectably Local: Chez Vrony

There’s much to be said for the Zermatt Summer: rolling green hills framed by permanently snowy peaks, being able to ski any day of the year, going to see the extremely rare Valais battle cows go head-to-head if watching (and/or rare animal sports) is more your thing, and of course world-famous outbreaks of wildflowers. It’s enough to make you sigh and start counting out the weeks until the next spring thaw on your iCal, that is until you start thinking about what Winter in Zermatt has to offer: snow covered hills framed and topped by the magnificent Matterhorn, being able to ski any day of the year (still), and sitting in cozy farm houses dining on produce, milk and meat products raised from the now-snow-covered pastures that surround you. It doesn’t get more local than that.

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Deadlines, the Other Mother of Invention

Whoever said “necessity is the mother of invention” — and seriously, we mean “whoever” because it’s one of those sayings that seems to have been invented without a mother, if you’ll pardon the bad joke… — probably brought that expression into the world before deadlines existed, so we’ll cut the anonymous author some slack and just update it for him/her: “necessity and deadlines are the mothers of invention.” If you consider that deadlines are indeed themselves a necessity, then we’re back at square one with no need for the update on the old adage, but a step further in explaining that TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER THE WHITE LINE HOTELS ALPINE EDIT CONTEST.

Will inspiration strike before midnight?

Photo of the Mothers of Invention record sleeve taken from the fabulous www.sleeveface.com

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

Just a reminder: only 5 days left to enter White Line Hotels’ Alpine Edit contest to win 4 nights of alpine summer lushness. You can check out the competition, or vote for your favorites, on our facebook page.

Countdown clock photo: Steven Depolo