A natural and cultural excursion combined

What do bees and honey have to do with writing? We will explore these and other exciting questions on this excursion into the diverse realm of wild bees and experience first-hand the influence of nature on culture.

Since ancient times, people have written about the relationship between humans and bees. They buzz in graphic art and in music, but nowhere are they more present than in literature, especially poetry. Not only in the writings of Rainer Maria Rilke, but also in the writings of many other important contemporary poets, one comes across bees in interesting places. On a walk in and around Leukerbad, we immerse ourselves in poetry and discover the diverse world of wild bees along the way. I wonder if those poets knew that not all bees make honey?

The excursion will be led by wild bee specialist Noémie Evéquoz and Philippe Imwinkelried from the Rilke Foundation.