Swiss Stories

The Niesen

The Niesen – Switzerland's highest pyramid

Environment
You don't have to go to Egypt to contemplate the pyramids: to see one you need go no further than the Niesen in the Bernese Alps – an almost perfectly geometric peak which has inspired many painters.
Bee Ⓒ Gilles San Martin

Swiss research for sick bees

Environment
The sharp decline in bee colonies all over the world since 2000 has not overlooked Switzerland. A national research centre is working together with beekeepers to find out what is causing this phenomenon and what can be done about it.
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

plastic startups

Swiss start-ups reinvent the plastics industry

Environment
As progress broadens the spectrum of technologies capable of reducing our plastic footprint, start-ups in Switzerland are making their presence felt in a bid to combine ecology with profitability.
© Swiss Travel System AG / Tobias Ryser

Swiss Public Transport - Sustainable by Design

Environment
Swiss public transport is the preferred way for residents and tourists to travel around Switzerland. Not only because of its unparalleled comfort and convenience but also because the Swiss Travel System is one of the most climate-friendly ways to tour the country. And with growing customer demand for more environmentally friendly forms of mobility, train travel and public transport are witnessing a renaissance across Europe and beyond – a positive development backed up by a study suggesting that travellers are willing to pay a premium in exchange for more sustainable travel options (Booking: 2022). 
Lake Lucerne

Combating climate change with Swiss lakes

Environment
Switzerland’s lake surface waters contain vast amounts of thermal energy, collected from the sun and stored as heat. This can be extracted and used for heating. At the same time lake water can be used as a coolant.
Chasselas

Grape varieties – Swiss made

Environment
You may be surprised to hear that Switzerland has more than 200 indigenous grape varieties. For hundreds of years now, many of these have been imported and bred by winegrowers all over the world. Among the most widespread varieties worldwide are Merlot for red wine and Chardonnay for white.