Swiss Stories

© Claudio Bader

The forbidding side of Val Bavona, frozen in time

History
Val Bavona is one of the wildest valleys in the Swiss Alps. Bordering Ticino, it has remained frozen in the 16th century. The valley is only inhabited in summertime and has opted to remain true to its rustic roots, even shunning electricity.
Walter Bovery

Walter Boveri – industrial pioneer and company founder

History
At the end of the 19th century, the great age of electrical engineering had just begun and Walter Boveri, a mechanical engineer with a vision, knew that the energy-hungry, modern, booming cities and their factories needed endless amounts of electricity – and that he was the man to supply it.
Barbara Piatti

by Barbara Piatti

Swiss Family Robinson

The Swiss Family Robinson

History
The Swiss Family Robinson – father, mother and four sons – survive a shipwreck on the high seas. Stranded on a desert island, the family tame their new environment and make it their home. Sound familiar? This 18th century classic inspired by Robinson Crusoe became even more popular abroad than it is in Switzerland. Find out why.

by Lea Huszno

train

Swiss public transport – going places for 175 years

History
175 years ago, the Spanisch-Brötli (Spanish bun) line between Baden and Zurich was the first railway to operate in Switzerland. Today, public transport brings hundreds of thousands of people to work and school every day – even in the most remote valleys and regions of Switzerland. Public transport connects and keeps us moving, and it is helping Switzerland achieve its climate goals.

by Union of Public Transport

Bollywood und die Schweiz

Bollywood and Switzerland

History
Switzerland and its mountain scenery are hugely popular in India, mainly because of the Bollywood blockbusters filmed there. Indian filmmakers' passion for Switzerland has helped make it one of the most popular destinations for Indian tourists seeking the locations of some of their favourite film scenes.

by Tatiana Tissot

Sophie Lavaud on the summit of Everest

Conquering the Himalayas

History
Known as the '88,000 lady' among the mountaineering cognoscenti, Sophie Lavaud is the first Swiss woman to have climbed eleven peaks of over 8,000 metres in the Himalayas. Quite a topical achievement, as mountaineering was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible World Heritage in December 2019. Portrait of an astonishing woman at the top of her game.

by Lea Huszno

The charnel house in Leuk, June 2018 – © Cyril Zingaro for Le Temps

The catacombs of Valais: as fascinating as those of Paris

History
You don't have descend into the catacombs of Paris to feel the gaze of thousands of empty eye sockets. With its 24,000 skulls, the charnel house in Leuk in the Upper Valais region of Switzerland provides an equally chilling spectacle.