Sedrun to Schwyz

Michael Portillo ventures into the bowels of an immense hydroelectric dam to learn how the Swiss use their mountainous environment to power the country.

He winds his way by rail through the Swiss Alps in search of the origins of Switzerland’s political confederation. Crossing Lake Lucerne, he discovers the meadow where, according to legend, Switzerland was founded in the 13th century.

Nimble fingers are required at the Swiss Army Knife factory in Schwyz, where Michael assembles one of the 45,000 iconic knives made there every day.