Monuments to visit Switzerland

The Munot is the emblem of Schaffhausen. After the reformation of 1529, the town wanted to fortify its defences and decided in 1563 to build a new artillery fortress. But beyond the strategic aspect, the Munot above all represents the power of the city. In the 19th century, the fortress lost its strategic interest and was converted into a quarry. Perched on a hill surrounded by vineyards, the imposing fortress has a circular shape. It allowed an optimal defense thanks to its ditch and its multiple openings.

Nicknamed the "House of the Knight", this building is remarkable for the paintings on its facade, created in the late ^16th century by local artist Tobias Stimmer. Built in 1492, this bourgeois house owes its name to the knight Hans von Waldkirch, who had it rebuilt a century later. The paintings, some of which are scenes from Homer's Odyssey, are considered to be the most important Renaissance-style frescoes north of the Alps. Discovered in 1935, they have been replaced and preserved in the Tous-les-Saints museum.

This palace dates from 1557, hence its Italian Renaissance style. It was begun for Luzius Ritter, who was enriched by his mercenary troops, and completed by the city after his death. In 1577 it was given to the Jesuits, who built a church and school nearby. When they were banished, the government occupied the palace in 1804. In turn, it completed the complex in 1841-43 with a semicircular hall, and then with other constructions in the following decades. Today the palace is the seat of the cantonal government.

Also known as the Oberes Rathuas, this is the seat of the Government of Canton Aargau.

A little outside the historic heart, on Alpine Vorstadt, it is a rather pleasant th century construction of late Gothic style.

The original building dates back to the beginning of the th century. Rebuilt in late Gothic after a fire in the middle of the xvith century, it expanded with a barn a century later, then took its current form around 1700. Its rooms, furnished in the style of the different periods of the castle's life, make the visit a pleasant journey over time. The whole, on three levels, plus the outside, is in very good condition and proposes a fairly broad panorama of the medieval life, the rooms in the library, the arms room at the workshops. Very nice garden garden.

Preserved in the women's convent, it is one of the oldest sculptures of Christ visible in Switzerland. It dates back to the early th century.

The Schwyz town hall was built between 1642 and 1646 and its façade was richly decorated by Ferdinand Wagner to mark the 600th anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1891. The fresco depicts the famous Battle of Morgarten, which took place in 1315 between the Swiss Confederation and the soldiers of Duke Leopold I of Austria, Lord of Habsburg. The Swiss victory established the Brunnen Pact, an agreement between the Swiss cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. Inside, you can admire the rich woodwork.

This powerful building dating from the 13th century bears witness to the rich past of the town of Estavayer-le-Lac. Built in one piece, it is reminiscent of the Savoyard style with its four round towers arranged in a square. Originally, its corners were defended by two-storey turrets and by a large tower commanding the entrance, but between 1433 and 1443, the turrets on the lake side were replaced by two brick towers. The castle was burnt down during the Burgundy wars and was rebuilt in 1503. The castle cannot be visited inside.

Castelgrande is an imposing castle within its walls, classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO like its neighbours. It dominates the city and to get there on foot you will have to climb stairs. But it's worth the effort because the view is superb from up there. Of the three castles that made up the medieval defence system of the city of Bellinzona, Castelgrande is the most imposing and even - the most important in Switzerland! Altered in the 15th century by the engineers of the Milanese Dukes at the same time as the rest of the fortifications, it became the keystone of the powerful wall, almost 500 m long, which then barred the Ticino valley in order to protect the Duchy of Milan and control the road leading to the Gotthard Pass. Between 1980 and 1991, Castelgrande underwent a restoration project led by the architect Aurelio Galfetti, which successfully blended the modern with the old. Today, the castle houses a museum, the History Archaeology and Art History Museum, which tells the story of the town for 6,500 years. To complete the premises, several establishments, including a gastronomic restaurant (40 seats) and a Ticino tavern (40 seats), have taken up residence in the large inner courtyard of the castle. There is also a large panoramic terrace at the foot of the south wing of the castle (80 seats). Also worth a visit with a passo common to all three places: the Castello di Sasso Corbaro and the Castello di Montebello and its archaeological museum.

The fortress was built between 1886 and 1890 to protect the St Gotthard railway tunnel, which opened in 1885, and to prevent an invasion of the country from the south, at a time when the state of international relations and the Triple Entente were causing concern among the Swiss authorities. The fort, which is buried, is reminiscent of the buried fortifications developed in the 16th century to escape low-lying cannon fire (Salses Castle). It is now used to house recruits. A museum occupying half the site was opened in 1898.

One of the first buildings built by the famous artist Le Corbusier in his home town in 1917. It was commissioned by Mr. Schwob, a wealthy watchmaker in the city, who did not honour the invoice, which had been exceeded. As a result of this misadventure, the famous architect left the city. The Turkish Villa, in a very refined and daring Moorish style for its time, with a very elaborate interior decoration, was bought by the watchmaking company Ebel.

The Villa Favre-Jacot was the first large-scale commission for Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, the future Le Corbusier, in this neighborhood of the upper middle class, with its neoclassical influence. The building cannot be visited, but remains visible from the outside. It bears witness to Le Corbusier's architectural values, with its interplay of forms, its white, smooth facades that stand out from the era, and its entablature windows... A revolutionary who is recognized as a precursor of model architecture, optimized for its environment.

The castle, built between 1575 and 1593, has uncertain origins and part of the building is even said to date from 1342. According to studies, it is Leonardo da Vinci who drew the current plans. The exterior - an outstanding example of Renaissance style - was restored in 1923. It now houses the Archaeological Museum, which contains objects found in the Locarno area from the late Bronze Age through the Roman remains to the early Middle Ages. A section of the museum is dedicated to the history of the Protestant Reformation in Locarno.

Seat of the Municipal Council and the Municipality since 1915, this 18th century building was formerly the Auberge du Coeur d'Or. In the 19th century, it became the property of a Bernese patrician family, the Wyttenbachs, who gave it its present name with more Germanic origins. It is one of the most beautiful and oldest buildings in the village. Its architecture is harmonious and it is always well maintained. Today, in addition to belonging to the municipality of Chexbres, it is also the venue for other events.

The Tour de Gourze is the remains of a medieval watchtower located on Mont de Gourze. Cubic in shape, it stands some 9 m high and overlooks the Lake Geneva basin. It offers an exceptional panorama of the Alps. Its origins have never been clearly determined: Queen Berthe is said to have built it in the ^9th century to protect Lavaux from Saracen invasions; the action of the bishops of Lausanne in the ^11th century has also been mentioned. At its foot is a café-restaurant serving Vaudois cheese specialities and panoramic views.

Since 1675, the imposing Hôtel de Ville building has housed the town's municipal institutions. The building dates back to the ^17th century, when it was surrounded by two rivers (the Flon and the Louve). It was built on top of a ^15th-century edifice. The façade is original in that the arches are symmetrical in relation to the central door (large - medium - small - central door - small - medium - large). The windows above are spaced in the same pattern, giving an impression of width. You'll also notice some pretty ^17th-century gargoyles, which fortunately are no longer operational, otherwise you'd be pelted with downpours! Inside, a mural tells the story of Major Davel, symbol of the canton's liberation. The municipal council chamber, where the seven executive members meet, has a lovely blue-tiled stove (Nyon manufacture) and, under the benches, spit drawers for those who chewed tobacco! Mozart gave two concerts at the Hôtel de Ville in 1766, at the age of 10. His father was trying to find him a place at one of Europe's great courts. This was his only visit to Switzerland. Open to the curious, we recommend climbing up to the attic to admire the original framework. Dominating the picturesque Place de la Palud from its belfry, this is one of Vaud's most remarkable ^17th-century monuments.

This "high school of human values for young girls", as the sign in front of the 1870s building indicates, is a former luxury hotel, the Grand-Hôtel des Avants, a popular place to stay for the English and Russians in the Belle Époque. Ernest Hemingway stayed there. Today, Le Châtelard is an academy that provides a specialized comprehensive training for young girls, including courses in good manners and haute cuisine. The school also organizes summer camps and various seasonal events.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been mandated by the United Nations to find solutions for refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, migrants, stateless persons and other persons of concern, currently more than 36 million people. It is a non-political and humanitarian organization established in 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The Visitors' Centre is located opposite the main UNHCR building.

A place of worship, a refuge, a forge for the artillery, Calvin's auditorium, located behind St. Peter's Cathedral, welcomed, as early as 1555, John Calvin, Theodore de Bèze, John Knox and their successors. They taught the new Protestant religion there, and John Calvin encouraged the celebration of services in the mother tongue of the Protestant refugees. John Knox was the instigator of the printing of the first Bible in English. The auditorium is best known as the "base camp" from which the new religion spread throughout the world.

Today, it remains the head of this stone stone buried during work in the 1968 th century and rediscovered in during the development of the crossroads that bears its name today. This-metre long oval and oval stone was probably already in prehistory and then had to play a role in the Celtic era. Legend wants the devil to turn it on herself at midnight in the Christmas night.

Important monument and symbol of the attachment of the city to the Swiss Confederation 1815. Located at the entrance of the Mont-Blanc bridge, in the English Garden, the two young women in bronze dress, carrying sword and shield, stand proudly on their pedestal looking towards the country. One represents the Republic of Geneva (crenellated headdress), the other, Helvetia (laurel crown). This national monument was inaugurated in 1869. For the anecdote it seems that the sculptor Robert Dorer took for models two Savoyard ladies.

It can be spotted from afar, especially when the sun shines on its nine superb steeples with golden bulbs. This Orthodox church offers an atypical image in the Geneva urban landscape. In 1847, the new Constitution of Geneva advocated freedom of worship and religious tolerance. From then on, the authorities allocated land - corresponding to the line of the old fortifications - to the various religious denominations to build places of worship. A Catholic church, an Anglican church, a Masonic temple, a synagogue... Finally, in 1866, the Russian Orthodox Church was built, with an architecture inspired by Byzantine art and by the Moscow style of the 16th-18th centuries. Thanks to the financial contribution of the Russian diaspora, the community grew with the arrival of members of the imperial family, aristocrats, high-ranking officials, engineers and tourists who came to take the waters in the thermal spas, many students and finally revolutionaries. From 1917, after the Bolshevik revolution, the emigration of Russians to Geneva intensified. The church then represented a very strong link - and the only one - between the new residents and their former mother country. Today, there are 200,000 Orthodox believers in Switzerland and about a thousand in Geneva. This church is reputed to be more independent and more free of expression than the one in Chêne-Bougeries, under the direct authority of the Patriarch of Moscow. A church which deserves a small visit.

Resting on a rock on Lake Geneva, Château de Glérolles is located just west of Saint-Saphorin, near Rivaz. Since 1802, the year of the Vaud revolution, the château has been privately owned, but remains open to the public for tastings of the estate's wines. The story goes that Rousseau walked here from Vevey and, tired, asked for a drink. He was served piquette... The moment the philosopher began to speak, a good bottle was quickly fetched for him!

The site was originally an artillery work dug into the rock. Built in 1943, it was abandoned by the army in 1998 and the Sasso San Gottardo Museum was established there in 2012. The visit allows the visitor to see the remains of the fortification and its tunnels, including a funicular railway, and to explore issues related to climate, meteorology, water management, mobility, housing and energy.

In the small community of Frauenfeld stands the castle with a panoramic view of the river Murg and the town's rooftops. Today, the building houses the Thurgau Historical Museum, which focuses on the history of the canton, especially cultural life in the medieval period. The scenography inside the castle offers a modern and playful tour with interactive animations to captivate the attention of all audiences, even the smallest.

In the Geneva countryside, a 1710 manor house was the setting for one of the most famous and first science fiction novels. It was in this sumptuous mansion, formerly called Villa Belle Rive, that three young writers (Lord Byron, Mary Shelley and Percy Shelley) played a perilous game of writing a terrifying novel. By morning, Mary Shelley had written Frankenstein. The world's most famous science fiction novel was born in the canton of Geneva. The villa is privately owned and unfortunately cannot be visited.

Saint-Ursanne is a medieval town in the Swiss canton of Jura. To discover this town in an unusual way, the Circuit Secret St-Ursanne is an activity not to be missed. Using a digital key, visitors can explore the town's unusual sites and learn more about its rich history. The tour was created as part of the festivities to mark the 1,400th anniversary of the death of St-Ursanne, and was led by renowned illustrator John Howe, known for his work on the Lord of the Rings universe. Individual ticket prices are CHF 9 for adults, CHF 6 for children aged 7 to 16 and CHF 8 for students, AVS and AI. Discounts are also available for groups. Good footwear is recommended for the tour. Guides are also available on reservation.

Porrentruy, a town in the Swiss canton of Jura, offers visitors a unique experience with its Circuit Secret. Equipped with a digital key, visitors can access a number of unusual places in the Château and the old town, some of which are enhanced by sound and light animations. The Circuit Secret allows visitors to discover hidden places and enjoy exclusive experiences, such as animations featuring historical figures or fantastic creatures. It is also possible to book a guided tour for an even more enriching experience. Admission costs CHF 12 for adults, CHF 9 for children aged 7 to 16 and CHF 11 for students and senior citizens. Discounts are also available for groups. The Circuit Secret de Porrentruy is a must-see activity for history and mystery buffs.

Château de Vorbourg is a ruined fortified castle in Delémont. It was once inhabited by the knights of Telsperg, a family of minor feudal nobility. The ruins of the lower castle have been modified over the centuries and now house the Vorbourg chapel. The foundations of the terraces, the St. Anne tower and a cistern hidden beneath the apartments can still be seen. The upper castle, higher than the chapel, was consolidated and restored in 1998. Inside, a vaulted ceiling is currently being rebuilt. Both Telsperg castles were toppled in the Basel earthquake of 1356, but continued to be inhabited and to house the prince-bishop. The chapel is open daily, but access to the interior of St. Anne's Tower is closed. The upper castle ruins can be reached via a steep footpath.

The Circuit Secret de Delémont is a must-see tourist attraction in Delémont. This circuit allows you to discover 7 of the town's most emblematic landmarks using a digital key. These include the Porte au Loup, the bell tower of the Eglise St-Marcel, the Corps de Garde at the Château and the Villa Vermeille. Each site is animated by comic-book-style projections created by Jura artist Dexter Maurer. Admission is CHF 9.00 for adults, CHF 6.00 for children aged 7 to 16, and CHF 8.00 for students, AHV and IV pensioners. Discounts are also available for groups of 10 to 20 people (10%) and for groups of more than 20 people (40%). This activity can be booked with a guide.

Porrentruy Castle is an important historical site. Built in the 13th century, it was the residence of the Prince-Bishops of Basel from 1524 to 1792. Today, the castle is classified as a "cultural asset of national importance" and houses the seat of justice in the Republic and Canton of Jura. The castle's architectural panorama ranges from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century. You can admire the 13th-century Réfous tower, as well as the ramparts and buildings constructed by Jean and Nicolas Frick during the reign of Prince-Bishop Jacques-Christophe Blarer de Wartensee. You can visit the various parts of the castle, including the Réfous Tower, the Residence, the Chancellery and the Rooster Tower. Guided tours of the castle's history and architecture are also available. Porrentruy Castle is a must-see for lovers of history and architecture. A visit immerses you in the history of the region, while admiring its exceptional architectural heritage.

The Tour Réfous is a historic site in Porrentruy. Perched on the Fahy hill since the 13th century, the castle offers a breathtaking view of the old town. Formerly the residence of the Princes-Bishops of Basel, its architecture dates from the Middle Ages to the late 18th century. Today, it is the seat of justice for the Republic and Canton of Jura, making it a symbol of power. The castle complex comprises a number of buildings, including the Tour Réfous, a 13th-century round tower reminiscent of Savoyard circular keeps. There are also the Residence and the Chancellery, with their magnificent late-Renaissance portals. The buildings have been restored several times and now house the Cantonal Court and part of the district administration. A visit to the castle offers an insight into the history of the region, as well as works of art including portraits of bishops and paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Perched on the first foothill of the Fahy hill since at least the 13th century, Porrentruy castle towers impressively over the entire old town. The residence of the Prince-Bishops of Basel from 1524 to 1792, its architectural panorama stretches from the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century. Even today, it remains a symbol of power, as the seat of justice for the Republic and Canton of Jura. The château comprises several buildings, including the 13th-century main tower, known as the Tour Réfous, and the early 17th-century Tour du Coq. You can also admire the ramparts and the remains of the old fortifications. Inside, you'll find the Residence and Chancellery, with their magnificent late-Renaissance portals. Visitors can explore the prince-bishop's apartments, the throne room and the vast vaulted cellars. The castle is open to the public and offers guided tours of its history and architecture.

Porrentruy, a charming Swiss town, is home to the Hôtel de Ville, the seat of the municipal administration. The Town Hall is an imposing building that bears witness to the town's history. Porrentruy also offers a wide range of cultural and leisure activities. Art lovers can visit local museums such as JURASSICA Dinotec, JURASSICA Jardin botanique, JURASSICA Museum, Musée de l'Hôtel-Dieu and Ô Vergers d'Ajoie - Musée suisse des fruits et de la distillation. There are also several art galleries, such as Espace d'Art Contemporain and Galerie Artothèque le LAC. For show lovers, the town has a number of theaters, including the Salle de l'Inter and the Salles de l'Hôtel-Dieu. There are also sports facilities such as a climbing wall, Tennis Club Porrentruy, an ice rink and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

Porrentruy, a historic town in Switzerland, offers many accommodation and dining options for visitors. Hotels and bed & breakfasts are available for those wishing to spend the night in the town. Dining options include restaurants offering a variety of cuisine, such as Asian restaurants, pizzerias, brasseries and cafés. Some establishments also offer takeaways. Visitors can also take advantage of events organized in the town, such as the Braderie Bruntrutaine and the Saint-Martin market. Porrentruy is also known for its watchmaking circuit, where watch enthusiasts can discover the region's watchmaking history and traditions.

The Saint-Ursanne viaduct is an impressive structure located in the town of Saint-Ursanne.