Kleine Scheidegg, Switzerland

It didn't take long for people to figure out that this was a special place. On the Wengernalp Railway ride up the mountain, the views became increasingly good of the mountain range. Still, the reaction upon reaching the destination of Kleine Scheidegg was priceless. Everyone got off the train, took in the atmosphere ... and reached for a camera. 

The catch, naturally, is that the feeling can't be captured in a photograph. The mountains are too close, too overwhelming for that. But you do have to try.

The mountain pass is about 6,700 feet up, and it feels like it .... particularly for those who walk up a hill to gain a better perspective of the area. This is the center for some winter sports like skiing, and there's a store available to handle those needs. Hotels, restaurants and shops are also around. There are trails back down to the villages below, and they seem pretty popular in the summer.

The train station not only takes visitors from one end of the pass to the other. It also carries tourists to the top of Jungfrau. It is the highest rail station in Europe, and thus takes the name "The Top of Europe." The Eiger is on the left; you can see how steep it is and why it wasn't climbed until the 1930s. It also was the setting for the Clint Eastwood movie, "The Eiger Sanction." Munch mountain is in the middle. From Kleine Scheidegg, you can see the rail depot on Jungfrau.

It costs about $200 to go from the small villages below all the way up to Jungfrau. That might have been nice in different circumstances. No one from our group, though, complained about not making the last step of the journey. Kleine Scheidegg was unforgettable.   

Here's how it looks at the end of winter:

Wengen, Switzerland

Wengen is a village located in the mountains above Lauterbrunnen. It normally has something like 1,300 residents who are around for the entire year. But about 5,000 people are there in the summer, and it doubles to 10,000 in the winter. Cars are not allowed here. About the only way to get there is by train.

As you'd expect, the skiing is good up here. A World Cup event is staged here annually. Such races date back to about 100 years, thanks to the effort of British visitors. 

We didn't get to see much of the place during our visit, since we were headed up the mountain. This helps fill in the details:

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

There may be a few places to live more scenic than Lauterbrunner. A few. But not many.

It is tucked between some mountains and rocks, and 72 - that's right, 72! - waterfalls dot the landscape. No wonder the name comes from "many fountains."

Some people think of this of the point where they head up higher into the mountains. But this is a fine destination on its own merits. Tourism, which obviously had problems in the first half of the 20th century, has rebounded since the end of World War II. Some of the visitors even decided to stay. 

A video of the area ought to be good, and it is.

Brienz, Switzerland

Time should be budgeted in Switzerland for a decent stop at one of the little villages in the midst of the Alps. Brienz is one such place. It is located on Lake Brienz, and the scenery is spectacular. 

This started as a farming community. Along the way, some of the residents began to practice wordcarving as another way to earn money. They got good at it, as you'd expect. Brienz is now famous for that particular craft.

This is a great place for a walk along the waterfront. It combines two of the most popular features of the city - the lake views and wood carving. Most of the artistic work is quite happy; it's difficult not to pose for a photo with two guys laughing. But the photo shown here also gets those ideas across. The main street of the village, Brunngasse, is considered to be one of the most beautiful streets in Europe, with its mostly 18th century homes.

One of the travel sites describes this as "Where the Alps Dip Their Feet." That's a pretty nice way of putting it.  

While we are here, we should go for a boat ride.

Lungern, Switzerland

Group tour usually are known to keep a tight schedule. After all, there are a lot of moving parts in organizing a long trip for dozens of people. It's nice, then, when the tour director decides to make a little stop along the way.

Our bus filled with Americans certainly knew about the concept of the highway overlook. Such stops break up the long drive a bit and provide some unexpected moments. It's difficult to imagine that any of them topped this view from the roadsize in the middle of Switzerland. You might want to click on the photo to expand it.

Lungern was very isolated until 1861, when a road was built that went over the Brunig Pass. A railroad out in 1888 followed. The population currently is said to be a little more than 2,000. The demographics skew old, as you might expect. The unemployment rate at last count was 0.6 percent. 

We didn't get any closer to the village than this. But you can. Beware of the spelling error at the beginning.

Vitznau, Switzerland

Vitznau isn't a big place - it checks in with a population around 1,500 - but you can't beat the location. While references to the place go back about 1,000 years, it seemed to catch the world's attention in the 19th century. That's when the tourists started to arrive. It led to the construction of the Park Hotel Vitznau in 1903. That resort was built to fit in with the countryside, and it succeeds nicley. 

If you want to explore the region around Lake Lucerne, this is a good place to begin if you want to be away from crowd. The most popular trip probably is going up Mount Rigi, with its fabulous views of the surrounding area.

Rigi Kaltbad, Switzerland

This area is technically part of Weggis, although it goes by this name. The area is located about 4,700 feet above sea level, and the ridge on Mount Rigi has become a resort area. The hotel dominates the spot, although a few other businesses share the land. No cars are allowed in the area.

There are two ways to get here, and both are gentle and easy. One is to take the cable car from Weggis, and the other is to take the railroad from Vitznau. (The rail line does go higher.) We did both, going up one and coming back down the other. The higher we went, the more Lake Lucerne came into focus. Upon arrival, everyone rushed from the cable car "station" to an overlook in front of the hotel in order to see what was below. The photo reflects that view. Nice.

Rigi Kaltbad, Switzerland: Catholic Chapel in the Rocks

According to legend, three sisters banded together and tried to move to an isolated location to avoid overlords who wanted to abduct them. They chose this part of Switzerland. They led a quiet, pious life. When the last of them died, a spring is said to have with healing properties. Kaltbad translates to "cold bath." 

The first chapel on the site was built in 1585, and the spot received a new building about 200 years later. Someone usually stops by every day to pray and light a candle. With a fabulous location overlooking Lake Lucerne, this is a popular spot for weddings. The chapel can hold about 120. A cemetery is nearby. 

Weggis, Switzerland

Weggis isn't in the middle of Switzerland, but it's close enough for our concerns. The village is located on the north side of Lake Lucerne, It can be reached by car if you feel like driving around the lake. A better alternative is to hop on a boat that goes between Weggis and Lucerne. On a sunny day, the views are excellent.

Weggis was rather independent in its early years, and was an ally of the Swiss Confederacy around 1332. When the town was more or less sold to Lucerne in 1380, the good people of Weggis weren't happy. For about 300 years, they were involved in the odd act of rebellion. Then in the peasant war of 1653, Weggis actually took the side of Lucerne ... which calmed the situation down a little. In 1798, Weggis became its own village again. 

It has a population somewhere around 4,000. Weggis has a hotel management school, and at one point it was said that more than 200 Chinese students were enrolled there. The biggest celebrity associated with Weggis probably is Rachmaninoff. He lived in the area for much of the 1930s, leaving in 1939 because of World War II. (Me, I would have stayed put.) Rachmaninoff wrote "Rhapsody on a a Theme of Paganini" in 1934 and "Symphony No. 3" in 1936. 

Weggis, Switzerland: Sennenchilbi Weggis

(Welcome to post No. 1,500 on this site.)

Visitors arriving in Weggis soon find a nice little green area near the waterfront. Then they soon find this.

What is "this?" It takes a little knowledge of the local language to figure it out. The first work translates to "Alpine Dairy Company." Thus begins a charming story about a collective in Weggis.

In 1686, foot-and-mouth disease was a huge problem for the farmers of the region. Livestock was dying off, and the owners were in financial difficulty. They banded together, hoping that God would help them overcome such diseases. 

About 300 people belong to the association these days, and they aren't all farmers. They simply are residents who want to help each other; I guess you could call it to the service clubs of America. Every five years they get together for the Sennenchilbi. There is plenty of celebrating, but the members also gather and vow again to stand together when times aren't so good. 

The official website has a photo of the officers in front of the oversized bucket above, as they prepared for the gathering in November 2022. I'd like to see the cow that needs that big of a container.

Lucerne, Switzerland

How to describe Lucerne, certainly one of the great places on the planet to visit? Let's put it this way. Picture placing Beverly Hills, with all its affluence, at the edge of Glacier National Park, with all its natural beauty. Yeah, that will do it. 

This is located in the foothills of the Alps. Despite what you might be thinking about the weather, Lucerne doesn't receive a heck of a lot of snow. It's too low. The city receives 18 inches of snow per year, and some years hasn't seen more than a few flakes. But at least the snow isn't far away. 

There are a ton of attractions here despite its relatively small size (82,000 people or so). As this view from the hill shows, it's hard to imagine a better setting for anything. Surely you'll want to spend a few minutes looking around. (Note: the last two minutes of video show a blank screen, literally.)

Lucerne, Switzerland: Church of St. Leodegar

This has been the setting for a church for a long time. How about 735? The Roman basilica lasted about 900 years before it was consumed with fire. Ouch. So a new one was built on that spot. It's the parish church for Lucerne, and was built right in the middle of the Renaissance.

The view from the towers of the waterfront must be particularly nice, even if you need to climb some stairs simply to get to the main entrance - let alone go higher up.

The literature about the place indicates that it has had something of a "storm machine" in place since 1862. It creates the sound of a thunderstorm inside the church. That must be amazing to hear.  

 

Lucerne, Switzerland: Chateau Gutsch

From most places in the center of Lucerne, you can look to the south and west in the hills and see a hotel acting as if it were the lord and master of the area. It must have a commanding view of the area, and so it does. 

That's certainly a reason why the Chateau Gutsch is a destination for visitors, short-term and long term. The hill is named Gutsch, and an inn first went on that piece of property in 1859. The place was expanded when a new owner took over in 1879, only to see it go up in flames nine years later. It was remodeled and reopened in 1901. 

The place picked up another facelift in 2012. Supposedly a Russian has control of the place in 2022. Considering what was going on with Ukraine at the time, he is said to be downplaying his national heritage. Good idea. 

Visitors are welcome to tour the grounds. There's a short train up a steep hill from street level to the hotel; you may even have a goat see you off for the return trip (we did). There's a nice walking trail behind the facility. If you're lucky, you can even take a look around the facility - which is elegant.

Let's go for a ride.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Spreuer Bridge

The Chapel Bridge seems to get all of the attention in Lucerne. Still, the Spreuer Bridge takes a back seat to no one. It's just as covered and about as old and significant as its more famous neighbor.

Part of the bridge first went up in the 1200, but it didn't go all the way across the Reuss River until 1406. It was the only place where chaff could go into the river, because it would float down the river and away from the downtown area.

A flood came along in 1566, and they had to start over. This bridge, like the Chapel Bridge, has triangular frames on top of the walking area. Paintings - 45 of the original 67 are still up there - are there for walkers to enjoy. The stories are a little bleak; the idea was that there is no place where death isn't a constant companion. I've heard of better thoughts for themes for bridges.

Lucerne, Switzerland: KKL Luzern

The full name of this place is the Luzern Culture and Congress Centre, and it certainly fulfills a lot of the cultural needs of the city. It has a symphony hall that seats almost 2,000, a couple of smaller halls, a museum, restaurant, cafeteria and administrative areas.

It's also a spectacular building that is located right on the waterfront. The roof seems to float over the patio, leading to the question "What's holding it up?" More importantly, it reflects the lake nicely. 

We turned up on the grounds one night, and a concert was going on. It was intermission, so some well-dressed patrons came outside to stretch their legs. It looked like a perfect setting. 

It would have been nice to walk through the place during our visit. This must do instead.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Railway Station

Stick Americans in Europe long enough, and they'll get around to admiring the train system there. They are fast, organized, easy and efficient. The reason is that Europeans have a higher population density than their American counterparts, and it makes it easier to take the train that to drive in many cases. The European plan only works in certain places on this side of the pond, such as the area between Boston and Washington.

Lucerne first got into the train business in 1856. It helps the city's commerce, as it was a link between boat traffic from Lake Lucerne from the Alps and the northern part of the country. A new station went up in 1896, and quickly became a popular destination. The facility is located right by the point where the lake turns into a river; it doesn't get more convenient than that. It stayed that way until 1971, when a major fire broke out. The railway station was more or less destroyed. 

Temporary facilities were rushed into service, and eventually Lucerne got around to thinking about something new. In 1991, the new place opened up. Not only is it a great place for trains, but there's something of a small mall in the basement. A supermarket is a highlight; it's a great place to buy reasonably priced food (unless you prefer the $22 hamburgers a couple of hundred feet away). A bookstore also was a nice surprise.

The developers made one interesting decision in the new project. They left the entrance to the old building up; it had survived the fire. It's not connected to the new place, which has a slightly smaller footprint on the ground. The gate is actually in a plaza across the street, which is where the major area for bus traffic is located. 

I'm not counting on many people watching a 5-minute video on a train station. But it's here if you want it.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Rosengart Collection Museum

Siegfried Rosengart was an art dealer who lived from 1894 to 1985. Along the way he became friends with Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. Before he knew, he had quite a collection of works from some very famous artists.

From there, the collection - which included a large amount of art from Paul Klee - went on public display in 2002. A building originally used by the Swiss National Bank was converted into an art gallery. Whole floors are devoted to Picasso and Klee, but the top floor is used for everyone else. 

Lucerne, Switzerland: Museggmauer

City walls were popular several hundred years ago in Europe. Most countries weren't fully developed yet, and you never knew who might show up and invade your territory. So ... call in the builders.

Lucerne was no different. It built a good-sized wall during the 1200s. That includes the Chapel Bridge; you can notice the tower in the middle of the river. But that wasn't quite good enough. Between 1370 and 1420, the Musegg Wall went up. Happily, most of it is still up. Nine of the 10 towers remain; the 10th and part of the wall and a gate were dismantled in 1860.

Here's the fun part: You can still walk along the wall, at least partly. Some of the towers are even open to the public, although the stairs are a little sleep and small folks will have an easier time getting around. The walkway isn't particularly narrow, and it's not a place for fun and games either. Still, if you can handle a little effort, the views of the city are excellent.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Bourbaki Panorama

Part of the French Army had just lost a major battle at the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. They were by most standards, a mess.

What to do? March into Switzerland.

They couldn't carry everything, though. They left 11,000 horses, 1,150 wagons, 285 artillery pieces, 7,200 rifles and 64,000 bayonets behind. The commanders picked the right place. The Swiss took care of them for six weeks, and sent them back to France. 

Five years later, a group of artists got to work on a huge circular painting of the internment. It came out as the Bourbaki Panorama, and it's been in Lucerne since 1889. The idea is to put the viewer right in the middle of a scene, and the illusion is aided by some objects nearby. 

Circular paintings are rather rare as these things go. This turned out to be a little too big in some ways, as it has lost about a third of its size and now checks in about 30 feet high. It continues to succeed in its goals, that of showing the horrors of war and the generosity of the Swiss. 

It takes a big building to hold a painting so big. We must go inside.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Lion Monument

This monument has become famous around the world, and deservedly so. Mark Twain called it, "the most mournful and moving piece of rock in the world." It's probably still true. It's quite a thrill to see this quality of work in person. 

It comes with a story. Swiss soldiers were assigned to protect a palace in Paris during the French Revolution. About 760 soldiers died in the incident, and another 200 died in other action. It was decided that a monument was needed, and money began to be collected in 1818. A few residents didn't think it was appropriate to back a monument to remember those killed protecting a foreign monarchy; even then the Swiss zealously guarded neutrality. Eventually, they were outvoted and the work was done, and it opened for viewing in 1821. The lion has been hit by a spear, and he's guarding shields from the French and Swiss armies.  

About 1.4 million tourists come to this park setting to view it. And there's one other thing you should know about this. Take a good look at the outline of the "cave" that the lion is sitting in. Looks like a pig, doesn't it? Apparently, the artist and city disagreed about something along the way, and that was his revenge.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Alpineum

Back in 1885, Ernst Hodel Sr. purchased a building near the lion carving in Lucerne. The goal was to start a museum dedicated to the Alps ... and big enough to hold the major works of art.

It took until 1901, but finally Hodel's dream came true. The paintings inside fill up more than 500 square meters. The business is still in the family as of 2022. It's a little surprising that this isn't listed in the sights and tours section of the city guidebook.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Schwanenplatz

This is a relatively small square in Old Town, but it's right on the waterfront and serves as a great gateway to the rest of the area. The mass transit outlets usually make a stop here. There are plenty of places to buy food, watches, jewelry, knives, etc. in this part of town. 

See the Bachmann in the bottom right of the building? Lots of baked goods, sandwiches, and chocolate are there. They have stores all over Lucerne. I dare you to go in there and not buy something. 

Lucerne, Switzerland: Restaurant Fritschi

If a restaurant has been around since 1602, it probably is doing something right. The Fritschi Restaurant qualifies. It serves Swiss food, and caters mostly to the tourist crowd. As one website said, you are unlikely to bump into a local here. No doubt the outside lures people in.

The In Your Pocket city guide had this to say about the place: "The restaurant name refers to the legend of Brother Fritschi who left some money to the Safran guild on condition that during carnival they serve wine to the poor for free. Now that's a good deed!"

Lucerne, Switzerland: Peter's Chapel

The land here has been used for religious purposes since the 1100s. In fact, you may hear from guides that it was the first building to go up in the town. Historians doubt that,.

However, the place got a complete makeover in the 1700s. Those who have visited it say it's nice, quiet place, and worth a stop.

Sorry about the truck in the photo. 

Lucerne, Switzeland: Weinmarkt Square

This has a bit of history attached to it. After all, it's where the residents of the town pledged allegiance to a new confederation in 1332. It was a step toward what we call Switzerland.

This area was known as the Fish Market for a few centuries, but that stopped in 1550. The demolition of a warehouse led to the market taking on its present form.

Konrad Lux gets credit for designing the fountain in the square. It was first built in 1481, and is considered one of the prettiest in the city. Some changes have been made to the structure over the years, but the original is still in the town's History Museum.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Hotel des Balances

One would assume there are cheaper places to stay in Lucerne than the Hotel des Balances. On the other hand, this stay might be worth it to some.

For one thing, it's in the middle of the Old Town. You can wake up and look out on the Reuss River to start the day. Then it will only be a matter of walking a few feet before you start to encounter the shopping district and some tourist attractions.

According to one report, a guide takes a group of tourists around the building, pointing out of the historical objects involved. As of this writing, a night there cost $400+ ... but at least you seem to get a quality first-class experience in the process. 

Lucerne, Switzerland: Needle Dam

Sometimes the old ways still work out just fine. Such is the case with the Needle Dam.

This was designed to keep the water level of Lake Lucerne at a manageable level. It is done manually, to keep water levels at the right height year round. The rest drains down the Reuss and eventually goes into the Rhine. Some work around 2010 allows the engineers to drain about a third more water than under the old setup, so bottlenecks won't develop so easily.

It doesn't exactly look sturdy, but it works.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Jesuit Church

You can't beat the location - right on the waterfront.

This is the first church built in a baroque style north of the Alps. There's an interesting story here about the Jesuits, who put up the place.

The group first arrived in 1534. In 1573, the town's council asked the Jesuits to build a college within the borders. OK, that went up in 1577. Ninety years later - a long time, for whatever reason, it was time to build an accompanying church. They went to work in 1667, but progress was a little slow for financial reasons. What's more, it took until 1893 to truly finish the construction project. 

Interestingly, a website says the place has become more of a tourist attraction and a concert hall than a center for religion. That function has been moved to other locations in town. 

I think we have enough time for a quick look around.

Lucerne, Switzerland: City Hall

If we've learned nothing else on this particular tour, it's that City Halls are usually interesting to visit. Such is the case in Lucerne.

This was built between 1602 and 1606. That was before anyone landed in Jamestown, for comparison's sake. It's interesting that the structure is in the Italian Renaissance style. That probably a sign that people were starting to figure out how to get over the Alps from Southern Europe. 

A weekly market is still held here, and a warehouse has been turned into an exhibition space. 

Lucerne, Switzerland: Rathaussteg

There is more than one way to get across the water in downtown Lucerne.

Here's another good option. It's a pedestrian bridge that has been around since 1961. 

Maybe it's not the most ornate bridge in the area, but it does offer a direct way across the river to the other side. And the views are very good too.

Lucerne, Switzerland: Chapel Bridge

Lucerne does make a heck of an entrance. 

Our hotel in the beautiful city was only a block away from the waterfront. When we reached it on an initial walking tour, the famous Chapel Bridge was there to greet us.

A bridge was built in the area where a lake turns into a river (and eventually ends up in the Rhine) in 1365. It went out to a tower, which was built around 1335. In order to connect fortifications, the bridge changes direction along the way. It's now the oldest truss bridge in the world.

However, it almost didn't make it to the 21st century. It suffered heavy damage in a fire in 1993. Some of the interior triangular paintings that told the town's history were destroyed. It took a year to fix things up, and the remaining paintings are still in place.

We walked across it several times during our stay in the Swiss city, and a smile came along every time. 

Basel, Switzerland

It would be fair to say that Basel is a crossroads city. Switzerland is something of the middle of Europe. Once those in southern Europe figured out how to get through the Alps, they brought good along to trade. Then they reached the city of Basel, right on the Rhine - Europe's Mississippi, and those goods could be moved north. Since Basil already was on the border with France and Germany, it was well-suited for the role of trading post. 

Helping the situation was that the Rhine took a turn at Basel, and thus it was relatively easy to build a bridge on that spot because the current wasn't as fast. And so, the first bridge ever constructed to cross the Rhine was built here. The Middle Bridge, shown here, stands on the location of that first bridge. It continues to link the two sides of the river, although not it is only for pedestrians. We spent about 25 minutes sitting on the bank on the right side of the river (as shown here), watching ships and people float by. Very nice.

Basel is still in the middle of money matters. It's quite a banking capital. Based on the number of big foreign cars on the streets, someone is doing well here. There are a ton of museums around the town, and art seems particularly important to the residents. It's a good place to visit, but perhaps not a great one. Then again, maybe a day and a half wasn't enough to explore the place. I will say that the amount of graffiti around town was surprising and perhaps a little discouraging.

Here's more on Basil, with a most interesting soundtrack behind it:

Basel, Switzerland: Fish Market Fountain

The fish market in Basel was a center of commerce back in the day ... the day, in this case, being around 1380. That's when a special fountain was built for the area. It was perfect for keeping the fish fresh before they were sold. 

The fountain contains images of a few religious figures, such as St. Peter and St. John, along with some angels, musical instruments and the city's coat of arms. It received a renovation in 1476, and moved slightly in 1908. The original fountain is in a museum, but this is an unexpected tribute to a bygone age.

Basel, Switzerland: Walk of Fame

Hollywood isn't the only place to have a Walk of Fame. Basel has one too. We stumbled on it while walking around the city.

Admittedly, the heroes of the Swiss city might not be so well known on this side of the Atlantic. But a short search came up with a name that is known throughout the world. By all accounts, Roger Federer is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. By most accounts, he might be a better person. Roger always has handled himself with grace and class. His name and year of induction (2008) are on the bottom plaque.

Federer retired less than a month after this photo was taken. Consider this a bit of a salute to the Tennis Pride of Switzerland. 

Basel, Switzerland: Marktplatz

The Marketplace is the center of activity in downtown Basel. The Town Hall, with its red color and tower, more or less dominates the area. Still, the other buildings - like this one next door - are nice too.

More to the point, the area in front of these buildings is often filled with fresh food in an open-air market. You can buy vegetables, fruits and flowers there on a given day. 

The area is a major crossing point for mass transportation, and it's right in the middle of a variety of stops for tourists. It makes for an obvious meeting point too.

Basel, Switzerland: Town Hall

You have to give Basel credit. It has a heck of a town hall.

It is located right in the center of the old part of Basel, the Marktplatz. As the brochure says, not only is it the center of city government in Basel. It's also a wonderful building, full of paintings and sculptures that date back centuries. That's Lucius Munatius Plancus in the front entrance area; it was a gift from sculptor Hans Michel in 1580. The building has served this purpose for more than 500 years.

You can tour the place the next time you are in Basel. Or you can spent five minutes watching this.

 

Basel, Switzerland: Minster

It's Basel's biggest landmark on the Rhine - a giant church that used to serve as a Catholic cathedral, and is now a Reformed Protestant church.

It took quite a while to get the building where it is now. Construction started in 1019, but additions kept taking place through 1500. It was the site of a big fight in the Catholic Church in 1440, when there was a disagreement about who should be the next Pope. A rebel group of sorts got together here and picked Felix V as the new leader - even without proper authority. That made him a counter pope, or an antipope. There were a number of them over the years, but he was the last one on the list. 

No, one photo won't do it.

Basel, Switzerland: Migration Office

Usually a city government that isn't eons old doesn't attract much attention. But when the opportunity presented itself for a photo, who could resist? A group of people were in the midst of celebrating a wedding when we happened to walk by.

The building is the Migration Office, and it is mostly known for checking out foreigners who wish to move to Switzerland - whether through normal or extraordinary circumstances. But they handle marriages too.

Basel, Switzerland: Fine Arts Museum

This isn't the best photo of the Fine Arts Museum. I should have lined up a better photograph, because the building no doubt deserves it.

A collection of art works was purchased by the city of Basel and the University of Basel in 1661. The building was then opened to the public, and that made it the very first public museum in the world. That's pretty impressive. There is plenty of art here created in the years between 1400 and 1600, and others that are more contemporary. 

And here's another good story about the place. In 1939, the work of German-Jewish artists was taken out of Germany and brought here. It's still at this location. You can still see it here.

Basel, Switzerland: "Intersection"

Four identical plates. That's all that went into this piece of artwork by Richard Serra. 

It's one of those ideas from art that goes into the "I could have thought of that" department. But you didn't. Serra did. He gets the credit. The artist's idea was for the observer takes into account the different spaces created by the duplicate plates. Another version is in New York at the Museum of Modern Art. He is quoted on the MoMA website as saying, "The viewer in part became the subject matter of the work, not the object. His perception of the piece resided in his movement through the piece, [which] became more involved with anticipation, memory, and time, and walking and looking, rather than just looking at a sculpture the way one looks at a painting."

Fine. Now here comes the catch. Since the design has curves in it, and visitors can essentially hide within its "borders," this has taken an unexpected usage for a certain segment of the population: a urinal. So if you pay a visit, you might want to be prepared to hold your nose. 

Here's a video on a similar project. 

Basel, Switzerland: Elisabethenkirche

We're coming up on 160 years for this church, located close to the Basel Theater and Tinguely Fountain. It's claim to fame is that it was the first church built in Basel after the Reformation. 

This church is quite proud of the fact that it works with an urban population.  It's known for working with the LGBT community. About 50,000 visitors turn up each year.

Looks like some work is going on. 

Basel, Switzerland: Tinguely Fountain

This used to be the place where Basel's city theater existed. Artist Jean Tinguely decided to give the story a bit of a twist in 1977.

He came up with a piece of art that set several machines in a fountain. The 10 items are always on, and interacting with each other in some way. The idea is that the machines are mimicking the actors who used to perform on this very spot. 

It's all quite clever and appropriate. Tinguely has a museum of his work elsewhere in Basel, and has another fountain in Paris. 

A video is definitely in order here. 

Basel, Switzerland: The Invader

Our introduction to Basil was an odd one. We had the chance to encounter the work of "The Invader."

He's a French artist who specializes in very specific street art. He likes to place drawings of early video-game characters, like Space Invaders, in public places. The Invader says video games were the start of a certain type of technology, and he's celebrating them.

So far, his work is in 79 cities in 20 countries, and he's been known to sell books containing locations. Paris probably is the biggest setting for them. This one is in Basel. I guess some of his work has gone for something like $250,000. Maybe that's why sometimes the artwork is stolen. But he likes his work to be in the public, so that everyone can enjoy it - as opposed to paid admissions in museums. It's even produced some copy-cat work, as you might expect.

By the way, Salt is an electronics chain store found around Europe.

Kaysersberg, France

A couple of people that you know have a connection to Kaysersberg. You won't see them in the same sentence in any other context.

Albert Schweitzer was born there in 1875. It had been part of France only four years before that. Al spent most of his childhood in nearby Gunsbach. There haven't been many people who were experts in so many fields as Schweitzer. He has been described as theologian, organist, musicologist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician. Albert Schweitzer College is located in Kaysersberg, and there is a museum there as well.

Then there's Anthony Bourdain, who also had a wide-ranging if different life from Schweitzer. Bourdain was a chef and travel reporter. He was in the Strasbourg area working on a project when he suddenly fell out of view. Bourdain committed suicide in a hotel room in Kaysersberg. 

The town had a castle overlooking its boundaries. It went up in the 13th century, and the remains still can be visited today ... if you are up for a little hike. Some of us stayed on the ground and snapped a photo of some of the leftover walls.  

Here's a travel tip before we watch a video. Our tour group landed in Kaysersberg unexpectedly (long story, but we had some extra time). The basic function of the stop was to eat lunch, but we did have extra time. However we were late getting a map, and thus missed a few things. Next time, I'll stop in the tourist office immediately to find out what was where.

 

Kaysersberg, France: Michel Herzer House

This place sits near the end of the main street of shopping in Kaysersberg, and it looks pretty good for its age. After all, it was built in 1592.

The structure went up for Michel Herzer, who was a blacksmith. Herzer was from out of town and married a woman from Kaysersberg, and took over the building for his work. Pretty sweet. 

The city bought the place in 1907, and restored it. Now it's often used for exhibitions.

Kaysersberg, France: Église Sainte-Croix

You can call it Holy Cross Church if you'd like. Whatever the title, it's been around since 1230 or so ... which is quite a while by any standard.

It actually took a few hundred years to finish the place. The building was modified in the 1500s. Fast forward another three hundred years, when a dome was added to the church.

The front of the place was inspired by the Cathedral in Strasbourg, and the inside has plenty of quite old items. It is considered one of the most beautiful churches of its type in the region.

Kaysersberg, France: Geiler von Kaysersberg Statue

Johan Geiler von Kaysersberg is the man in the photo, and thus begins an interesting story. He wasn't actually born there, as the town already had been named. But he lived there as a child, and thus picked up a little addition to his name.

Considering the size of some of his on-line biographies, he must have been a heck of a preacher and priest. After all, he was born in 1445, and lived until he was 1510. Someone must have thought he was important to write all of this down somewhere. It's fair to say that he was smart enough to seek reforms in the church of the day but wasn't really a bomb-thrower. He was not Martin Luther. Instead, he used language and logic to make his points. The sermons were so good that they were written down, printed (Strasbourg was big on printing back then), and distributed among the masses.

Scholars look to his work for guidance on how people actually lived and thought around 1500. Every places wants to be proud of its own, and Johan qualifies.  

 

Riquewihr, France

Ready for a trip back into time? Riquewihr looks like it came out of a time machine set for the 16th century. No wonder it is considered one of France's most popular villages.

Riquewihr had a variety of "owners" over the years, and its history always haws been a little messy. But when the French Revolution came in 1789, the village jumped all in and joined the Republic of France. The ruling Dukes were kicked out, and by 1796 Riquewihr had a new home. The Germans have moved in a few times over the years. Just to be sure, most of the residents speak both German and French. 

Now ... about the photo. Take a look on top of the building. It looks like an odd haircut, but it is actually the nest of a stork. The bird associated with babies is the symbol of the region. These are huge, heavy nests - sometimes as big as six feet across. No wonder they are used more than once.

It's a great place to walk around, and a couple of million people do that each year. Be sure to have a macaroon on the way.

Riquewihr, France: Hotel de Ville

The town hall of Riquewihr used to be right in the middle of village. Alas, it was demolished in 1798. That meant it was time to build a new one, and they picked another good location for it when it went up in 1809. Since a gate was previously on that spot, designers opted to place an arch in the middle of the building. 

It's a pretty modern building by Riquewihr standards, but I'm sure it does the job.

Riquewihr, France: War Memorial

It's a little surprising that the town's official literature didn't mention this monument when listing tourist attractions. Maybe they thought it was too personal or something.

In any event, it has a simple listing of the citizens from the village who gave their lives in World War I and World War II. Yes, everyone paid a price during those conflicts, and it's good to be reminded of that.