Swiss Stories

The saffron flower is violet. It blossoms in the month of September in the fields of Upper Valais.

The red gold of Upper Valais

Society
Saffron has been cultivated in Mund, in Upper-Valais, since the 14th century. It is the only village in Switzerland where the spice still grows naturally. We examine a family tradition that has endured to this day.

by Lea Huszno

© SWPIX

Equal opportunities for young cyclists from around the world in Switzerland

Society
Biniam Girmay recently became the first African cyclist to win a major racing event. As a young rider, he spent several months at the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle, a small town in the Swiss canton of Vaud, learning about pro cycling and its challenges. His success has made him an ambassador for over 1,500 young athletes from developing countries who have taken part in the programme over the past 15 years.

by Bertrand Monnard

Dance Appenzell

10 typically Swiss celebrations

Society
In Switzerland, 'hello', 'goodbye' and 'thank you' come in four languages! There are as many traditional dishes as there are cantons, and just as many ways to celebrate spring, winter, the descent from the mountain pastures and other festivals.
Swiss Alps © Dylan Nicolier

@mountains_rocks' Instagram

Society
Switzerland still has landscapes untouched by human activity, where the animal world prevails and a golden silence endures. It is one of the things we all love about Switzerland, and it is what inspired Dylan Nicolier to populate his Instagram account @mountains_rocks with images that prove that photographed from any angle Switzerland's beauty never fails to stop you in your tracks.
© Peter Mauss

6 Swiss architects who conquered the world

Society
The Olympic Stadium in Beijing, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Blue Tower in New York: these are just a few of the iconic buildings born from the imagination of Swiss architects.
Creux du Van, a natural rock arena in the Jura mountains

The Switzerlands of the world

Society
The image of a small landlocked country with a stable economy, growing service sector, and scenic views of roaring rivers, glacier-fed lakes and snow-covered peaks is so associated with Switzerland that it is often used to describe other places.

by Jessica Davis Pluess

Muse ©Lionel Flusin

The Montreux Jazz Festival

Society
'Smoke on the water' – just as Deep Purple's legendary song encapsulates the extraordinary event that transformed this resort city of long ago. The Montreux Jazz Festival has brought together the biggest names in music since it was created in 1967.