Top 10 Historic Sites in Switzerland, Switzerland

Le parcours de visite est basé sur la lumière et l’image, symboles de la connaissance et de la foi. Il raconte une histoire exceptionnelle: celle d’une communauté religieuse vivante, miraculeusement préservée et constituant le témoignage unique d’une activité spirituelle et culturelle sans équivalent dans le monde occidental chrétien. Consciente de l’importance mondiale de son patrimoine historique et culturel, l’Abbaye de Saint-Maurice a décidé de l’ouvrir au public à l’occasion de son Jubilé. La visite de son Site culturel et patrimonial débute dans la basilique qui date du 17e siècle. Vous parcourez ensuite le site archéologique des anciennes églises – aussi appelé site du Martolet – qui résulte de dix années de fouilles. Enfin, vous traversez les catacombes avant de découvrir le Trésor abbatial.

Housed in the Barfüsserkirche since 1894, Basel Historical Museum presents selected aspects of the history of Basel from prehistoric times to the present. Especially worthy of note here are the works of pre-Reformation sacred art such as the Basel Dance of Death and Basel Cathedral Treasury. The section called «Understanding the World» installed in the basement comprises a magnificent array of medieval tapestries with their fantasy worlds and scenes of real life, the Renaissance and Baroque collections grouped together in one «Great Cabinet of Curiosities», and Basel’s rich archaeological heritage. Among the other highlights here are the coin cabinet and Burgundian Booty.

The doors of one of Europe's most fascinating castle are open to you. This thousand year old historical monument is located in an natural setting on the shores of Lake Geneva in at the foot of the Alps in Switzerland. Individual or groups tours, unaccompanied, guided or with an audioguide are available. Chillon also organises exhibitions, artistic and popular performances, as well as concerts throughout the year. Open all year round (except January 1 and December 25).

Haus zum Kirschgarten was built for the silk ribbon manufacturer and army colonel Johann Rudolf Burckhardt between 1775 and 1780. The architect Johann Ulrich Buchel designed a mansion worthy of his client's wealth and status which is also a tour de force of early Neoclassical style, influenced in part by Masonic concepts. The mansion has been a museum of domestic culture since 1951. Most of the interior is devoted to eighteenth- and nineteenth-century period rooms formerly inhabited by Basel’s affluent bourgeoisie. But the museum also houses several special collections and hosts mini-exhibitions, such as that on Sheikh Ibrahim.

Gruyères Castle has stood proudly atop a verdant hill in the heart of Switzerland since the 13th century. Surrounded by the magnificent panorama of the Alpine foothills, the medieval fortress houses prestigious collections that bear witness to its long and rich history. The treasures to be found within its walls include the capes of the Order of the Golden Fleece and the intricate stained-glass windows dating from the Middle Ages; the frescoes commissioned by the bailiffs under the Ancien Régime; paintings by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot and the troubadour decorations of the Salle des Chevaliers, created at Gruyères in the 19th century by a colony of passionate artists. From its ramparts to its French-style gardens, from the guard room to its romantic salons, Gruyères Castle takes you on an adventure through eight centuries of art, history and legends.