While most countries knock down old structures that stand in the way of new development, Switzerland has quietly built a reputation for doing the opposite. Instead of demolishing historic buildings that block railway lines, roads or new construction, Swiss engineers often lift them onto rails or rollers and physically move them to a new spot nearby. It sounds almost unbelievable, but this practice has been used for decades across the country, saving everything from churches to farmhouses to massive industrial landmarks. One of the most striking examples is a 19th-century brick building in Zurich that weighed thousands of tonnes and still ended up rolling gently to safety.
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