The most beautiful religious buildings German-Speaking Switzerland

St. Elisabeth's Church in Basel, saved from demolition in the 1980s, has become an emblematic venue for spirituality, culture and events. In the heart of Basel, it hosts parades, banquets and spiritual practices. A 215-step ascent leads to a breathtaking panoramic view. Switzerland's first "urban church", it celebrates diversity. Its history and architecture make it a jewel of Basel, open to all.

Surrounded by an exceptional lake and mountains as far as the eye can see, Kloster Einsiedeln has been a place of pilgrimage for over a thousand years. It is a splendid monument built in the early ^18th century. The abbey church is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture to be found anywhere in the country. The huge monastery, designed by Kaspar Moosbrugger, features the black marble Chapel of the Graces, in which the famous ^15th-century Black Madonna stands beneath a frescoed dome. The exterior is very imposing, with dimensions worthy of the castles of Schönbrunn or Versailles. The Baroque style lends an indisputable magnificence to this complex, built on the site of a first convent dating back to the ^9th century. The interior is even more remarkable, with a Baroque profusion that would make the finest Italian monuments pale in comparison. The total length of the church exceeds 100 m. The nave, over 40 m long, is a jewel, extended by the choir designed by Kraus. Einsiedeln Abbey is a Benedictine abbey rich in tradition, home to some 50 monks and Switzerland's most important place of pilgrimage. In addition to the monks' residence, the abbey includes a school, ten workshops, a wine cellar and stables. The monks also offer concerts, guided tours and masses. A place not to be missed.

The Romanesque-Gothic church on the right bank of the Limmat is, together with the Grossmünster Cathedral, one of Zurich's landmarks. The church, with its Benedictine monastery, was founded in 853 by King Ludwig the German, whose two daughters, Hildegard and Berthe, were the first abbesses. The abbey was home to women of the European nobility, mainly from southern Germany. The church enjoyed royal favour and influence, including the right to mint Zurich's currency until the 13th century. Following the Reformation movement (1524), the church and convent became the property of the city of Zurich. The most interesting parts are the 18-metre high Romanesque choir and the transept vault. Today it is appreciated by many visitors for its magnificent stained glass windows, world-famous masterpieces that make it a place of art. The famous painter, engraver and sculptor Marc Chagall, born in Belarus and naturalized in France in 1937, executed the five stained glass windows in the choir in 1970 and the rose window in the south of the transept in 1980 at an advanced age. Augusto Giacometti, the uncle of the famous Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti, made the stained glass windows in the north window representing the four evangelists, God, the eight prophets and Christ in 1947. The cloister also features frescoes by the Zurich artist Paul Bodmer depicting the legend of the construction of the monastery. The organ of the Fraumünster, inaugurated in 1953, is the largest organ in Zurich with 5,793 pipes.

Basel Cathedral, the city's emblem, built between the ^12th and ^15th centuries with its pink sandstone walls, is a marvel restored after the earthquake of 1356. Its glazed tiles and asymmetrical spires make it unique. This Romanesque and Gothic jewel, built between 1019 and 1500, reveals a rich history and an abundance of treasures: crypt, dazzling stained glass windows, St. Gall door, sculptures and bas-reliefs. The terrace overlooking the Rhine, the "Pfalz", offers a breathtaking view.

Like the abbey, St. Gallen Cathedral is one of the city's highlights. It is a fine example of late Baroque in the Bodensee Baroque style. The first part is particularly beautiful, with its two towers, but the second part had to undergo a restoration (1961-1967) which made it lose the charm of the old. Built in 1755 to a design by Peter Thumb, the cathedral is richly decorated with figures, frescoes, sculptures and altarpieces illustrating the history of the abbey, particularly through the figures of Gallus and Otmar. The most remarkable elements are certainly the confessionals, the rococo pulpit and the rood screen. The artists who worked on the decorations include the painter Joseph Wannenmacher, the stucco artists Johann Georg and Mathias Gil from Wessobrunn and the woodcarvers Fidel Sporer and Gabriel Loser. The high altar (1808-1810) is also noteworthy, but in a different style from the rest of the building. Note the many roses carved in the wood of the confessionals, the rose being the flower of secrets. Another interesting detail for the French: the small size of the cathedral's entrance door would have been intended to prevent Napoleon from entering with his horse!

Lapidarium: it is located at the west entrance and contains a precious collection of building stones, covering a period from the 8th to the 17th century (open every day from 2 to 4 pm).

The Grossmünster Cathedral, a shrine steeped in history and a true emblem of Zurich, has marked the cityscape and the old town for many centuries. According to legend, it was Charlemagne who had the church built when he discovered the tombs of Felix and Regula, the patron saints of the city of Zurich, martyrs who died for the Christian faith against Roman domination. Its construction in Romanesque style began in 1100 and spanned a long period with numerous renovations and alterations over the centuries. In the 16th century, Ulrich Zwingli, the main architect of the Reformation in Zurich, was appointed parish priest of the cathedral and turned the city over to Protestantism within a few years. In 1525, Catholic services were officially abolished, and Grossmünster became the first Reformed church in Switzerland. The cathedral's characteristic two large, identical towers, once made of wood, were replaced in 1781 by neo-Gothic bell towers. One of the two towers, the Charlemagne Tower (Karslturm), has a copy of a statue of Charlemagne at its top, the original being housed in the crypt, the oldest part of the site. The chancel has beautiful stained glass windows by Augusto Giacometti from 1932 highlighting scenes from the Old Testament. In 2009, German artist Sigmar Polke created beautiful agate windows in the nave depicting key figures from the Old Testament. The most courageous will climb the 187 steps to the top of the Charlemagne Tower.

At the foot of the castle (Schloss Rapperswil), the Katholische Pfarrkirche St. Johann stands on the rising eastern flank of the castle hill, on the Herrenberg. It was built in the ^13th century, in 1253 by Count Rudolph. After a fire in 1885 spared only the Romanesque Gothic towers, the parish church of St. John was completely rebuilt in neo-Gothic style. It was decoratively painted in the ^20th century.

The Cathedral of St. Bear and St. Victor is named after two martyrs: Bear of Solothurn, a Roman Christian saint, and Victor of Solothurn. Despite its size and decoration, this neo-classical cathedral dating from 1773 impresses with its harmony, the correctness of its proportions and the care taken in its construction during the Baroque period by master builders and craftsmen from Ticino - true goldsmiths. It is one of the most beautiful in the country.

The original building, part of a monastery, dates from the 13th century and was built in Romanesque style. In 1561-62 it was enlarged and almost completely rebuilt, this time in Gothic style. It was then remodeled several times, in Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo styles. Note the flag paintings, illustrating the conquests of the city of Lucerne during its maximum expansion. This bank is also an opportunity to see and photograph the quays on the right bank. You can cross from one bank to the other via the Kapellbrücke.

Berne Cathedral towers 100 metres above the city. With its bell tower, the tallest in Switzerland, it is the country's most important Gothic building. Admire the portal with its depiction of the Last Judgement, as well as its ^18th-century organ, partly rebuilt in 1999. A fantastic panorama awaits you from the bell tower, which houses Switzerland's most imposing bell ensemble. The large drone, cast in 1611, alone weighs 9,940 kg!

The building dates from before the 9th century. It is the oldest parish church and the only baroque church in Zurich. It is difficult to miss its clock, whose dial is the largest in Europe. It measures 8.70 m in diameter. Until 1911, the bell tower was used as a fire lookout tower. It houses five bells, the largest of which weighs more than 6 tons. Inside, the choir dates back to the 13th century and most of the furniture and decoration to the 18th century. Rudolf Brun (1290-1360), who was the first mayor of the town, is buried here.

Flamboyant Gothic font, Baroque chair. An exceptional acoustics that motivates high level concerts in July-August.

It was built in 1481, especially for its choir, with the stained glass windows Giacometti.

It is to be seen in the chorus of the choir, which dates back to 1492, and especially for its polychrome windows made by the Augusto Giacometti.

Archaeologists have found an apse dating from the^5th century on its site, which attests to a religious life. It was built between 1151 and 1272 in the late Romanesque style. It is nevertheless the only Episcopal church in Switzerland. Inside, the cathedral contains architectural and decorative treasures with two large, richly decorated and gilded triptychs, as well as a Roman well, which is over 800 years old. Among the treasures, you will appreciate the altars, the frescoes and the organs. The church has the privilege of having been preserved like all the buildings of the bishopric.

The Stiftung Jesuitenkirche Solothurn, the beautiful Jesuit church in Solothurn, is one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in Switzerland. Built in the 17th century between 1680 and 1689, according to the plans of the Jesuit Heinrich Mayer, it is distinguished by the limestone statue of the Virgin Mary on the main façade, as well as by its organ, built a century later, at the end of the 18th century. The church regularly hosts outstanding organ concerts.

The first mention of Saanen's church dates back to 1228. A beautiful church that retains all its character, its most striking feature is the bell tower in the shape of a Romanesque tower (Bernese bell tower style) dating from 1444. Inside, a series of ^15th-century frescoes, painted al fresco, depict the martyrdom of the saint who gave the church its name, and on the north side of the nave, the Last Judgment. In the balustrades, you can admire the ^{mid-18th-century} organ, with its imposing Baroque-style case and lovely paintings that have remained intact despite the passage of time.

It has been restored with obvious good will, but renovation, old imitation, really smells too new.

The Abbey of St. Gallen is very large and still has the same dimensions as when it was founded. On the left, you will notice a door with a coat of arms; it marks the boundary between the buildings belonging to the state (towards you) and those belonging to the church (beyond the door). As you leave the library to the left, you will see the cell of Gallus, who arrived in St. Gallen with relics of two saints, Didier and Maurice, who are today the city's patrons.

This is Switzerland's second largest cloister after Einsiedeln; It blends a th century Romanesque style with a Gothic style of the th century. On the front, a part dated 1854 and 1892 (restoration) curiously hosts the library premises. Behind, the oldest part of stone corresponds to the abbey church built in 1100; Very nice with its pure Romanesque architecture. You can walk through the garden of the Gentlemen, a framed courtyard of arcades.