![Central Europe around 1670.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/titel-spanien-schweiz-route-1604-300x225.jpg)
The "Camino Español" through Switzerland
During the Counter-Reformation, Switzerland’s Catholic cantons cultivated strong ties with Spain to counter Protestant ambitions. The “Spanish Road” – a vital artery for the Spanish war effort during the Eighty Years' War – ran directly through Switzerland for a brief period of time.
![The Battle of Pavia 1525 in a painting by Rupert Heller.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/die-schlacht-bei-pavia-1525-in-einem-gemalde-von-rupert-heller-300x265.jpg)
![The confessional division of the Swiss Confederation around 1536 after the Reformation.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/die-konfessionelle-teilung-der-schweizerischen-eidgenossenschaft-um-1536-durch-die-reformation-en-300x187.jpg)
Ludwig Pfyffer and the Spanish Alliance
![Ludwig Pfyffer, in a painting from around 1700.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/2018/03/Ludwig-Pfyffer-240x300.jpg)
![Devotional picture of Cardinal Charles Borromeo, later venerated as a saint, around 1630.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/kardinal-karl-borromaus-gbe-93022-lm-70542-225x300.jpg)
Poner una pica en flandes
![Philip II of Spain on his throne, around 1590.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/philipp-ii-von-spanien-auf-seinem-thron-um-1590-300x219.jpg)
El Camino Español de Suizos and the Global Hispanic World
![The routes of the "Camino Español" through Switzerland.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/die-routen-des-camino-espanol-durch-die-eidgenossenschaft-197x300.jpg)
![Chügelipastete (replica). Lucerne’s creamy, meat-filled pastry shell was brought back by returning Swiss mercenaries from Spain.](https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/app/uploads/luzerner-chugelipastete-300x251.jpg)