Nature's apothecary

Naturally healthy - with medicinal herbs that people have used for centuries.

Many valuable medicinal herbs can be found on the Gornergrat. They may provide relief from illness, wounds, or injuries. In order to tell them apart from weeds — and from each other — you need a sensitive nose. Here you can experience four typical Swiss herbs with all of your senses.

Sage — popular in cuisine and medicine

The healing properties of sage were known at least as far back as the Middle Ages. Even today, this medicinal herb is still used to alleviate cold symptoms and sore throats. It has also become an indispensable ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine. Sage has an intense aroma and a pleasant, savoury taste.

Valais Wormwood — herald of spring

Wormwood is a perennial, mostly herbaceous plant. The Swiss talk of ‘a small drop of wormwood’, which means a negative aspect of something that is generally positive. The phrase comes from the extremely bitter aftertaste of wormwood — yet that is what makes it so good for our health. The bitter substances stimulate digestion and whet the appetite.

Thyme — a versatile medicinal plant

Thyme is known to many as an ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, but it is also useful in the medicine cabinet. The plant’s aroma comes from essential oils, which have antioxidant properties as well as relieving cramps, blocked noses and coughs.

Yarrow — a true health-giver

This plant’s beneficial character is indicated in its name, ‘yarrow’, which like the second part of its modern German name is derived from the Old High German ‘garwe’, meaning ‘health-giver’. Be it a bleeding cut, migraine, cramp or poor circulation, yarrow gives relief from many ailments.