Yes, there’s Thanksgiving, and walks, and museum visits -throughout the year.

But one of the top events is the special July weekend in Pontresina in the Engadine region in Eastern Switzerland. This was the Fifth Mountain Weekend!

Organized annually at the Grand Hotel Kronenhof by the dynamic General Manager, Marc Eichenberger, professionally trained at the Cornell Hotel School, of-course... He gave us a warm welcome with chilled champagne on the open rooftop (no one fell off, whew!) and delectable snacks while we caught up with friends and got to know new members.

I could wax eloquent on this classic hotel with its afternoon tea in the lounge, high ceilings and baroque decor in the main dining room, eye-popping healthy breakfast buffet and more.  But will leave you to explore that on www.kronenhof.com. 

A big draw is the amazing spa with everything you would ever need after a day of exploration, walks and museums. Yes, we all gravitated there at the end of the day for its swimming pool, saunas, steam rooms, jacuzzies... And for the brave, the nude coed sauna (ah, but towels allowed) for an aromatic, mystical, musical experience. Surely one of a kind...

The area offers multiple walks through mountains, forests, around lakes, take your choice. The most surprising of which was an outdoor jazz concert in the middle of dense foliage, with wildlife surely eavesdropping hidden in the tall pines.

At the evening dinner (superlative), followed by drinks in the bar, chatting with fellow Cornellians, we got to hear how a family-owned business in a small Swiss village, grew into the largest global, Swiss elevator company. Hint: it starts with S. And from a scientist we learned about frogs close to extinction and their particulardiseases. Hmmm. How eclectic -Cornellians after all!For that, and more, Marc will surely welcome Cornellians, their families and friends from around the world for the next Pontresina Mountain weekend getaway in July 2020.–Renu Chahil-Graf(See more photos from the event)