Episode 16: The Most Beautiful Villages in Switzerland

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Interview with Kevin Quattropani, President, Most Beautiful Villages in Switzerland association

Kevin Quattropani is the President of Les Plus Beaux Villages de Suisse (the Most Beautiful Villages in Switzerland), an association set up to recognise the beauty and significance of villages that have a particular charm and retain their historic architecture and culture.

He joins me in this episode to share more about the member villages, and the association’s aim to help preserve the villages for future generations.

In this episode Kevin talks about:

• How the Most Beautiful Villages in Switzerland association started
• The criteria villages have to meet in order to be considered for membership
• Interesting facts about some of the villages and their history including ‘the Robin Hood of Switzerland’, a village which manufactured a silk rug for the Oval Office, and a village where you can look out your window and see Switzerland, Austria and Italy
• Some of the different characteristics that make the member villages so special

Click the green arrow below to listen:

Show Notes

Below you’ll find a quick summary of some of the places mentioned in this episode, :

>> Saillon – thermal waters, wines and its authenticity are what draw visitors to Saillon today. It also has a museum dedicated to Farinet, the ‘Robin Hood of Switzerland’.

>> Bosco Gurin – a charming village that sits in a side valley of the Valle Maggia, less than one hour from Ascona. It is the only German-speaking village in the canton of Ticino.

>> Gersau – Located on a sunny plateau above Lake Lucerne, Gersau is often referred to as the ‘Riviera of Switzerland’. It was once the world’s smallest republic. 

>> Tschlin – a well-preserved traditional Graubunden village with an interesting history. Be sure to enjoy a glass of beer from Tschlin’s own alpine brewery.

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Useful Resources

You can find out more about the Most Beautiful Villages in Switzerland (Borghi Svizzera) on the association’s website. There’s also a free app you can download (here’s the link) – when you start the download it will give you the option to select English language.

The association’s Instagram page is the place to visit for stunning photos of the villages. > Check it out here.

You can also browse the this article on Holidays to Switzerland in which we cover fifteen member villages – one from each canton represented as well as Liechtenstein.

> You can read a full transcript of this episode here.

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