Group Excursions: Historical Museums

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 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 Treasure Chamber of the Principality of Liechtenstein is located in the heart of the Liechtenstein capital, Vaduz. The little museum exhibits unique treasures that are closely associated with Liechtenstein and that cannot be found anywhere else in this form and combination.

The Palfries cable car offers a unique view of large parts of the Heidiland and beyond. The cable car runs directly above an impressive waterfall, one of the highest in Switzerland. After passengers arrive at 1,728 metres above sea level, the imposing Palfries plateau is revealed in all its glory.

The Château de Prangins was built in the 18th century by Louis Guiguer, a Swiss banker living in Paris, and has hosted illustrious guests from Voltaire to Joseph Bonaparte.Overlooking Lake Geneva, this beautiful listed building is home to the Swiss National Museum.

The Lion Monument is a proud landmark of the city of Lucerne and a popular attraction. The “Lion of Lucerne” lies in his lair in one of the idyllic parks in the centre of the city.

The Cathedral Treasure Museum comprises two groups of objects: The actual cathedral treasure and the cycle of murals depicting death from 1543, both of which are exhibited on two floors and are a source of fascination to visitors of all ages as well as a unique resource for experts. The location of the museum, the baroque Episcopal Castle in Chur, is a cultural monument of national importance and also one of the most important secular buildings in Graubünden.