Swiss wine is one of Switzerland’s best kept secrets. Switzerland is not known internationally as a wine producing country, but grapes have been grown here since Roman times, and some 15,000 hectares of the country (148km2!) is covered in vines. This puts the country 10th in the world in terms of the vineyards to country surface area ratio. Switzerland produces around 100 million litres of wines...
An arboretum is a site dedicated to the conservation, presentation and observation of woody forest, ornamental and fruit trees. Unique in Switzerland, the Arboretum in the valley of Aubonne is a vast park of over 200 ha of forests and meadows. Numerous signposted pathways lead you through a majestic universe of more than 3,000 species and varieties of trees and shrubs. The Arboretum includes...
"A house is a machine for living in" Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier was a Swiss French architect, painter, urban planner and pioneer of what is now known as modern architecture. In 1923 Corbusier designed a modest 64 meter lakeside house for his parents, with a single bay window overlooking Lac Leman near Vevey in Switzerland. He incorporated ergonomics and functional analysis...
The Alphorn is a national symbol of Switzerland. It is a traditional wind instrument that was first documented in the mid 16th century and has been used by Alpine farmers for hundreds of years. During the 18th century it was regarded as a beggars horn as impoverished shepherds played the horn in the cities but over time and with a folk culture revival, horn playing grew in esteem. Today there is...
The Mauvoisin Dam is a 250m high concrete dam making it the largest arch dam in Europe. Built between 1951 and 1958 the dam overlooks the Val de Bagnes in Switzerland and generates 1,000 GWh of electricity a year. It is possible to hike or bike this high mountain route which takes you through a series of tunnels with breathtaking views of the lake, waterfalls, mountains and valleys. The hike...
The largest underground lake in Europe is in the heart of the canton of Valais here in Switzerland. Just a 5 minute drive from the autoroute, you can discover the most fascinating site which was explored for the first time in 1943. Located along the Rhone Valley the lake is around 300 meters long and can be explored by taking a boat trip across its crystal clear waters. Nestled in the middle of the...
Art Basel connects leading art patrons and art galleries of the world at the international art fair staged annually in Basel, Switzerland. Since its inaugural year in 1970, Art Basel has continually attracted thousands of visitors and galleries and the representative art has become increasingly international. As a result of its success, Art Basel Miami Beach debuted in the USA in 2002 and eleven years...
Switzerland has four official languages including German which is spoken in North, Central and Eastern Switzerland, French spoken in Western Switzerland, Italian spoken in Southern Switzerland and Romansh which is spoken in South Eastern Switzerland. Plurilingualism is an important value in Switzerland and the Swiss school system provides a solid multi-lingual education reflective of the country’s...
Hiking is one of the most popular sporting and recreational activities in Switzerland with statistics showing that 44% of the population enjoy an average of 20 excursions per year. The Covid pandemic has strengthened the trend with more people enjoying Switzerland’s hiking trails than ever before and more than 50,000 yellow signs are excellently maintained across mountains and valleys providing...
The Châtel St-Denis Les Paccots area is in the region of the Veveyse and has 150km of marked trails for all levels which range from very easy to challenging. The paths and summits are surrounded by beautiful nature and welcome hikers and trail runners through the Summer months where the only other people on the mountains are the farmers and their cattle. Each year there is the ‘Trail des Paccots’ race...