96 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Switzerland

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Switzerland

Switzerland is one of the most developed countries in the world, with the highest nominal wealth per adult and the eighth-highest per capita GDP. It ranks at or near the top in several international metrics, including economic competitiveness and human development.

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Iconic Buildings to Explore in Switzerland

Aarburg Castle

The fort Aarburg belongs to Swiss architectural monuments of the first floor. The imposing complex high above the Aareknie have been founded around the year 1123 as frohburgische festival. In the early modern period, the fortress was expanded in Aarburg Bernese strong artillery. After the founding of Canton Aargau in 1803 became the property of the state and has been temporarily as cantonal prison and arsenal.

Aigle Castle

The Château d’Aigle is a historic castle with medieval origins and strong roots in the local wine industry. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Arbon Castle

Arbon Castle is a former castle and now the Historisches Museum Arbon located in the municipality of Arbon of the Canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The oldest part of the current castle is a 13th-century, originally free-standing, residential tower. It was one of the main tourist attractions in this area.

Arenenberg

Arenenberg is an estate with a small chateau, Schloss Arenenberg, in the municipality of Salenstein at the shore of Lake Constance in Thurgau, Switzerland that is famous as the final domicile of Hortense de Beauharnais. Today it houses the Napoleonmuseum. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Auenstein Castle

Castle Auenstein is located on a small cliff on the banks of the Aare. The Castle was destroyed in 1389. The ruins were owned by the canton until 1803, but were later bought privately. The castle was rebuilt to be habitable in 1858, and made into its current shape by 1929. The parish church, first mentioned in 1302, is built in the Gothic and Late Gothic styles, but has decorative elements of the Romanesque style of the 11th century. Nearby cities:

Bantiger TV Tower

Bantiger TV Tower is a 196 meter tall tower used for FM- and TV-transmission on the Bantiger mountain. The access to the deck goes via a stairway, which is not inside the tower, but in a lattice tower attached to the tower's main structure.

Basel Town Hall

The Basel Town Hall is a 500-year-old building dominating the Marktplatz in Basel, Switzerland. The Town Hall houses the meetings of the Cantonal Parliament as well as the Cantonal Government of the canton of Basel-Stadt. The Great Council Chamber at one time featured a series of frescoes painted in 1522 by Hans Holbein the Younger, which have been lost. Fragments of the work as well as some of the initial drawings are kept in the Kunstmuseum.

Basler Stadtmauer

The Gate of Spalen is a former city gate in the ancient city walls of Basel, Switzerland. One of the three remaining gateways, it is regarded as one of the most beautiful gates of Switzerland. The gate is a landmark of Basel and a heritage site of national significance.

Biberstein Castle

Biberstein Castle rises on a tuff stone spur above the steep bank of the Aare. The fortress and the courtyard separated by a ditch are supported by high substructures and terrace walls. The system forms an irregular square in plan. Only parts of the outer walls and the masonry of the former donjon preserved in the building can still be regarded as medieval buildings. The remaining walls were later redesigned several times. The masonry of the irregular building consists of limestone.

Birseck Castle

Birseck Castle is one of four castles on a slope called Birseck that confines the plain of the Birs river. The Eremitage building group that includes the castle is listed as a heritage site of national significance. Reichenstein Castle is the sister castle to Birseck and sits on a higher slope to the north.

Bischofstein Castle

Bishofstein Castle is a castle in the municipality of Sissach of the canton of Basel-Land in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance

Brasilea Stiftung

The Brasilea Foundation is an international exhibition house in Basel, Switzerland, with a focus on Brazilian artists and art that deals thematically with Brazil. The exhibition house is located in Basel's Rheinhafen directly in the three-country corner, bordering France and Germany. The collection of the founder Walter Wüthrich has been accessible to the public since 2005.

Bundesplatz

The Bundesplatz is the Government Plaza in Bern, the capital city of Switzerland. It is situated in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern. It is part of the Innere Neustadt which was built during the second expansion in 1255 to 1260, though the plaza was not built until much later. It is located in front of the Bundeshaus, the Swiss Parliament Building, and it is part of the UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site that encompasses the Old City.

Burgruine Alt-Tierstein

Alt Tierstein Castle was inhabited from the 11th century and served the Counts of Tierstein as their ancestral seat. After that, this noble family from northwestern Switzerland relocated their business to Büsserach at Neu Thierstein Castle. Older finds indicate that the place was inhabited for a very long time, around 1000 BC. The Alt Tierstein ruins are now an attractive excursion destination

Calvin Auditorium

The Calvin Auditorium or Calvin Auditory, originally the Notre-Dame-la-Neuve Chapel, is a chapel in Geneva, Switzerland, which played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. It is associated with John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox. The auditorium lies directly adjacent to St. Pierre Cathedral in the Place de la Taconnerie. The austere Gothic-style building was constructed in the 15th century, on the site of earlier 5th-century religious buildings, and was originally dedicated t

Castle and Museum Valangin

Valangin Castle is a castle in the municipality of Valangin of the Canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. It is also one of the famous tourist attractions in this area.

Castle Hallwyl

Hallwyl Castle was built in the 11th century and is one of the foremost water castles in Switzerland located at the northern end of Lake Hallwil on two islands in the Aabach creek near Seengen. It was the seat of the von Hallwyl family.

Castle of Tarasp

Tarasp Castle is a castle in Switzerland, near the former municipality of Tarasp (now Scuol), in Lower Engadin, Graubünden. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. It was one of the main historical attrition in this area and also a worth visit place. From here we an understand the Swiss architecture's intelligence.

Castles of Bellinzona

The castles of Bellinzona are one of Ticino's main attractions and, with the old walls that are still standing, are the sole medieval military complex in the Alpine region. They became part of the UNESCO World Heritage in 2000. Castelgrande, also known as Castello di San Michele or Burg Uri, is the oldest of these 13th-century castles. Two towers, Torre Nera and Torre Bianca dominate Bellinzona's Old Town. The Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Art are located in the Castelgrande.

CERN

CERN is a research institute near Geneva, Switzerland. The full name is Organisation Européene pour la Recherche Nucléaire. The letters "CERN" are leftover from the older Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire. CERN was founded in 1954. Today 22 nations are members of the organization. It is the world's biggest laboratory for particle physics. About 2600 people work there full-time, and over 7800 scientists from about 500 universities and research institutes work there in total.

Map of Iconic Buildings to explore in Switzerland