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16 things that only happen in Switzerland

We've been scouring social media for the next wave of the most uniquely Swiss 'things' we can find. Have we missed any?

Published: 16 October 2018 16:30 CEST
Updated: 9 July 2022 11:54 CEST
A friendly(ish) cow stares into the camera on a mountain pass in Kandersteig Switzerland.
"Mooo shall not pass". A friendly(ish) cow stares into the camera on a mountain pass in Kandersteig Switzerland. Photo by Frank Holleman on Unsplash

1. Trains waiting for chickens to get off the track

Switzerland is proud of its rural heritage. So much so, that chickens – along with cows and occasionally goats and sheep – get right of way. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

#sbb #schweiz #svizzera #hüehner #dummshuen

A post shared by canonicamarco (@canonicamarco) on Oct 4, 2018 at 4:23am PDT

2. People racing powered up lawn mowers 

A great way to encourage the kids to do their chores is to make it fun – so why not supercharge your lawn mower to encourage housework and freak our your neighbours at the same time. 

Hey, if you’re going to do something, why not do it fast? 

Photo credit: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP

3. Being encouraged to get active – while climbing a mountain

Slackers are not appreciated in Switzerland – especially on the hiking paths. 

4. Sharing an elevator with a cow

OK, so you might see this in India as well as Switzerland, but the treatment of cows in Switzerland is positively Hinduesque. 

As we delved into in the following article however, the Swiss have a close personal bond with cows. 

EXPLAINED: Why are cows so important in Switzerland?

This bovine was lucky enough to take an elevator ride, which I guess is a little easier than taking a cow up the steps. 

But if an elevator isn’t available, then your cow can always…

5. Get your cow to take the helicopter

Yes, this really happened. Check out this video from the Irish Farmers Journal.

6. Simply how much people trust each other

Whether buying from an actual store or even online, the level of trust people place in each other in Switzerland is particularly special – as illustrated by this tweet. 

7. Unicorn warnings 
“Sorry Urs, your unicorn is gonna have to wait around back. Rules is rules. Don’t make me tap the sign.”
 
 
8. Vending machines filled with cheese
 
Several varieties of delicious Swiss cheese available on a 24-hour basis? There are certainly no holes in this idea. 
 
 
9. More vending machines with cheese
 
Fear not, humble tourists, you will not encounter a cheesemergency while on vacation in Switzerland. 
 

10. Being interrupted by a gang of Alphorners

“Sorry guys, gonna be around five minutes late, the Alphorners have taken over the roads and I’m going to have to take the long way around.”

11. Using a raclette grill to make popcorn

What? How do you make popcorn?

12. Being allowed to ride your bike naked

Bike safety is paramount in Switzerland. As it should be. 

13. Bargain hunting with a difference

If your chair costs less than this, are you even sitting at all? 

READ MORE: Why is Switzerland so expensive?

14. Seeing ‘unique’ missing animal posters 

Perhaps putting a picture on the side of a milk carton would have been in bad taste…

15. Cows hiding out on roof tops

Photo credit: Metro/CEN

“She always was one of my most cantankerous beasts, always wanting to do it her way, not mine,” owner Dieter Mueller told Metro newspaper.”

“She would have stayed up there for eternity if she had wanted to. I tried to coax her off when I first saw her but she wouldn’t budge. She had to do things in her own sweet time. And I am left with the bill for replacing the tiles she smashed.”

16. Eating fondue while surfing

PROTESTS

How free are people to protest in Switzerland?

As a centre of international diplomacy and cooperation and with its unique system of direct democracy, Switzerland enjoys a reputation for upholding fundamental human rights—but how free are the Swiss to express their opposition to power?

Published: 24 April 2024 15:25 CEST
How free are people to protest in Switzerland?

In its recently released 2024 report, Amnesty International criticised Switzerland for imposing restrictions on the right to protest and for dispersing protests violently. 

So what’s the problem? 

While not an explicit ban on protest, Amnesty International considers the obligation in some Swiss cantons for protest organisers to gain official approval and shoulder potential costs to be a repressive measure—essentially a ‘workaround’ in cooling dissent.

Amnesty International’s criticism comes on the heels of other concerns.   

In 2024, Amnesty International joined with the United Nations in criticizing moves by some Swiss cantons and cities to ban protests regarding the Middle East conflict as ‘disproportionate’. 

Read More: How ordinary citizens can try to change the law in Switzerland

The organization has also highlighted the continued use of rubber bullets by Swiss police in dispersing protests as a serious area of concern. 

Furthermore, any changes to protests are controlled or permitted in Switzerland must be made through individual cantons due to the country’s devolution of specific powers – a process that could take years. 

So what restrictions have been introduced in Switzerland?

In early March, the ‘Anti-Chaoten’ initiative put forward by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP) youth wing, which would have placed significant legal and financial burdens on protesters, was rejected in a Zurich cantonal referendum. However, a counterproposal by cantonal authorities was accepted at the polls.

The successful counterproposal requires explicit permission from authorities to hold a protest or rally, as well as passing on the cost of the police operation, as well as any intentional damage, to protest organizers. Failure to gain approval for protests can result in charges being laid. 

Following the success of the Zurich measure, the Basel SVP intends to introduce a similar proposal to be voted on in August – with the same likely result.

Which protests have been dispersed violently in Switzerland? 

Due to global events, protests have become increasingly common in Switzerland over the last five years. Most have been peaceful, but there have been exceptions.

Measures introduced to limit the spread of the coronavirus between 2020 and 2022 led to violent protests being dispersed in Bern, Zurich and Lucerne. 

Read More: Switzerland to impose tougher penalties for violent protesters

Climate change protests have also been violently dispersed by police, using pepper spray and rubber bullets – such as in Basel in February 2023.

Amnesty International has also raised serious concerns regarding the police dispersal of an International Women’s Day protest in Basel on March 17th of this year, in which rubber bullets were also used. 

Most recently, opponents of the Eritrean regime were dispersed with tear gas and water cannons at a demonstration in Gerlafingen, Aargau, on March 31st. 

What right do the Swiss have to protest? 

The right to peaceful protest is enshrined in the Swiss federal constitution—Article 16 provides for freedom of expression, while Article 23 protects the right to free association. 

Indeed, in 2020, the country successfully introduced a resolution to the United Nations Human Rights Council, calling for world governments to protect the right to protest and not use the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to curtail freedoms. 

Read More: What foreigners should know about the Swiss constitution

Furthermore, the country is a signatory to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as well as the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, which could have some bearing on how protests are dispersed.  

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