The Plateau of Diesse and Nods
16 March 2021
Available in French
Ham Cooked in Asphalt
15 March 2021
A restaurant in Val-de-Travers offers a remarkable recipe: ham cooked in asphalt. Ham cooked in asphalt was eaten by the miners. The asphalt mines in the valley were exploited from the beginning of the nineteenth century. Already in 1711, the Greek physician Eirini d’Eyrinys (1630-1730) discovered the first medical applications of asphalt and its use … Read more » “Ham Cooked in Asphalt”
Peseux Castle
14 March 2021
Available in French and Dutch.
Sils-Maria and the Nietzsche House
12 March 2021
The Nietzsche House (das Nietzsche-Haus) in Sils-Maria in Upper Engadine (Oberengadin, canton Graubünden) is dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900). The house was his (summer) residence from 1881 to 1888. The complete collection of his works He wrote his most prestigious publications in this house and village. The museum possesses two death masks of the … Read more » “Sils-Maria and the Nietzsche House”
Twann or Douanne
11 March 2021
The Twannbach gave the village Twann (Douanne in French, canton Bern) its name. A document from the year 1136 mentions “Duana” for the first time. In the 13th century, the ecclesiastical rights passed to the Johanniterhaus in Münchenbuchsee (near Bern). The Johanniterhaus or Buchseehaus still stands today opposite St. Martin’s Church. Bern gained more and … Read more » “Twann or Douanne”
The City Walls of Basel
5 March 2021
Basel’s first medieval city wall was built by Bishop Burkhard von Fenis around 1080, shortly before the foundation of the monastery St. Alban (1083). At that time, Basel consisted of two communities: Grossbasel and Kleinbasel. The first Rhine Bridge (today, the Mittlere Brücke from 1905) was built around 1225. The town walls were reinforced and … Read more » “The City Walls of Basel”
The Renaissance in Hauterive
25 February 2021
Available in German, French and Dutch.
La Neuveville
23 February 2021
The city of La Neuveville (canton of Bern) is part of the (French-speaking) Jura and the administrative region of Jura bernois. La Blanche Eglise, built in the Carolingian period, was first mentioned in 866 and was owned by the abbey of Moutier-Grandval, after 1141 by the abbey of Bellelay. The Prince-Bishopric of Basel founded the … Read more » “La Neuveville”
The Watchmaking Canton
18 February 2021
The canton of Neuchâtel is the heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry. Farmers-watchmakers already produced clocks and watches in the eighteenth century. La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle were the biggest producers of watches in 1914. The unique symbiosis of town planning and industry, and urban and architectural unity of these two industrial cities gave them … Read more » “The Watchmaking Canton”
Monthey and the Monthéleo dynasty
16 February 2021
The town in the canton of Valais is situated at the foot of the Dents du Midi, the Portes du Soleil, the Val d’Illiez, and its river, the Vièze. The town’s name and castle first appeared in the 13th century (castrum Monteyz). Much more is known of the local Monthéleo dynasty (see, among others, Abbé … Read more » “Monthey and the Monthéleo dynasty”