Experiences along the Grand Tour - Historical Museums

On Central Switzerland’s mountain terrain, the oldest in the world, the landscape literally lies at your feet. Lucerne’s Glacier Garden allows you to glimpse through a window into the history of the Earth. In the rocky underworld, you can embark on a journey through time and discover amazing things about stone and history. The garden also has a museum and a maze of mirrors to explore.

The Basel Historical Museum with its three sites is widely regarded as the most important museum of cultural history on the Upper Rhine. It collects, conserves, records and researches objects and artefacts of relevance to our cultural heritage for future generations, tells visitors the story of Basel, and is a place for discourse and engagement with both present and future.

See the largest and the smallest dinosaurs in an exhibit hall measuring 3000 square meters.

The Basel Historical Museum with its three sites is widely regarded as the most important museum of cultural history on the Upper Rhine. It collects, conserves, records and researches objects and artefacts of relevance to our cultural heritage for future generations, tells visitors the story of Basel, and is a place for discourse and engagement with both present and future.

A time machine in the heart of Lausanne!

The fortifications of the town of Fribourg were built as protection for the town in the Middle Ages between the 13th and 15th centuries. With large sections of them having been preserved to this day, they are the most significant piece of medieval military architecture in Switzerland. They are also open to the public.

Thanks to its well-preserved medieval townscape, the Old Town of Bern was entered onto UNESCO’s listing of World Heritage Sites in 1983.

Munot has been proudly overlooking the town of Schaffhausen for well over 400 years. The tower contains the quarters of the Munot watchman, who rings the famous Munot bell for five minutes every evening at 9 p.m. – by hand, of course, just like in 1589.

The collections in the museum involve all areas of natural science.

On the edge of the old town, Zug Castle is the oldest still preserved profane building in Zug and is a landmark of the city. With its many nooks and crannies, Zug Castle has been home to the museum of cultural history for the city and the Canton of Zug since 1983.

The remains of this settlement can be seen in this unique Archaeological Park and help us understand in minute detail the daily life of the rich and poor in a medieval rural community.

The St. Gallen Collegiate Library is one of the oldest libraries in the world. It is the heart of the abbey district and immerses you in history with its large baroque hall and valuable manuscripts.

The permanent exhibition “Travelling through times and cultures” takes visitors on a journey through 15,000 years of culture and history – a journey you can experience personally with all your senses.

World-renowned celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama bear witness to eastern Switzerland’s quality textile enterprises. And products range from finest Haute Couture to architecture.

The Museum zu Allerheiligen is one of Schaffhausen’s most significant places of interest. Here, archaeology, history and art as well as natural history converge under one roof. In addition to its extensive permanent exhibitions, the museum hosts between six and eight special exhibitions each year.

History, mystics and traditions: The Swiss witch museum in Auenstein presents an exhibit of the world of witches featuring carefully selected objects.

The Museum of the Swiss Charters of Confederation exhibits the most important documents from the history of the Old Swiss Confederation and explains their meaning. The focal point is the legendary Federal Charter of 1291.

The Diemtigtal valley is celebrated for its magnificent rural dwellings, and you can see some of the finest along the marked Diemtigtal House Trail. The details are particularly impressive: intricate carving, delicate paintings and elaborate compositions of form and colour that adorn the wooden façades underneath the massive roofs.

The Roman Mosaics of Orbe consist of eight magnificent mosaic floors that decorated a Gallic-Roman estate dating back to the year 170. The mosaics give the visitor an inkling of the enormous wealth of the lord of the manor and gentleman farmer, whose villa had more than 100 rooms.

The Abbey of St. Gall has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, and has plenty of impressive treasures just waiting to be discovered in its library, vaulted cellar and new exhibition hall.

A monumental panorama, a piece of European cultural heritage and a symbol of Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition – the Bourbaki Panorama brings together a multitude of stories: political events, personal outcomes, everyday stories and a slice of art, culture and media history. There is no doubt that the Bourbaki Panorama is a genuine “visual miracle”.

The Basel Historical Museum with its three sites is widely regarded as the most important museum of cultural history on the Upper Rhine. It collects, conserves, records and researches objects and artefacts of relevance to our cultural heritage for future generations, tells visitors the story of Basel, and is a place for discourse and engagement with both present and future.

The Roman Museum in Nyon tells the story of Noviodunum, a colony founded by Julius Caesar. Not far from the museum you also find an amphitheater, discovered only in 1996.

Route: Geneva - Lausanne - Orbe - Avenches - Solothurn - Augst

With its "Journey to the Past" theme, the permanent exhibition features archeological finds from Canton Zug. Life-like human figures, models of settlements, and stories bring everyday life in bygone days back to life.

The castle on Lake Thun stands in a delightful park surrounded by venerable old trees.

The fortifications of Fribourg were built to protect the town and are today open to the public.

Visitors hear about the six-hundred-year history that is behind the flags and participate in one of the country’s oldest customs.

The “pyramid-shaped mountain” is full of fossilised fish and marine reptiles – a treasure trove 240 million years old. What was once a sea basin later gave way to Monte San Giorgio, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The modernised Fossil Museum in Meride exhibits a selection of fossilised animals and plants.