19 October 2025
In September 2023, an important discovery was made in Lake Neuchâtel. Near Grandson (Canton Vaud), a canoe made of oak trunks was found in the lake. It is about 2,500 years old and dates back to the Iron Age (850-100 BC). Celtic tribes lived in this region at that time. The praam was made between … Read more » “The Laténium and the Celtic Culture”
1 October 2025
After the Celtic and Roman times, Seeland was situated at the edge of the (first) Burgundian Kingdom (443-534). The Three Lakes region (the lakes of Biel/ Bienne, Morat/Murten and Neuenburg/ Neuchâtel) was still populated by Gallo-Roman people. The German-speaking Alemanni migrated to this region in the 5th and 6th centuries. However, it was not until … Read more » “Bilingual Biel/Bienne”
21 September 2025
The history of the Burgundians is intertwined with that of Switzerland, allowing us to reconstruct an important episode. Between 443 and 1032, the two Burgundian kingdoms were among the most distinctive of the barbarian kingdoms that emerged in the early Middle Ages following the fall of the Roman Empire. The Burgundians Who were the Burgundians? … Read more » “The two Burgundian kingdoms, Sapaudia and Switzerland”
6 September 2025
The canton of Basel-Stadt consists of three municipalities: Basel, Riehen, and Bettingen. Riehen and Bettingen are located on the right bank of the Rhine, surrounded by Germany. Riehen was already inhabited before the Roman occupation by the Celts. The Alemanni settled in the region after the Romans’ departure in the 5th century. Reconstruction of a … Read more » “Bettingen, Riehen and Viticulture in Canton Basel-Stadt”
5 September 2025
Palazzo Tondü (Tondü Palace) is the history of a family of chimney sweeps from Tessin. The history of the many Zuckerbäcker from Graubünden and their worldwide fame is well known. However, most of these emigrants had a poor existence. Only a tiny minority became wealthy through their hotels, restaurants, cafes, patisseries or, e.g. breweries in (capital) … Read more » “Tondü Palace and the chimney sweeps of Tessin”
15 August 2025
A journey along the Hinterrhein begins at Graubünden’s oldest Walser village. The village is named after the southern source of the Rhine, the Hinterrhein. The Vorderrhein rises in the St Gotthard massif. At Reichenau, these rivers meet. The Hinterrhein near Hinterrhein Hinterrhein (canton of Graubünden) is 1 kilometre from the San Bernardino tunnel. The valley … Read more » “The Hinterrhein as a Walser and Romansh cultural and trade route”
30 July 2025
Many monasteries in Switzerland have been dissolved over the centuries, particularly after the Reformation, during the French occupation (1798-1813) and in the 19th century. Some were demolished, others were given a new purpose, usually while preserving the complex. St. Urban Muri Despite secularisation in the 20th century and the dwindling number of monks and nuns, … Read more » “Monasteries as a traditional Swiss source of innovation and entrepreneurship”
20 July 2025
Like cheese, chocolate and fondue, the Alphorn belongs to Switzerland (and Austria and southern Germany). The horn must have a minimum length and a corresponding maximum diameter to blow a musically useful (interesting) range in this scale. Only one or two notes of different pitches can be blown on short horns (e.g. a hollow animal … Read more » “Short History of the Alpine Horn”
8 July 2025
The Romans, Säumer, and Napoleon made use of it: the Simplon Pass. Mountain passes, trade, diplomacy, and war have positioned Switzerland, a vital traffic artery of Europe, at the centre of commercial and strategic interests for centuries. The Mountain Passes Another warlord, Hannibal, crossed the Swiss Alps with his army and elephants in 218 BC, … Read more » “The Simplon Pass, Napoleon, Coaches and the Postauto”
20 June 2025
Disasters in the Alpine region and Switzerland are in the news almost daily. Avalanches, landslides, melting glaciers and permafrost alternate with periods that are too dry and too wet. The climate is changing, and this has repercussions for humanity in many areas. The causes and consequences are not discussed here; the emphasis is on a … Read more » “The Alps in Natural Perspective”
