ZIWA

Switzerland on a budget

Guide No. 5




Even though the Swiss Franc is high, it's still possible to enjoy Zürich and Switzerland without spending a fortune. Look no further than this ten-part series to discover the cheapest train deals, bathing and boat trips and picnic sites, walking tours, cycling and bike hire, gardens and parks, animals and nature, outdoor activities and family days out, beauty spots, historical buildings, shopping suggestions and arts and entertainment, and other activities and Swiss traditions that don't cost a penny.

Plus we will publish a walking tour or sightseeing tips from our members on one of our many beautiful Swiss towns ... every week or so.

Churches and monasteries

Many Swiss churches have plain interiors since the Reformation, but there are still many that are worth a visit and don't cost anything: they can also tell you a great deal about the history of Switzerland.

  • Zürich Grossmünster (ZH) with its twin towers dominating the skyline was founded by Charlemagne in the late 8th century on the graves of martyrs Felix and Regula. Here, too, the Reformation priest Zwingli preached. Visit the crypt, see the cloisters, climb the tower (a small charge) and note the Romanesque door and the Giacometti windows.


  • Zürich Fraumünster (ZH) dates back to 853 when King Ludwig founded the church as a convent for his daughter Hildegard. The Chagall windows are particularly memorable, and the recently renovated cloisters feature frescoes telling the city's early history.


  • Einsiedeln (SZ) is a fine example of Baroque architecture and a Benedictine monastery and pilgrimage site. The church interior is very elaborate and also contains a statue of a Black Madonna, said to have miraculous powers. The abbey library can be visited by appointment.


  • Hofkirche Luzern (LU). Dating back to the 12th century, this impressive church was rebuilt in the Renaissance style.


  • Franciscan Church, Bern (BE). This is Bern's oldest church, originally a monastery before it was taken over by the French Huguenots. The Münster in Bern is also impressive as a great Gothic cathedral, the tallest church in Switzerland.


  • Cathedral Notre- Dame, Lausanne (VD). Another early Gothic cathedral dating back to the 12th century on a Roman and Carolingian site. It was formerly a Catholic church which became Protestant after the Reformation. The tower view is worth a visit.


  • Münster, Basel (BS). This monumental cathedral was built in the 8th century, and rebuilt in the 12th and 14th centuries after an earthquake. During the Reformation in the 16th century it was stripped of all it decoration, but some frescoes and stained glass windows remain. The cloisters and crypt are also worth exploring. The tomb of Erasmus is here.


  • Botta's church, Mogno, Locarno (TI). Built in 1990 by the Ticinese architect, this church was built in a tiny hamlet after an earthquake in 1986. It has a striking marble checkerboard interior.


  • Kloster Fahr, near Zurich (ZH). A Benedictine nunnery with 26 nuns still in residence. The garden is beautiful.


  • Karthause Ittingen (TG). A former Carthusian monastery, now converted to a conference centre and museum. Entrance to the beautiful gardens is free, you can see the old roses and the herb garden, enter the church and the labyrinth, the restaurant is very nice and prices reasonable, and the shop sells local produce including the famous Ittinger beer. Near Frauenfeld, ample car parking.


  • St. John's Church Mustair (GR). In a very remote corner of Switzerland, this church is the country's oldest and is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Be sure to ring ahead if you plan to visit.


  • Kappel am Albis (ZH) (Paola).
    'Originally a Cistercian monastery built in the 11th century. In a beautiful location: amazing view of the lake of Zug and the Alps (in good weather), and amazing buildings - the church and cloister are still in the original medieval forms, while the monastery was rebuilt in the 16th century and has been lovingly restored in recent times (with the original furniture still there in a very tasteful mix with some very modern, design pieces).

    Actually, the monastery has been brought to a new life as congress centre, but you are free to visit every corner of this place and open all the doors (unless of course the rooms are in use for lessons or conferences). They also organize some guided tours of the whole complex.

    www.tagungszentren.ch/infrastruktur/kappel.htm
    www.klosterkappel.ch/content/index_ger.html

    I love this place: it is so beautiful and peaceful - and the people running the monastery/conference centre are so nice (it is not just a commercial thing - you can feel there is more to it!)
    You can also eat in the cellar of the monastery - they offer quite an interesting menu using the products they grow themselves (the monastery has farms - like in the monks' times.)'

    How to get to Kappel am Albis: the easiest way is by car, but you can get there also by bus from Affoltern am Albis, or from Thalwil with a change in Hausen am Albis.

    For people interested in Swiss history: Kappel am Albis was the site of the 16th century wars between the Protestant and Catholic cantons and the so-called "Milchsuppe" peace that followed.
    Zwingli lived here few years and died in a farm still there in a village nearby (a visit to this village is well worth the 10 minutes' walk from Kappel).




Be your own tour guide!

No need to pay for an expensive guided tour; you can take a tour of the main sights in any major Swiss city with the help of a good guide book and a street map.

The following towns are worth a visit: click on the links for extra information from our members.

You can also visit the Swiss Parliament on a guided tour.

In coming weeks, discover these cities:

  • St. Gallen cathedral area
  • Schaffhausen
  • Chur
  • Bellinzona
  • Murten

Plus why not explore on your own these lovely towns and cities:
  • Geneva - see www.geneva.info
  • Fribourg - a medieval town on the French/German language border
  • Appenzell - an old-fashioned town
  • Lugano - gateway to three lakes
  • Locarno - on Lago Maggiore
  • And more ...




Compiled by Julia Newton, 2 September 2011


With contributions from Amy Eber, Colin Hawker, Ewelina Pace, Gill Rüttimann, Helga Meyer-Piening, Lindsey Carver, Otto Schreibke, Paola Cavallari, Sue Poolman, Trudi MacDonald ,Valerie Quiblier.



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