CASSELL'S

FAMILY

CONTINENTAL HANDBOOK:

A GUIDE TO THE

Health Resorts of the Continent.

BY THE

REV. FRANCIS J. C. MORAN,

ASSISTANT SECRETARY TO THE COLONIAL AND CONTINENTAL

CHURCH SOCIETY.

BIBL

CASSELL, PETTER, AND GALPIN,

LONDON, PARIS, AND NEW YORK.

246. j. 87.

PREFACE.

An exclamation often made by travellers when their notice is called to a new guide book is-"Why are there so many; how can we choose between them?" From the copious Murray's Handbook, with its notes on every picture gallery in Europe, or Ball's "Alpine Guide," needful for every venturesome climber; or the carefully-collected information given us in the Baedeker series, down to "How to See Switzerland for Ten Guineas"-all these useful and valuable guides, and many others we have not mentioned, both English, American, and German, are each in its way deserving of attention and recommendation. But the proprietors of the FAMILY CONTINENTAL HANDBOOK have long felt there was much need of a Continental Guide Book, which should contain within its pages the A B C of travelling, specially for the use of family parties, who desire not so much to take a hurried run through Europe, touching at all the large towns, and rushing up half

a-dozen mountains, and returning to England or America again, in the course of a month or six weeks, as to make a stay at the great Continental centres, and those health and pleasure resorts, where healthful climate and cheerful amusement may be met with on economical terms. They desire, therefore, to indicate to heads of families and others the best means of accomplishing this. Such being the purpose of the FAMILY CONTINENTAL HANDBOOK, those who study its pages must not be disappointed on finding but brief notice of large towns and important places, respecting which full information is to be had in the various bulky guide-books; instead, however, much will be said about comparatively little known places, affording the requirements mentioned above.

To carry out the plan proposed, each place is mentioned in alphabetical order. There are an index showing the various countries in which the places are situated, and a series of tours, which will be found useful for those who intend to make a long or short stay on the Continent.

Attention should also be directed to another special point in the Handbook-namely, the best seasons of the year for visiting each place are mentioned, and the difference between the cost of living at hotel rates and en pension. Reference is also made to the various baths and water establish

ments on the Continent. 'The proprietors are anxious it should be understood that no advertisement of hotels has been inserted in the text of the Handbook. Reference to an hotel or pension is made on the strength of personal knowledge, or in consequence of reliable information which has reached the Editor. In the advertising pages of the Handbook will be found the advertisements of various hotel-keepers.

As the desire of the proprietors has been to make the Handbook as useful as possible, they will be glad to receive any information that will render the Guide more useful. If the Handbook receive the support expected, it will be the Editor's continued endeavour, year by year, to add to its information, and as a necessary consequence its value.

LA BELLE Sauvage Yard,

LUDGATE HILL.

THE EDITOR.