This is the story of a political refugee in Switzerland who went on to become Emperor of France. Along the way, Napoleon III left behind traces that still shine brightly today.
Switzerland has played host to sovereigns such as Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria, Sisi and many others – and huge crowds have always turned out to greet these royal personages.
In 1988, Prince Charles of England was caught in an avalanche in Klosters. While he got away with a shock, his friend died in the snow. The accident had drastic consequences.
The last representative of the Ottoman Empire was Rachid Osman. He spent his twilight years in a small village in Glarus. His wife Rosa Osman-Keller earned a living as a village hairdresser to support herself and her once fabulously wealthy husband.
Short bobbed haircuts, figure-hugging skirts, flat shoes – the new fashions of the 1920s were wildly popular, but they also had their avowed opponents. Seeking a return to the values of the past, these groups set about re-establishing Switzerland’s long-dormant customs of traditional dress.
100 years ago, Weggis opened the first Strandbad, a lido or outdoor swimming area with a beach for sunbathing, with no segregation of the sexes. It gave the local tourist trade a boost, but not everyone was happy about it!
On 9 August 1924, the church at Innerthal was blown up. Then the floodwaters came. The reason for this was the growing demand for electricity in Switzerland and, as a result, the construction of a reservoir.
