Witch Trials in Sion
The Valais witch trials, which took place between 1428 and 1447, resulted in the deaths of at least 367 men and women, making it one of the earliest and most notorious witch hunts in late medieval Eu…
Sion · · 💀 Dark history
Discover 60 curated stories about Sion in Switzerland — covering hidden gems, dark history, legends, weird facts and funny anecdotes.
The Valais witch trials, which took place between 1428 and 1447, resulted in the deaths of at least 367 men and women, making it one of the earliest and most notorious witch hunts in late medieval Eu…
Sion · · 💀 Dark history
The FC Sion football club has a remarkable record of being undefeated in 13 finals of the Swiss Cup, with their most recent victory being in 2015 against FC Basel.
Stade de Tourbillon · · 🏛️ 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
The Basilique de Valère, a fortified church in Sion, houses the oldest playable organ in the world, dating back to 1430. This remarkable instrument can still be heard during the annual Festival inter…
Basilique de Valère · · 🏛️ Legendary
A 36-year-old FC Sion fan fell to his death from the Nordtribüne at Stade de Tourbillon during a match against FC Winterthur.
Stade de Tourbillon · · 💀 Dark history
The necropolis of Don Bosco, also known as the 'aristocrat' tumulus, is a grand burial site from the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age, featuring elaborate stone burial cists and engraved stelae.
Don Bosco · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 2008, one of the largest Celtic necropoles in the Swiss Alps was discovered in Sion, with over 200 graves dating back to the first Iron Age between 800 and 500 BC.
Sion · · 🔍 Hidden gems
The city of Sion was almost completely destroyed by a fire on May 24, 1788, which burned down two-thirds of the city. The city was then rebuilt. On the same spot, a previous city was already occupied…
Sion City · · 💀 Dark history
The Raron affair, a rebellion that took place from 1414 to 1420, almost brought the Swiss Confederation to civil war. The uprising was successful in driving out the Rarons, a noble family, and had si…
Raron · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Basilique de Valère houses one of the oldest playable organs in the world, with its origins dating back to the 15th century. This Swallow's Nest organ, as it's called, was likely built in 1435 an…
Basilique de Valère · · 🏛️ Legendary
The Château de Valère houses the oldest playable organ in the world, built in 1435. This ancient instrument has only eight stops and can be played with a manual bellows or a motor. It's a rare opport…
Château de Valère · · 🤯 Weird
On May 24, 1788, a massive fire swept through Sion, destroying 226 buildings, including the Tourbillon Castle, in just three hours. The blaze was sparked by a storm and could not be contained by the…
Tourbillon Castle · · 💀 Dark history
In 1352, the castle was attacked by Pierre de la Tour, a noble from Upper Valais, who wanted to free the bishop, but his men were arrested while trying to set the castle on fire.
Château de Tourbillon · · 💀 Dark history
A Boeing 737 or an Airbus A320 can land at Sion Airport, but only one at a time. In 1986, an Airbus A310 of Swissair even landed here, and in 1997, a B-747 Jumbo Jet flew by.
Sion Airport · · 🤯 Weird
The highway A9 was built to serve as a backup runway for military planes in case of emergency. The airport's runway can also be used by F/A-18 fighter jets.
Sion Airport · 🤯 Weird
The FC Sion football club was temporarily relegated to the 1. Liga in 2003 due to financial issues, but managed to return to the top league after a dramatic court battle led by its president, Christi…
Stade de Tourbillon · · 🏛️ Legendary
Christian Constantin, the president of FC Sion, took over as the team's coach in 2008 after a series of short-lived coaching appointments, despite not having the necessary coaching diplomas.
Stade de Tourbillon · · 🤯 Weird
FC Sion achieved a remarkable feat in 2006 by winning the Swiss Cup as an underdog team, defeating the favored Young Boys in the final.
Stade de Tourbillon · · 🏛️ Legendary
The FC Sion football club was involved in a scandalous affair in 2008, known as the 'El-Hadary' case, which led to the club being banned from transferring players for two mercatos.
Stade de Tourbillon · · 💀 Dark history
In 2011, the FC Sion football club was banned from playing in the Europa League due to a dispute over the eligibility of six newly recruited players, despite winning the qualifying matches against Ce…
Stade de Tourbillon · · 💀 Dark history
The Tour des Sorciers, a 14th-century guard tower, was later used as a prison and torture chamber for alleged witches, earning its name 'Witch Tower'.
Tour des Sorciers · · 💀 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
In 1792, François Favre, Guillaume's father, was part of a cavalry unit formed to surveil the French army's movements. He witnessed the first appearance of the bonnets rouges, marking the beginning o…
Varembé · · 🏛️ 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
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
Around 1800, at Der Rosenhof, a father's punishment for playing with Vogtsgeldern left his children, Susanna and Klärchen, alone and helpless.
Der Rosenhof · · 💀 Dark history
During the demolition of the St. Johann church in 1915, well-preserved skeletons were found near the apse, which were likely buried there during the construction of the church.
St. Johann church · · 💀 Dark history
The Lauchetal valley was once home to a thriving textile industry, with the Baumwollspinnerei Lauchetal factory playing a significant role. However, the area's history is also marked by a darker even…
Lauchetal valley · · 💀 Dark history
Heinrich Zeller's father, Johann Heinrich, was a military man who rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the artillery. He and a friend from Schwyz made a pact to remember their friendship if they…
Sonderbund War battlefield · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 1416, three Italian scholars, Poggio, Cencius, and Bartholomä, visited the St. Gallen library with the intention of 'rescuing' ancient Roman and Greek texts, potentially by stealing or buying them…
St. Gallen Library · · 🤯 Weird
In the 16th century, the Effinger family, who lived in Wildegg Castle, experienced a series of tragic events, including the death of Christoff II, who lost his castle to a fire, and the loss of sever…
Wildegg Castle · · 💀 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
On the Albrechtsstraße, a peculiar encounter took place between a young Leutnant and a high-ranking General. The General, despite his superior rank, showed unusual deference to the Leutnant, who was…
Albrechtsstraße · · 🏛️ Legendary
Saint Théodule, the first bishop of Sion, made a deal with a devil to save the Pope from danger. The devil, who claimed to be as fast as a woman's thought, transported Théodule to Rome and back to Si…
Bishop's Castle · 🏛️ Legendary
The Clinique des poupées in Sion is one of the last remaining doll clinics in Switzerland, with only about a dozen left in the country.
Clinique des poupées · · 🤯 Weird
A sculpture honoring mules was erected in Sion, sparked by a proposal from Dr. Roger Benoit, who wanted to recognize the animal's invaluable services to the region.
Angle de l'avenue Saint-François et de la rue de Gravelone · · 🤯 Weird
The ancient sundial on the Capucins' chapel in Sion has a mysterious inscription that reads 'OMNIA PRÆTEREVNT CELERI LABENTIA CVRSV / SOLA MANET IVSTIS GLORIA;POENA MALIS', which translates to 'Every…
Capucins' chapel · · 🔍 Hidden gems
In 2023, at the Tribunal de Sion, a remarkable trial took place where two artists, Leo Thiakos and Nicolas Marolf, were acquitted after being sued for defamation and calumny by the UDC party.
Tribunal de Sion · · 🏛️ Legendary
In 1928, the Sion train station had to handle an enormous amount of wine barrels, with 13,613 barrels, casks, or tank wagons being transported in just 19 days, totaling 3,285,679 liters of wine.
Sion Train Station · · 🤯 Weird
In 1902, Sion's past was highlighted. See notrehistoire for the photograph.
Sion · · 💀 Dark history
In the 1960s, the postal car route from Sion to Les Haudères was so treacherous that the driver, Alfred Steiner, had to order passengers to get out and walk a certain stretch after a landslide destro…
Les Haudères · · 🤯 Weird
In Valais, specifically the region surrounding Sion, historical records show that the reactions of the population to the COVID-19 pandemic are similar to those during the plague in the 14th century.
Valais · · 💀 Dark history
A gigantic sundial, over 6 meters high, stands in Avenue de la Gare 14, but it's surprisingly inaccurate due to its non-gnomonic construction.
Avenue de la Gare · · 🤯 Weird
The president of FC Sion, Christian Constantin, was banned from the stadium for 14 months after an altercation with a TV consultant. In a show of support, fans wore masks of his face to symbolically…
Stade de Tourbillon · · 🤯 Weird
The Château de la Majorie, a 13th-century fortress, was the primary residence of the bishops of Sion and hosted most of the meetings of the Diète valaisanne under the old regime. It was also ravaged…
Château de la Majorie · · 💀 Dark history
In Sion, 1939, a depiction of St. Francis blessing the city was recorded. See notrehistoire for the postcard.
Sion · · 💀 Dark history
In 2020, the Grand Conseil valaisan in Sion continued to hold debates in close proximity to each other, despite the health risks during the coronavirus pandemic.
Grand Conseil valaisan · · 💀 Dark history
The inauguration of the Simplon tunnel in 1906 was celebrated with a grand procession and a pavilion resembling the tunnel entrance.
Sion city center · · 🏛️ Legendary
In the late 19th century, the city of Sion hosted a historic cortège, where participants dressed in wild animal skins and recreated the battle for the city's freedom. The event was a huge success and…
Place de la Planta · · 🏛️ Legendary
The historic cortège in Sion featured a reenactment of the foire de Brigue, a 15th-century fair, complete with merchants, acrobats, and a magnificent herd of animals from the hospital of Sion.
Place de la Planta · · 🏛️ Legendary
The last DC-4 in Europe landed in Sion in July 2000, bringing passengers to the city. This historic aircraft, registered as PH-DDS, belonged to the Dutch Dakota Association.
Sion airport · · 🏛️ Legendary
In a bizarre incident, Sion's sports director, Barth Constantin, took matters into his own hands during a Super League match by grabbing the opposing team's substitution board to speed up the process…
Letzigrund · 😂 Funny
A theft occurred at a funeral in Sion, where unknown individuals stole a box containing condolence messages and likely money, leaving the family and police shocked.
Sion · · 💀 Dark history
Under the church of St. Theodul, a large Roman bath complex was discovered and partially excavated, revealing the luxurious lifestyle of the Roman Seduni tribe.
St. Theodul · · 🔍 Hidden gems
On the field 'la Planta' near the city, Oberwalliser and Berner defeated the Savoyer in a battle on November 13, 1475.
La Planta · · 💀 Dark history
The city of Sion holds the record for the most snowfall in a single day, with 60 cm of snow falling on December 10, 2017.
Sion City · · 🤯 Weird
The city of Sion was an important Celtic market place, known as Drousomagos, which translates to 'market of Drusus' or 'market of the bushes'.
Sion City · 🏛️ Legendary
💀 Dark history · 😂 Funny · 🔍 Hidden gems · 🏛️ Legendary · 🤯 Weird
Hidden stories of Switzerland beneath your feet
Facts are sourced from various open websites and may have been edited. Copyright of original content belongs to their respective owners.
Finding your location…