Author: Maarten Koning

Altdorf, Goethe, Gotthard, Suvorov and Tell

Altdorf is the economic, political, and cultural centre of the canton of Uri and has traditionally been a gateway to the Gotthard Pass. It is also the town of William Tell (Wilhelm Tell), the legendary hero.

Altdorf is the town where popes, politicians, soldiers, pilgrims, craftsmen, artists, and poets stopped to exchange horses, take a break, or stay for the night.

Goethe (1749-1832) was several times in Altdorf (1775, 1779 and 1797). He informed Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) about his impressions and experiences. Schiller then wrote about Wilhelm Tell in 1804.

The Russian general Alexander Suvorov (1730-1800) spent the night in Altdorf on 26 September 1799, with his army of 25,000 soldiers.

A monument and the Surovov trail commemorate this fateful event.

(Further information: (www.uri.info).

Chalets and Woodcarving in Brienz

The meaning of the word “Chalet” as a characterisation of all wooden houses in Switzerland dates back to the nineteenth century and can be attributed to English tourists.

Until then, a chalet was a wooden house located high up in the alpine meadows, intended to accommodate farmers during the summer. In the nineteenth-century sense of the word, the village of Brienz on the Brienzersee has a true art treasure to offer.

The many authentic chalets and woodcarving crafts have made this place famous, as evidenced by the Woodcarving Museum (Schweizerisches Museum für Holzbildhauerei), the school for violin makers (Geigenbauschule), and numerous woodcarving workshops.

(Further information: www.brienzersee.ch).

Imperial Residence Jegenstorf

The history of the castle goes back to the Von Jegistorf family. The name first appears in 1175. The Bernese families Von Erlach, Von Bonstetten and Von Wattenwyl were the new owners after the fourteenth century.

They rebuilt the castle in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. A foundation now owns the castle. The castle was the headquarters of General Henri Guisan (1874-1960), commander-in-chief of the Swiss army.

Emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975) spent the night in the castle in 1954, which has been known as the imperial residence ever since.

(Further information: www.schloss-jegenstorf.ch).

Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Jura in Vevey

The cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Jura were (re) united in Vevey. The Fête des Vignerons takes place at intervals of about one generation or twenty to twenty-five years.

It is also the first time that the 26 cantons make their appearance on one of the 21 days of the event. More than 5,000 actors, 800 singers and 100 musicians perform twice a day in a perfectly arranged spectacle in a temporary stadium (for 20,000 spectators) on the market square.

The gods of wine were in a bad mood on 28 July, but the three cantons were (re) united in Vevey.

Innovation in Lower Engadine

Winter tourism in the Lower Engadine (Unterengadin) began after 1850, followed soon after by summer tourism. Grand Hotels were built in Scuol, Vulpera and Val Sinestra.

The first significant setback came with the outbreak of the First World War (1914-1918). The revival during the Interbellum was short-lived. The Belle Époque was definitively over after the Second World War (1939-1945).

There was another phenomenon: the migration of young people to urban areas and the depopulation of (small) villages.

Spirits were high, however. Grand Hotels were renovated, and the Pro Büvetta project in Scuol put bathing and wellness tourism back on the map. The Trinkhalle in Tarasp is scheduled to become a knowledge and research centre for freshwater. Foundation (Fundaziun) Nairs organises cultural projects, exhibitions and events.

The most recent project is miaEngiadina in Scuol and La Punt. This project introduces an ultra-fast cable connection with modern facilities for entrepreneurs and (small) businesses, amidst a beautiful landscape.

The highlight of the project is the realisation of the so-called InnHub in the village of La Punt, in a building designed by the famous English architect Lord Norman Foster (1935). An ultramodern working and meeting place for entrepreneurs, starters and the public.

(More information: www.miaengiadina.ch).

First Intervention of the Red Cross

The French General Justin Clinchant signed three copies of the conditions imposed upon the defeated French army for crossing the Swiss border in Les Verrières (canton of Neuchâtel) on 1 February 1871.

The entry of more than 80,000 exhausted or wounded soldiers, 2,467 officers and their 11,800 horses, 285 guns and 1,158 vehicles began immediately afterwards in Les Verrières, Sainte-Croix, Vallorbe, Ballaigues and the Vallée de Joux.

Their stay in Switzerland came to an end on February 26, 1871, when the Treaty of Frankfurt was signed, marking the end of the Franco-Prussian War. It was the first intervention of the Red Cross (founded in Geneva in 1863).

The monument in front of the Central Station SBB in Basel is also a reminder of the city’s support for Strasbourg during the siege in August and September 1870, during the same war.

(Source and more information: www.bourbaki-verrieres.ch).

The Savoyard Castles

Vaud (also known as pagus Waldensis in Latin and Pays de Vaud in French) has been a strategic location since Roman times, situated at the crossroads of major roads connecting northern and southern Europe.

Vaud was part of the ‘first’ kingdom of Burgundy (443-543) after the fall of the Roman Empire, then it came under Merovingian (561-751) and Carolingian authority (751-843).

It became a county, Comitatus Waldensis, in this period. Vaud was part of the second kingdom of Burgundy (888-1032). Thereafter, the region was part of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Duchy of Savoy (formerly the counts) took control in 1286. The carré savoyard is the Savoyard castle from this period. This type of castle first appeared in the years 1258-1265 in Yverdon.

(Quelle: O. Meuwly and others, Histoire Vaudoise, Lausanne 2015).

John the Baptist Church Grandson

The church  (Saint-Jean-Baptiste) is a jewel of Romanesque art and is a national monument. The architecture showcases the various phases of construction and transformation spanning nine centuries. The Romanesque structure, along with its beautiful sculptures and frescoes, remains intact.

The Benedictine monastery was handed over to the monks of the Chaise-Dieu (Auvergne) in 1178. The bell tower and dome were built in the Romanesque style characteristic of the Auvergne region.

The choir was rebuilt in the Gothic style, and the north chapel was added in the 13th century. The monastery was dissolved in 1534.

(Source and further information at www.vd.ch).

The Notre-Dame of Orbe

Orbe is an ancient Roman city, situated on the road that connected Italy with Gaul via the Great Saint-Bernard Pass. The Roman villa in Boscéaz/Orbe has nine mosaics of exceptional quality. A permanent exhibition presents the entire villa.

The kings of Burgundy (443-534), the Merovingian kings (534-751), the Carolingians (751-888), and the Burgundian kings (888-1032) met in the town for important meetings.

The castle was enlarged in the 11th century by Rudolf III (970-1032). The Lords of Montfaucon and Châlon completed the construction with walls, gates, and four towers, two of which remain today. The castle was destroyed in 1475.

The 11th-century church Notre-Dame was destroyed by fire in the 15th century and was reconstructed in 1525. The six churches and chapels were destroyed in the Reformation. The Notre Dame was spared, however. Guillaume Farel (1498-1565) and Pierre Viret (1511-1571) proclaimed the Reformation in this church.

(Source and further information: www.orbe-tourisme.ch).