Museum of Cultures, Museum der Kulturen, Basel, Switzerland Having realised that I’d not written about the Museum of Ancient Art, I also realised that I’d not written about the excellent Museum of Cultures. Silly me. The museum has its origins in the 1840s, when artworks and artefacts collected by travellers and merchants were donated to the city. Over the years,…
Sun, Moon and Stars Exhibition, Museum of Culture, Basel, Switzerland The excellent Museum of Culture regularly holds exhibitions which help to highlight certain themes within its collection. When I visited, they had an interesting exhibition which looked at the way the universe shapes people on earth – from the way we create calendars, to the gods we worship. Because of the…
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Zermatt, Switzerland If you’re into hiking and skiing, the area around Zermatt is a paradise, with just so many options it’s incredible. If you’re not so into those sorts of things, then you have the exciting option of going up Europe’s highest aerial cableway to the mountain station in the Alps. Now, I’ve never been up a mountain…
Without any doubt, one of the most wonderful times to be in the sedate town of Geneva is during the Escalade. To commemorate the bravery of the town back in 1602 when it was attacked by Savoyard forces, Geneva holds a weekend of events which celebrates the brave Genevois and allows you to join in. I have written about the…
Montreux Christmas Market, Montreux Noël, Montreux, Switzerland I am the hugest fan of Christmas markets and for the past few years I’ve been lucky enough to visit at least one each season. Two years ago we visited the one in Basel, which was pleasant. Last year we went to Zurich, which I assumed would be more Germanic, but I found…
St Mauritius Church, Pfarrkirche St. Mauritius, Zermatt, Switzerland In the heart of the small town of Zermatt is the comparatively dominant Catholic church of St Mauritius. From the outside, it doesn’t look too grand, and inside it’s not that grand either – but it is charming and definitely worth a brief visit. The first mention of the church is from…
St Peter’s Church, the ‘English Church’, Zermatt, Switzerland Perched on the hills that steeply rise from the central street of Zermatt, is the little English Church. From the outside, it looks sort of Swiss. But inside – well, it feels awfully English. Which is the way it should be. The church is English. From 1862 the visiting English held services…
Museum of Ancient Art and Ludwig Collection, Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, Basel, Switzerland Recently, Sister-Chickpea asked me why I’d never ended up writing up a post about the Basel Museum. Honestly, it’s because I’ve had such a backlog of posts to write, I’d forgotten about it. Then I found out that they were closing many of the galleries to…
Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis, Zermatt, Switzerland It’s not really surprising that the prosperous, neat and tidy town of Zermatt has a neat and tidy little museum. Upon descending into the heart of the hyper-modern glass dome of the Zermatt Museum, you quickly find yourself in a little village square. Which is neat and tidy. In fact, the whole place is…
Lenk im Simmental, Switzerland Since moving to this part of the world, our annual highlight has been to go and see the traditional transhumance festivals. The process of bringing cows down from their summer pastures is almost as old as these hills, and there is great charm in seeing the farmers lead their flower-crowned cows through crowds of cheerful people.…
Bundeskapelle, Brunnen, Switzerland From its somewhat dull looking exterior, you’d never guess that the Bundeskapelle in the little lake-side town of Brunnen was the site of a significant moment in Swiss history. Legend says that back in 1307, the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden came together to take an oath on the Rütli meadow. The cantons vowed allegiance…
Victorinox Visitor Centre, Brunnen, Switzerland One of Switzerland’s greatest contributions to the world is probably the Swiss Army Knife. The useful, adaptable tool is hooked to many a keyring around the world. I’ve never had one. I’m not very outdoorsy, so it never really occurred to me to invest in it. But, I have now discovered that everyone needs a…