Tragedy at Creux-du-Van
A series of tragic events have occurred at the Creux-du-Van, including the death of a young man in 2003 and a family of three in 2015, whose bodies were found at the base of the rock face.
Creux-du-Van · · 💀 Dark history
Discover 60 curated stories about La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland — covering hidden gems, dark history, legends, weird facts and funny anecdotes.
A series of tragic events have occurred at the Creux-du-Van, including the death of a young man in 2003 and a family of three in 2015, whose bodies were found at the base of the rock face.
Creux-du-Van · · 💀 Dark history
A gold-and-diamond wristwatch made by Ebel in 1974 was gifted by Elvis Presley to J.D. Sumner, with a personal inscription that reads 'From Elvis to J.D. Sumner 1974'. This watch is a unique piece of…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Lenzburg castle has a dark history, with one of its former owners, Johannes Parricida, being involved in the murder of King Albrecht in 1308.
Lenzburg Castle · · 💀 Dark history
A legendary woman, known as 'La Mère Royaume', played a crucial role in the defense of Geneva in 1602 by throwing a pot of hot soup on a Savoyard soldier, helping to repel the attack.
Old Town Geneva · · 🏛️ Legendary
The failed invasion of 1602 led to the creation of the 'Escalade' celebration, which still takes place every December 12th in Geneva, where locals reenact the battle and throw vegetable soup, known a…
Old Town · · 🏛️ Legendary
Georges Schneider, also known as 'Le Grand Georges', tragically died in a hunting accident in 1963 at the age of 38.
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 💀 Dark history
A devastating cyclone passed through La Chaux-de-Fonds on August 23, 1934, causing widespread destruction. By 2023, the city had experienced another cyclone, following a similar path and causing dama…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 🤯 Weird
A farmer, M. Geiser, was buried up to his shoulders by the debris of his own house, which collapsed during the 1926 cyclone. Miraculously, he was rescued and survived despite severe injuries.
Geiser farm · · 💀 Dark history
Another farmer was swept away by the cyclone and thrown 120 meters, landing with a severe head wound. He was rushed to the hospital and fortunately survived.
Countryside near La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 💀 Dark history
Blaise Cendrars, a famous Swiss writer, was born in this very house at Rue de la Paix 27, where his family lived in a bourgeois multifamily building. His life took a dramatic turn when his lover, Hél…
Rue de la Paix 27 · · 💀 Dark history
The Creux-du-Van was also the site of a fatal accident in 1940, when a man named Jean Pilloud fell to his death from the rock face.
Creux-du-Van · · 💀 Dark history
During World War II, a Sperrstelle, a type of fortified barrier, was built on the Vue des Alpes pass to secure the Swiss western border. The Sperrstelle, which consists of several bunkers, tank barri…
Vue des Alpes · · 💀 Dark history
In 1986, the Ebel group acquired the Villa Turque, an early masterpiece of Le Corbusier, a famous architect born in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This acquisition was made to celebrate the company's 75th annive…
Villa Turque · · 🏛️ Legendary
A unique boundary stone, shaped like a cathedral, can be found on the border of La Sagne and Le Locle. Its angles form arcs, and the top indicates three limits.
Boundary of La Sagne and Le Locle · 🤯 Weird
Charles de Simiane, a notorious ligueur, planned to scale the walls of Geneva in 1598, but his project was thwarted. He had previously been involved in various military campaigns and had even tried t…
Genève · · 💀 Dark history
During the Escalade of 1602, a group of about 300 soldiers, led by Brunaulieu, attempted to scale the walls of Geneva under the cover of night. They used ladders and other equipment to climb the wall…
Geneva · · 💀 Dark history
The Genevan citizens, alerted by a sentry, quickly responded to the attack and defended their city. One notable defender was a woman named Dame Royaume, who threw a pot of soup at one of the attacker…
Geneva · · 🏛️ Legendary
On the night of December 11-12, 1602, the Duke of Savoy, Charles-Emmanuel, attempted to take the city of Geneva by surprise, but his plan was thwarted. According to legend, the duke had a dream in wh…
Geneva · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 1602, the city of Geneva was attacked by the Duke of Savoy, but the citizens, including women, defended their city by throwing torches and hot soup, leading to the defeat of the attackers.
Old Town Geneva · · 🏛️ Legendary
In the 16th century, the Duke of Savoy, Charles-Emmanuel, attempted to conquer Geneva by surprise, but his soldiers arrived on December 12, 1602, due to a calendar discrepancy between Catholics and P…
Geneva · · 🤯 Weird
The Duke of Savoy's lieutenant, Charles de Simiane, was known for his brutal tactics, including molesting Genevois citizens and stealing their property.
Geneva · · 💀 Dark history
The Escalade of Geneva was a surprise attack by the Duke of Savoy's troops in 1602. The Geneva citizens, alerted by a woman named Mère Royaume, successfully repelled the attack. To commemorate this e…
Old Town Geneva · · 💀 Dark history
During the Escalade of 1602, 17 defenders of Geneva lost their lives in a brutal battle against the Duke of Savoy's troops. The fight took place at various locations, including the Porte Neuve, the T…
Porte Neuve · · 💀 Dark history
In 1602, the Savoyards attempted to scale the walls of Geneva, but their plan was thwarted when a group of Genevans, led by a woman named Mère Royaume, poured hot vegetable soup on the attackers, sca…
Old Town · · 💀 Dark history
Hélène Smith, a medium and painter, had her automatic paintings exhibited at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneva, which attracted a large crowd of visitors in 1929. Her artwork was created uncons…
Musée d'Art et d'Histoire · · 🤯 Weird
A brave and courageous woman, Dame Royaume, threw a heavy pot from her window onto one of the invading Savoyard soldiers, killing him during the Escalade of 1602. This event took place near the Corra…
Corraterie · · 💀 Dark history
During the Escalade of 1602, a soldier named Mercier cut the rope holding the herse, a heavy iron and wood barrier, which fell and blocked the entrance to the city, saving Geneva from the invading Sa…
Porte Neuve · · 🏛️ Legendary
A pétardier named Picot tried to force the gates of the city, but his attempt was thwarted by Isaac Mercier, a soldier who lowered the portcullis, preventing Picot from applying his explosive device.
City Gate · · 💀 Dark history
The pétardier Picot was killed by a shot from an arquebus, which left a deep mark on his helmet, and the impact was strong enough to stun him, making him vulnerable to attack.
City Gate · · 💀 Dark history
The Duke of Savoy attempted to scale the walls of Geneva in 1602 with a cosmopolitan army of 1200 men, but his plan was thwarted. The Duke had constructed famous ladders, painted black and composed o…
Geneva City Walls · · 🏛️ Legendary
A mysterious suicide took place at 111, rue des Vignes, where a 28-year-old man named Jacques Verdier was found dead with a cryptic letter and a surprising bequest to the police commissaire.
Rue des Vignes · · 💀 Dark history
Richard Wagner composed parts of his famous opera 'Die Walküre' in a small house near the 'grüner Hügel' in the Enge area, and even dedicated the short prelude to his friend Mathilde Wesendonk with t…
Enge · · 🏛️ Legendary
Mathilde Wesendonk's husband, Otto, gifted Wagner an American gold fountain pen, which Wagner used to write the entire orchestral score of 'Die Walküre', a true masterpiece of calligraphy.
Enge · · 🏛️ Legendary
Wagner played parts of Beethoven's 'Eroica' and 'C-moll-Sinfonie' on a small instrument in a dining room in Brunnen during a joint outing with Mathilde Wesendonk, and greeted her with 'Lohengrin' mel…
Brunnen · · 🏛️ Legendary
Georges Schneider, a famous skier, was welcomed back to La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1950 with a triumphant reception, where he was carried through the streets by his fans and escorted by the 'Armes-Réunies'…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 🏛️ Legendary
A devastating fire on March 13, 1911, destroyed the original Hôtel de la Fleur-de-Lys, which was built in 1777. The hotel was later rebuilt, but its replacement has also been demolished and replaced…
Hôtel de la Fleur-de-Lys · · 💀 Dark history
The Cercle Montagnard, a liberal organization, was founded in 1873 and had a peculiar tradition of dividing its members into two rival groups: choucroute lovers and roastbeef enthusiasts.
Cercle Montagnard · · 😂 Funny
A young man was roughed up by the crowd for shouting 'Down with the army!' and blowing a whistle during a military parade in front of the Grande Fontaine.
Grande Fontaine · · 💀 Dark history
The former Churchill Pub in La Chaux-de-Fonds was the target of a deliberate arson attack in 1986, with multiple fires breaking out across three floors of the building.
Churchill Pub · · 💀 Dark history
A devastating cyclone hit the Valanvron area in 1926, destroying the Geiser farm and killing six livestock who were trapped under the debris. The animals reportedly suffered a slow and agonizing deat…
Valanvron · · 💀 Dark history
A massive snow statue of a woman, named 'Helvetia', was built in 1934 at Rue de Gibraltar, standing 5 meters tall and holding a basket of fruits. The statue was illuminated at night and had a collect…
Rue de Gibraltar · · 🤯 Weird
The Temple National in La Chaux-de-Fonds was incendié on July 16, 1919, and one of its surviving artifacts is an ardoise painted by Édouard Kaiser.
Temple National · · 💀 Dark history
The 1934 cyclone was so powerful that it aspirated materials with a speed of 30 to 40 meters per second, causing widespread destruction and chaos. The cyclone's pressure was estimated to be around 10…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 🤯 Weird
The 1934 cyclone in La Chaux-de-Fonds was not an isolated event, as similar cyclones occurred in 1926 and 2023, causing similar destruction and raising concerns about the city's vulnerability to such…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 🤯 Weird
Ulrich Blaser, a gymnast from La Chaux-de-Fonds, won numerous championships, including the European title in 1906 and the world title in 1911, and continued competing until the age of 91.
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 🏛️ Legendary
The café du Linage, a favorite of Hermann, burned down in 1967 after a well-lubricated dinner party with his wife Marie and friend Ernest Kraft in 1938.
Café du Linage · · 😂 Funny
Ernest Kraft asked Hermann's wife Marie to knit him socks, specifying the number of stitches required, in a rather unusual and intimate letter.
Les Hirondelles 10 · · 🤯 Weird
A devastating cyclone hit La Chaux-de-Fonds on June 12, 1926, destroying several buildings, including the 'Belle Maison' and a farm called 'Ferme Taillard'. The disaster was so severe that it left a…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 💀 Dark history
A 6-year-old boy, Fernand Gerber, was tragically killed by debris from a torn-off roof during a devastating cyclone in 1926. He was walking with friends near the Taillard house when the disaster stru…
Taillard house · · 💀 Dark history
The Temple national in La Chaux-de-Fonds suffered a devastating fire on July 16, 1919, leaving it in ruins.
Temple national · · 💀 Dark history
A controversial party, the Parti Populaire National, was formed in La Chaux-de-Fonds in response to the general strike of 1918.
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 💀 Dark history
The Grande Fontaine in La Chaux-de-Fonds was originally supposed to feature 12 nude nymphs, but they were replaced with turtles due to censorship. In the 19th century, turtles were sometimes seen as…
Grande Fontaine · · 🤯 Weird
The Jura Industriel locomotive Ec 3/4 was a remarkable feat of engineering, with a route that included a 520-meter elevation change between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Neuchâtel, requiring a clever rebrous…
Jura Industriel railway · · 🏛️ Legendary
A unique celebration took place at the Espacité square, where the public participated in a concert by clapping or shouting at specific seconds displayed on large clocks, creating a mesmerizing specta…
Espacité square · 🤯 Weird
In La Chaux-de-Fonds, a bizarre tradition called 'La Torrée' has been practiced for over 150 years, where locals would burn tree branches and cook their meals in the ashes, utilizing every part of th…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 🤯 Weird
René Richard, a painter and trapper, was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1895 and later emigrated to Canada, where he led a remarkable life, exploring the wilderness and creating art inspired by the lan…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 1910, absinthe was banned, but the tradition of drinking it has been preserved in the Val-de-Travers region, where locals still distill and consume it using a special glass and fountain.
Val-de-Travers · · 🤯 Weird
Dr. Alexandre Favre, a resident of La Chaux-de-Fonds, was involved in a scandalous case that was discussed in a book by Prof. Dr. A. Forel, a former director of the psychiatric hospital in Zurich.
La Chaux-de-Fonds · · 💀 Dark history
A tragic accident occurred at the Les Mélèzes swimming pool in La Chaux-de-Fonds when a young boy jumped from the 5-meter tower and landed on a 67-year-old man, causing fatal injuries.
Les Mélèzes swimming pool · · 💀 Dark history
A tragic accident occurred at the Les Mélèzes swimming pool in La Chaux-de-Fonds when a boy under the age of 10 jumped from the 5-meter tower and hit a 67-year-old man, who died from his injuries.
Les Mélèzes swimming pool · · 💀 Dark history
💀 Dark history · 😂 Funny · 🔍 Hidden gems · 🏛️ Legendary · 🤯 Weird
Hidden stories of Switzerland beneath your feet
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