Kneipping in Switzerland

The health-conscious Swiss have embraced the water cure and health philosophy of German Priest Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897).  Kneipp (pronounced k-nipe) understood the connection between mind and body and promoted the use of medicinal herbs, exercise, a whole foods diet, a healthy mind, and his most enduring legacy –hydrotherapy. Kneipp’s book, My Water Cure, was published in 1886!

Walking barefoot through water or on wet grass, stones, or snow was one of Kneipp’s simple yet effective techniques. A thoughtful and observant man, Kneipp saw the benefits of his”cure” but also understood that each person required variations and degrees on his theme.  

There are numerous Kneipp routes and spas offering Kneipp "cures" throughout Switzerland (and Germany). At the numerous thermal baths around Switzerland you will find shallow cold water pools often between the large warm pools that you are meant to walk trough a-la Kneipp to get your circulation and lymph flowing.

You can go Kneipping or walking on a Kneippweg. In Blitzingen, south of Bern and Luzern, you can walk the NaturKneippweg through streams and meadows - it is considered to be the longest natural Kneipp path in Switzerland. 

In Grachen, a village in the Matterhorn Valley, there is a public Kneipp "garden" about a fifteen minute walk from the town with stone lined pools designed for Kneipp leg and arm immersions in cool (well let's face it- cold) water. Two hotels in the area specialize in Kneipp cures and can help you develop your Kneipping skills. These are Hotel zum See with access to the Kneipp garden as well as their own spa and the Hotel Stutz, a dedicated no-smoking hotel.

Happy Kneipping!

Abundant Natural Remedies in Switzerland

Switzerland, like much of Europe and Asia, has a long history of using natural remedies for health care. This is evident when traveling through Switzerland where drugstores and pharmacies throughout the country sell both natural and pharmaceutical products, often side by side. Switzerland is a highly developed, wealthy country complete with its own pharmaceutical giants, who would like consumers to buy their pharmaceutical products instead of long-standing, successful, natural remedies. But cultural heritage and attitudes run deep. In Switzerland, druggists and pharmacy owners must go through years of education and apprenticeship, including not only the study of pharmaceutical products but also of herbal and homeopathic remedies.

Unlike the United States where homeopathic and herbal preparations are sold in health food stores, you must buy homeopathic remedies and many herbal products in a pharmacy or apothecary – called Drogerie, Apotheke, or Farmacia. Fortunately there seems to be one on just about every street.

Natural remedies of the highest quality are made in Switzerland, Germany, France and other European countries. These natural products and medicines are displayed in pharmacy windows often with equal or greater representation than conventional products. Swiss brands include A. Vogel-Bioforce, Ceres, Weleda, and Phytomed.

In Zurich the Bellevue Pharmacy has been in operation since 1887 and stocks thousands of remedies including over 6000 homeopathic and anthroposophical medicines. Open twenty-four hours a day, all year long, you can find them in the old part of the city on Bellevueplatz by the lake.

It is a joy to travel in Switzerland (for many reasons) and have easy and abundant access to high quality natural remedies.

Fantastic Second-Hand Shopping in St. Gallen

Brockis, or Brockenhaus, are thrift shops in German and are very popular and numerous in Switzerland. As a shopper, I would recommend Switzerland as a place to peruse such shops as the merchandise is usually of very high quality. 

In St. Gallen there are a few Brockis, one of which is the Blaukreuz Brockenstube (Blue Cross thrift shop), a three-story second hand shop with proceeds going to support work on alcohol abuse and other social issues. They have an excellent selection of all manner of items including clothing, household items, furniture, books, records, movies, linens, and shoes, all at good prices. 

The have another store in Gais which is great as well but closed in the winter. The rest of the year a visit to the Gais store makes for a great excursion.


Blaukreuz Brockenstube, Turnerstrasse 20, 9000 St Gallen; Tel: 712 222 277; Web: www.blaukreuz-brockenstube.ch; open Monday to Friday from 1:30 to 6:00pm, Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Take the number 7 bus towards Abtwil and get off at the Vonwil stop (3 stops from the Bahnhof). Once off the bus walk in the direction the bus is going to the corner - go right and the Brockenstube is half a block down on the right. For the store in Gais take the Appenzeller Bahnen (train) to the Zweibrucken stop. Happy hunting!

Booklovers Delight - Rare Books in St. Gallen

Being an extreme book lover, I find the crowning site in St. Gallen, Switzerland to be the Abbey Library. The library, tucked in behind the cathedral, is a work of art unto itself. Upon entering you must slip on giant felt slippers over your shoes to protect the inlaid wood floors. The Baroque-style library has a magical quality to it, filled with treasured handwritten and illustrated books dating from as early as 500 AD. Allow plenty of time to feast your eyes on the extraordinary illuminated manuscripts and imagine the monks tonguing their paintbrushes. The Cathedral and Abbey Library are designated as UNESCO world heritage sites. To find this gem, make your way into the old city and follow the signs for the Stiftsbibliothek. 

For divine hot chocolate and other delicacies you can go to the Chocolaterie an Kloserplatz serving local Munz-Maestrani chocolate and other goodies looking out at the cathedral. For health food eats, see the post Health Food Stores in St. Gallen. 

If you are unable to make the trip to St. Gallen you can now, as of the past year, view 353 of the precious manuscripts on-line at a virtual library - Codices Electronici Sangallenses (Digital Abbey Library of St. Gallen). The virtual library is continuously being updated and expanded. 

Abbey Library of St. Gall Stiftsbibliothek, Klosterhof 6D, St. Gallen; Tel: 071 227 3416; http://www.stiftsbibliothek.ch; Open Monday-Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm; closed in November. Entry: 10 CHF.

Chocolaterie an Kloserplatz, open Monday from 1:00 to 6:30 pm, Tuesday to Friday from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.