Talented Swiss waterskier Alice Baumann training on Lake Zurich, August 1962.
A balancing act on water

Alice Baumann was one of the world’s most successful waterskiers in the 1960s. Time for a look at some exhilarating photos from the pioneering age of water skiing.

Watchtowers, the alarm system of the Old Swiss Confederacy

Whereas sirens sound the alarm nowadays, hundreds of years ago it used to be watchtowers. Beacons could mobilise troops within a few hours, from the Rhine to Lake Geneva.

View of Thun and the Hotel Bellevue with the steamer ‘Bellevue’ on the left, coloured aquatint by Heinrich Siegfried, circa 1840, publisher Rudolf Dikenmann, Zurich.
Showcasing the stunning views of Lake Thun

Tourism was developed in Switzerland in the 19th century through innovation and investment. This was mainly driven by private individuals who recognised the sector’s potential and wanted to tap into it. In the Thun region, these tourism pioneers included the Knechtenhofer family.

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