This section contains an overview of the most relevant monuments in Switzerland.
2 September 2025
Wenkenhof first appears in the early Middle Ages, referring to an estate located on the hillside above the Wiesental. As early as 751, a document mentions the Wenken as the property of Ebo, a count of an Alemannic tribe. The estate belonged successively to the abbey of St. Gallen (c. 800-ca. 1100) and the monastery … Read more » “The Wenkenhof and the English Park in Riehen”
1 September 2025
Schiers (canton of Graubünden) is first mentioned in a document from 1122 under the name Assiere, a Germanized version of the Romansh name Aschera. Aschera is still the name for Schiers in the Romansh-speaking part of the canton (Aschera means Maple). The Romansh language gradually disappeared, partly due to the immigration of German-speaking Walser, who … Read more » “Schiers, Habsburg, Zehngerichtebund, and the Salginatobel Bridge”
29 August 2025
Lütisburg (canton of St. Gallen) is first mentioned in a document from 1214. The name goes back to the castle that Liuto, a scion of the Toggenburg count family, had built directly above the Thur bridge. The barons of Raron sold Lütisburg in 1468 to the abbot and the monastery of St. Gallen. In the … Read more » “Lütisburg, the Thur, the Necker and the Church of Wila”
29 August 2025
The village of St. Peterzell and the Propstei (provostry) of St. Peterzell (canton of St. Gallen) are located on the river Necker. The village owes its name to the provostry. Around 1050, the St. Peterzell Monastery was founded. The nobles of Illnau (in the Canton of Zurich) established it in honour of the Apostle Peter. As … Read more » “The Village and Propstei of St. Peterzell”
28 August 2025
The Kyburg is first mentioned in a document from 1027. The original name was “Chuigeburg” (Kuhburg (Cow Castle). The Count of Kyburg expanded the castle around 1200. The beautiful chapel, parts of the large tower, and some outer walls still stand today. The 12th-century wall The Kyburg family, alongside the Habsburgs and the Savoyards, was … Read more » “Kyburg Castle and Village”
1 July 2025
The industrial revolution, commercial networks, the textile industry, financial services, watchmaking, machine construction, the food sector, publishing and printing companies, and other sectors have characterised Switzerland for centuries. Even in today’s small villages, there is sometimes a small industrial park. An example is St. Luc (canton of Valais). St. Luc is located at an altitude … Read more » “The Mills of St. Luc and Switzerland’s Industrial Past”
17 June 2025
According to a recent United Nations report, Switzerland remains one of the most innovative economies globally. However, this also applies to (religious) architecture and design. Several museums, including the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich, and Platforme 10 in Lausanne, are just a few examples. In the church … Read more » “The Remarkable Capuchin Monastery in Sion”
11 May 2025
Ins (Anet in French, canton of Bern, Three-Lakes-Region/Seeland) is the village of the (birth) house, studio, and museum of the painter Albert-Anker (1831-1910). The medieval village was an important regional centre with more inhabitants than the town of Erlach (Cerlier in French). Erlach was the seat of the governors (Landvogt) of Bern after the conquest … Read more » “Ins, Albert Anker, Monuments and Climate Change”
2 April 2025
The Roman legion that crossed the bridge from Kleinbasel to Grossbasel on March 11 did not understand much of what was happening. The Centurion was also convinced that a bridge over the Rhine existed two thousand years ago. However, the inscription on the building on the Kleinbasel side left no doubt: this bridge is 800 … Read more » “The Mittlere Brücke, Augusta Raurica, Augst and Kaiseraugst”
12 March 2025
The first hermits lived in Egypt and Syria in the second and third centuries. The first Christian communities had emerged in this region in the first century. These areas were prosperous Roman provinces at the time. Hermits were recluses dedicated to the Christian faith in isolation and poverty. They are considered the first monks, and … Read more » “The Last Hermit of the Saint-Verena Einsiedelei in Solothurn”
