Winter excursions: Education

Live an exciting experience in the world of birds of prey, take a close look at the flight of eagles, hawks, owls and vultures in an environment that respects their natural habitat. As the birds circle overhead in the arena, the falconer tells the history of this ancient art.

Experience fascinating insights and views of everything going on at the airport.

For the first time ever, the great mysteries of the world are available at one location to be experienced and sensed.

The Abbey of Saint Maurice in Valais was built 1500 years ago as a place to honor martyrs. The pilgrimage destination was once the spiritual center of the Burgundy Empire and today houses one of the richest ecclesiastical treasures in Europe.

Founded in the 8th century, Disentis Monastery is today the spiritual and educational center of the Upper Rhine Valley (Vorderrheintal). A cultural history exhibition depicts the history of the Benedictine Abbey as well as ecclesiastical art.

Climb the north tower of the Cathedral of St. Pierre in Geneva and look out over the old town, Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) and the Alps. Under the church floor, an excavation site takes you back to the 4th century.

Visit Notre-Dame Cathedral in Lausanne's Old Town. The Gothic building from the 13th century impresses with its ornate stained glass windows, the painted portal and the view of Lake Geneva from the tower.

Walter Zoo delights explorers big and small. Experience adventure, understand nature.

An excursion to the grottoes and the prehistoric park of Réclère is nearly like Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth". The large limestone cave with stalactites and stalagmites gives the excursion the necessary atmosphere and the life-sized dinosaurs in the park are the climax of a fascinating trip through time.

Solothurn is said to be the most beautiful baroque city in Switzerland. The imposing buildings were constructed in various epochs: ranging from the first half of the 12th century, when the clock tower was built, to 1773, when St. Ursus Cathedral was constructed in baroque and neo-classical style.

In no other zoo are the animals so close to the visitor as they are in the children's zoo in Rapperswil. Depending on the species, the animals can be touched, petted, fed or ridden. This makes the children's zoo an ideal destination for families, grandparents with grandchildren or school trips.

The Kambly Experience at Trubschachen is an exciting venue for the senses, where visitors can discover the secrets behind the art of baking quality biscuits, explore the origins of Kambly and savour moments of sweet delight.

St. Gallen has so much to offer when it comes to museums. Attractive, internationally renowned exhibitions and countless historic collections make for a diverse museum landscape. The open art Museum is particularly worth a visit.

Visitors can observe 19 native and formerly native animals like deer, bear, lynx, wolf, wildcat, marmot, elk, wild boar, and the Przewalski horse on 80 hectares.

Laupen Castle towers high above the medieval town of the same name at the confluence of the rivers Sense and Sarine. The splendid fortress is the emblem of the region, and a protected monument of national importance.

Drive over one of the most historic Valais Alpine passes: On the Grosser St. Bernhard, you will visit the almost 1000-year-old hospice, meet St. Bernard dogs and hike through the alpine landscape on the border with Italy.

Culinary delights, culture and beer all come together in the small city of Rheinfelden on the Upper Rhine in Aargau. Where a small medieval old town, the oldest Zähringer town in Switzerland, invites you to take a stroll. On leaving the town, one building in particular catches the eye: that of the Feldschlösschen brewery. It is the leading brewery in Switzerland and produces excellent beer.

Plättli Zoo is one of the few remaining private zoos in Switzerland that has been able to survive without public funding, possibly because of the charming atmosphere in the zoo and the large variety of animal species.

The Baldegg water tower is both a water reservoir and an observation tower. A spiral staircase with 181 steps leads up to the viewing platform which offers a 360-degree panoramic view across the Mittelland region to the Black Forest and from Mt. Säntis to the Jungfrau in the Bernese Oberland.

130 kilometres in one train. The Albula/Bernina railway line forms the heart of the Unesco World Cultural Heritage listing and is regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular routes. The UNESCO route itself covers 122 kilometres from Thusis to Tirano, passing 196 bridges, 55 tunnels and 20 towns along the way.

Visit Munot Fortress in Schaffhausen and climb inside the tower to the battlement, the fortress platform. At the top, a view of the Rhine, the old town and the hills of eastern Switzerland awaits you.

The Collegiate Church of St. Leodegar is the oldest sacred building listed under the protection of monuments in the canton of Solothurn. It was first mentioned in 778 AD. as the Werith Monastery.

In the Papiliorama and Nocturama in the canton Fribourg you can immerse yourself in tropical worlds. Observe over 1000 free-flying butterflies, encounter nocturnal animals and walk through a recreated tropical forest.

Climb the towers of Castel Grande and continue hiking to Montebello and Sasso Corbaro. In the Bellinzona Fortress you walk over crenellated walls, look out over the Alps and stand in the best-preserved castle complex in the Alpine region.

Olten is located directly on the River Aare and boasts a very beautiful historic old town district with an extensive pedestrian zone. Numerous cultural institutions, a lido, cafes, restaurants, ice cream parlours and an attractive and diverse mix of shops are the perfect places to relax and unwind.

Cross the Sigriswil panoramic bridge in the Bernese Oberland and look 182 meters deep into the Gummischlucht. From the 340-metre-long suspension bridge you can see the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau as well as Lake Thun.

Zurich Zoo, located on the Zürichberg, is home to around 350 animal species in near-natural habitats. As a modern, scientifically managed zoo, its primary goal is the preservation of nature. It works towards this goal in four equally important areas: Species conservation, nature conservation, education and research.

Between Sion and Sierre in Valais lies Europe's largest natural underground lake. In a rowboat, you will travel 300 meters through the illuminated cave and learn exciting facts about the geology and history of the lake from your guide.

The Verbier 3-D Foundation Sculpture Park is a free, year-round open-air museum at 2,300 meters in the Swiss Alps. It showcases contemporary art created during artist residencies, blending seamlessly with the alpine landscape between La Chaux and Les Ruinettes list stations above Verbier.

The River Orbe created a fascinating cave system at the Vaudois town of Vallorbe. The tour leads visitors along the subterranean course of the Orbe (an outflow from the Vallée de Joux), passing by stalactites, stalagmites, drip-stone formations, columns and galleries. Once upon a time fairies that charmed young men were supposed to have lived here.

More than 100 animals from all over the world are at home in the Zoo al Maglio to marvel at. These include lions, panthers, snow leopards, serval, the Bennett wallaby, gibbons, macaques and capuchin monkeys as well as parrots.

Discover the St. Beatus Caves above Lake Thun: Stalactite grottoes, waterfalls and the exciting dragon saga await you. In the cave museum you will learn everything about the hidden world inside the mountain.

Schadau Castle was built between 1846 and 1854 for the Neuchâtel banker Denis Alfred de Rougemont. The location of the castle, on the southern banks of Lake Thun where the River Aare flows out of the lake, and with its views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, is almost as attractive as the architecture itself.

The Grossmünster is Zurich's landmark. You will visit the Romanesque church, climb the Karlsturm and discover the medieval stained glass windows – right in the heart of the old town, between Limmat and Niederdorf.