Benedikt Fontana
27 March 2019
Available in Dutch and German
The Rhaetian Alpine passes
22 March 2019
The Rhaetian Alpine passes in Graubünden have long played a significant role. Since the construction of tunnels (for example, the Vereina tunnel) and the beginning of the railway and automobile era, they have lost their former significance. There are 33 passes in this area: Albula, Aprica, Arlberg, Bernhardin, Bernina, Chaschauna, Crispalt/Oberalp, Flüela, Fraele, Fuorn/Ofen, Julier, … Read more » “The Rhaetian Alpine passes”
Morat, Burgundy, the Obelisk, the Panorama the Eidgenossen
18 February 2019
Morat (Murten in German) is one of the cities that, by the fate of history, belongs to the canton of Fribourg (Freiburg). The Dukes of Zähringen founded the city in the second half of the twelfth century, in the same period as the foundation of Bern and Fribourg. The Burgundian wars (1474-1477) were crucial. The … Read more » “Morat, Burgundy, the Obelisk, the Panorama the Eidgenossen”
The Prince-Bishopric of Basel till 1813
16 February 2019
The history of the bishopric of Basel (Basilia in Roman times) goes back to the Roman Empire. In the fifth century, the bishop moved from Augusta Raurica (Augst) to Basel, prompted by the invasions of Germanic tribes (Alamanni). The hill in Basel offered an excellent refuge and had some defensive walls. The ancient palace of the … Read more » “The Prince-Bishopric of Basel till 1813”
Dornach, 1499, Nepomuk and Schwarzbubenland
9 February 2019
Schwarzbubenland consists of the Dorneck and Thierstein districts in the Solothurn canton. Dornach is derived from Tornacho, Tornegg, or Tornach, the Celtic-Latin name for a type of fundus turranicus. A Gallo-Roman settlement existed in the first centuries AD. The medieval ruins of the castles Dorneck and Hilzenstein, the Goetheanum, the monastery, and the Nepomuk bridge have stories … Read more » “Dornach, 1499, Nepomuk and Schwarzbubenland”
The High Rhine Region
31 January 2019
The High Rhine (Hochrhein) region stretches from Lake Constance to the Upper Rhine and is bordered to the north by the Black Forest and to the south by the Swiss Jura. The High Rhine leaves Lake Constance at Stein am Rhein and becomes the Upper Rhine in Basel. The Rhine flows 150 km through various … Read more » “The High Rhine Region”
The City of Avenches
31 January 2019
The city of Avenches was founded around 1259 by Jean de Cossonay (c. 1219-1273), bishop of Lausanne. Avenches was the successor to the Roman city of Aventicum, the capital of the Helvetians, founded by Emperor Augustus and Emperor Vespasian in 70 A.D., and upgraded to Colonia. The Alemanni destroyed the town in 270. The city … Read more » “The City of Avenches”
The Cattle Descent in the Alps
31 January 2019
The cattle descent (Alpabzug) is an old tradition and an annual festival in the Alps nowadays. The cows and their farmers return to the valley in September after the summer in the mountains. They go along steep and and often centuries-old pathes, for example the Scala Mola alpine, constructed in 1645 in the rocks of … Read more » “The Cattle Descent in the Alps”
Terra Raetica
25 January 2019
The Romans referred to Terra Raetica as the territory of the Rhaetian tribes in the Alpine regions of North and South Tyrol, eastern Switzerland, and Trentino. The goddess of these Raetian tribes was Raetia, represented by the horse’s head. The Rhaetian history unites Landeck, Imst, Unterengadin, Val Müstair and Vinschau. The Interreg Council Terra Raetica platform presents them. (More … Read more » “Terra Raetica”
Aargau and the Eidgenossenschaft
6 October 2018
Available in French, German and Dutch