5 Historical Sites You Must Visit in Switzerland
Happy Birthday Switzerland! The country celebrated Swiss National Day on Tuesday, a day which commemorates a historic alliance made in August 1291 between the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. This union, primarily formed to oppose Habsburg expansion, was the foundation for the Old Swiss Confederacy which, in turn, became the Swiss Confederation (A.K.A. Switzerland) we know and love today.
From resistance to reformation to revolution, Switzerland has a rich history and, fortunately, it is one that has been well-preserved. As such, there’s a huge number of historically important and highly interesting sites in the country. So many, in fact, that seeing them all would be quite the undertaking. So, which are the very best ones to go and visit? Let’s take a look at the top five places in Switzerland every history aficionado must see!
Chillon Castle (Château de Chillon in French) is a stunning island castle perched on the banks of Lake Geneva at the entrance to the Rhône Valley. Whilst the oldest parts of the castle have not been dated definitively, the first written record of the castle was around the turn of the 11th-century. From the 1200s to the 1600s, the castle was the residence and very profitable toll station of the Counts of Savoy before being repurposed as a prison and, later, a weapons depot. From the late-18th century, though, the stunning castle began to attract tourists, including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo and Lord Byron, and today it is the most visited historical building in Switzerland
The Abbey of St. Gall is the perfect example of a great Carolingian monastery. From the 8th century to its secularisation in 1805, the abbey was one of the most important in Europe. The real significance of St. Gall, though, is the Abbey Library, which is one of the richest and oldest libraries in the world. As of 2005, it had over 160,000 books, of which 2,100 are handwritten. Nearly half of the handwritten books are from the Middle Ages and some 400 of them are over 1000 years old. The oldest of these is the Plan of St. Gall which is the only surviving architectural plan from the Early Middle Ages! With such a huge cultural significance, it’s no surprise that the Abbey of St. Gall has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.
Chapel Bridge and the adjoining Water Tower are the iconic landmarks of Luzern. The bridge was built in the 14th century, making it Europe’s oldest covered bridge, as well as as well as the world's oldest surviving truss bridge. Unlike other footbridges in Europe, however, Chapel Bridge features fascinating pictorial panels along the roof depicting scenes of local and Swiss history. These were painted in the 1600s and make the bridge an absolute joy to walk down. Whilst the bridge suffered a devastating fire in 1993 - look out for the charring on some of the panels - it was painstakingly restored and is currently looking as magnificent as ever.
The Three Castles of Bellinzona were built by the Dukes of Milan in the 13th century, seized by the Swiss in the 15th century and expertly renovated in the 20th century. As a result of Bellinzona’s convenient position at the entrance to a number of Alpine passes, the area has been strategically important since the Roman period. Nowadays, the trio of castles are some of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe. Within an hour from the train station, you can walk to the impressive Castelgrande, before moving along the old city walls to the Castello di Montebello and then finally making your way through charming vineyards to the Castello di Sasso Corbaro.
Monte San Giorgio, unlike the others in this list, is not a site of anthropological significance, but rather one of great paleontological importance. Today, the mountain rises like a pyramid from the southern end of Lake Lugano and has some lovely hiking routes with magnificent views. 240 million years ago, however, Monte San Giorgio was a 100-metre deep ocean basin. The range of fossilised fish and marine reptiles that have been unearthed here mean that the mountain is one of the most important records of marine life in the Triassic period. The Fossil Museum in the idyllic town of Meride is the perfect place to discover more about this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site.
So there you have it. The top five historical important places to visit in Switzerland. Whilst there’s a whole host of other fantastic options, these five all offer a fascinating insight into the history of the area and are all easily accessible - particularly with a Swiss Travel Pass which will also give you free entry, or at least discounted in the case of the Abbey of St. Gall, to all of these sites!
