Swiss Stories

James Bond aka 007 on his quest to hunt down Goldfinger in his Aston Martin DB5 in Switzerland.

The Spiez laboratory

Science & Education
4 March 2018 – A man and woman are found unconscious in Salisbury, England. After a while it becomes clear who they are: Sergei Viktorovich Skripal and his daughter Yulia. The world's press gets its hands on a story worthy of James Bond. And the Spiez lab gets a job... But what is this laboratory exactly?
Dal Ticino a Madrid: l’opera “Offset” dei Nevercrew è stata realizzata in occasione della Urvanity 2020 Art Fair. © Nevercrew

Walking tour of Madrid in search of Swiss-Italian art and architecture

Society

It sometimes happens that you visit a city for the first time and immediately feel at home.
© Claudio Bader

The forbidding side of Val Bavona, frozen in time

History
Val Bavona is one of the wildest valleys in the Swiss Alps. Bordering Ticino, it has remained frozen in the 16th century. The valley is only inhabited in summertime and has opted to remain true to its rustic roots, even shunning electricity.
The charnel house in Leuk, June 2018 – © Cyril Zingaro for Le Temps

The catacombs of Valais: as fascinating as those of Paris

History
You don't have descend into the catacombs of Paris to feel the gaze of thousands of empty eye sockets. With its 24,000 skulls, the charnel house in Leuk in the Upper Valais region of Switzerland provides an equally chilling spectacle.
Why Switzerland

Why Switzerland has no capital and other questions you have about Switzerland

Science & Education
On one of the recent warm spring evenings, we sat on the balcony and wondered what the world thought about Switzerland. But how should we find out? A flash of inspiration: Google knows everything! Let’s take a look at the most common search queries people have about Switzerland.
Ajla Del Ponte, Sarah Atcho, Mujinga Kanbundji et Salomé Kora

Swiss sprinters: the women's dream team

Society
Fourth at the last World Championships in Doha in 2019, the Swiss women in the 4 x 100 metres relay will be aiming for a medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. They represent Switzerland and have roots in Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Congo and Bosnia, which is also their strength.

by Bertrand Monnard

Gordon Bennett

Switzerland, home of ballooning

Society
Although ballooning in Switzerland is most commonly associated with the record-breaking exploits of the Piccard family, its history actually dates back to 1788 when a hydrogen-filled balloon took to the air from Basel.