Sweeping tented roofs, perfectly smooth and circular towers in addition to tall windows with arched tops give the National Museum of Switzerland an almost nostalgic aura of a palace right out of the pages of a children’s picture book. For all its mystical aura, the artifacts preserved within the museum curate the very real history of the Swiss beginning from earthenware shards from 5000BC serving as a peephole to the past and ending at present day traditions and trends that have cemented themselves in Swiss communities. People of make believe such as Wilhelm Tell, the man who shot an apple on his son’s head, are brought to life if only temporarily within the confines of the Museum.

Carefully molded figurines retell the harrowing battles of old and the tumult experienced in the establishment of Switzerland as a Confederation. War and bloodshed that the Swiss repulse so much in today’s society was inevitable back in the 15th Century as seen in one of the largest dioramas of the country illustrating the Battle of Murten against the Burgundy. Passed on from ruler to ruler and hand to hand, the distinct influences of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque form a moving tapestry on walls of wood paneling. While exploring, the low roofed heavy beams and thick stones underfoot are a cozy retreat from the cold within the 11 historical Stubens of the museum. Even the finesse of cartographers is celebrated here through a 150-year old Dufour map that is believed to be the first attempt at sketching the aerial expanse of Switzerland as an entirety. As the largest cultural and history museum in Switzerland, the Swiss Natural Museum has much to tell and show its visitors of both its people and their past.