Nature in Switzerland.
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”
12 March 2025
The Aare flows into the Rhine at Koblenz (Canton of Aargau). On its 295-kilometer journey from its source in the Oberaar Glacier, it flows through the Aareschlucht (Aare Gorge), Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, the capital Bern, Lake Biel, Solothurn, and through various places that bear its name, such as Büren an der Aare, Aarwangen, … Read more » “The Aare, its Towns, Nature and Jura Water Correction”
10 March 2025
Helvetia gazes westward from the Mittlere Brücke in Basel, downstream along the Rhine. What is she thinking about? In the good old days, when the Rhine was still called Renos (Celtic) or Rhenus (Roman), was it meandering and flowing wherever and as high as it wanted? About the river landscape on both banks of the … Read more » “The Rhine is a hiking trail and a trading, border, energy and boundary river”
9 March 2025
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8 February 2025
Paris has its Eiffel Tower (built in 1889), but Hasenberg has the Hasenberg Tower (Hasenbergturm). Although this tower (Gemeinde Widen, canton of Aargau) is considerably lower (40 metres) and younger (2021) than the Eiffel Tower (312 metres, 1665 steps to the top) and has fewer steps (210), it stands out far above it because of … Read more » “The Hasenberg Tower, Rhine Swimming, Wettingen Monastery and Swiss Wood”
20 January 2025
As we know, the British introduced climbing the highest peaks in Switzerland from 1850 onwards. They have always remained successful in this sport, which is in stark contrast to skiing, although the British were also pioneers in this sport. Arnold Lunn (1888-1974) founded today’s slalom skiing. The first race occurred in 1922 in Mürren (canton … Read more » “Mürren, Slalom, James Bond, Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau”
18 January 2025
Every year, around 60,000 visitors visit Wengen (canton of Bern) in January to experience the International Lauberhornrennen. The legendary downhill run (since 1930) is the longest in the entire Ski World Cup. The list of winners since 1930 and a part of the International Lauberhornrennen parcours Wengen is situated at an altitude of 1,274 metres in the … Read more » “Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg, Nature and Winter and Summer Sports”
