Délemont is the capital of the Canton of Jura – the newest canton in Switzerland formed by a secession from Bern in 1979. It is also the only canton in Switzerland that has allowed women to vote in all matters since its formation. The secession of Jura came from religious Read more…
When I tried to classify this place, I was split between calling it an “iconic place” or a “city” as there is a habited settlement in the area that serves the touristic area around it. The town of Kandersteg is served by a half-hourly train connection from Bern via Thun Read more…
I’ve been on plenty of trams in my travels around the world, but the Trogenerbahn is the first tram line I’ve seen with a first class section. The nearly 10km ride takes just over an hour with its highest elevations at its two termini at 780m and 906m. It starts Read more…
Freiburg is the most beautiful medieval city you’ve never heard of In Switzerland. Does the name sound familiar? That’s because there are two cities of the same name in Germany. Perched high on a hill top, Freiburg (or Fribourg in French) features original urban fortifications surrounding the well-preserved old town. Read more…
Known in German as Biel and in French as Bienne, the city is truly bilingual. While Freiburg might advertise itself as being legally bilingual and give French preferred typefaces on signs, Biel treats both languages equally. When you walk into a store, you’re greeted by a “Grüesse” followed by a Read more…
It is quite expensive, but there is a reason to it…Saas Fee is a natural theme park. At 3,456 meters above sea level, the summit of Mittelallalin gives a “Christmas touch” to that winter magic. When you arrive, a well-organised ground crew of teenagers direct you to empty parking spots Read more…
Not very well known to the outside world, nor to Swiss people for that matter, Heiden is locate in the conservative canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Despite having just 4,000 inhabitants, it actually holds some significance to Swiss history. Henry Dunant, one of the founders of the ICRC spent the last Read more…
Traveling between Chur in Switzerland and Tirano in Italy, the 156km trip takes over 4 hours to complete. The reason why buses can run this route faster than the train is that the Bernina Express is the only train route to traverse over the alps and not under it. There Read more…
Right on the border with Switzerland, the little town of Tirano depends on tourists flowing from Switzerland to keep its economy afloat. In fact, there’s a Swiss railway station that serves as the starting point of the Bernina Express right in the centre of town. The urban centres of Tirano Read more…
Most well known for its international role of hosting the World Economic Forum, Davos is also a ski destination and a retreat in the mountains. The rich come for holiday by helicopter, athletes use its slopes as training grounds for skiing, snowboarding, and bobsledding. It also has three museums, of Read more…