One of Exhibition: Saint Maurice at the Louvre in Paris

If you want to see one of the richest church treasuries in the world, then Paris should be your destination. Since March 14 and until June 16, 2014, the Louvre Museum presents the treasury of the Abbey of Saint Maurice in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is also called Abbey of Saint Maurice in Agaunum. The exhibition is a one of and not likely to be repeated within our lifetime.

750 Years City of Thun in Switzerland

In the Swiss city of Thun, the year 2014 will be marked by ongoing festivities, festivals,  and cultural highlights. The celebrations have been chosen to highlight and mark the work, cultural contribution, and political development of women in these 750 years. The reason for this extraordinary theme for a basically medieval jubilee lies in the person of the founder of the city: Countess Elisabeth of Kyburg.

Hobbit Museum in Switzerland

Tolkien fans might think they have to fly out to New Zealand to see the Shire. They are wrong. In October 2013, a Hobbit Museum opened its doors in Switzerland. Geographically in the tourist region called Heidiland, the region is an ideal holiday destination for families with children. For the parents, there are excellent local wines to test which the Swiss usually keep to themselves.

The Picasso Miracle of Basel

In 1967, the Swiss city of Basel was rocked by student protests. Their protest slogan was: "All You Need Is Pablo." The students were not protesting against something or everything, they were protesting for the acquisition of two pictures painted by Pablo Picasso. The protests were a turning point and moved voters in Basel to spend more than six million Swiss francs in public money. This legendary ballot led to a miraculous propagation of pictures by Pablo Picasso.

The Town That Builds a Medieval Monastery

They wear homespun clothing made from flax. They use wicker baskets for transportation. Workers in the German city of Messkirch have started building a monastery. The technology is exclusively medieval. The template for the monastery was provided for in the never realized a plan dating to the 9th century intended to be built in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Is it a gimmick, tourist attraction, or archaeological research?

Swiss Village St Silvester on Its Saint's Day

The feast day of Saint Sylvester is the 31st of December, New Year’s Eve. In French and in German, the saint's name is synonymous with New Year’s Eve, party, booze, and fireworks. In the village of St Silvester in Switzerland, his special day starts off with an old tradition dating back more than 400 years.

How a Village Prays For Its Glacier

For times immemorial, humans have prayed to their gods to look favorably upon them, to keep them safe, and to grant their wishes. But what happens once the wish has been granted? This real life story tells you exactly what. The village of Fiesch in the canton of Valais in Switzerland does a yearly pilgrimage to ask God and Saint Ignatius of Loyola for help.

Castle Rapperswil and The Polish Museum

Castle Rapperswil above the city of Rapperswil in the Swiss canton of St Gallen is home to the Polish Museum in Switzerland. It offers a breathtaking view over Lake Zurich with its islands of Lutzelau and Ufenau. It is a place few people know of and yet it is your loss if you haven't gone there when in Switzerland.

Weird Switzerland

Switzerland is an odd little country in Central Europe bordering Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein. It contains more oddities than people, I think, and I want to present a few of these weird peculiarities to you. They might also give you some ideas as to what is going wrong in other, larger, countries.

Traveling in The Alps: Use a Roadworthy Car in Winter

When planning to take your car into The Alps in winter, proper preparation might be worth your life. It might also be worth a lot of money as most countries may hand out hefty fines if you aren’t ready for snow and icy conditions on the roads. 

Swaziland, Switzerland, and Sweden

Over many years I found that what seems quite obvious to some is a mystery to others. This article is a help for people getting Swedish and Swiss or Switzerland and Swaziland mixed up. Once you remember just a few key facts about any of the places, you will be able to keep out of trouble when showing off geography knowledge.

Forgotten City of Kings: Solothurn

We all know London, where the kings and queens of England were crowned and where the United Kingdom crowns kings and queens today still; most might know Aachen as the place where the kings of the Eastern Franks were crowned, and Rome, where the Emperors and Empresses of Rome and later the Holy Roman Empire were crowned. But do you know Solothurn, where the kings of Burgundy were crowned for over 500 years?

How Baden-Baden Came by Its Name

The German town of Baden-Baden acquired that name officially in 1931. Before that, it was simply called Baden. Baden was a bathing spa in Roman times, and accordingly called Aquae like Bath. Both have the same meaning as Baden. How did this tautological weirdness come to pass?

Baden-Baden

Basel Tattoo; Are You Missing Out?

The Basel Tattoo has been established as the run-up to The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for some years. It is the second largest outdoor Tattoo in the world after Edinburgh. The two Tattoos are closely linked and the Basel show arena in the historical city barracks is an exact copy in size and layout of Edinburgh's. This year, Basel does what Edinburgh doesn't: Horses. Are you missing out on something?

 

Switzerland Doesn’t Exist

La Suisse n’existe pas (French for Switzerland doesn’t exist) was once used as the title for the Swiss exhibit at a World Exhibition. It set the Swiss media aflame with outraged indignation; despite that, it was nothing but a statement of fact. 

World’s Smallest Art Museum Reopened

The world’s smallest art museum has reopened after extensive restoration and conservation work to itself and its contents. The curators used the restoration period to produce a detailed video documentary which allows the visitor to take a virtual tour through the museum. 

Travelling in The Alps: Albula Pass

The Albula Pass is a historical throw-back for the traveler. It presents itself today as it did in 1865 when the road was built. Along it runs the historical train route built in 1903 with its stunning viaducts. And in winter, it becomes an enormous sledge run. 

Travelling in The Alps: Forcellina and Lunghin Passes

The Forcellina and Lunghin Passes build a crossroad with the Septimer Pass. The Forcellina Pass starts in the Avers Valley to end north of the culmination point of the Septimer Pass; the Lunghin Pass starts in the Engadin to reach a point slightly more to the north. Like the Septimer Pass, they are a paradise for hikers and mountain-bikers. 

Traveling in The Alps: Maloja Pass

The Maloja Pass is sometimes called ‘the pass that never was’ due to its geographical peculiarity. It connects the Engadin Valley with the Bregaglia Valley in the Canton of Grisons in Switzerland. If you travel on it from the Engadin side, the view from the starting point will take your breath away. 

Farah Diba’s Coffee Break

In Switzerland, you get the possibility to rub shoulders with many important people going on holiday there. Until 1979, the members of the Imperial Family of Persia were regular visitors to the Engadin where they had a holiday home near St. Moritz.