Mike Capodanno's Blog (8)

From November 26 until December 24, 2009, Montreux will host its 15th Christmas market edition. You will find yourself in the middle of a magical atmosphere with glittering lights and seductive aromas. Discover the enchanting universe of the most beautiful Christmas Market of Switzerland. More than 120 decorated chalets are charged with all kinds of presents. Attractions including a Lapland village, the village of the Father Christmas up on 2000 m altitude and musical performances will e… Continue

The Abbey of Einsiedeln

In 828 Meinrad, a Benedictine monk from Lake Constance, withdrew as a hermit to a secluded mountain valley east of Lucerne. There Meinrad lived and prayed in solitude until 861, when he was killed by bandits. St. Meinrad's retreat forms the core of th… Continue

The abbey of Romanmôtier is a marvel of Roman art. It is the largest and oldest roman church in Switzerland. It was built between 990 and 1028 by Cluniac monks, over the ruins of two previous abbeys dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries. The two-storey narthex dates from the 12… Continue

The pilgrimage to the tomb of St James in Santiago de Compostela is one of the most important spiritual traditions in Europe. The ViaJacobi, part of the European Way of St James, goes from Lake Constance to Geneva – from one end of Switzerland to the other. Chapels, churches and inn… Continue

"There are times when retreating is necessary. Retreating from the precipitance and the daily grind. At times like these, a place to come to rest is needed. Some places are destined for this. A little remote, but not lonely. Reduced to the essential, but not sparse. The Cloister Ka… Continue

According to legend, Charlemagne discovered the graves of the city's martyrs Felix and Regula and had a church build as a choristers' cloister on the spot. Construction work on the present building began around 1100. In the first half of the 16th century the Grossmünster was the starting point of the Swiss-German Reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli and Heinrich Bullinger. The theological college then annexed to t… Continue

The history of the Convent of St. John in Müstair dates back over 1,200 years. The convent is inhabited by Benedictine nuns to this day and was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983. The convent is the most significant church dating from the last millennium in Switzerland and possesses the largest fresco cycle of the early Middle Ages preserved to this day. Further information: Kloster St. Johann CH-7537 M… Continue

St-Cergue (Lake Geneva Region): Saturday, September 27, 2008. The Alpine descent of the cattle is a colourful autumn tradition in many mountain and rural regions of Switzerland. And one of the most colourful of all takes place in the village of St. Cergue. The spectacle always attracts an enthusiastic following from among the local population and holidaymakers. It is a particularly popular attraction for families wi… Continue