Switzerland quiz 5 – horse-drawn post bus
A traveler is curious about the last horse-drawn post bus in Switzerland, which operated until 1961 between Cresta and Juf in the canton of Grisons. They learned about Juf being the highest permanent village in Europe and shared photos from their findings along with some engaging historical context about the postal service in Switzerland.
- Visit Juf to experience the highest permanent village in Europe, it's a beautiful spot worth exploring.
- The last horse-drawn post bus operated between Cresta and Juf, which can be an interesting historical visit.
- Don't miss the scenic views along the route of the modern post bus that replaced the horse-drawn service.
AI-generated summary-
Quiz question: Where did the last Horse drawn post bus* in Switzerland operate?
* German = Pferdepost. French = Diligence
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The history of the postal system in Switzerland is super interesting . I have a large coffee-table sized book about the Post but cannot find it. The answer would probably be in there. So I had to do some digging and came up with the answer. Die letzte Pferdepost in der Schweiz war im Jahr 1961, and was operating between Cresta and Juf (canton of Grisons) further up the valley and above the tree-line. Just for fun, I went for a google-map drive around Juf and attach three photos, the first showing the post office, the second the side of a large shed, completely made of carefully placed stones, and the last one a wood storage shed. All this wood must be brought up to Juf. Juf’s claim to fame is that it is the highest village in Europe with residents who live there year-round.
Lastly, a map showing the locations of Cresta and Juf (c/o Swisstopo)
Well done
We go to Juf quite often. It is lovely place.
Will post some of my own pictures showing the Juf area. First off here is the modern post bus on exactly the same road which the last horse post bus travelled.
I’ve been digging around the internet, try to find any photos of earlier postal service for the run up to Juf, sans succès. I was wondering if you had anything. I do attach a postcard photo of a diligence, somewhere in what I assume to be the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Any idea where this photo was taken ? The second photo is from 1905, showing a diligence running at quite a clip from St. Cergue to Nyon. I read that this would hold up to ten passengers. I like seeing the ladies up in the back with their umbrellas. Actually, I see a red umbrella in the first photo. A most civilized way to travel back in the day, no doubt.
This all goes to remind us of how much horses have served man over so many years. No wonder that motors today are still rated by their “horsepower”.
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