Experiences: Culture

At the heart of the charming medieval old town of Fribourg - just a few steps from the Espace Jean Tinguely / Niki de Saint-Phalle - the museum of art and history invites you on diverse journeys of discovery. And very few people know that the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire houses the largest collection of sculptures of Switzerland.

On a themed tour, visitors will get to know aspects of Swiss transport history, in which women play a key role.

The southeastern corner of the former town fortification, the Gunpowder Tower, was built between 1522 and 1532 and was used to store gunpowder. Its external diameter is about 14 m, the inner diameter 8.5 m.

The old town of Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland, combines history with modern flair. Between small alleyways, the castle, the cathedral and lively markets, it offers cozy cafés and numerous boutiques.

The special museum in Romont, the Swiss Glass Museum, exhibits works of art that have been created on and behind glass. The exhibits range from Medieval glass paintings to the art of reverse glass painting. Romont houses the world's largest collection of the latter.

In St. Gallen you'll find history at every turn. The city's landmark is the Convent of St. Gall with its Baroque cathedral. The convent, including the library and monastery archives, was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 1983.

The Monte Tamaro lies in the triangle between Lugano, Bellinzona and Locarno. It is famous for the Santa Maria degli Angeli church designed by Mario Botta and the scenic ridge walk from Monte Lema.

The Château de Prangins was built in the 18th century by Louis Guiguer, a Swiss banker living in Paris, and has hosted illustrious guests from Voltaire to Joseph Bonaparte.Overlooking Lake Geneva, this beautiful listed building is home to the Swiss National Museum.

The multifaceted character of Langenthal is best experienced on a one-hour city tour. Experienced city guides point out the highlights of Langenthal, past and present.

A slightly different angle on a museum tour by #letsmuseeum: Museum guide Fanny takes groups on a personal journey through life in the Kunst Museum Winterthur.

The intact walls surrounding the city and over 200 unique Gothic facades impart incomparable mediaeval charm to Fribourg. The old town is best explored on foot, like an open-air museum.

Restoring historic signs and unique works of art, you'll visit Bertille Laguet's Forge, trained at Ecal (a prestigious French-speaking design school) and with master wrought-iron craftsman Philippe Naegele. In Chexbres, on the balcony of Lake Geneva nestled in the heart of the Lavaux region, a UNESCO World Heritage site, you can visit the workshop, watch forging demonstrations, and maybe even try your hand at forging a nail.

From the past to the present: There are a whole host of architectural jewels from the 20th and 21st century to discover on this walk through Lugano.

Stories from the night watchman. The “Unheimliches Thun” (Dark side of Thun) city tour offers titillating tales and a look into the world of the night watchman.

Basel is the Swiss architectural Mecca - as seen on setting foot inside the Museum of Architecture on the Barfüsserplatz in Basel. However, it’s not only the sum of famous Basel buildings you get acquainted with here - instead, intelligent and innovative exhibitions encourage debates on dealing with the different facets of modern architecture.

The Spalentor is the most imposing of the three city gates that were part of the large city fortifications dating back to the year 1400. Many important supplies entered the city of Basel from Alsace through this gate. From here, there is a wonderful view over the roofs of Basel’s old town and the hills of the Jura, the Black Forest and Vosges.

An ultra-modern home for a long and distinguished history : In 2019, OMEGA opened a new Museum at “La Cité du Temps”, the Swatch Group/OMEGA campus in Biel/Bienne Switzerland. Located in a beautiful light-filled building designed by award-winning architect Shigeru Ban, OMEGA’s stunning new Museum is a space worthy of a brand with extraordinary stories to share.

Versailles in miniature: this magnificent palace was built in 1696 by Charles de Chandieu, an officer in the French army, in the French classical style. You’ll see families of ducks enjoying themselves on the pond.

A musical treat of a special kind is offered by the Toggenburg Sound Trail. The panorama trail starts on Alp Sellamatt and combines amazing things with the most beautiful landscape. An exciting route for curious nature lovers.

Swissminiature is Switzerland on a smaller scale. There are 128 models of houses, castles and monuments in the open air, distributed throughout the 14,000 square meter park. The models have been recreated authentically - with great attention to detail - and are surrounded by thousands of plants and flowers.

Discover the magical world of papercutting. Under the guidance by an experienced course leader, you will create your first artistic papercutting. The prerequisites for the fine details are patience and precise work. Each work of art created is framed and becomes a souvenir. The cure not only teaches traditional artistic handicrafts, but also creates an inspiring environment to strengthen teamwork.

Since the 1970s old farmhouses, stables, bakehouses or barns are no longer demolished when they are due to be replaced by modern buildings. Instead, the buildings are dismantled stone by stone, and rebuilt in the Ballenberg Open Air Museum.