Swiss Stories | House of Switzerland

absinthe — Absinthe: Swiss local product leaves behind its shady past
Society

Switzerland's Val-de-Travers is the birthplace of absinthe and has strong links to this local product that was banned for many years. An interactive exhibition in Môtiers in the canton of Neuchâtel tells its extraordinary story, while some distillers have set about seeking a PGI. We take a closer look at a spirit with a colourful past.

by Tatiana Tissot

portrait sarah marquis — Sarah Marquis, always on the move
Environment

Books, lectures, and of course expeditions: Swiss explorer Sarah Marquis never stops. We caught up with her before she hit the road again.

The Swiss football brand

After advancing from the qualifiers to the final stages of the World Cup in 1994 (for the first time since 1966), Swiss football changed forever. Nowadays Switzerland sends its footballers off to play for England, Germany and Italy.

by Julien Gremaud

Bruno Pravato — The Swiss apprenticeship: a driver for success
Science & Education

Serving an apprenticeship can lead to future career success – whether as a federal councillor, a festival director or the best bricklayer in Europe.

by Lea Huszno

The Winegrowers' Festival 2019, Effeuilleuse costume, Flore Duboux. Fred Merz | Lundi 13 © Fête des Vignerons 2019 — Vevey Winegrowers' Festival
Society

5,500 actors and extras, 20,000 spectators, an open-air arena of 14,000 m2, 21 performances. All this in an event that features on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage and which takes place only once in a generation: welcome to the Fête des Vignerons, a festival that pays tribute to winemaking traditions. It will take place in Vevey, in the heart of the Lavaux vineyards, from 18 July to 11 August 2019.

iPhone: Siri — The Swiss inventor of Siri
Science & Education

The man behind Siri, the Apple voice assistant used by hundreds of millions of people around the world, is a Swiss engineer who divides his time between the canton of Vaud and San Francisco. In his own words, this allows him to "keep his feet on the ground".

woman running — Endurance sports: Swiss women at the top
Society

Swiss women are at the top of their disciplines in triathlon, ski mountaineering, trail running, orienteering and mountain biking, but they're hardly household names. So what keeps them going – and winning – these toughest of athletes?