16 September 2026
Augustus (63 BC – 14 AD) became the new ruler of the Roman Empire in 31 BC, following a civil war (44–31 BC). However, due to Rome’s centuries-old republican past and the aversion to a monarchy, from 27 BC onwards he styled himself Princeps, first among equals or first citizen. He was no ordinary man, … Read more » “Concilium totius Galliae, Lugdunum, Augusta Raurica, Aventicum and Helvetia”
26 August 2026
Switzerland is (for the time being) not only the ‘water castle’ of Europe, but is also renowned for its mineral springs, spas and the Grand Hotels associated with them. These springs can be found throughout the country, even though these places are no longer used as spas today. The epicentre, however, is the Engadin in … Read more » “Village Square, Water Springs and Bellevue in Scuol”
27 July 2026
More than 40 mountain peaks over 4,000 metres, some 1,500 lakes, large and small, thousands of rivers and streams, and perhaps the highest number of herb gardens per square kilometre in Europe. The per-capita musicality is also substantial, in both quality and quantity. It is estimated that in the city of Basel (around 185,000 inhabitants) alone, there are 10,000 piccolo players … Read more » “Federal musicality at a local level”
10 July 2026
The Observatory of Neuchâtel (l’Observatoire cantonal de Neuchâtel) has long been at the heart of watchmaking certification and chronometry competitions. Today, the Cantonal Observatory of Neuchâtel is a cultural and scientific heritage, dedicated to its role in the history of timekeeping and precision watchmaking. Pavillon Hirsch The Observatory of Neuchâtel For a long time, only … Read more » “From the stars to atoms and the history of timekeeping and precision watchmaking”
1 July 2026
The name Valais (French) or Wallis (German) is derived from the Latin word valles (valley). During the conquest of what is now Switzerland between 15 and 13 BC (Geneva, inhabited by the Celtic Allobroges under the name Genava, had already been conquered in 120 BC), four Celtic tribes lived in Wallis: the Nantuates, Veragri, Seduni, … Read more » “Pyramides, Ossona, Evolène, Triton Alpestre and Marie Métrailler in Val d’Hérens”
26 May 2026
The Burgundian Wars (1474–1477) were already described and illustrated at the time in numerous chronicles, songs, poems, pamphlets, and local archives. Various museums (including those in Grandson, Murten, and Bern) and publications are devoting considerable attention to this period this year. Moreover, the museum in Saint-Imier is presenting an exhibition on an underexposed subject related … Read more » “The Burgundian Wars, the Bishop of Basel and the Swiss Confederation”
22 May 2026
Kairos is the Greek god of the right moment, experience, beauty, and perception. Chronos is the economy, the orderly functioning of the private and public spheres, and above all, of the temporal, the mortal. For these reasons, the symbols of Chronos are the hourglass and the scythe. Kairos, by contrast, is the patron of feelings, … Read more » “Kairos and Chronos and the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva”
16 May 2026
Coincidence or not, the fact is that the renovated Grandson Castle and Museum in the canton of Vaud have been opened to the public, as well as the exhibition ‘The Battle of Murten’ (Murten ausgeschlachtet) at the Bernisches Historisches Museum. The year 2026 marks the 550th anniversary of the battles of Grandson (2 March 1476) and Murten (22 … Read more » “The Burgundian Wars, Switzerland and Academic Anachronism”
14 May 2026
Elgg (Canton of Zurich) is a town with a rich history on the upper reaches of the river Eulach. The first written mention dates back to 760 under the name Ailaghoga. St Gallen Abbey, founded only in 719, acquired the town and the surrounding region in 760. Elgg The Lords of Elgg then served the … Read more » “Elgg and the United Dutch Provinces”
28 April 2026
The Netherlands have long been known as a land of polders, tulips, and windmills. Switzerland may lack tulips, but its waterworks also look back on a centuries-old history of canalisation, the reshaping of river catchments, the drainage of peatlands, and even the lowering of lake levels. Swiss watermills At first glance, there seem to be … Read more » “A Miracle of Nature and Art at Underground Mills of Col-des-Roches”
