Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

CULTURE

Seven events not to miss in Switzerland in April

Whoever said that nothing exciting ever happens in Switzerland was wrong. The month of April, for instance, brims with fun events and festivals happening in all corners of the country.

Published: 27 March 2023 15:01 CEST
Updated: 1 April 2023 05:59 CEST
Seven events not to miss in Switzerland in April
The town of Zermatt (with the Matterhorn in the background) will be 'unplugged' in April . Image by Ricardo Adelaide from Pixabay

Whether you are into music, food, nature, or any other type of activity, you will likely find something that interests you in April. 

These are just some suggestions from different regions, but you can find more to do if you look at your local community’s calendar of events.

If you are interested in just Easter-related festivities, you can find them in this article:

8 of the best Easter events in Switzerland you won’t want to miss

This is what’s on in various regions:

Tulip festival, Morges (Vaud)

You may think this flower is more associated with Holland than with Switzerland, but you will change your mind if your visit the annual tulip extravaganza in this quaint town on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Starting on April 1st and until May 14th, you can walk on winding paths in the Independence Park behind the historic castle and admire more than 300 varieties of tulips you didn’t even know existed.

Just one of over 300 varieties of tulips in Morges. Photo: The Local

Brunch in Reithalle (Basel)

An old stately building scenically set in a big park in the Basel suburb of Wenkenhof, the Reithalle serves “Spring” brunch on two Sundays in April: on the 2nd and the 16th.

It is the local favourite for people in the area, but tourists are welcome as well.

Zermatt unplugged (Valais)

Now that the winter season is almost over in one of Switzerland’s best-known resorts, the town is not about to go into hibernation.

On the contrary, the first whiff of spring is the music festival that will take place between April 11th and 15th.

The stage will be set up in the centre of the village, where you can listen to multi-genre artists performing at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn.

You can find out who is performing on each day of the festival here. 

Sechseläuten, Zurich

While not a public holiday per se, many businesses, offices, and banks close for the day, so that Zurich residents can celebrate this ancient spring festival that occurs every year on the third Monday of April.

This means that this year it falls on April 17th, and allows for a long weekend of fun and festivities.

This article explains what this holiday is all about:

Here’s why people in Zurich burn a huge snowman every April

The International Exhibition of Inventions (Geneva)

If you are curious about what unique objects the inventors and nerds from around the world have created, head to the Palexpo in Geneva between April 26th and 30th.

There, you can see about 1,000 new products, both conventional and wacky, that are ready to hit the market.

The Envirama Show will take place in parallel to showcase environmental innovations.

Solothurn Beer Days

Now we are talking!

The largest beer festival in Switzerland will take place from April 27th to 29th in and around the Rythalle in Solothurn.

More than 50 local, regional and national breweries, both micro and medium-sized, will present their art of brewing.

According to organisers, this annual event, which started in 2004, always makes a big splash, though hopefully not literally.


E guete! Image by Alexa from Pixabay 

Food Truck Festival, Locarno (Ticino)

If you are a fan of good street food, then the one taking place in Piazza Grande in Locarno from April 28th to May 1st, may be just up your alley.

You will be able to sample not just authentic dishes from Ticino and Italy, but also from other parts of Switzerland — all cooked in and served from trucks and caravans.

And if you are interested in what is taking place in general during April, this article will help:

Everything that changes about life in Switzerland in April 2023

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

SWISS TRADITIONS

Does anyone in Switzerland still do yodelling?

The super-Swiss tradition of yodelling may soon be included on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritages. How important is it to Switzerland today?

Published: 3 April 2024 15:29 CEST
Does anyone in Switzerland still do yodelling?

When you think of Switzerland, you probably imagine someone on a mountain yodelling at the top of their voice. 

There’s no doubt that this tradition is an integral part of Swiss culture – even today. 

But now the government is going a step further. The Federal Office of Culture has applied to register yodelling on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

“After an evaluation procedure which will last nearly 18 months, UNESCO could decide at the end of 2025 to inscribe this tradition on the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” the government said.

If things go to plan, yodelling will join other Swiss traditions, such as the Winegrowers’ Festival, Basel Fasnacht, and the mountain pasture season on the coveted international list.

READ ALSO: Cowbells and snow cycling – what are Switzerland’s living traditions?

Just what is yodelling?

Yodelling is a form of singing that involves repeated changes in pitch from low to high and, according to the Federal Office of Culture “alternates between the chest and head voice registers”. 

Traditionally, Naturjodel or natural yodel doesn’t involve any words and stems from a love of nature and home. It has its origins in the central region’s rural Alpine communities as an important form of communication, whether for calling from mountain to mountain or to cow flocks. The Jodellied or yodel song is a more modern version of yodelling with lyrics. 

“Although yodelling was probably being used back in the Stone Age, the choir singing of the yodelling songs only developed in the 19th century,” says the Swiss tourist board.

You probably get the picture, but if you want a reminder of the art of yodelling check out this video:

How popular is yodelling today?

Yodelling is “widespread in Switzerland” and “enjoys unbroken popularity”, according to the government. 

Official numbers are high: most of the roughly 12,000 yodellers in Switzerland are part of 780 registered choir groups belonging to the Swiss Yodelling Association. 

The tradition is passed on in various ways, including within families, yodelling clubs, at school or among musicians.  

“Yodelling is a very lively tradition that is inspiring more and more professional musicians to reinterpret the song in their compositions,” says the culture office of the government in its statement explaining why yodelling should be an official cultural icon. 

Meanwhile, in 2018 Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts added yodelling to its Folk Music programme.

READ ALSO: The 13 world heritage sites in Switzerland you need to visit this year

Why does Switzerland want to add yodelling to the UNESCO list?

Although the tradition is “firmly anchored in the population”, officials want it to have UNESCO intangible cultural heritage status so that it can be developed further and preserved for future generations. 

The committee putting together the application, for instance, said activities are planned to improve the yodelling network throughout Switzerland. 

“New training and further education programmes are to be developed and young talent promoted,” said the government culture office. “Measures are also planned to raise public awareness, better document the tradition and expand research into this singing practice.”

Okay, where can I find yodelling today?

If you don’t hear it while hiking in the Alps then don’t worry – you’ll likely run into choirs yodelling at regional festivals or even celebrations dedicated to yodelling, such as the Appenzell Yodel Festival, which takes place on April 14th this year.

Meanwhile, on June 26th 2026 Basel is hosting a three-day Federal Yodelling Festival – the first of its kind since 1924. 

The event was initially planned for 2020 but was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. 

SHOW COMMENTS