A 'Chalet School' Fan's Tour of Switzerland Quiz

Answer: The stuffed body of Barry, a famous mountain rescue dog

Barry, or Barri, gets a mention in the book. He was a mountain rescue dog who worked for the Great St Bernard Hospice, said to have rescued over 40 people, and a forerunner of the breed now known as the Saint Bernard. The hospice always has a resident dog named Barry, in honour of the original one. As well as Barry's stuffed hide, the Natural History Museum of Bern also features collections of Swiss minerals found in the Alps, meteorites, the preserved skeletons of Swiss animals, and several dioramas featuring mammals, such as the stuffed pandas pictured here. (This diorama is from the Asian Mammals section.)

On the subject of dogs, the museum also houses the world's largest collection of canine skulls, owned by the Albert Heim Foundation, which carries out cynological research (related to canines) and is named after the Swiss geologist Albert Heim.

Answer: Schaffhausen

Schaffhausen, also known as Schaffouse, is the northernmost canton in Switzerland, and is on the German border. The Falls of Rhine lie on the border between Schaffhausen and Zurich. They were formed in the last Ice Age, and are the result of the Rhine being pushed further south during the Würm Glaciation, the Alpine region's last glacial period. Tourists can watch the falls from viewing platforms, as the girls do in the book, and can also explore nearby Schloss Laufen, a Swiss national heritage site.

Answer: Geneva

Geneva is the most populous city in the Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is home to more international organisations than anywhere else in the world, including the Red Cross and several United Nations agencies. It is surrounded by the Jura mountains, and is located at the exit of the Rhône into Lake Geneva.

The Rue du Rhône is Geneva's luxury shopping district, and the Reformation Wall, or International Monument to the Reformation, is a monument that commemorates the history and main players of the Protestant Reformation. The centre of the wall - which gets a mention in the book - features four major Calvinist figures: William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza and John Knox. The St Pierre Cathedral was Calvin's adopted church, and was built in the 12th century, with a Neoclassical façade added on in the 18th century.

Answer: France and Germany

Basel, also known as Basle, is the third most populous city in Switzerland, and is located at the meeting point between the French, Swiss and German borders. The Basel SBB station - which presumably is where the Chalet School pupils get their train - is one of Europe's busiest international stations because of its location, and has rail links to Italy as well as Germany and France. The city has several museums, as well as Switzerland's oldest university, the University of Basel, founded in 1460. Situated on the banks of the Rhine, it is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

The photo here is of Basel Zoo, one of Basel's most popular tourist attractions. Margot Maynard wants to visit it in 'Problem', but the girls end up going for a walk along the Rheinweg instead, and visiting the Botanical Gardens. Basler Leckerli, a local delicacy, also get a mention, though Elinor M Brent-Dyer describes them as 'cakes' when they're really more like biscuits.

Answer: The Aare

The Aare is the longest river that rises and ends within Switzerland, and is a tributary of the High Rhine. It is a popular source of hydroelectricity, with several hydroelectric plants along its banks. One of its reservoirs, Lake Thun, also features in several of the 'Chalet School' books, such as an incident with an out-of-control speedboat in 'Althea Joins the Chalet School'.

Solothurn is the capital of the canton of the same name, and lies at the foot of the Jura mountains. It is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Sights mentioned in 'Excitements' include the Museum of the Old Arsenal, the Zeitglockenturm (clock tower), and the Cathedral of St Ursus.

Answer: The Matterhorn

The iconic Matterhorn is named for Zermatt, the nearest town, and is located in the Pennine Alps, on the Italian border. The mountain logo of Toblerone, a Swiss chocolate bar, is based on the Matterhorn, and its steep pyramidal shape makes it a formidable climb. Most budding Matterhorn climbers take the northeastern route, starting at the Hörnli mountain hut. Treks around the mountain take around ten days.

Among the areas of the Valais visited by the characters are Sion, the capital of Valais, Aigles, Martigny, and St Maurice (not to be confused with St Moritz). As an aside, as pointed out by the characters in the book, Valais is notable for its production of apricots; the vast majority of Switzerland's apricots are grown there.

Answer: Grisons

Grisons, known as Graubünden in German, is Switzerland's largest canton, and also the furthest to the east. It is a trilingual canton, with Swiss German, Romansh and Italian all being recognised as official languages; in fact, it is the only canton where Romansh has an official status. It is a mountainous canton, with a fifth of its land being covered by forest.

St Moritz is a resort town popular with skiers, due to its high Alpine location, and has a subarctic client. It is also a popular site for altitude training in the summer months. It was the host city for the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948. Lake St Moritz plays host to an annual boat race.

Answer: Neuchatel

The reason so many buildings in the old town of Neuchâtel have a distinctive yellow colour is because - as explained in the book - they are made out of pale yellow sandstone. The book also mentions a quote from Alexandre Dumas, writer of 'The Three Musketeers', about the buildings making Neuchâtel look like a 'toy town carved out of butter'. Buildings mentioned in the book include the Cantonal Observatory, which uses atomic clocks to calibrate clocks and which was once a major part of the local watch industry; Neuchâtel Castle (pictured); the Collegiate Church; and the Jardin Anglais, part of the Neuchâtel Botanical Gardens.

In late September, there is a wine festival known as Fête des Vendanges, which celebrates the grape harvest, and is accompanied by fancy dress parades - the girls in the book get to try cheese fondue made with Neuchâtel white wine.

Answer: Rapperswil Castle

The Palais de Rumine is a building that hosts various museums - the Museums of Zoology, Fine Arts, Money, Geology and Archaeology/History, all of which the girls visit in the book - and is one of the sites of the Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne. Ouchy is a resort town near Lake Geneva, popular for its views of France and the Alps. It is also home to the Olympic Museum. Lac de Sauvabelin is not mentioned in 'Triplets'; it is an artificial lake in the Sauvabelin Forest. Rapperswil Castle, meanwhile, is in Zürich.

Lausanne is the capital of the canton of Vaud, and is one of the Francophone areas of Switzerland. It has a lot of connections with the world of sport; several sporting organisations are based there, including the International Olympic Committee. It is Switzerland's fourth largest city. Pictured here is Château Saint-Maire, a Swiss heritage site and seat of the Cantonal Council of Vaud.

Answer: The Stanserhorn

Like many Swiss mountains, the name of the local mountain of Stans ends in 'horn'. It can be accessed either by funicular railway or cable car, and is a popular destination for tourists; on a clear day, from the peak of the Stanserhorn, you can see the Black Forest in Germany and several lakes. The summit station has a revolving restaurant and an observation deck.

Pictured is the Dorfplatz, the Stans village square. Like most of the town, it was destroyed in a fire in 1713, and had to be rebuilt. Incidentally, if you've read 'Two Sams', one of the very last books in the 'Chalet School' series, you may remember that there was a fair bit of Swiss history in the excursion chapter, such as the educator Pestalozzi's attempts to set up a school, and the involvement of St Nicholas von der Flüe - the patron saint of Switzerland - in deciding on the division of spoils from the Burgundian Wars. The memorial to the legendary Swiss soldier Arnold von Winkelried also gets a mention.