Ilanz, Trun and the Graue Bund
9 February 2023
Available in German and Dutch
Suchard, the First Chocolate Multinational
1 February 2023
Suchard in the Serrières valley, near the city of Neuchâtel, is an industrial site featuring a 150-year-old chocolate factory with notable industrial architecture. Philippe Suchard (1797-1884) was one of the pioneers of the chocolate industry in Switzerland. He initially worked in his brother’s coffee shop but left for America in 1824. There, he found inspiration for his … Read more » “Suchard, the First Chocolate Multinational”
The Last Habsburger in Basel
28 January 2023
Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernhard Felix Maria, the Erzherzog Von Habsburg (1863-1954), lived in a suite at Hotel Les Trois Rois in Basel from 1919 to 23 May 1934. He was a nephew of Karl von Habsburg (1887-1922), the last emperor of the Habsburg Empire. Both left the new Austrian Republic in 1919, following World War … Read more » “The Last Habsburger in Basel”
Celerina, Rhätische Bahn and Cresta Palace Hotel
24 January 2023
The village Celerina or Schlarina (Canton Grau in Romansh appears as “Ad Slatannum” in a document from 1139. The name refers to its location: “near the Schlattain stream”, Schlattain. In 1139, Konrad I of Bibberig, Bishop of Chur from 1123 to 1144, acquired the area from Zuoz to Silvaplana. The bishop built a cellar (cellarium … Read more » “Celerina, Rhätische Bahn and Cresta Palace Hotel”
Samedan, Tourism and Politics
24 January 2023
The village of Samedan (canton of Graubünden, Upper Engadine/Oberengadin) was first mentioned in 1139 following the sale of land by the counts of Gammertingen to the bishop of Chur. The counts of Gammertingen, whose homeland was north of the Danube in Swabia, ruled over a seigniory in this region. Samedan became an independent municipality in … Read more » “Samedan, Tourism and Politics”
Pontresina
20 January 2023
The area around Pontresina (Canton of Graubünden) was already inhabited before the arrival of the Romans. Excavations in Val Languard reveal 8,000-year-old settlements. After the conquest by the Romans (15th B.C.), vulgar Latin mixed with the Raetic languages. It led to various Romansh idioms in the Canton of Graubünden. Puter is spoken in Pontresina. The … Read more » “Pontresina”
Walkringen, Gasthof Bären, Erdburgen and the Church
10 January 2023
Available in German and Dutch
Splügen, Romansh, Walser, Bündner and since 1803 Swiss
10 January 2023
Available in German and Dutch
Albert Hofmann and LSD
9 January 2023
On Friday, 16 April 1943, pharmaceutical researcher Albert Hofmann (1906-2008) had an extraordinary experience at the Sandoz company in Basel. He had been researching a circulatory stimulant in vain for years. On this day, however, he had taken a small amount of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. He hallucinated, balanced on the verge of madness and ended … Read more » “Albert Hofmann and LSD”
The Wolf, the Beaver and Trees
23 December 2022
In some cantons, including Tessin, Valais and Graubünden, the wolf is the talk of the day and even the subject of a referendum at the national level. Man has hunted the wolf for centuries, and she had disappeared from the country until recently. However, she has been back on the scene for a few years. … Read more » “The Wolf, the Beaver and Trees”