Swiss Stories

Swiss cuckoo Loetscher

A little birdie from Switzerland?

History
"Watch the birdie." This phrase once used by photographers to capture the attention of their subjects could just as easily apply to cuckoo clocks. Who among us has never heard the call of a cuckoo mark the passing of another hour? The cuckoo clock has a history dating back centuries that first began in the Black Forest area of Germany, but which was eventually to take flight in Switzerland. Let's shed some light on this funny little bird that conquered the world!

by Dimitri Kas

Wild hay © Luzern Tourismus

Wild hay making – a fascinating Swiss tradition

History
In my family archives, I have come across a black and white reel dating back to the 1960s. The film documents my ancestors on a late summer day as they collect fresh hay off their pasture in the Rhine Valley. At one point, an elderly farmer loads a huge ball of hay onto a sledge in order to haul it to the valley. These scenes got me thinking: what is the tradition of alpine hay making all about, and is it still being practiced in this day and age?
Dimitri Burkhard

by Dimitri Burkhard

Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona

The 13 Swiss sites listed as world heritage

Environment
Within the framework of the United Nations Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage of Outstanding Universal Value, thirteen Swiss sites have been included by UNESCO – nine for their cultural dimension and four for their natural beauty.
Benoît and Léonard (Masterchef)

Switzerland's Got Talent

Society
Budding Swiss stars have dazzled in talent shows in recent years, not just in Switzerland but in neighbouring France and Germany too. Whether singing a song or wielding a kitchen knife like no other, they have held their own and sometimes even won! From The Voice to MasterChef, here is a list of just some of our compatriots who have made a name for themselves.
Geneva Lake

Niels Ackermann: "Switzerland makes it possible for me to live this life"

Society
Niels Ackermann is hands down Swiss photographer of the year. Meeting with a 30-year-old who manages his career with insight and a taste for life.
Raphaël Domjan

Raphaël Domjan - Between the ocean and space

Environment
Fascinated by adventure and exploration since his childhood, Raphaël Domjan is today an eco-explorer active in protecting the planet, its biodiversity and atmosphere. Through visionary projects and audacious challenges, this Swiss national wants to show that renewable sources of energy are reliable, efficient and economically viable.
Powered wheelchair race ©EPF Zurich/Alessandro Della Bella

Cybathlon: the first ever Olympics for bionic athletes

Science & Education
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) is organising the world's first ever 'cybathlon' in Kloten in October. The scientific competition features 74 disabled athletes from 25 different nationalities, equipped with bionic prostheses, powered exoskeletons and brain-computer interfaces.