Swiss Stories

gypaète barbu

Typical fauna from the Swiss mountains

Environment
The marmot, the bearded vulture, the lynx, the wolf and the ibex are five creatures that – with a bit of luck – you might just spot in the Swiss mountains. Discover the history and stories surrounding these five species.

by Lea Huszno

©️ Swiss Armed Forces Digital Media Centre, Nadine Strub

Haute cuisine in camouflage trousers: the Swiss Armed Forces culinary team

Society
The Swiss Armed Forces culinary team is repeatedly voted one of the best in its field, often far outdoing non-military culinary teams in international contests. How can that be? The answer lies in the militia system that has shaped Switzerland for centuries.

by Michael Senn

Saffron from Mund AOP

The Swiss AOP products you never knew existed

Economics
Switzerland boasts 23 different agricultural products that have been awarded the coveted AOP label, which denotes their protected designation of origin (also known internationally as PDO; actual labels in Switzerland show AOP: appellation d’origine protégée in French). Some are already well known, such as Gruyère and Raclette cheese, but others less so, such as saffron from Mund and spiny cardoons from the canton of Geneva.
Integrated water resource management of the Gambia River for the sustainable development of the region is a cross-border issue © SDC

Switzerland and Blue Peace

Environment
There’s nothing more essential to life on earth than water. Yet in ever more places on the planet, water is in a state of acute crisis. Due to rapid population growth, changing consumption patterns and rising pollution, clean water is increasingly scarce with direct consequences on peace and stability worldwide. As climate change intensifies pressure on our water resources, increased and innovative collaboration is needed between riparian states.
VANILNOIR

Swiss wheat breeding know-how

Science & Education
Swiss bread is famous for both its quality and diversity, with each region of the country boasting its own speciality. Switzerland's success story is down to the work of its wheat breeding programme, which is more than a century old and continues to produce new varieties for the bread of tomorrow.
William Tell

William Tell, a symbol of Switzerland known throughout the world

History
The story of William Tell is one of the myths surrounding the creation of the Swiss Confederation. First mentioned in the White Book of Sarnen, a collection of manuscripts dating from 1470, he became a household name thanks to Friedrich von Schiller's play 'Wilhelm Tell'. This is the story of Switzerland's iconic hero who has been held up as the personification of bravery ever since.
Virtual Reality

Giving virtual reality the Swiss touch

Science & Education
Swiss start-ups are making the most of the boom in immersive technologies.