The Spell of Switzerland

by Nathan Haskell Dole

Overview

Journey to the heart of the Swiss Alps with Nathan Haskell Dole's "The Spell of Switzerland," a captivating exploration of Switzerland's landscapes and history. This meticulously prepared print edition offers a timeless glimpse into the beauty and allure of this iconic European nation.

More than just a travel guide, "The Spell of Switzerland" delves into the rich tapestry of Swiss culture and geography. Discover the charm of its villages, the majesty of its mountains, and the spirit of its people. Dole's descriptive prose paints a vivid portrait of a nation steeped in history and natural splendor.

Whether you're a seasoned traveler, a history enthusiast, or simply dreaming of a Swiss escape, this book offers an enriching and insightful experience. Explore Switzerland through the eyes of a passionate observer and uncover the enduring spell it casts on all who venture within its borders. A classic work on European travel and human geography.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781023207935
Publisher:	Anson Street Press
Publication date:	03/28/2025
Pages:	290
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.61(d)

Read an Excerpt

automobile; mountains to climb; the Dolomites to visit. Each time new drawings, new seductions. With each week's mail I felt the insidious, impalpable lure. I have many friends who put faith in astrology. One of my acquaintances is making a large income from constructing horoscopes. She is sincere; she has a real faith. She acts on the hypothesis that from even the most distant of the planets radiate baleful or beneficent influences which move those mortals who are, as it were, keyed or tuned to them. Saturn, whose density is less than alcohol, a billion miles away; Neptune, almost three billion miles away, infinitesimal specks in the ocean of space, make men and women happy or miserable. How much more then is it possible that the heaped-up masses of mighty mountains may work their spell on men half-way around this globe of ours? I began to be conscious of the Spell of Switzerland. A half-crazy friend of mine, a painter, who loved mountains and depicted them on his canvases, once broached a theory of his, as we stood on top of Mount Adams: " The time will come," he said with the conviction of a prophet, " when we shall be able to take advantage of the electric current flowingfrom this mountain-mass to Mount Washington, yonder, and commit ourselves safely and boldly to its control. Then we shall be able to practise levitation. It will be perfectly easy, perfectly feasible to leap from one peak to another." I am sure I felt stirring within me the impulse to leap into the air with the certainty that I should land on top of the Jungf ran or of Mont Blanc. It was a cumulative attraction. Every day it grew more intense. I got from the library every book I could find aboutSwitzerland. I soaked myself in Swiss history. I began to know Switzerland as familiarly as if I had a...