Tickling the senses with a pinch of culture
Places of interest, including hotels and meeting places of the European aristocracy, have opened their doors for the Swiss public this weekend.
More than 240 events are being held across the country as part of the European Heritage Days.
“The occasion reminds us that we are surrounded by cultural riches,” said Jean- Frédéric Jauslin of the Federal Culture Office ahead of the two-day event.
He said the monuments are more than mere witnesses of the past, but form an integral part of everyday life.
Jauslin added that the European Heritage Days, celebrated in nearly 50 countries across the continent, help to bring together people and different cultures.
“You don’t have to be an art historian to enjoy the occasion,” said René Koelliker, project leader of the heritage days in Switzerland.
He said tourism at the end of the 19th century laid the foundations for Switzerland’s economic prosperity and is today the third largest economic sector of the country.
About 20 luxury hotels, including the Bellevue in the capital Bern, the Caux-Palace on Lake Geneva and others in the mountain region of Graubünden, are accessible for the wider public.
Numerous museums put their historic crockery collections on display, while restaurants stage free concerts.
Friends of wine, beer and spirits could be attracted by the prospect of a visit to the Feldschlösschen brewery – with its striking castle-style 19th century architecture – the Morand distillery in Martigny or the Manoir d’Hermance cellars near Geneva.
Salt, spas, theatre
Visitors are invited to taste ancient or recent culinary specialities in historic places, such as a Roman house at Vallon near Lake Neuchâtel.
Further south, the 15th century salt springs at Salin are an important part in the history of cheese making in the Swiss Alps.
Those interested in saffron might consider a trip to the mountain village of Mund, where the spice from the dried stigma of the flower of a specific crocus is grown, or to the Saffron Guild Hall in Basel.
The organisers of the heritage days also have something in store for people interested in the tradition of historic spas – in the towns of Baden, Kaiseraugst and Nidau – and aficionados of historic buildings housing theatres and cinemas.
In addition, the first three Unesco listed sites in Switzerland – Bern, St Gallen and Müstair – propose a special programme to celebrate their recognition for 25 years as world heritage.
Overall, the events are expected to attract more than 60,000 people in Switzerland.
Previous Swiss contributions to the Europe-wide campaign included the themes of wood and garden.
swissinfo with agencies
The idea for European Heritage Days came after France held an open day for historical monuments in 1984.
In 1991 the idea was adopted by the Council of Europe. By 1996 40 countries were involved, and in 1997 the largest state in Europe, Russia, joined.
In 2000 for the first time, all 47 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention took part in European Heritage Days, with the arrival of Azerbaijan.
Switzerland has been participating since 1994. The event is taking place this year is from September 13-14.
The National Heritage Society has called for extra funds to maintain Switzerland’s architectural heritage.
The organisation said it needed SFr30 million ($26.5 million) annually but the federal authorities had cut their contributions to SFr19 million over the past decade.
The group said the cuts put more pressure on cantons and limited the possibilities to preserve a wide range of important landmarks.
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