Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: la Svizzera

Werdenberg - located in the canton of St. Gallen in northeastern Switzerland - was first mentioned in a document dated 1289. Originally it was a fortified town and one of only a few to be granted market rights. It is the only wooden medieval settlement in Switzerland to have retained its town-like character. Werdenberg has around forty houses which have remained unharmed by major fires. The medieval timber-frame settlement exhibits an extraordinary variety of building designs. Vertical timbered and half-timbered buildings, along with squared log cabins can be found there. Walking in the ‘city’ it looks more like an open air museum, although it is still inhabited and most of the houses are privately owned. With less than hundred inhabitants it is most probably the smallest city in Switzerland. The town is dominated by Castle Werdenberg on a top of a hill (PiP1), which has a museum. A second regional museum is housed in the so called Schlangenhaus (Snake House) in the settlement itself (PiP2).

The famous landmark Stockalper Palace (Stockalperschloss) dominates the city of Brig with its monumental architecture. It took twenty years (1658 – 1678) to built this monumental castle with its baroque architecture. The palace was the largest private building of the 17th century in the country. It was built by Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper, a renowned wealthy merchant, banker, entrepreneur, military official and politician. The palace was built next to the smaller 16th century Stockalper House. It is a rectangular building with three towers with gilded onion domes, named after the Three Kings or Wise Men of the Bible: Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. The building has a large rectangular courtyard with arcades in the style of the Italian Renaissance, nowadays often used for cultural events. In 1948 the city of Brig took over the palace and in 1960 the city council moved in. A museum was established and some of the rooms were renovated. Today the palace can be visited with a guided tour.

Saint-Ursanne (see: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/47356382 ) is a charming old town on the banks of the river Doubs, considered being one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland with its medieval architecture. The most important monument is the Collégiale with the adjacent monastery. This collegiate church was built at the end of the 12th century with clear Burgundian influences. The architectural style shows elements that point to the transition from the late Romanesque to the early Gothic period. Construction of the choir, the apse and the crypt was finished before 1210. The inside of the church was altered significantly in the 14th century. Major decorative work in the baroque style was undertaken between 1660 and 1702. The church has a richly decorated gate, most probably from the second half of the 12th century. The semicircular tympanum (PiP1) shows a figure of Christ sitting on a throne; at his right hand praying Saint Ursicinus, the founder of Saint Ursanne. The cloister (PiP2) is situated to the northwest of the collegiate church. It was constructed and enlarged in 1380 on the existing foundations and later underwent two restorations in 1551 and 1906. It has a series of arcades with so called ogive windows.

Thun is a medieval city, located on the west end of Lake Thun. Already as early as 2.500 BC a first settlement arose on today's site of the city. The castle - towering above the old town - was built by the Dukes of Zähringen. It has a donjon (PiP 1), dating back between 1180 and 1190. One can enjoy wonderful views over the city (PiP 2) and the mighty mountains of the Bernese Highlands, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the far distance. Five bridges connect the modern shopping area of Thun with the medieval city center. By far the most interesting is the wooden covered bridge Untere Schleuse (main picture), built in 1724. The flood gates regulate the water flow of the River Aare (PiP3).

The medieval Chillon Castle - located on a small rock island - on the shores of Lake Geneva near Montreux is considered being the most visited monument in Switzerland. The current castle is the result of several centuries of building, adaptations, renovations and restorations. The first written mention of the castle appears in 1150. At that time, the Counts of Savoy controlled the castle, as well as the path between the lake and the mountains, which gave them a strategic location on the route leading from the north to the south. In the 13th century, the Counts furthered their conquests of the territory of Vaud until their domination was extended over approximately two-thirds of the territory, which makes up today’s French-speaking Switzerland. Chillon Castle was extended at that time and was transformed it into a summer residence for the Counts. The Swiss, or more precisely, the Bernese, conquered the Pays de Vaud. The conquest was completed once they took-over Chillon Castle in 1536 after a three-week siege. For more than 260 years, the castle retained its role as a fortress, arsenal, and prison. At the time of the Vaudois Revolution, the Bernese left the castle and the patriots of Vevey and Montreux occupied the fortress in January 1798. The castle became national property during the Vaudois Revolution and belongs since then to the Canton of Vaud, from the date of its foundation in 1803. Ther building was first used to stock weapons and ammunitions and as a State prison. At the end of the 19th century a major restoration campaign was launched, which is still ongoing. The castle is open for visits and tours.

The Rhine Falls is one of the most impressive and powerful waterfalls in Europe. The falls have a width of 150 meters and are ‘just’ 23 meters high. The capacity of flow is in summer about 600.000 liters per second and in winter about 250.000 liters. The Rhine Falls were formed 15.000 years ago - in the last ice age - by erosion-resistant rocks narrowing the riverbed, forcing the Rhine River into a new riverbed. The Rhine Falls Rock ( Rheinfall Felsen ) - a mighty rock in the midst of the falls - offers one of the most spectacular views. This rock can be reached by boat.

Saint-Ursanne is one of the jewels of the Swiss Jura. The medieval town is situated on the banks of the river Doubs at the foot of a rocky mountain ridge. According to legend, the little town of St-Ursanne was founded at the end of the 6th century by the Irish monk Ursicinus, who lived as a hermit on this isolated spot. His hermitage within a cave can be reached by climbing 180 steep steps. Between 623 and 635 a first monastery community was founded. Around 1100 it was converted into a canons chapter. Saint-Ursanne has conserved its medieval character (PiP1). Among the most important buildings in the centre are the collegiate church and its cloister (PiP4) built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Other parts of the old town contain heritage buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Even today, the town can only be accessed through one of the three historic gates. The ‘Porte Saint-Pierre’ is decorated with ‘La Berbatte’ (PiP3), a clock installed early in the 18th century. The four-arched stone bridge (PiP2) over the river, built in 1728, awards a particularly splendid view of the picturesque town and its environs. A sandstone statue made in 1729 of St. John of Nepomuk, a protector against floods, stands on the bridge.

The Basel Minster ( Basler Münster ) is a medieval cathedral, situated on a twenty metres high hill high above the river Rhine. The Romans already had a fortress on this hill. The bishopric of Basel was founded in 343, with a residence in Augusta Raurica. In the early middle ages the bishop moved to Basel and the place served as temporary residence of the German kings, which was (and is) called Pfalz (PiP5), offering wonderful views over the Rhine. Basel's first cathedral was built by bishop Haito (805-823). A larger church, named Heinrichsmünster after German king Heinrich II, was consecrated in 1019. Towards the end of the 11th century a tower on the west side was added - which is still part of today's Georgsturm . A new church building was erected between 1220 and 1230, but almost completely destroyed, due to an earthquake and fire in 1356. This building was restored using basically the same ground plan, but with some Gothic style elements and consecrated in 1363. Attached to the church is a former monastery with two cloisters (PiP4). During the 16th century reformation the monastery was closed and the bishop expelled from the city. The building as it stands today dates back for the most part to the late Romanesque building constructed in the last third of the 12th century and completed around 1225. The Basel Minster with its red sandstone architecture (PiP1), impressive interior (PiP2) and beautiful stained glass windows (PiP3) is one of the main landmarks of Basel and still an important tourist attraction.

When Basel joined the Swiss Confederation in 1501, the city wished to express this important step with a visible gesture. The Cantonal Parliament decided to replace the old town hall with a grander and more representative building in 1503. No expense was to be spared to underline Basel’s new importance. Between 1504 and 1514 - after the great earthquake - a new town hall was constructed. The oldest part consists of three pointed arcades, above which the richly decorated Legislature Hall is located. The coats of arms of Basel and the 11 other members of the then Confederation adorn the crenellations. The inner courtyard has playful frescoes (PiP 1). Due to the continuous growth of the city, the town hall was expanded several times. The last expansion - 1899 -1901 - were the tower at the right and the block-shaped administrative building with an elaborately decorated bay window (PiP 2). The town hall became its present characteristic façade at the Marktplatz in the middle of the centre of Basel. It is still the seat of the Basel government and its parliament.

Wildhaus is a rural village, whose houses are scattered in a broad valley between the Churfirsten (main image) and the Alpstein mountains (PiP). The village is located on the Wildhaus Pass between the Rhine valley and Unterwasser in Toggenburg. With an altitude of 1.090 metres it is the uppermost village in canton St. Gallen. The precipitous rock formations of the seven Churfirsten contrast sharply with the gentle landscape on the valley floor and are the natural boundary between Toggenburg and Sarganserland. The limestone ridge is running from east to west with seven peaks formed by erosion. To the south it has a much more vertical drop of hundred metres towards Lake Walen. The seven peaks of the Churfirsten are (from left to right): Chäserrugg, Hinterrugg, Schibenstoll, Zuestoll, Brisi, Frümsel and Selun. With a height of 2.306 metres is the Hinterrugg the highest one. The name is a plural, indicating the peaks forming the historical boundary of the bishopric of Chur. It has historically also been folk-etymologized as Kurfürsten , i.e. the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire who in the later medieval period (until 1648) numbered seven, which in turn encouraged the count of seven main or "official" peaks.

The majestic Matterhorn - king of mountains with a height of 4.478 metres - is the most famous landmark of Switzerland. Most probably this triangular pyramid shaped rock is the most photographed mountain in the world. Its shape and free-standing position make the Matterhorn to be the epitome of a mountain. There is no better-known mountain in the world whose natural shape is so close to a pyramid. Hundred million years ago enormous forces brought Africa closer to Europe. Fifty million years later, as the rock masses folded and deformed, the Matterhorn was born from the rock thrusting upwards. Matterhorn is first mentioned in medieval documents as Mons Silvus , which finally became Mont Cervin in French and Cervino in Italian. The German name Matterhorn first appears in the year 1682. The name is probably derived from Matte , meaning alpine meadow, referring to the grassy valley, which has now been almost completely covered by the village of Zermatt.

With ‘only’ 196 metres above sea level Ascona is Switzerland's lowest lying city. The town is located on the northern shore of Lake Maggiore (also called Lake Langen), at the mouth of the Maggia River. Ascona is famous for its old town, the South European promenade (PiP 1) with its many terraces and its mild climate. In ‘Borgo’ - the old center of town - lies the San Pietro e Paolo basilica (PiP 2), dating back to the 16th century.. The high bell tower of the church is the landmark of this holiday resort. The many alleys in the old center lead to the car free promenade with its charming street cafés. In the past Ascona had four fortresses, of which only ruins are left. By the end of the 19th century, writers and artists moved to the attractive fishing village, later followed by tourists later. It is now a sophisticated holiday destination.

Muottas Muragl - on an altitude of 2.454 meters - is located high above the wide valley of the River Inn and the valley that leads to the Bernina Pass. It is without any doubt the most beautiful vantage point above the lakes, the villages of Upper Engadine and the surrounding mountains. Between 1905 and 1907, the first funicular railway in Engadine was built here. Although modernised on many occasions, it has essentially remained the same to this day. The funicular railway takes over the 700-meter climb from Punt Muragl up to the Muottas Muragl in ten minutes. The upper section of the railway has sun collectors that cover the energy requirements of the mountain hotel/restaurant. The mountain station is starting point of many hikes/walks. Among them is the well known Panorama Trail to Alp Languard, where one can take a chairlift to descend to the valley (PiP 2). (The PiP was taken some minutes after the main picture.)

The main picture is showing the Lago Bianco (see also PiP) and the road across the Bernina Pass before reaching the highest point. I took this picture from the Diavolezza cable car. The Bernina Pass (2.328 m) is a mountain pass in the Bernina Range of the Alps. It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz in the Upper Engadin valley with the Italian-speaking Val Poschiavo, which ends in the Italian town. Old paths crossed the Bernina Alps for hundred of years from Grisons to Valtellina in Italy. Back in 1865 a modern road replaced the old paths, which has been widened a number of times and has been open 365 days a year since 1965. The Bernina Pass is also crossed by rail. The world famous Bernina Express has been travelling over the pass in summer since 1910 and since 1913 this popular tourist train is operating year-round between Chur and Tirano. It is the highest adhesion railway route in Europe. Energy source for the train line is the Lago Bianco, a hydro storage lake.

The history of the monastery of St. Gallen (St. Gall) is dating back to the year 612, when an Irish monk named Gallus was on a preaching pilgrimage through Europe. He stumbled on a stone and dropped to a knee at the edge of the Steinach River, where he spotted a hungry bear. He gave the bear some of his bread, perhaps a bribe as not to eat him, but purportedly an offering to help him build a shelter. After Gallus' death, the spot grew in importance as a place of worship and a Benedictine monastery was founded in 747 by St Otmar and named after Gallus. The Abbey of St Gallen and its monastery grew in stature and wealth, becoming a religious principality, ruled by Prince-Bishops. The Abbey Cathedral at St Gallen survived both the reformation and French Revolution, but under the influence of Napoleon in 1805, when the Canton of St Gallen was established, both the monastery and its political rule were dissolved. The current cathedral was built between 1755 and 1767 and is one of the last monumental baroque monastic constructions in Europe. A white interior is adorned with malachite green stucco-work, rose marble altars and a gilded altar fence (main picture). The opulently ceiling frescoes (PiP 2) depict biblical characters. The interior is decorated with numerous carvings; among them a wonderful pulpit (PiP 3), several confessionals and eighty four choir seats (PiP 4). Several of the buildings of the former monastery now house municipal offices. The Abbey Cathedral of St Gallen (PiP 1), the abbey library and the surrounding monastery buildings – (the St. Gallen Abbey District) - was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

The Sántis is with a height of 2.502 metres the highest peak in the Alpstein massif in northeastern Switzerland. It is a natural landmark in the region between Lake Walen and Lake Constance. The mountain towers above one of the most beautiful landscapes of Europe and can be seen from miles away. . The name Säntis dates back to the 9th century. It is an abbreviation of the Romansh language for Sambatinus (The one born on Saturday), which was thought to be the name of a nearby area. The name was later used to refer to the summit. In the German language it was originally called Semptis or Sämptis. We were quite lucky with the weather during our visit. We took the aerial cable car at 9.30 am from Schwägalp, right at the foot of the Säntis At the peak we had a breathtaking clear 360-degree view, although it was freezing cold. It is said that one can see six Alpine countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Italy and France. To be honest I can not tell if I saw all these countries. When back - just more than an hour later - the peak was already surrounded by clouds !! Main picture: Swiss Alps with the Churfirsten in the ‘foreground’. PiP 1: panorama (three pictures stitched together) looking north (Germany and Lake Constance) and northeast (Austria). PiP 2 and 3: freezing and ‘hoarfrosting’ cold.