Swiss Stories

Start-up

Swiss start-ups provide competition for WhatsApp, Gmail and Facebook

Economics
Communications security has become a major social issue. In Switzerland some twenty companies have developed comparable software solutions for chatting, messaging and data storage which respect user privacy.
Gotthard base tunnel

The legend of the Gotthard pass

History
Switzerland's geography is extreme to say the least, ranging from the long and winding to the steep and narrow, with the occasional sheer drop thrown in. And to experience it you don't need to cross the Alps on an elephant like Hannibal did. Or at least that's the way the story goes... The Gotthard pass is truly a living legend.
SBB

Intelligent technology for greater energy efficiency

Environment
Tablets for saving electricity? They exist. Thousands of Swiss train drivers are now using tablets with a new innovative software for reducing the electricity consumption of trains. For this innovative solution, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has received the prestigious prize for energy efficiency Watt d’Or of the Federal Office of Energy (FOE).
Wild hay © Luzern Tourismus

Wild hay making – a fascinating Swiss tradition

History
In my family archives, I have come across a black and white reel dating back to the 1960s. The film documents my ancestors on a late summer day as they collect fresh hay off their pasture in the Rhine Valley. At one point, an elderly farmer loads a huge ball of hay onto a sledge in order to haul it to the valley. These scenes got me thinking: what is the tradition of alpine hay making all about, and is it still being practiced in this day and age?
Dimitri Burkhard

by Dimitri Burkhard

The Swiss who made their mark on the Winter Olympics

The Swiss who made their mark on the Winter Olympics

History
The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are in full swing in PyeongChang – generating excitement beyond the Alpine countries from which they originate. All over the world, winter sports are once again on everyone's lips, as is the case every four years when the Winter Olympics come round again.
Matthias Vauthier

by Matthias Vauthier

© Photo: Fabian Biasio.

A Swiss chef cooks up the forest

Environment
'Wizard of Entlebuch' Stefan Wiesner cooks with stone, earth, ash, wood – and ants.
René Burri © Sandro Canperdo

Great figures in Swiss photography

Society
The works of Swiss photographers have a story to tell. They are recognisable the world over and some have even become classics of their genres.
Julien Gremaud

by Julien Gremaud