by Gabrielle Cavegn
(to read Part One Click Here)
Westschweiz / The French part of Switzerland
In this part of Switzerland, people mostly speak French, and the lifestyle is much closer to the one of our neighbours in France, but English will do well too.
Yverdon / Menhires of Clendy
On a freezing cold but perfectly sunny Sunday in February 2025, I travelled to the shores of the Neuenburgersee in Yverdon. It was my first encounter with standing stones ever and I had read a lot about it in the weeks before. In my naivety I expected signs to lead the way to the alignment of Clendy and queues at the entrance. Well, reality was a bit different! I missed the bus stop since no one else was in there with me. I had to walk back through deserted streets until I finally found the sign that let me to the shores of the lake. I knew the stones were near the lake, but no sign could be found. I had to ask the few people that crossed my way on this cold Sunday morning and mostly they had never heard of the stones. I couldn’t believe it! Finally, someone had a guess and after a short walk through a wooded marsh I found myself face to face with the very impressive menhirs of Clendy. My odyssey was rewarded. I had the place all to myself and could absorb the quiet but serene atmosphere. The stones had long been covered under the waters of the lake of Neuchâtel, and their actual arrangement is a bit arbitrarily. Nevertheless, I felt the power radiating from the stones and my heart was pounding happily in my chest for joy of having accomplished my quest. It was the beginning of my love story with the standing stones that hopefully will last for many more years to come.
On my way back, I ignored the bus and took a walk along the shore of the lake that took me back to the station. The lake of Neuchâtel is the biggest lake that lies entirely within the borders of Switzerland and in summer attracts many people with public beaches and water sports of all kinds. Yverdon has a beautiful old town and recently I also discovered Neuenburg with its nearly Mediterranean flair. Worth a visit too!
Yverdon can be reached by train within 2 hours from Zürich Main Station. You then go to the public beach with its restaurant with splendid views on the lake and offers of local fish dishes. Don’t forget to taste the local white wine. It’s very yummy! The alignment of the menhirs is not far from there and you probably find it best with the help of your cell phone and/or the friendly people. Don’t be shy, they usually like to be of service. An elderly woman I met on my way was so happy I had asked her, she even showed me her secret favourite spot on the shoreline.
www.yverdonlesbainsregion.ch/de/poi/menhire-von-clendy/
www.plageyverdon.com/
Tessin / Switzerland’s South
When you have crossed the Gotthard, you have arrived in the canton Tessin or Ticino as it is called here, since most people speak Italian. The further you travel south, the more Mediterranean the landscape and the weather get. This region is the sunniest in Switzerland and therefore attracts many people from all around the world. The famous tourist spots Ascona and Locarno are located on the shores of the Lago Maggiore that borders Italy. And the way of life here seems a lot more Italian than Swiss. The promenades with restaurants and little shops in the picturesque old towns make you feel like you’re on holiday all year round, though in winter it’s much quieter and a lot of shops and restaurants are closed. From Spring till Autumn, you always must expect crowds, especially when the weather is fine and over the weekends. Nevertheless, it’s worth a visit if you can spend some time. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been, and you can easily get from Zürich Main Station to Locarno within a little over 3 hours.
My grandparents have lived in the Tessin near its capital Bellinzona, which is famous for its old town and three castles. When I was a child, I spent most holidays with them and for me it was my Garden of Eden. It was much less popular and less populated then and to travel there took about twice of the time of today. I spent most of my days in their large garden with palm trees, figure trees, camelias and the little emerald green lizards that are native to this region. They also took me to the valleys of the rivers Maggia and Verzasca and to the small villages hidden in the heavily wooded mountains. Every day was an adventure, and I have many fond memories of these happy times. But it was only some years ago that I discovered a place I had never been before and that I want to tell you about:
Monte Verità / Ascona
Ascona can get very crowdy on weekends and in high season. But there’s an escape on its doorstep. Right in the middle of the old town, steep steps lead you up the mountain. It takes about 20 minutes until you have reached the hilltop of the Monte Verità. Take your time to stop in between and have a look over the glittering lake at your feet. With every step the sound of the busy little town gets quieter and when you enter the wood that covers the Monte Verità, you suddenly feel in a very different place although you’re only some steps away from the crowds. Let yourself be enveloped in the beauty of the lush green tea gardens that receive you. There’s a little tea pavilion where you can have far eastern tea ceremonies while sitting on the small terrace overlooking the Lago Maggiore with its tiny white spots of boats. It’s perfectly peaceful and it seemed appropriate I read some of my first Gwersi in this dreamlike spot.
During the first decades of the 20th century, the Monte Verità was a famous meeting place for reformers, pacifists, vegetarians (not very popular at the time), artists, writers and followers of different alternative movements of these days. The remains of this past can be seen in the museum Casa Anatta and in the public surrounding parc. You can still feel the energy of the place and that’s why I try to visit every time when I’m near. It’s like a green oasis and a reminder of a nearly forgotten past. If you’d like to have a foretaste, I’d advise you to watch the film “Monte Verità – Der Rausch der Freiheit” (2021) from Stefan Jäger. It captures some of the beauty and atmosphere of the place.
Ascona can be reached by train and bus from Zürich Main Station within about 3 ½ hours. If you can’t make the steps to the “Monte Verità”, there’s also a local bus that takes you there.
If you have a few days on your hands to spend in the Tessin, I strongly recommend the book “Orte der Kraft im Tessin” by Claudio Andretta. Although I’ve known this part of Switzerland since childhood, it gave me so many new ideas that I probably will have to save some for my next life ;0).
www.monteverita.org/en
www.at-verlag.ch/autoren/1148002/Claudio_Andretta.html.
Graubünden / The mountains in the East
We now travel east to the Kanton Graubünden, where many people still speak Rätoromanisch, an old language that has lost its importance over the years but nowadays gets more popular again. If you have time, spend some days in this beautiful mountainous area. It’s well worth it.
The capital of Graubünden is Chur. It can be reached by train form Zürich Main Station within an easy 75 minutes. In the old town you can feel the rich history of the place at every corner. From Chur, the famous yellow Swiss postbus takes you within a little over one hour up to our first station.
Falera / Parc La Mutta
Falera is a small mountain village at the end of a road that leads up all the way from Chur. During winter, it is well known for skiing but otherwise there’s not a lot of tourism going on. What makes this place extraordinary is the Parc la Mutta. High above the Rhine Valley and south of the village lies a moraine hill that shows remains of the Bronze Age. 36 Menhirs lay strewn widely over an area of about 400 meters. It is the biggest alignment of this kind ever found in Switzerland.
When I left the postbus on a brilliant October weekend last year, I was immediately blown away by the sight of the panorama with the many stones in front of the high mountains and the deep blue sky. From the balcony of my holiday let I had a splendid view of the Parc La Mutta that was an easy walk of about 10 minutes away. A round course leads through the small wood that somehow seems to belong to another landscape than the rest of the place. Next to many stone rows that are placed according to astronomical insights, there are also stones that show signs of human treatment and that probably have been used for ceremonies and rites.
When I entered the parc, it felt like entering the fairy realms of another world. Maybe it was the perfect golden light of late autumn, the crystal clear mountain air, the yellow birch leaves against the deep blue sky, the spicy scent of mountain herbs or just the fact that I was all alone amidst those impressive witnesses of a long gone but still very vibrant past that put me in a trancelike state of mind. Before I had set out for the round course through the parc, I had bought a book in the small grocery store in the middle of the village. Since I stayed for one night only, for the first time in my life I had left home without a book. This was a difficult decision for me, but otherwise my small rucksack would have been too heavy. So, when I discovered a staple of books of a local writer next to the cash register, I did not have to think twice about buying this fictional story that was set in the Parc La Mutta. As soon as I’d found the first bench, I sat in the sun and began to read. I was quite blown away when on the first pages I learned that the main character of the story was a young woman in training to become a Druid! From then on, there were several synchronicities nearly unbelievable. I read about a certain stone and noticed I was sitting right in front of that very stone. I always seemed to be some time ahead of the story, just to read on the next pages what I had experienced right before. I spent the whole day in a dreamlike state, walking between the now and the past, real life and the story I was reading.
The next morning, after having said my farewells to the parc, I took the postbus back to Chur. I had some spare time left and wanted to see the bronze needle that had been found in the Parc La Mutta and that was on the cover of my book. I was searching my way through the labyrinth of small alleys in Chur to the Raetisches Museum, losing myself in the beauty and the history of the town. I was the only visitor at the museum and therefore had a little chat with the lady at the entrance. I was impressed by the beautiful artefacts on display, but due to the wonderful weather I left early. When I sat in the train that brought me back to Zürich, I continued to read. I had to supress a laughter when I read that the protagonist of my story entered the postbus from Falera to Chur to visit the bronze needle in the Raetisches Museum and talked to the nice lady at the entrance. Must I point out to you it was the same lady I had talked to, Miss Bundi?
The book «Der Wandel der Zeit» from Paula Casutt-Vincenz is written in German and the local language “Romanisch”. But even without the book, Falera and the Parc La Mutta are worth a visit. I’m sure the place holds a unique story for everyone who visits this amazing place with an open mind and heart.
www.parclamutta.falera.net
www.raetischesmuseum.gr.ch
Peninsula Chasté, Sils, Engadin
The Engadin is a wide valley in the high mountains of the south part of Graubünden. It is most famous for the sophisticated St. Moritz, but even this can not diminish the beauty of the place. In nearby Sils the atmosphere is already very different, and the landscape is just breathtaking. If St. Moritz is famous for the rich and beautiful of this world, Sils can compete with its rich history of artists, painters, musicians, writers and philosophers that have lived and worked here. Giovanni Segantini, Friedrich Nietzsche, Hermann Hesse, Rainer Maria Rilke, Thomas Mann, William Faulkner, Marcel Proust, Annemarie Schwarzenbach and many more have been inspired by this incredible landscape that unites the grandeur of high mountains and the light of the south.
In between Sils Maria and Sils Baselgia lies the peninsula Chasté that reaches far into the crystal-clear waters of the Silsersee. If ever there was a place on earth that I’d associate with the term “eternity” it would be this very spot. Here lie the ashes of my mother and hopefully one day mine will too before departing for the next journey. Gnarled Swiss stone pines and fine needled larches that turn a luminous yellow in autumn cover most of the peninsula and line the rocky shores. The air is full of their resinous scent and with a little luck you can find sweet blueberries at the end of the summer. There are idyllic picnic tables and benches with scenic views. Take a seat and maybe you get a glimpse of the eagle diving into the waters of the lake to come out rejuvenated again (if only in your imagination) or watch the small boat of the highest public shipping company go by that takes you from Sils to Maloja at the south end of the Silsersee within 40 minutes.
At the southernmost point of the Chasté stands the “Nietzsche-Stone”. It was erected in the year of the philosopher’s death in 1900 in his memory. Verses from “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” are carved into the memorial plaque:
“Oh Mensch, gib acht!
Was spricht die tiefe Mitternacht?
Ich schlief, ich schlief,
Aus tiefem Traum bin ich erwacht.
Die Welt ist tief,
Und tiefer als der Tag gedacht.
Tief ist ihr Weh,
Lust – tiefer noch als Herzeleid.
Weh spricht: Vergeh!
Doch alle Lust will Ewigkeit,
Will tiefe, tiefe Ewigkeit. ”
“O man! Pay attention!
What does the deep midnight say?
,I slept, I slept,
From a deep dream I have awakened.
The world is deep,
And deeper than the day imagined.
Deep is it woe,
Pleasure – deeper ever than heartache.
Woe says: Pass away!
But all pleasure desires eternity,
Desires deep, deep eternity.”
On the way back to the bus stop you may like to have a coffee at the Grond Café in Sils Maria. You must try the “Silserkugeln”, a sweet speciality made of chocolate, meringue, marzipan and a chocolate truffle at the centre. A natural phenomenon gave it its name: In late autumn, balls of needles of the Larch trees are formed at the shores of the Silsersee and float in the shallow waters. But special weather conditions are needed and the real “Silserkugeln” cannot be found every year. Luckily, their sweet sisters and brothers at the Grond Café do not depend on weather conditions ;0).
Sils can be reached by train and and bus from Zürich Main Station within 3 ½ hours. Hotels and holiday lets are expensive in this region. If you like to treat yourself, have a look at the Hotel Waldhaus in Sils. If you like it a little more modest, there’s a very romantic camping ground in Maloja at the south end of the Silsersee.
www.sils.ch/de/guide/kraft-der-natur/halbinsel-chaste
www.waldhaus-sils.ch
www.camping-maloja.ch
I hope I have encouraged you to get to know the small but varied country of mountains, rivers and lakes of extraordinary beauty that I call home.
It’s only one step away…
«Mut» – ein Gedicht von Martin Walser, deutscher Schriftsteller
Mut gibt es gar nicht. Sobald man überlegt, wo man ist, ist man schon an einem bestimmten Punkt.
Man muss nur den nächsten Schritt tun. Mehr als den nächsten Schritt kann man überhaupt nicht tun.
Wer behauptet, er wisse den übernächsten Schritt, lügt. So einem ist auf jeden Fall mit Vorsicht zu begegnen.
Aber wer den nächsten Schritt nicht tut, obwohl er sieht, dass er ihn tun könnte, tun müsste, der ist feig.
Der nächste Schritt ist nämlich immer fällig. Der nächste Schritt ist nämlich nie ein grosses Problem. Man weiss ihn genau.
Eine andere Sache ist, dass er gefährlich werden kann. Nicht sehr gefährlich. Aber ein bisschen gefährlich kann auch der fällige nächste Schritt werden.
Aber wenn du ihn tust, wirst du dadurch, dass du erlebst, wie du ihn dir zugetraut hast, auch Mut gewinnen.
Während du ihn tust, brichst du nicht zusammen, sondern fühlst dich gestärkt. Gerade das Erlebnis, dass du einen Schritt tust, den du dir nicht zugetraut hast, gibt dir ein Gefühl von Stärke.
Es gibt nicht nur die Gefahr, dass du zu viel riskierst, es gibt auch die Gefahr, dass du zu wenig riskierst.
Dem Gehenden schiebt sich der Weg unter die Füsse.
The path unfolds beneath the feet of the walker.
