25 January 2026
In the 13th century, Val d’Ormont (Canton of Vaud) was divided into several areas belonging to the Count of Savoie, the Abbey of St Maurice, the Lords of Saillon in Valais and other noble families. In 1475, during the Burgundian Wars (1474-1477), Bern acquired the valley. The Bernese rule was apparently tolerable to the inhabitants, … Read more » “The Ormont Valley, Glacier 3000 and Les Diablerets”
21 January 2026
Switzerland is renowned not only for its visionary public transport policy and commitment to environmental preservation (for example, the transport of goods by train through an extensive network of tunnels, connecting the continent in a climate-friendly way without European Union (EU) subsidies, even in the most inhospitable regions). EU Policies and Swiss Railway Constructions It … Read more » “Trains and Tunnels in Switzerland”
20 January 2026
The village of Ftan is located on the south side of a mountain ridge in the middle of Unterengadin, between Ardez and Scuol. There are two Ftans: Ftan Pitschen (the small Ftan) and Ftan Grond (the big Ftan). The area extends north into the Silvretta region, with the border of Paznaun (Austria), the Futschöl Pass, … Read more » “Ftan, the Contredanse française and the Hochalpines Institut”
16 December 2025
Mario Botta (1943), an architect from Tessin, worked on this project for 15 years. The bathing complex Fortyseven along the banks of the Limmat River is 160 metres long and has eleven saunas and eight water pools. Fourteen springs bubbling from the earth provide the water. The complex is not a water theme park. The … Read more » “Fortyseven in Baden, Bathing in Aquae Helveticae”
15 December 2025
Switzerland is known for its excellent research institutes, scientific research and universities. The topics and themes range from climate change, glaciers, medicine and pharma, and CO2 reduction to technologies and other fields. The country is one of the world’s champions of innovation and patents. They have one thing in common: they occur at or above … Read more » “The Mont Terri Rock Laboratory near Saint-Ursanne”
29 November 2025
How is it that a small mountainous country, without cocoa trees and far from the sea, has been a leading producer of chocolate for two centuries? The primary raw material of chocolate is, in fact, cocoa. Is there a link with the “Zuckerbäcker” from Grisons? In this region, pastry and confectionery were completely unknown in … Read more » “Swiss Chocolate has Conquered the World and John Bowring”
27 November 2025
Under preparation. Available in French, German and Dutch
10 November 2025
In many major European cities, from the 18th century to the early 19th century, reading societies were prevalent. Remarkably, Switzerland remains the only country to host this type of organisation in its four principal cities: Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich. For over two centuries, members have been able to read or borrow a large number … Read more » “The Four Centuries-Old Reading Societies of Switzerland”
9 November 2025
St. Blasien Abbey (Baden-Württemberg) in the Naturpark Südschwarzwald and the Albsteig was founded in the 11th century. A document of the Rheinau Abbey near Schaffhausen mentioned around 800 monks in a community at this site in the Alb Valley (Albtal). The Benedictine abbey was dedicated to Saint Blaise (4th century), an Armenian martyr. The Abbey … Read more » “St. Blasien Abbey, its Dom and the Abbey Trail”
27 October 2025
In the centuries between the (slow) dissolution of the Roman Empire (5th century) and the rise of the great Monarchies (from the 10th-13th centuries), the Church, abbeys and dioceses were the most important social, economic and political institutions with great secular power on the territory of what is called Switzerland today. The bishopric was a … Read more » “Swiss Bishopics and Cultural and Linguistic Plurality”
