Wood

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Schwyz: the medieval Bethlehem House from 1287 (Schwyz Cultural Preservation Office) European Heritage Days is this year putting wood centre stage, showing how this multipurpose material has influenced Swiss cultural history. Around 240 events across Switzerland will offer an insight into wood, ranging from prehistoric finds to how it is used in modern Swiss architecture.

Les Genevez, canton Jura A shingle roof from a 16th-century farmhouse, which today houses the Jura Rural Museum (Jura Rural Museum, Les Genevez)

Rougemont, canton Vaud Century-old chalets - architectural masterpieces - are often dated, commented on and signed like works of art (DINF, Monuments and Sites, Lausanne)

Bulle, canton Freiburg A wedding cabinet from the Gruyères region (Gruyères Museum)

Kippel in the Lötschen Valley, canton Valais Fasnacht masks such as these give an insight into the local tradition of wood carving (Lötschen Valley Museum/Thomas Antonietti)

Rovio, canton Ticino Casa Balmelli, built in 1956 by Tita Carloni and Luigi Camenisch (Tita Carloni architectural studio)

Belp, canton Bern The 80-year-old Oskar Bider hangar, a protected building, at Bern-Belpmoos airport

Moutier, canton Bern This 1905 shooting range is made entirely out of wood (Etienne Lézat)

Sierre, canton Valais Choir stalls in the Carmelite cloister of Géronde, built between 1425 and 1430 (Valais Buildings, Monuments and Archaeological Service)

Rheinau, canton Zurich The monastery church is one of Switzerland's most beautiful baroque churches and contains unique wooden works of art, such as the walnut choir stalls (Zurich Cantonal Monument Preservation)

Freiburg, Art and History Museum Wooden sculpture from the 16th century (Art and History Museum/Primula Bosshard)

Lucerne The canton of Lucerne has a wealth of wooden archaeological discoveries (Lucerne Monument and Archaeological Preservation)

Hauterive, canton Neuchâtel Iron Age finds (450-20BC). The Celtic settlement La Tène was discovered near Lake Neuchâtel in 1857 (Laténium, Neuchâtel Archaeological Museum)

Wettingen, canton Aargau The 200-year-old covered Limmat bridge belongs to the group of buildings that make up the former Zisterzienser cloister (Aargau Monument Preservation)

Geneva Restoration work on the Neptune. The boat served as a means of transport from 1904-1968. In 1971 it was bought by the canton of Geneva and saved from destruction (Neptune Foundation)

Aquila, Alpe Motterascio, canton Ticino The extention to the Capanna Michela mountain hut has been built using prefabricated wooden elements (Baserga Mozzetti, Muralto)

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European Heritage Days celebrate this most versatile of materials.