Swiss Identity

Off the beaten track in the west

This content was published on Apr 12, 2006 It also includes Switzerland’s low-lying agricultural heartland between the city of Bern and lakes Biel and Neuchatel and lush rolling hills that make up the pre-Alps. Two of the best-known Swiss cheeses (Gruyere and Emmental) are made in areas where quaint villages and well-preserved castles in a pastoral setting make it easy to believe time…

Culture

The highs and lows of canton Valais

This content was published on Apr 11, 2006 On their heels came ordinary tourists, merely seeking a glimpse of the alpine giants. Poor alpine villages such as Zermatt, Saas Fee and the spa town of Leukerbad were transformed into fashionable resorts, which to this day have retained a certain amount of authenticity. Verbier and Crans-Montana rose out of the ashes in the latter…

Culture

Ticino’s Mediterranean flair

This content was published on Apr 11, 2006 Sun-seeking Swiss-Germans and Germans flock to the region in spring, summer and autumn, where many own flats or houses on lakes Maggiore and Lugano or have converted barns in the narrow valleys into holiday homes. The population of Ticino is concentrated around the lakes, which are well served by passenger ferries. Rising steeply from the…

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Culture

The rivers, lakes and waterfalls of the north

This content was published on Apr 11, 2006 Well-marked bicycle trails follow the course of the Rhine, which for millennia served as an important trading route. Viewing platforms have been built out over the mighty Rhine Falls, which were once an important source of power for key industries, and the fertile slopes of Lake Constance have long supported fruit-growing and wine production, and…

Culture

The rugged beauty of Graubünden

This content was published on Apr 11, 2006 It doesn’t boast the towering peaks or wooden chalets that are synonymous with Switzerland, but Graubünden claims pristine alpine forests teeming with wildlife, fast flowing rivers, spectacular railway journeys and is home to three of Switzerland’s four language groups. As far as resorts go, few in the Alps can rival St Moritz or Davos. They…

Culture

The folklore of Central Switzerland

This content was published on Apr 11, 2006 Along with the William Tell Chapel, the meadow is one of the main stops on a boat tour of Lake Lucerne. Passengers also disembark at Vitznau and Alpnach Stad for the popular mountain railway journeys to the tops of the Rigi and Pilatus mountains. While Pilatus claims it was once the home of dragons, Rigi…

Demographics

Mass hunger strike threat at overcrowded jail

This content was published on Apr 11, 2006 Human rights campaigners, who have visited inmates at Champ-Dollon prison in Geneva, describe the situation as “potentially explosive”. “The prison is so overcrowded at the moment that even the smallest problem could turn out badly,” said Doris Leuenberger, vice-president of the Swiss Human Rights League (SHRL). The Geneva lawyer was part of a four-strong team…

Culture

The high life on Lake Geneva

This content was published on Apr 11, 2006 Promenades, hiking trails and bike routes make it possible for any and all visitors to travel at their own pace while discovering the lakeside and its many medieval villages, castles, Roman ruins and vineyards. Among the castles, medieval Chillon outside of Montreux is a must on any travel itinerary while the Château de Prangins near…

An invitation to live in paradise

This content was published on Apr 11, 2006 swissinfo visits Schwenden, a bucolic village in the heart of the Bernese Alps. It’s far from the madding crowds but its population is slowly dying out. “Restaurant” and “bakery” can still be clearly read on the side of the largest building in the village centre. “It was quite a big restaurant 20 years ago,” remembers…

Demographics

Swiss aid agency condemns Nepal crackdown

This content was published on Apr 10, 2006 Protests started only a few days after Switzerland had invited representatives of the government and civil society for talks in Geneva to discuss the country’s human rights situation. The meeting, scheduled for April 18, is intended to serve as a platform for the head of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights…

Swiss Identity

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Swiss Identity

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Off the beaten track in the west

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The highs and lows of canton Valais

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Ticino’s Mediterranean flair

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The rivers, lakes and waterfalls of the north

More

The rugged beauty of Graubünden

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The folklore of Central Switzerland

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Mass hunger strike threat at overcrowded jail

More

The high life on Lake Geneva

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An invitation to live in paradise

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Swiss aid agency condemns Nepal crackdown

Popular Stories

Most Discussed