Goms, Three Alpine Passes, Tithings and Valais
28 December 2023
Available in French, German and Dutch
The Rhine Gorge, the Ruinaulta and the World Water Library
15 December 2023
The Rhine Gorge, also known as Rheinschlucht in German or Ruinaulta in Romansh, is a 400-metre-deep and 13-kilometre-long gorge located in Graubünden. It dates back to the great landslide of Flims, known as the Filmserstein-Bergstürz, which occurred approximately 9,500 years ago. Since 1977, the Rhine Gorge has been listed in the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments of … Read more » “The Rhine Gorge, the Ruinaulta and the World Water Library”
The Glacier Garden Cavaglia
7 December 2023
During the last ice age, about 11,000 years ago, the Palü glacier of the Pru Valley formed the Cavaglia Plain (Piana di Cavaglia) in Valposchiavo (Italian-speaking part of the canton of Graubünden). The melting of the glacier was accompanied by erosion due to the force of the meltwater, as well as the rocks, sand masses, … Read more » “The Glacier Garden Cavaglia”
Landscape, Agriculture and Democracy in Entlebuch and Emmental
20 November 2023
The landscape in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Entlebuch (UNESCO Biosphäre Entlebuch) in the Canton of Lucerne and the Emmental in the Canton of Bern was created in a process spanning over 200 million years. The formation of the Alps, the occurrence of cold and warm periods, the shape of lakes and rivers, and the deposition of rocks and … Read more » “Landscape, Agriculture and Democracy in Entlebuch and Emmental”
Kartause Ittingen, three lakes and Nussbaumen in Thurgau
13 November 2023
Available in Dutch, French and German
The Botanical Garden of the Brissago Islands
5 November 2023
The Brissago Islands (Isole di Brissago) in Lake Maggiore near Brissago and Ascona are unique. The roots of the beautiful, exotic botanical garden date back to 1885, when Antoinette (1856-1948) and her husband, the aristocrat Richard Fleming de Saint Léger, purchased the islands. On the largest island, Isola Grande, they built a house on the … Read more » “The Botanical Garden of the Brissago Islands”
The Valleys Valmaggia, Centovalli and Valle Onsernone
4 November 2023
The river Maggia flows into Lake Maggiore between Ascona and Locarno. The River Melezza in the Valley of Centovalli joins the Maggia at Losone, a few kilometres upstream. The river is the namesake of the Maggia district in the Canton of Tessin. Its calm mouth in the lake contrasts sharply with the natural violence a … Read more » “The Valleys Valmaggia, Centovalli and Valle Onsernone”
The Swiss Alpine Club and Section Basel
27 October 2023
The Schweizer Alpen-Club was founded on 19 April 1863, six years after the foundation of the British Alpine Club in London and a year after the foundation of the Österreichische Alpenverein. The SAC initially focused on activities in the Alps. In the wake of mainly British mountaineers, its primary focus was climbing peaks. The SAC … Read more » “The Swiss Alpine Club and Section Basel”
Jegenstorf, Haile Selassie and Bangerten
17 October 2023
Former Emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975) of Ethiopia stayed at Jegenstorf Castle (canton of Bern) for four days in November 1954 because of his state visit to Switzerland. The reception was a ‘Wiedergutmachung’ from the Swiss side. The Swiss government did not grant asylum to the emperor in 1936 after Italy’s conquest of Abyssinia (the name … Read more » “Jegenstorf, Haile Selassie and Bangerten”
The Swiss National Park
17 September 2023
The canton of Graubünden is home to the Swiss National Park (Schweizer Nationalpark/parc national suisse), four regional nature parks (Parc Ela, the Beverin Nature Park, Parco Val Calanca, and Biosfera Val Müstair), and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tectonic Arena Sardona. The Swiss National Park, the Biosphere Reserve Val Müstair, and parts of the municipality of Scuol form the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Engiadina Val … Read more » “The Swiss National Park”