Swiss Stories

©️ Eawag, Tobias Ryser

Eawag – managing a precious resource

Science & Education
The Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) works tirelessly to harmonise ecological, economic and social interests in relation to water usage. The organisation thus serves as a bridge between the scientific world and the 'real world'.

by John Durham

etivaz

The champions of local produce

Society
The 7th Swiss local food competition has crowned artisans and their specialities in different categories. We provide a background on some of this year's winners.

by Tatiana Tissot

freddy nock tightrope walk near Pontresina

Swiss extreme athletes

Society
Mountains, valleys, lakes and rivers give Switzerland its pleasing landscape. Some people go for a stroll or a quick swim. But for some, grilling a 'cervelas' over the campfire just isn't enough.

by Karine Lamon

Cylinder music box at CIMA © T. Tissot

The captivating delights of Swiss mechanical engineering

Science & Education
Though closely related to watchmaking, Swiss music boxes and automated dolls are still less well known than Switzerland's famous watches. And yet their inner workings are just as complex - sometimes even more so…

by Tatiana Tissot

The 2019 Women's World Floorball Championships will take place in Neuchâtel

Floorball, one of the most popular sports in Switzerland

Society
Floorball attracts relatively little coverage from the leading media, but in Switzerland this young sport is becoming one of the most popular sports. With over 33,000 licensed players, floorball is already the second biggest team sport in the country.
Swiss village over pasture

The Swiss Village Farm

Environment
Today we venture out to discover the Swiss Village Farm (SVF) Foundation, a complex of old cottages and meadows, home to the most extraordinary species of cattle, goats, sheep and hens. Four-horned rams, 'fainting' goats that keel over with fright when startled, gold-crested hens. Are these simply quirks of nature? Not in the least. These are species born from centuries of crossbreeding, experiments of breeders willing to create stronger and more resistant animals through controlled mating; species that today risk extinction, because they no longer conform to the standards of the global food industry.

by Niccolò Iorno

90% of our food comes from the earth © Agroscope, Gabriela Brändle

Swiss Soils: A Treasure to Protect

Environment
Seemingly motionless yet very much alive, essential for the ecosystem yet fragile: as a natural resource of great ecological value, Swiss soils are at the very heart of the concerns of Agroscope and the Swiss Soil Monitoring Network (abbreviated as NABO).