• Ernest Ansermet (1883–1969) This Swiss conductor achieved fame with Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe in 1915. In 1918, Ansermet founded what was to become one of Switzerland’s most respected orchestras, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, in Geneva, and introduced many new works that later became famous. He frequently conducted musical tours of the United States.
  • Arnold Böcklin (1827–1901) His paintings of mythical scenes and landscapes are displayed in galleries throughout Europe. Among his most famous works are The Elysian Fields, The Sacred Grove, and The Island of the Dead.
  • Jean Henri Dunant (1828–1910) After caring for injured soldiers at the Battle of Solferino (Italy, 1859), this Swiss doctor wrote A Souvenir of Solferino, wherein he called for an international organization, without political ties, to aid the wounded in future conflicts. His proposal eventually led to the establishment of the International Red Cross as well as the Geneva Convention, and to Dunant co-receiving the first Nobel Prize in 1901.
  • Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–90) This Swiss playwright is best known for his grotesque farce The Visit, which was filmed with Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Quinn, as well as his mordant nuclear satire The Physicists.
  • Leonard Euler (1707–83) Born in Basel, this genius mathematician spent most of his life in St. Petersburg and Berlin, where he made massive advances in algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and geometry as well as discoveries in astronomy, hydrodynamics, and optics.
  • Roger Federer (1981- ) Switzerland has produced its share of sportsmen and -women, mostly in the Alpine skiing realm, but its most famous athlete to date is this Basel-born tennis whiz, winner of eight Wimbledons, six Australian Opens, and five U.S. Opens—thus far.
  • Bruno Ganz (1941–2019) One of the German-speaking world’s most revered actors, Ganz found international fame as the angelic star of Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire (1987) and as Hitler in the 2004 war drama Downfall (and the many Internet memes derived from that film’s bunker scene).
  • Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966) Born in Italian-speaking Graubünden, this sculptor and painter became known worldwide for his surrealistically elongated human forms. His figures, some of which have sold for millions of dollars, are displayed in museum collections throughout Switzerland and beyond.
  • Carl Jung (1875–1961) If you’ve ever described yourself as an introvert or extrovert, you have this iconic Swiss psychoanalyst to thank. While practicing in Zurich, Jung developed the concepts of personality archetypes and the collective unconscious, with an emphasis on spirituality scorned by his associate-turned-rival Freud. His ideas are still being explored today.
  • Paul Klee (1879–1940) Born near Bern but mostly active in Germany, this modernist painter combined abstract elements with recognizable images in works that are now displayed in galleries around the world. He was also an accomplished violinist.
  • Le Corbusier (1887–1965) This Swiss architect helped revolutionize concepts in city planning and functional architecture. He designed his first house at 18 and later became famous for his buildings in Berlin, Marseille, New York and other cities. During his lifetime, he was also well known as an abstract painter.
  • Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531) This was the so-called “Third Man of the Reformation”, behind Martin Luther and John Calvin. A former Catholic priest enraged by the values of the 16th-century popes, he led Switzerland’s Protestant reformation from 1519 until his death, and his influence helped transform Geneva into central Europe’s most stalwart bastion of Protestantism. Zwingli died in Kappel, near Zurich, in Switzerland’s second religious war.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.