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Category: Switzerland

World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens in Switzerland

World’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge opens in Switzerland

Switzerland has opened the world’s longest suspension footbridge. It is 494 meters long.

The bridge is suspended between 1,600 meters and 2,200 meters above sea level. It is only 65 centimeters wide and goes as high as 85 meters above the ground.

Hikers, within sight of the famed mountain, the Matterhorn, and the Bernese Alps, can cross it in about 10 minutes

The bridge crosses the deepest-cut valley in Switzerland. Hikers can look down onto it through grates in the bridge.

Without the bridge, the journey previously took up to four hours.

According to Swiss reports, it took only 10 weeks to build the bridge. And the structure surpasses Germany’s “Titan-RT” as the world’s longest suspension footbridge. The « Titan-RT », which opened last month, is just over 450 meters long. It crosses Germany’s highest reservoir, the Rappbode Dam.

The Swiss bridge is also longer than the so-called « footbridge in the sky. » This bridge, built in 2014, is part of the Sochi Sky Park in Russia. It spans 439 meters and includes observation platforms looking on the mountains and the Black Sea Coast.

Montreux in July

Montreux in July

If you go from Lausanne, the motor way from Lausanne to Montreux is maybe the most beautiful motorway in the world. Lake, mountain, vineyard, tunnels and 20 mn later you are in Montreux. I want to invite you just walking at the lake promenade. Forget all and relax.

The walking path at the lake is a botanical garden with lot of plants and flowers. Stop and sit at the bench.



Montreux is situated at the extrem est side of Geneva lake. You can see french Alps

La Sarraz Castle

La Sarraz Castle

Built on a rocky spur, the castle of La Sarraz was built in 1049. Unlike most other castles, that of La Sarraz has always been the residence of the barons of La Sarraz and has never changed hands until The death of the last chatelaine in 1948. This peculiarity is its interest and its richness: it has kept the character of a dwelling inhabited and the objects it shelters have been acquired over the years.

The Castle of  La Sarraz has some of the most beautiful collections of furniture and paintings in Switzerland. Reunited by the family of Gingins in the course of their long history, they are the result of a slow and talented accumulation which is in the continuity of this lineage.

The Castle of La Sarraz reopens its doors to the visit after three years of closure, in 2017. You can now visit the castle and it is well worth it.

The first room you can visit is the living room.

Portrait of the owner

The music room

The office

The kitchen

The is a special machine to cut sugar. In the middle age sugar was in big stone.

The library

This room is maybe the most impressive room. It is unique

 

The Keep

The roof of the tower

 

Advise if you plan to visit this castle there is a free tour with a guide once a month. Each second sunday of each month at 15:00 you just need your ticket (10Fr)

Official website : Château de la Sarraz

 

 

 

Language war in Switzerland

Language war in Switzerland

Switzerland has 4 official languages : German, French, Italian and Romansh. Traditionaly, the first foreign language taught at school was a national language, German for the french part and French for the german part. But this situation is going to change.

French, English or both? Zurich is the latest canton to decide on whether to teach just one foreign language at primary schools. Pupils in the canton currently learn English from age seven and French from age 11, both during primary school. Backers of the initiative argue that if instructors carefully introduce just one language at the primary level, students will learn a second one faster in secondary school.

The vote comes at a time of increased debate in German-speaking Switzerland over how many languages should be taught to young pupils.
An emotional factor is whether international English should take precedence over the Swiss national language French, traditionally taught for reasons of national cohesion. This meant German-speakers were expected to learn French and vice versa. In French-speaking Switzerland, German is still taught before any other foreign languages.

Bulle youth meeting RJ 2017

Bulle youth meeting RJ 2017

For this 25th anniversary, the Youth Meeting (RJ) had the theme Freedom .  This Friday, May 5, 2017 in Bulle in Switzerland, thousands of young people meet to celebrate and share the message of freedom.

For the first meeting that was broadcasted with youtube,  Ben Fitzgerald shared his testimonies. He is the Leader of Awakening Europe and GODfest Ministries. He spends a lot of his time traveling abroad as an Evangelist and for several years has been a Pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California. Originally from Australia, He met Jesus in an encounter that deeply changed him late in 2002 whilst he was dealing drugs and extremely broken. Since then Ben has lived passionately about one thing, showing the world Jesus in his everyday life and taking the good news of the Kingdom to the nations. Ben loves to help people live in God’s fullness of freedom and identity and has a deep conviction that the future of nations will be transformed by radical believers living free and proclaiming Jesus boldly.

« I have never sensed such an urgent call to the Harvest as in Central Europe, it’s not like anywhere else in the world. Prague will be history in the making. »
-Ben Fitzgerald

 

 

Version française

Champvent castle in Switzerland

Champvent castle in Switzerland

Champvent Castle is located outside the village, on the farthest point of a luxuriant hill rising above the small valley between Mathod and Montagny-près-Yverdon. The building ranks among the best preserved medieval fortresses in the Lake Geneva Region. It was built in the 13th century by the powerful lords of Grandson and is a model of the « Savoy Square », i.e. it consists of a rectangular enclosure flanked by four round towers, like the one in Yverdon-les-Bains itself. One of the towers is a donjon and the dwellings behind the surrounding wall look out on a central courtyard.

Champvent Castle is well worth seeing but cannot be visited as it is a private property. It can be reached after one hour’s walk through the countryside from Essert-sous-Champvent station (train from Yverdon-les-Bains to Sainte-Croix).

Chalet in Ayer

Chalet in Ayer

Ayer is some 2 hours to the East of Geneva beyond Verbier but before Zermatt; a totally unspoilt village in the picturesque valley of the Val d’Anniviers, in the Swiss canton of Valais. Apart from the weather (300 days of sun annually), the skiing, the spectacular landscape, the local culture, the flora and the fauna makes Valais and Ayer, in particular, an exceptional holiday destination .

The roads up the Val d’Anniviers from Sierre and up to the chalets at Ayer are cleared of snow by the ever efficient Swiss and there is parking close to each of the chalets. The road ends at the chalets, so there is almost no traffic.

 

Zinal

Zinal

Zinal (Switzerland) is one of those places you admire. Whether you come for a relaxing family holiday or to conquer its mountains, ski pistes or unspoilt slopes, your verdict will be the same: Zinal is truly invigorating ! An abundance of nature, infinite sporting opportunities, historical sights, children’s activities … and above all, the mountains on your doorstep, for a holiday that has a real feeling of purity.

Chexbres and Geneva lake

Chexbres and Geneva lake

Chexbres is located at 565 m, 12 km east-southeast of the capital of the canton of Lausanne. The village covers an area east of the Forestay river, in Lavaux, a scenic location about 200 m above the lake level of Lake Geneva.