Picture Day Friday

Schloss Bottmingen in Basel, Switzerland is an impressive, beautifully renovated 14th century moated castle and park with stylish function rooms for banquets with 8 to 300 guests. Romantic à-la-carte restaurant, attractive garden terrace, and gourmet cuisine are its highlights. René Gischig, the fully accredited chef de cuisine, indulges guests with pleasantly light, classic French cuisine or Mediterranean dishes. Highlights include: exquisite fish dishes, Vivers lamb, U.S. beef, wonderfully creative desserts, plus magnificent wines from all over the world at fair prices.



Bären Dürrenroth Country Guesthouse in Emmental, Switzerland has 24 rooms and four suites stylishly decorated in the guesthouse Kreuz with a variety of historical rooms and halls for up to 120 guests. Culinary delights are served in the gourmet restaurant Rother-Stube or in the cosy Hornussen lounge. The farmhouse from 1744 is home to the seminar building today. A monument of national importance is now a historic restaurant under the patronage of UNESCO. Buildings dating back to 1752 (the inn), 1806 (the guesthouse Kreuz), and 1744 (the seminar building under monument preservation and fully restored) resound with the three perspectives of history, hospitality, and enjoyment in the midst of the workplace of the Emmental writer Jeremias Gotthelf.



Payerne Abbey is halfway between Lausanne and Bern, Switzerland. It combines Roman art from the 11th century with gothic art from the 15th century.The church itself was built in several stages on the site of the old Villa Paterniaca, dating back to the 4th century: the nave was built in the first half of the 11th century, and the chevet followed soon after, in the second half of the same century. The Roman villa, dating back to the 4th century, was used in the 6th century by Bishop Marius. A second building was then constructed in the 10th century and the St. Michel tower was placed in front of the church, marking the beginning of the complete reconstruction of the abbey, leading to the creation of the monument as it is today. The Abbey Church of Payerne, with its decorated chapiters and early frescoes, is considered to be one of the finest existing examples of Romanesque art. Its grand proportions and the special luminous stones used in the building work never fail to amaze visitors.