I’m in the outdoor infinity pool at Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne as a light rain falls and steam billows all around. Cowbells clang from the farms below. A cow moos. Then – and this feels a little over the top – a vibrant double rainbow arches over the lake. Switzerland, chill.

This is my version of “slow travel”, the concept that emphasises a more mindful and sustainable approach to tourism. Only here, it also comes with hydrotherapy circuits, five-star service, and excellent champagne. The whole point of slow travel is to not rush around checking things off like a to-do list. In this case, I was particularly attracted to the idea of relaxing with just the right combination of chocolate, cheese and chill. At Bürgenstock, the resort is the destination.

Even getting here is suspiciously stress-free, though multi-faceted. Direct flight to Zurich, easy train to Lucerne right from the airport, short walk to the pier, then onto the sleek catamaran ferry crossing the lake toward the mountains, which also shuttles day-trippers. Finally, the historic funicular, which launched in 1888, glides you up through the trees until the resort appears, perched above Lake Lucerne like a Bond villain’s wellness lair. Which is fitting, since some scenes from Goldfinger were filmed here. 

The hotel offers the kind of precise charm and old-school glamour you hope for in Switzerland. Audrey Hepburn lived here in a house on the grounds, and married her first husband, Mel Ferrer, in the resort’s tiny white chapel. Sophia Loren was her neighbour – she lived with her husband Carlo Ponti in Villa Daniel for 13 years. You half expect to see someone fabulous emerge from a hallway in oversized sunglasses and a silk scarf.

The property stretches across the mountain ridge with three luxury hotels connected by winding paths, panoramic restaurants and viewpoints so beautiful they regularly interrupt my train of thought. My room has a fireplace, a soaking tub with a picture window over the Alps, and a plush reading nook in the window overlooking the lake. There’s also Moët chilling in a silver ice bucket and plump dates waiting for me on arrival. 

The food and wine are a huge part of the experience – meals are polished but never pretentious. Some of the cheeses and charcuterie are even produced at the farms you can see from your seat (home to all the cowbell clanging). I live my dream lunch of seasonal white asparagus and baby potatoes with a heaping side of whipped hollandaise at the Lakeview Bar. I have crispy dosa for breakfast at Spices Kitchen & Terrace. And fondue at the historic Restaurant Taverne because if you spend enough time in Switzerland, cheese starts making all the decisions for you.

Then there’s the spa.

At 10,000 square metres, the Alpine Spa is Switzerland’s largest. As you look out you have a sweeping view of Lake Lucerne and four Swiss cantons (provinces). Think: Glassy pools overlooking the lake. Steam rooms. Relaxation rooms. Treatment rooms. Ice room. A giant salt flotation room I grow especially fond of. I spent hours at the spa doing one of three self-led 12-step hydrotherapy circuits based on what you feel you need, be it rejuvenation (hello, cold plunges), relaxation (hi, panoramic sauna), or something in between (catnap?). You will lose entire afternoons here. Some trips are about seeing more. This one is about doing less.

You could go to Lucerne, only a half-hour away by catamaran – it fits the vibe. Cobblestone streets, swans drifting across the lake, café terraces, the world’s longest covered pedestrian bridge, the famed Lion Monument rock relief. You stroll, you snack, you take in the views and maybe buy chocolate that you don’t – but also do – need, then return to the resort feeling extremely pleased with yourself for getting out of a robe.

One of the most unexpectedly fun experiences happens in the resort’s cigar lounge. All dark wood and expertly stirred Old Fashioneds – the whole place hums with bygone glamour. A cigar expert walks me through some hand-rolled blends in the humidor from Cuba, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic while I nod knowingly, despite knowing nothing. Turns out Bürgenstock even has its own cigar label. (Of course it does.)

I try their beginner-friendly Lakeview Edition Gordita as rain taps against the windows and fog rises over the lake. Everything smells faintly of cedar and tobacco and expensive moisturizer. I am a puddle of refined relaxation. That’s the thing about Bürgenstock. It’s undeniably luxurious, but it never feels stiff or performative. It’s cozy, restful, and even a little bit cinematic. It’s a place that coaxes you to take another swim, try a cigar, or have one more glass of Riesling.

As I said, some trips are about doing more, but this one is about doing less. Precisely so. With lots of cheese.

SLOW DOWN SOME MORE: FLOAT THROUGH FRANCE

Nothing could be slower than a barge, other than not moving at all. These charming boats typically travel about six kilometres per hour (the average human walks around four-five kilometres per hour) and cover some 80 kilometres during a seven-day sail. Belmond, known for their luxurious hotels (Cipriani, Cap Jaluca) and trains (Orient Express, Flying Scotsman), have now branched out into luxury canal boats that sail through the Canal du Midi, Champagne, Provence and Burgundy. Their seven barges, which host four to 12 passengers, are only available for charter. Expect superb cuisine with candlelit dinners and Grand Cru wine and king-sized beds. Customized activities include truffle-hunting, hot-air ballooning and horseback riding. Other highly recommended purveyors that are a bit gentler on the wallet are French Country Waterways, with four barges in Champagne, Upper Loire, Burgundy and Alsace-Lorraine that hold between eight and 12 guests. The emphasis is on superb food – to work it off you can go onshore at any lock, grab a bike and meet the boat further down the canal. 

RAIL THROUGH FINLAND

Finland is about to launch a 30-day unlimited Binge Finland rail pass, allowing travel across the entire country – from coastal cities on the Baltic Sea to lake regions and the remote northern landscapes of Lapland – for the price of a streaming service, €9.90 (C$15). The Nordic country wants to encourage its people, and tourists, to look out of a train window instead of at a screen, and unwind by contemplating the unfolding scenery. Discount codes become available on 29 May and are distributed on a first-come, first served basis. To participate, aspiring bingers just need to register on the VR App (VR is short for Valtionrautatiet, which translates to “Finnish State Railways”).  

WALK AROUND THE UK

The 4,400-kilometre long King Charles III England Coast Path was inaugurated by King Charles III himself in March. It follows almost the entire coastline of England and, when completed at the end of this year, will be the world’s longest, managed coastal route. Traversing beaches, cliffs, nature reserves and seaside villages, the trail allows visitors to experience Britain’s hugely varied coastline at a walking pace while connecting more deeply with nature and local culture. The National Trail website has an interactive map, organized by area, where you can plan your gentle ramble in batches (until the path’s completed).