Original subtitles

(wind blowing)

(dramatic orchestral music)

- Our journey begins to the north of Montreux

at the medieval hilltop town, Romont.

Heading east and deeper into the mountains,

we'll discover the Charterhouse de La Valsainte,

an ancient Hermetic monastery.

We'll fly southward the Lake Geneva, to Montreux itself,

famous the world over for its annual jazz festival.

It's then into the mountains

and the famous ski resort of Verbier.

Moving eastward, we'll weave through the spectacular

mountain passes of Valais,

before taking a brief passage through Northern Italy.

Once back in Switzerland, we'll visit the cities

of Locarno and Ascona on the shores of Lake Maggiore.

We'll end our journey over the Brissago Islands

with its unexpected botanical gardens

sitting out in the middle of the lake.

(soft guitar riff)

Here in the French-speaking region of Switzerland,

we find the picturesque medieval town of Romont.

Its name is an abbreviation of Rotundo Monte,

or the Round Mountain,

describing the gently sloping hill upon which it sits.

It is most known for the beauty

of its ancient stained glass windows that decorate

many of its old stone churches and sanctuaries.

Romont passed between royal houses

throughout the Middle Ages,

and eventually sided with a Helvetic Republic,

which was the first early manifestation

of Switzerland as a unified state.

The town's well-preserved fortifications, streets

and buildings are of such great historical significance

that the entire town is on the Swiss inventory

of heritage sites.

Moving eastward, and deeper into the mountains,

we come to the last remaining Carthusian monastery

in all of Switzerland, Charterhouse de La Valsainte.

The Carthusian sect has a way of life

based on a mix of hermetic isolation and communal living.

Monks here spend most of each day in their cells,

meditating, praying and writing.

But this isolation is interspersed with communal prayers

and long group walks through the mountainous countryside.

Although the community feeling amongst the monks is strong

and encouraged, contact with the outside world is limited.

Only one visit a year from family members is permitted.

Continuing eastward, we arrive at Gruyeres Castle,

standing guard at the head of the quaint medieval town

of the same name.

Construction began in the 11th century

to protect the townsfolk in the valley below.

From then, up until the 16th century, the town flourished,

and 19 Counts and their families

resided here over the years.

The last of these, Michel, fell into

financial difficulties in 1554.

After which the prominent Bovy and Balland royal houses

restored the castle into a summer residence.

In 1938, the Fribourg municipality bought it,

and now, together with its gardens,

opened it up to the public.

The wealth of Gruyeres old town has traditionally

come from agriculture, most importantly, Gruyeres cheese,

now famous the world over.

A popular tourist spot, the town has nevertheless

managed to retain the bucolic peaceful atmosphere

for its 1,500 residents.

But despite the towns love for the old ways of life,

it has produced some very progressive characters.

H. R. Giger, for instance, the famous Swiss designer,

who is well known for his work on the "Alien" movies,

was born and raised here.

And, recently, a museum which holds the largest collection

of his works was established.

Now we move south and away from the mountains

to the city of Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva.

The boarder between Switzerland and France

runs through the center of this lake,

and as a result, Montreux has

become a vibrant intersection of cultures.

But without doubt, the city is most renowned

for its famous annual music festival.

It started in the 1960s but reached heights of new fame

when Deep Purple wrote the song, "Smoke on the Water,"

which recounts the night Frank Zappa set the casino on fire

with a flare gun during a concert.

These days, Montreux often receives 200,000 visitors a year,

and throngs of respected international artists.

And leading up from the city is this funicular railway.

One of the carriages descends

while the other is pulled upwards,

keeping the system always in balance.

A very effective and energy efficient way

to gain plenty of altitude in a short amount of time.

Quite important in these Swiss mountain towns.

The ride takes passengers through fields

of beautiful Alpine flowers in the spring,

and provides a quick lift for recreational sledgers

in the winter.

As we move along the northern shore of Lake Geneva,

over Autoroute 9, you can see why Switzerland is famous

for its spectacular mountain roads.

The highway below is a perfect example

of the difficult feats of engineering employed

to maintain the natural aesthetic of the countryside.

And perhaps more enviable than these wonderful roads

is Switzerland's remarkably extensive rail network

through the Alps that runs on a highly efficient

and practical schedule.

Almost all services are timed

so that connecting trains arrive at precise intervals.

This means that passengers rarely

have to wait around for a connection.

And the services are so dependable,

you could more or less set your watch by them.

Located on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva

lies the spectacular Chateau de Chillon.

The medieval fortress began as a number

of separate buildings, and over the centuries, they merged

serving as a status symbol for the Savoy family

who control them.

The castle has been taken many times since,

but never through sieges or bombardment.

This explains why Chillon has remained beautifully intact.

It's captured the imagination of artists,

poets and philosophers.

19th century poets, Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley,

took a boat trip out on the lake to visit the famed chateau.

Inspired by the story of a monk

who was imprisoned here for his beliefs,

Byron wrote the famous poem, "Prisoner of Chillon".

And in more recent times, Freddie Mercury,

of the group Queen, stopping for a visit here

after playing at the Montreux Festival,

said of the place, "This must be heaven."

Now we'll travel east from Lake Geneva

to the most mountainous region in Switzerland.

Here it seems quaint settlements are nestled in each valley.

Before modern transport, these small agricultural villages

would have been largely inaccessible to each other.

As a result, each habitation,

only separated by a few kilometers,

developed dialects so vastly different

that, sometimes, residents from neighboring villages

couldn't even understand each other.

The mountains in this area are considered to be

some of the best off-piste skiing locations in the world.

The powdery snow plasters these peaks and valleys

in the wintertime, drawing tourists from around the world.

And perhaps the most popular ski resort

in all of Switzerland is here in the town of Verbier.

At the turn of the century this place

consisted of a few hubs,

and its economy revolved entirely

around dairy farming and cattle rearing,

like most other small villages in the region.

But then, in 1925, a group of mountaineers explored the area

discovering the fabulous skiing potential here.

Soon afterwards, a small commercial operation

was established.

The business was slow to take off.

Late in the 1950s the resort still only had three employees.

That was quick to change in the 1970s

when a worldwide ski boom propelled

this once quaint town into stardom.

Now it is a major winter sports hub,

with its population rising to nearly 40,000

during the season.

The minimal rainfall, plentiful running water

and ample sunshine make these mountain valleys

ideal for vineyards.

Wine making has been a major part

of Swiss agricultural life for hundreds of years,

and its success is largely attributed

to the sophisticated irrigation techniques

developed long ago, and continually refine to this day.

Bisses, or water channels,

that run in abundance down the mountian sides,

are designed to provide the grapevines

with just the right amount of moisture.

The waters from these valleys and mountain streams

are all part of the vast Rhone River basin.

All in all, Switzerland has 5%

of the continuous fresh water supply,

and so is often referred to as Europe's Water Tower.

A few valleys over we come to Sion,

one of the countries oldest settlements.

There's evidence that Neolithic farmers

were working the land here over 6,000 years ago.

It later became a busy trading post during the Roman Empire.

The town is flanked by twin fortifications,

standing on rocky outcrops which were carved out

by glaciers in the last Ice Age.

In the foreground is the Valere Basilica,

the more well-maintained and well-known of the two.

This hilltop church was commissioned by the Bishop of Sion

soon after the city was established as Switzerland's

first Catholic diocese in the 4th century.

And due to the city's close relationship

with Christian Roman power,

the bishops were able to wrangle almost

complete sovereignty for Sion.

Today, Valere Basilica is home to what is

thought to be the oldest organ in the world,

still in continuous use, built in 1435.

And on the opposite hill is Tourbillon Castle.

Now little more than a ruin,

this fortress with its thick walls

and numerous towers and battlements,

was once a formidable deterrent to invading forces.

Sion was attacked by the French in the 14th century,

forcefully incorporated into the Helvetic Republic

in the 16th century, and ransacked by various Paval families

in the region over the years.

It figures that Tourbillon saw its fair share of action.

Despite the city's tumultuous history of warfare,

the castle managed to remain intact until 1788

when it was devastated by fire.

The stones were scavenged for a number of years

to reinforce other buildings in the town,

until finally, what was left of Tourbillon

was officially protected by the local government.

Further west, we find one of the most

breathtaking backdrops to any sport.

Spread out at 1,800 meters above sea level,

and perched over the picturesque Rhone Valley,

is the Crans-sur-Sierre golf course.

The sport was played here casually since 1905,

as prior to World War I, golf was almost solely

the prerogative of the British gentry.

As a result, the venue wasn't established in a big way

until 1939 when it hosted its first

European Masters tournament.

About 20 years ago, the course got its second boost

when Severiano Ballesteros, the famed Spanish golf star,

was commissioned to redesign the grounds.

Now it's considered to be one of the top courses

in the world.

The Valais region covers some of the most beautiful

and rugged terrain in Switzerland,

and has presented builders and engineers

throughout the centuries with irresistible challenges.

Like these bridges that cross one of the countless

sharp and deep ravines.

The gorge has been carved out by running water

over thousands of years, and is now roughly 800 meters deep.

The old stone bridge and the modern car crossing

side-by-side is a wonderful example of how the Swiss

merge the past and present with seamless grace.

(train chugging)

The Alps make up 65% of Switzerland,

so the country's engineers had to become experts

in mountain travel if they wanted to get anywhere.

And tunnels are their forte.

The first Swiss mountain tunnel was built in 1708,

and now they're woven beneath a large portion of the Alps.

Traditionally, Swiss villages were weeks of travel

apart from each other, and inaccessible most of the year.

But now almost every isolated hamlet

is no more than a days travel by train.

Eastward, the mountains become ever more imposing.

With over 47 peaks in Valais, above 4,000 meters in height,

we are now moving into the heart of the Swiss Alps.

The area may look unpopulated,

but hilltop villages and tucked away hamlets

dot the countryside.

Transit across the Alps has played an important role

ever since medieval times.

But large-scale Alpine tourism only began

around the mid 1800s when British mountaineers

traveled here to ascend the peaks.

And perhaps the most popular Alpine crossing point is here,

the Simplon Pass.

At 2,005 meters, the road offers dizzying views

over the valley below.

This spot has been used for centuries,

with the first documented crossing

by Kaspar Jodok von Stockalper in the 1600s,

who carted salt up from the Mediterranean

on the backs of mules.

But it wasn't until Napoleon's march

across Switzerland in the 19th century

that the pass was significantly developed

into a highly accessible thoroughfare.

Napoleon's army used this crossing point

to cart cannons and artillery down towards Italy,

but these days, it's open to everyone.

And thanks to recent strengthening

and avalanche protection procedures,

the pass is open all year round.

Now we descend into the Simplon Valley.

Italy draws closer and the climate becomes

evermore Mediterranean.

And as we edge ever closer to the Swiss and Italian boarder,

German fades away into Italian,

which is the dominant language throughout this area.

The villages in the Valais region

are sustained largely by livestock rearing,

and the fruit that's grown here make up the ingredients

for their famous regional cognacs.

Moving over our final mountain passage,

the Zwischbergen Pass, we begin our brief crossing of Italy.

Here, human habitation appears in the most

unlikely of places.

There are many larger settlements too,

nestled in the valleys.

Like Rasa, a car-free hamlet that's home

to an eclectic mix of the descendants

of persecuted protestants,

and hippies who settled here in the 1960s.

Or the town of Craveggia, whose name derives

from the Italian meaning goat pasture.

Its 756 residents live primarily in centuries-old farmhouses

with tall stone chimneys.

Old hand-chiseled stone and wrought iron railings

compromise most of the abodes here,

and a large portion of the residents live

in the same houses that have been in the family

for countless generations.

A devoutly Christian population that values an honest life,

their coat of arms motto reads,

"Fear not if thou doest good."

And a few valleys down, we come to the village of Re.

In the 15th century, the quiet settlement

was declared the site of a miracle by the Catholic church,

when a fresco of the Virgin Mary

started to bleed profusely after a rock was thrown at it.

This massive complex, the Santuario della Madonna del Sangue

was built up around the miraculous fresco,

and it's become a popular place of pilgrimage ever since.

And following the lush Italian valley of Vigezzo

takes us back into Switzerland

where we find our last stop on this journey,

the glorious Lake Maggiore.

Over 60 kilometers in length,

it serves part of the boarder between Italy and Switzerland.

The lake is less than 200 meters above sea level,

making it one of the lowest points in Switzerland

and a popular summer retreat for Swiss

wanting to escape the cold mountain life.

The towns and gardens set at the foot

of the majestic Swiss Alps,

creating an atmosphere that has lured artists

and intellectuals for hundreds of years.

On the southern tip of Lake Maggiore is the city of Locarno,

an Italian-speaking center with a population of 150,000.

It has been important since Roman times,

and in the mid 1900s, over 50 Roman graves

were discovered beneath its streets.

This was the first evidence of Roman burials and cremations

from the same era taking place side-by-side.

Like many cities in Switzerland,

Locarno was a stronghold of Catholic power,

until it was incorporated into the Swiss Confederation

after the Napoleonic Wars.

Close by, we come to Ascona.

At 160 meters above sea level,

it is the lowest lying town in all of Switzerland.

As well as being a popular destination

with its own jazz festival,

it has developed a reputation for revolutionary thought.

At the turn of the 20th century,

a group of idealists set up a thriving commune

that rejected established conventions

in favor of closer links with nature.

Though the commune is now long gone,

the tradition for radical thinking continues in Ascona

through seminars held by the universities

of Zurich and Lucerne.

And finally, we venture into the heart of the lake

to the botanical gardens of the Brissago Islands.

In stark contrast to the snowcap peaks,

the climate here is subtropical,

and the exotic plants on the smaller of the two islands

are left mostly to grow wild.

But its larger and more cultivated neighbor, San Pancrazio,

is the main attraction for tourists.

It was once a refuge for persecuted Christians,

but in the 1880s, the local baroness created exotic,

subtropical gardens where artists, musicians and writers

were invited to meet and work in an inspiring setting.

Stone sculptures and even Roman-style baths

were added to enhance its splendor.

In the 1950s, district locals bought the island

and opened it to the public.

Finding Mediterranean, Asian, Australian and African plants

growing in the middle of a Swiss lake

is a reminder of just how surprising

and diverse this country can be.

It's a perfect place to end this journey.

(dramatic orchestral music)