The most beautiful shrines and pilgrimage sites to visit Switzerland

This well-preserved Baroque church, set slightly off-center in a small wood above Carona, is one of the finest examples of Baroque decorative art. Built in the ^17th century on top of a small chapel dating from 1515, the church boasts several attractive exterior arcades. It houses frescoes by Giuseppe Antonio Petrini (1667-1759) and sculptures by Alessandro Casella dating from 1646. A shaded Way of the Cross leads to the church.

The sanctuary is a true masterpiece as much for its architecture and exterior decoration as for the valuable works of art it houses. In the chapels of its side aisles are paintings by illustrious masters, including Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch , copied by Romanino. In the chapel on the right in particular, Bramantino's Flight into Egypt, painted in 1522, while in the first chapel on the left, one can admire a Tomb of Antonio Ciseri.

The hermitage and chapel of Saint-Ursanne are located in the town of Saint-Ursanne. Legend has it that an Irish monk named Saint Ursanne lived in a cave overlooking the Doubs River over 1400 years ago. To reach the hermitage, climb the 200-odd steps of the stone staircase to the north of the collegiate church. The enclosed grotto features a statue of the sleeping hermit and a young bear. Two monuments mark the site of the hermitage: a post-Gothic chapel rebuilt some 400 years ago and a more recent stone cross. From the hermitage, you can enjoy a lovely panoramic view over the Doubs valley.