Local history in Switzerland.
2 April 2022
The site of the town of Moutier (until 1 January 2026, belonging to the canton of Berne, from this date on to the canton of Jura) is the famous gorge, which has a geological significance of European importance. Moutier lies at the foot of the Jura and Rhine valleys and is the gateway to the … Read more » “Moutier and the Moutier-Grandval Abbey”
31 March 2022
The health resort (Kurhaus) at the top of Mount Weissenstein (1284 metres) was built in 1827/1828 on the initiative of the physician Johann Baptist Carl Kottmann (1776-1851). The Hasenmatt Mount Weissenstein (Canton Solothurn) also became popular among hikers, mountaineering enthusiasts, and nature lovers. The nearby mountain Hasenmatt (1445 meters) is the highest point in the … Read more » “Hotel Weissenstein, the Jura Garden and the Bruder Klaus Chapel”
31 March 2022
The village of Glovelier (canton of Jura) is located at the western end of the Delémont valley, at the crossroads of the old connecting roads: Porrentruy-Bienne via Bellelay and Pierre-Pertuis and Delémont-La Chaux-de-Fonds. The village lies at the edge of gorges and the wild mountain streams of the Jura. Glovelier is one of the thirteen … Read more » “The village of Glovelier”
30 March 2022
Zurich, Lucerne, Geneva and Basel are known for their beautiful or recently renovated concert halls. Much less known is the concert hall (la Salle de Musique) of La Chaux-de-Fonds (canton of Jura). The building opened in 1955, adjacent to the opera house, which was built in 1837. The interior is solid and beautifully designed, primarily … Read more » “The Concert Hall and Culture of La Chaux-de-Fonds”
28 March 2022
The St. Chrischona church on the Dinkelsberg (522 m) near the municipality of Bettingen (Canton of Basel-Stadt) is dedicated to St. Chrischona. The nearby village of Bettingen is one of three communities in this small canton. The two other municipalities are Basel and Riehen. Bettingen Bettingen was originally an Alemannic village. Successive Lords owned the … Read more » “St. Chrischona in Bettingen”
19 March 2022
A small valley with about 1 600 inhabitants, six (larger) villages and yet some world-famous and unique sights and remarkable linguistic, cultural and historical facts: the Val Müstair in the far east of Switzerland, on the border with South Tyrol and Lombardy in Italy. Several institutions are discussed below. The local language is Jauer, a … Read more » “Art, Nature and Culture in Val Müstair”
8 March 2022
The beautiful villages Corcelles and Cormondrèche (canton of Neuchâtel) merged in 1889. The two villages counted 560 inhabitants in 1750 and more than 4700 today. Even the plague in 1629 (160 deaths out of 500 inhabitants) did not slow down the growth of the population in the longer term. Before the industrialization of the 19th century, … Read more » “Corcelles-Cormondrèche”
7 March 2022
Switzerland has 48 mountains that are higher than 4 000 metres. The highest mountain is the Dufourspitze (4,634 metres), named after Guillaume Henri Dufour (1787-1875), engineer, army officer (including the commander-in-chief of the Confederation in the Sonderbundskrieg of 1847) and founder of Swiss topography. The most famous mountain is the Matterhorn (4 478 metres), the … Read more » “The Fletschhorn and April Joke”
6 March 2022
Liestal (Canton of Basel-Landschaft) was an ancient Roman and Alemannic settlement. The town was first mentioned in 1189 under the name Lihstal. Count Hartman IV of Froburg extended Liestal to a fortified settlement in 1240 and elevated it to a city. Liestal received a fortification, gates and towers, a rampart and a moat, a market … Read more » “Liestal and the Törli”
25 February 2022
The Kemmeriboden-Bad (also called Bedli or Schybebad, Schybe meaning shadow in Berner dialect) is located on the banks of the River Emme, on the edge of the Emmental in the canton of Bern. The land was used as a forestry area until 1794. The healing springs were already known a century before that. In 1794, … Read more » “The Kemmeriboden-Bad-Merängg”
