Architecture

The high tower of St. Martin's Church dominates the Chur landscape.

The Bern Münster Cathedral of St. Vincent is the most impressive late-Gothic building in the city and the largest and most important late medieval church in Switzerland. From this highest church tower in Switzerland you may admire a magnificent view.

The locals still think of the ruins as their own Stein Castle. Standing majestically over Baden, it offers a magnificent view of the Old Town.

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.

This extension to the "Bernisches Historisches Museum" (Historical Museum) is sure to amaze with its exhibition hall sunk into the ground and its significant extension programme.

The present name of this highest tower with the strongest walls was taken from the Capuchin monastery that was built in the vicinity in 1595.

With its collection of 150,000 items in some 80 languages, the Martin Bodmer Foundation is among the largest private libraries in the world.

The Grossmünster is an Evangelical Protestant church in the Old Town of Zurich and the city's landmark. The view from the church towers is spectacular: far across Lake Zurich to the Alps.

The Water Tower, Chapel Bridge and Musegg Wall dominate the historical skyline of the city of Lucerne. However, the best view of the lake basin can be enjoyed from the path that runs along the Musegg Wall.

The «Ambassadors’ Nativity Scene» is a rarity and sure to attract all nativity scene lovers to Switzerland’s most beautiful Baroque town.

The new, airy, bright Information Centre of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne with its curved lines is a delightful example of modern architecture.

The Art Museum Winterthur possesses one of the most beautiful modern art collections in Switzerland. But artistic works don’t come to a halt here - as the building constructed in 1995 by the Zurich-based architects Gigon & Guyer makes the hearts of even less passionate art lovers beat faster.

The Dürrenmatt Centre created by Mario Botta offers an exhibition environment which borrows both from literature and from the fine arts.

In St. Gallen you'll find history at every turn. The city's landmark is the Convent of St. Gall with its Baroque cathedral. The convent, including the library and monastery archives, was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 1983.

The southeastern corner of the former town fortification, the Gunpowder Tower, was built between 1522 and 1532 and was used to store gunpowder. Its external diameter is about 14 m, the inner diameter 8.5 m.

The international Würth Group is headquartered in Chur. The company’s presence enhances Chur’s economy and its headquarters building is regarded as a special gem by those tourists who are interested in culture. Its distinctive architecture is greatly admired as are the exhibits at the Forum Würth Chur.

Its conquest by the Romans 2,000 years ago is an important part of Chur’s history as a settlement. Findings dating back to this period are housed in these protective structures designed by star architect Peter Zumthor.

The cathedral is a fitting symbol of the episcopal city of Chur. Somewhat plain from the outside, it impresses with its magnificent interior.

The Merker-Areal, where washing machines and household appliances were once manufactured, has been turned into an attractive working and residential area. Instead of putting up a new construction, the original factory structure, with its valued industrial, cultural and historical associations, was preserved.

The Spalentor is the most imposing of the three city gates that were part of the large city fortifications dating back to the year 1400. Many important supplies entered the city of Basel from Alsace through this gate. From here, there is a wonderful view over the roofs of Basel’s old town and the hills of the Jura, the Black Forest and Vosges.

Monumental and as austere as an archaic temple, the new vocational school is located at the entrance to Baden. Its architecture reveals very little of the building’s purpose to those passing by.

This building at 2-4 rue Saint-Laurent (in the Villereuse area) can appear out-of-date these days, but when it was designed by the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier in 1931-32, it was really a very futuristic project. Everything is made with steel and glass. The metallic frame frees the interior walls from all supporting functions.

Solothurn’s Jesuit Church may stand in the shadow of the magnificent cathedral of St. Ursen, but it is also well worth a visit – and about a hundred years older.

AQUATIS, in the centre of Lausanne, is dedicated to the world's rivers and lakes and all the fresh water fish and reptiles that live in them. The journey in AQUATIS starts at the very beginning...

With its coating of pink granite, the spherical Ste-Trinité Church arouses curiosity. Set in the centre of the city, this singular church stands out amid the surrounding buildings. Built in 1994, its original architecture is subject to a range of interpretations.

One of the three remaining towers on the city walls serves as the Old Town’s southwest entrance and exit. In bygone days, it was on the Ochsenplatz, located just behind the Obertor, that goods were exchanged for the last time before they were taken across the Alps.

Lured to Lucerne by the wealthy Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen, the Jesuits brought the Counter Reformation to Lucerne in the 17th century; the elaborate Jesuitenkirche, dedicated to Francis Xavier, was constructed in 1666. Architects from Italy and Austria built what many believe to be the most beautiful Baroque church in Switzerland.

The Churches of St. Stephen and St. Luzi were and are both situated higher than the much more famous cathedral. Remains of the Church of St. Stephen were first discovered during the construction of the cantonal school in 1850.

The tower of the St. Lawrence Church affords a beautiful view of the Old Town and the Abbey Precinct.

Fine arts, photography and contemporary art brought together in one single spot near Lausanne station, in a cultural area that is unique in Switzerland.

A significant building with a Renaissance facade. In the interior you will find numerous frescoes and important Baroque decorations.