Nature in Switzerland.
28 August 2025
Tujetsch (Tavetsch in German) is a region in Surselva (canton of Graubünden). In this area lies the cradle of the Rhine: the Tomasee. The Oberalp Pass connects the Val Tujetsch with the Urseren Valley, Andermatt and the Romanesque St. Kolumban Church. Andermatt Tujetsch is the name for both the entire valley and the corresponding political … Read more » “Tujetsch, the Tomasee, the source of the Rhine and Andermatt”
20 August 2025
The lower valley section (Campsut, Campsur, Cröt, and Platta) was inhabited in Roman times, whereas the upper part, between Cresta and Juf, served only as pastureland. An indication of this habitation is the persistence of Roman names in use today. The first written mention of Avers (Canton Graubünden) can be found in the statute book … Read more » “A short History of the Avers Valley”
29 July 2025
For centuries, the Swiss have built bridges in the most challenging locations, tamed rivers, and constructed tunnels and railways through the heart of the mountains. One of the most remarkable initiatives, however, is the construction of a rock gallery under the Rhine, the Hinterrhein, at the beginning of the 20th century. It resembles, to a … Read more » “A Swiss story in the Roffla Gorge”
1 July 2025
The name Valais is derived from the Latin word “Vallis.” During the Roman occupation, four Celtic tribes inhabited this region: the Nantuates, the Veragri, the Seduni, and the Uberi. The Rhône River originates in this region and follows the valley until it bends north near Martigny, a sort of copy of the “bend” at Basel … Read more » “The Imperial Crown of the Val d’Anniviers, le Petit Prince, Ella Maillart and Adeline Favre”
22 June 2025
The region around Visp (Viège), Raron (Raronge), the Lötschberg (Steg-Hohtenn and Niedergestein), and the Baltschiedertal in the canton of Valais is a dry area in the Rhone basin. Its dry and mild climate promotes viticulture, agriculture, and cattle breeding. Suonen (bisses in French) irrigated the land. Suonen are wooden or stone irrigation systems that lead … Read more » “The Suonen of the Valais”
11 June 2025
Humans are not the only ones who build tunnels. Nature, too, has a reputation in this field, for example, in Saint-Léonard (Canton of Valais), Vallorbe (Canton of Vaud), and Baar (Canton of Zug). St Léonard is even home to the largest navigable underground lake in Europe, the Lac Souterrain de St Léonard. This 300-metre-long, 20 to 30-metre-wide, and several-metre-deep … Read more » “The underground lake of St-Léonard”
1 May 2025
The medicinal, psychological, and sometimes miraculous (and poisonous!) effects of herbs and plants are as old as humankind on all continents. Native Americans in the Amazon, Indians in America, Chinese, Japanese, Aborigines, Persians, Greeks, Celts, or Romans, every community knew its herbalists and plant experts. The monks on the European continent preserved this knowledge of … Read more » “Switzerland is the Herb Garden of Europe”
22 April 2025
One of Switzerland’s peculiarities is the omnipresence of nature, whether in a (big) city or a small village—for example, Allschwil (canton Basel-Landschaft), which borders the city of Basel (canton Basel-Stadt). The village of Allschwil, formerly known as Almswilre in the Middle Ages, was first mentioned in a document dated 1033. It belonged to the Duchy … Read more » “The Village and Wood of Allschwil”
17 April 2025
Finds of Roman coins in Leukerbad (Loèche-les-Bains in French, kanton Wallis) provide evidence that the Romans were already familiar with the thermal springs in Leukerbad and that the thermal water has been used without interruption ever since. Today, around 65 thermal springs are known. Leukerbad was first mentioned in 1229, but at that time, it … Read more » “Spa Tourism and the Four Seasons in Leukerbad”
17 April 2025
The fruit trees near the village of Gempen (canton of Solothurn) are a feast for the eyes in spring. The mountains and wooded slopes put this blooming landscape in a fairytale perspective, only 20 kilometres from Basel. The beautiful blossom is also present in other regions of Switzerland, such as Seeland, Berner Mittelland, Ticino, Aargau, … Read more » “The Blossom of the Jura Moutains”
