Wilhelm Tell

2017-08-22T22:05:48+02:00

Tell is Switzerland’s legendary freedom fighter and the national hero of the country. The legend dates back the 14th century and takes place in the old Swiss Confederacy.

The story of Tell was written at the beginning of the 19th century as a play by the famous German poet Friedrich Schiller. It has been translated into many languages and is also known in China.

Tell was known as an excellent marksman with the crossbow. Gessler was the tyrannical representative of Habsburg stationed in Altdorf, in the canton of Uri. The tyrant raised a pole and hung his hat on top of it. He demanded that all passing by had to bow before his hat.

On November 18, 1307 Tell visited Altdorf with his young son and passed the hat without bowing to it. Tell got arrested. Gessler was upset about the boldness of Tell and wanted to punish him cruelly. Gessler commanded Tell to use his crossbow. Tell should shoot an apple off his son’s head, otherwise both, father and son, would be executed.

Tell hit the apple indeed. When challenged by Gessler, why he had prepared two bolts and not just one, Tell answered, that if he had hit his son he would have shot the tyrant.

Immediately Tell was arrested again and brought to Gessler’s boat to be taken to the castle in Küssnacht. A storm broke out on Lake Lucerne and Tell was able to save himself. He ran across to Küssnacht and waited for his enemy, who had to pass by this road. Gessler arrived and Tell killed him, thus riding the area from the tyrant.

During the summer season Schillers’ play is newly interpreted and acted out in Interlaken. It is very dramatic and is played on a natural stage. Almost a hundred people, mostly volunteers, are involved in acting. The play takes about 2 hours, starting at 8 pm and finishing at 10pm. It is acted in Swiss German and German. We are happy to translate the story simultaneousiously into Chinese as it unfolds before our eyes.

Wilhelm Tell2017-08-22T22:05:48+02:00

The Island of St. Peter

2017-05-27T13:43:07+02:00

Three beautiful lakes are at the foot of the Jura mountain chains: the lake of Neuchâtel, the lake of Biel and the Lake of Murten. All of these lakes are called according to it’s the biggest city. They are all interconnected through a system of water channels. The wider area of these lakes is culturally interesting since it often switches from Swiss German to French and vice versa. The climate is moderate and on the slopes of the Jura nice vine is produced.

The lake of Biel is split by a peninsula called the Island of St. Peter. Originally there used to be two smaller island. But because of frequent flooding the water level of the lake was lowered artificially by 1891 and so the peninsula came into existence. From the lovely small town of Erlach (in the picture) a leisurely walk of about 5km leads to the St. Peter’s island.

By 1127 the powerful order of Cluny set up a monastery. At the time of the reformation, in 1530 the island was passed on to the patricians of Berne who own it up to the present time. Today the monastery is a nice restaurant serving excellent fish.

Jean Jacques Rousseau, a famous french philosopher and writer from the 18th century lived on the island for a few weeks. He propagated the idea of „back to nature“ and „freedom of man“. His writings had a great influence on the French Revolution and all successive revolutions seeking to bring freedom to man.

The second picture shows the view from the island across the lake of the village of Ligerz.

The Island of St. Peter2017-05-27T13:43:07+02:00

Oberhofen and it’s Castle

2017-05-11T18:30:37+02:00

The village of Oberhofen dates back to at least 1133 when it was first mentioned in a historical document.

The village is situated on lake Thun and only about 5km away from the city of Thun or 20km away from Interlaken. Oberhofen has a small harbour where the regular boat coming from Thun oder Interlaken stops to take on passengers.

The castle of Oberhofen dates back to the 12th century. It changed hands quite a few times and on that occasion was often enlarged too.

The museum inside the castle shows the history of it’s previous inhabitants over the centuries. On the top is the ‚oriental smoking room‘ offering a spectacular view over the lake and the mountains. The beautiful English park surrounding the castle is accessed free of charge and is a great place to stop and take in the view. In summer this is our preferred site to venture out into the lake of Thun for a swim. Swimming right away from the shore and looking back to the castle and over to the mountains all around you is simply breathtaking!

Oberhofen and it’s Castle2017-05-11T18:30:37+02:00

Zytglogge

2017-01-12T02:38:09+01:00

This is one of the famous landmarks of the city of Berne. Many visitors try to be there at the full hour to see how the old clock work is set into motion. The best time would be at 12 noon!

It’s beginning dates back to 1220 where it was the guard tower and entrance to the newly founded city. Since the city of Berne is surrounded by the Aare river on the North, East and South side the Zytglogge tower was a formidable guard house and entrance to the newly built city.

The city however kept expanding, and there was only one direction to go – to the West, past the Zytglogge. So the function of the tower was changed and before the big city fire in 1405 the tower was turned into a prison. Later the tower was turned into the clock work tower (in Swiss German: Zytglogge). At that stage it was rebuilt using the local sandstone, which was the main building material used for all the city houses. The clock audibly regularly rang the time for the whole city. The Zytglogge tower was the center from which distances were measured. For instance to walk from the Zytglogge across to Gümligen took one hour. At a specific spot in Gümligen an old stone is marked with the indicator: 1 hour.

In the 16th century the Zytglogge got is square shape and and new clock was installed. The tower clock work is one of the oldest in the country. 4 minutes before every hour a golden cock on top of the tower crows. At the full hour quite a complicated mechanism is set into gear and starts working different parts revealing information such as the present position of the moon.

Make sure to be there at least 5 minutes before the full hour so as not to miss the age old show. By modern standards it isn’t all that spectacular. However if you consider that the mechanism is 500 years old the Zytglogge is really quite amazing!

Zytglogge2017-01-12T02:38:09+01:00

All Brothers

2016-11-28T19:32:33+01:00

Between mid October until the end of November the houses of parliament in Berne are turned into a huge screen. A free sound and light show draws ten thousands of visitors from all over the country to come and enjoy the powerful spectacle.

This years’ topic was „Tutti Fratelli“ (Italian) meaning „All Brothers“. It celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Swiss Red Cross. It was founded in 1866 in Berne by Henry Dunant.

Dunant was actually from Geneva and a devout Christian. In 1852 he founded the YMCA Switzerland with the aim to help neglected young men to study the Bible and to help the poor. He spent much of his free time engaged in prison visits and social work.

In 1859, Dunant as a Swiss businessman was on his way to to meet the  the emperor of France, Napoleon III. He happened to be in Solverino (Italy) where he witnessed a battle between the Italian and the Austrian Army. Once the firing stopped there were thousands of dead and wounded left back. The agony and suffering Dunant witnessed was terrible. Dunant rushed into the village nearby and enlisted the support of volunteers. Mainly women followed his call and came along to help out. When they arrived on the battle scene they kept saying „tutti fratelli“ – all brothers, regardless of nationality and attended to the wounded.

150 years ago Dunant founded the Red Cross in Berne. In 1901 Dunant was the first to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Today the organisation (along with the Red Crescent Movement) is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers worldwide.

All Brothers2016-11-28T19:32:33+01:00

Donald Trump: America’s New President!

2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

In the morning of November 9, after a nerve wracking election night, Donald Trump clearly won the presidential race against Hillary Clinton. His victory was a bit similar to the Brexit – to most people quite unexpected. The polls tended to predict a victory of Hillary Clinton. But the people who voted for Trump seem to have mostly done so out of a deep frustration and disappointment with the policies of Washington DC. The number of Americans who are upset with present situation has clearly been underestimated!

In Europe, most people would have strongly preferred Hillary Clinton to be the new president. Hillary Clinton was often perceived as the lesser evil. Donald Trump has been very much disliked for his rough manners and his aggressive and rather selfish assertiveness.

But now the fact is: Mr Trump is going to be America’s next president!

The Swiss press voiced some fears, that President Trump could reverse many of the international treaties. The stock markets internationally did react and promptly dipped lower but quite a few indexes recovered within the day. The SMI briefly fell and then actually increased by over 1.5% (to 7862 points). It seems that the market over the past few weeks had already anticipated some shock waves.

Nobody knows at this stage where President Trump will be heading with his country.  What will be the impact on the US and rest of the world? Will there be more political and economic instability?

However most people would agree that what just happened in the US is history in the making!

Donald Trump: America’s New President!2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

Thun, the Main City of the Bernese Oberland

2016-11-19T20:05:03+01:00

This beautiful city is located at the lower end of lake Thun. The river Aare flows through the city and about 20km further down passes the city of Berne. On a clear day a massive range of mountains towers high up on the other side of lake Thun.

The city has only about 44’000 inhabitants and is quite compact with a charming old town overlooked by a castle. Just taking a stroll through the city and across some of its many bridges, enjoying a drink in one of the many restaurants is a wonderful activity on a day off.

The small harbour just opposite the train station is a great starting point for an excursion with one of the boats on to few other places on lake Thun. The trip offers a magnificent perspective of the alps and ends up in Interlaken.

The city goes back to the day of the Romans, who were driven out of Thun and Switzerland by the Burgundians around 400 AD. The Aare became the border between the Burgundians who were Christians and the non-Christians on the northern side of the river. The town is first mentioned in 1133. Around 1190 the Duke Berthold V of Zähringen built the castle of Thun.

A Military School was founded in 1819 which became the main military school in Switzerland. Ruag is a defence, space and aviation company with its seat in Thun.

Today Thun is a modern city with a somewhat laid-back atmosphere. It hasn’t really been discovered by mass tourism yet. To me this is a must see place.

Thun, the Main City of the Bernese Oberland2016-11-19T20:05:03+01:00

Chillon Castle

2016-10-15T10:39:41+02:00

The picturesque Château de Chillon is on Lake Geneva in the canton de Vaud (french speaking). It is one of the most famous castles in Switzerland and probably Europe as well.

It started as a Roman outpost, guarding the strategic road from France and Switzerland over the alps down to Italy.

The first written records date back to 1005. It belonged to the counts of Savoy until the Bernese took over in the 16th century. The bernese coat of arms is still visible on the picture above (with the big bear). By 1798 the Vaudois threw out the Bernese German speaking authorities with the help of French troops. In 1803 the castle was taken over by the canton of Vaud.

There are great audioguides to visit the castle offering helpful explanations.

Chillon often has special events and exhibitions going. Check out their calendar here.

It is about an hour’s car ride away from Berne.

Chillon Castle2016-10-15T10:39:41+02:00

BREXIT

2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

The British Embassy in Bern with the flags of Great Britain and the EU.

On June 24 the official result of the vote was out early in the morning: the UK is going to leave the EU (European Union)! Shockwaves rocked the markets. Fortunes were erased. Nobody had anticipated that this would happen. Everybody thought that by a small margin the UK would opt to stay. It seems that even Boris Johnson, who as a lead figure for leaving the EU, was taken by surprise. He then soon announced that he would not want to be a candidate for the job of the next prime minister.

Great Britain is quite divided over the issue. Greater London was clearly for staying in the EU. Scotland and North Ireland also wanted to stay and might now possibly leave the UK to reapply as new members of the EU. At the moment the consequences of the Brexit no one is really able to fully anticipate and it will take years to sort it all out.

Switzerland is working closely with the EU but is also not a member of the EU. It is feared that some of our important negation points with the EU are now put on the back burner as the EU has more pressing matters to attend to.

In crisis moments many investors opt for the stable Swiss Franc. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is buying heaps of € in order to keep the Swiss Franc from rising and hurting our export industry. Switzerland also hopes that big UK companies will move their seat to Switzerland.

Another unexpected Brexit happened last week when during the Euro Soccer Cup the prestigious English team lost the eighth finals on June 27 to Iceland (1-2), a nation of just a few hundred thousand heads!

BREXIT2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

The Canton of Neuchâtel

2016-06-27T07:16:04+02:00

On our Swiss number plates the flag of Switzerland is on the left and the one of the canton on the right.

This canton is one of my favorites. It is a smaller french speaking protestant canton with a population of only about 180’000 people. The city of Neuchâtel is located on the lake bearing the same name. Along the lake many vineyards grace the countryside. Behind the lake the Jura rises up with beautiful valleys such as the Val de Travers and the Val de Ruz. In the Jura of Neuchâtel there are the two bigger cities located: La-Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle. The border of France is very close to both of these cities. The highest peak is the Chasseral (1600m) with a tremendous view across the three lakes below and the whole range of the alps on the horizon. One particular attraction is the „Grand Canyon of Switzerland“ or le Creux-du-Van.

In the middle ages Neuchâtel was part of the kingdom of Burgundy. Around the year 1000 the German emperor Rudolf II inherited the canton. In 1308 Neuchâtel and Bern made a first pact. By 1530 under the influence of the reformer Guillaume Farel (sent by Bern) Neuchâtel turned protestant. In the later troubles of the reformation many Huguenots found refuge in the sparsely populated Jura mountains of the canton.

At the beginning of the 19th century Napoleon took Fribourg and Bern but left Neuchâtel almost untouched. The Canton only fully joined the Swiss Federation in 1815.

Neuchâtel is just 3/4 hour car drive from Bern. The city has an elegant flair along with the easy going French speaking culture. The mix of the lake, city and the beautiful Jura are unique.

The Canton of Neuchâtel2016-06-27T07:16:04+02:00

The Emmental

2017-02-27T15:47:12+01:00

The river Emme starts at a spring in a mountainous area and has numerous creeks flowing into it. 80km after it’s source it  joins the bigger Aare river. The valley where the river Emme flows through is called the Emmental. It is part of the Canton of Berne.

Soft hills cover the Emmental, often with smaller rivers flowing through the valleys down below later joining the river Emme. The farming houses are typical with huge roofs almost touching the ground. The cheese produced in this valley is world famous: the Emmental cheese. Is is quite mild and has big holes.

A great way to explore the Emmental is with rented e-bikes. There are many suggested trails. The added power makes it easy to climb those steep hills.

The country folks from the Emmental tend to speak a very slow Bernese Swiss German. They are friendly and easy going but rather introverted. People in the villages greet everybody they encounter with a heartfelt „grüssech“.

The bigger places in the Emmental are Burgdorf, Langnau and Sumiswald.

In Langnau is the oldest free church of Switzerland. It goes back to the very beginning of the Mennonites who felt that the reformation of the church didn’t go far enough. So the government of the Canton of Berne started persecuting those pious folks. Between 1534 and 1540 around 158 Bernese Mennonites were thrown into prison, of those 109 were sent into forced exile (many left for the US) and 26 were executed.

The Emmental2017-02-27T15:47:12+01:00

The Canton of Berne

2016-06-12T20:38:41+02:00

All cars that are registered in Switzerland have to display the typical Swiss license plates. The license plate shows that the car is Swiss (watch out for the Swiss flag on the left hand side) and the flag of the canton (on the right). This car here is from the canton of Berne (BE).

The canton of Berne is the second largest of the 26 cantons in terms of population with just a little over 1 mio inhabitants. It is also the second largest in terms of surface (just barely 6’000m2). Car license numbers go up to just under 1 Mio. Lower number plates (under 100’000) are perceived as more prestigious. Low numbers can be especially purchased. The lower and ‘nicer’ the number the more expensive it tends to be.

The Canton of Berne is bilingual. About 85% speak Swiss German (a more melodious Swiss German dialect) and about 15% are French speaking Swiss. However around 15% of the population of the canton consists of residential foreigners without a Swiss passport, speaking many different languages. The canton is rather a protestant area.

A bear is the in the flag of the canton. The story goes that at the beginning days of the city of Berne, by 1191 the founder Berthold von Zähringen killed a bear on his first hunt in the area.

The canton of Berne joined the Swiss Federation in 1353. The canton has a colorful history with a roman period, the middle ages, the Burgundian wars in (15C), the reformation and a Napoleonic period (19C).

The canton of Berne has a very varied topography with the alps (quite an impressive mountain range up to 4000m), several lakes surrounded by fruitful farmland, rolling hills (the Emmental) and the Jura (a lower mountain range in the North). There are countless beautiful spots within a very small area that most foreign tourists would never get to see.

The capital of Switzerland is the city of Berne. The canton connects the German and the French speaking areas of Switzerland. Quite a few famous watch companies along with other high tech brands are located in the canton of Berne. Tourism is also important with key sites such as Interlaken and the Jungfraujoch station (or the top of Europa, at 3’454m). Also check out our post on the Niesen. In that area is so much exciting stuff to do!

The Canton of Berne2016-06-12T20:38:41+02:00
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