Each year, the AIA (American Institute of Architects) Committee on Design offers an international trip to its members. This time was a trip to visit the cities of Basel, Lucerne, Lausanne & Vals, Switzerland. Our guides were practicing architects who proudly shared their work with us. They impressed us with their deep knowledge and love of their country’s architectural heritage and future. Transportation, especially the train system, figured heavily into the modernization of the country. The grand finale of the trip was a visit to a spa (designed by Peter Zumthor) in the Swiss Alps. Each floor of the ‘Hotel of the Architects’, was designed by an internationally recognized architect.