In the last post, I mentioned about how expensive it can be to live in Switzerland and today I want to show you that not all is about money. There are also free things to do, such as leisure activities and events, most of the ones mentioned here are in the German part of Switzerland. I hope you like them.?
During Spring and Summer
Go hiking. Hiking is one of the most famous leisure activities in Switzerland. There are several places to visit, some with short and also very long paths. And always surrounded by nature, animals and the beautiful swiss landscapes, that makes this a must do activity for everyone. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
Have cookout by the lake. This is one of the activities we all look forward during summer, nothing is more relaxing than going to the lake, enjoy the view while reading a book, having a picnic or a sausage with a cold swiss beer… another amazing plan.
Go biking. Switzerland has 92,935 cycle routes , that with the help of the charming surroundings makes this another pleasant activity to do, alone, with friends or family. It’s common to see people from different ages riding a bike, mostly during warm weather but in some cases even during cold weather (like my father-in-law does).
During Summer
Caliente. It’s a Latin music festival in Zurich, hold at the beginning of July. It lasts three days and includes live shows, exotic food, tropical drinks, Latino products and other shops. It’s full of Latin rhythms everywhere, so things can get pretty caliente. For more info, check here.
Blue balls festival. It’s a music festival that takes place in Lucerne during 1 week in July. Has different events that involves music, photography, art, video, film and talks. The festival offers a mix of paid and free events. Visit their website for more info.
Montreux Jazz festival. This festival is not hold in the German part of Switzerland, but it’s one of my favorites. Takes places in Montreux (French part of Switzerland) for 2 weeks in July. It has free and paid activities and for most of the concerts and events, you must check online ahead of time to find tickets. Also, this year is offering approximately 50 concerts in free streaming. Check it out! For more info, Click here
Zurich street parade. It’s a Techno parade hold on the second Saturday of August, every year. Takes place alongside lake Zurich and has around a million visitors. It’s considered the largest Techno party of the world and the 4th largest music festival. A time to enjoy the music, dress up, drink, go crazy, and party until your feet can’t handle it. Want to take a look? Check this video from last year.
Züri Fäscht. This is one of the biggest city festivals Switzerland has, with around 2.5 million of attendees. The first edition was in 1951 and since then takes place in Zurich, during the first weekend of July, every three years. There are temporary food stands, bars, live shows, an air show by the lake, incredible fireworks and a lot more. The next one will be held from July 1st to 3rd, 2022. For more info, check here
During winter
klausjagen in küssnacht am rigi. It’s a famous Santa Claus custom, it’s hold on December 5ht and gets around 20.000 spectators. The date when this custom started is unknown, it’s said that during winter nights they tried to make all sorts of noise to drive away the evil. It started as a tradition of an old pagan cult, but after Christianization, a Christian meaning was given to it. Currently, has one of the largest organization in Kussnacht with over 1600 male members.
During the event, there is a big parade, where you will see men making different sounds, for example, with the scourge that requires special skills to make it sound hard when touching the floor. Carrying Iffeles, that is a large colorful art from ½ meter to 2 meters that is carried around with Christian signs. Also, many musical instruments are play, trumpets, an instrument that looks like a cowbell, etc..
Throughout the parade here are food stalls with some traditional sausages, sweets, warm drinks and obviously alcoholic drinks, many stay to party after the parade is over. For more info, check here .
Christmas. Christmas Starts on December 6, with a Swiss Santa Claus tradition called Samichlaus. It consists of Santa (Samichlaus) and his sinister side-kick (Schmutzli) taking presents to children. During their visit, parents are asked if the kids were good or not, some kids look forward to this day.
After Christmas begins, there are various Christmas markets across Switzerland full of Christmas spirit. These markets have shops, live shows, food stalls with traditional and international food and drinks.
Fasnacht. One of the things I miss in Switzerland is to celebrate Halloween, but when Fasnacht comes, I really love it! Because it’s a time to dress up, use your creativity and party for three days. It’s the biggest carnival in Switzerland, usually hold during late February and early march. It’s a time when Swiss, from all ages, seem the happiest ever. During this event people wear really creative and unique costumes, there are parades, confetti, music bands, a lot of drinking and partying. Just by looking at the costumes you can see the effort, inspiration and happiness of the Swiss. For more info, click here.
All year round.
Museums. A third of the museums in Switzerland can be visited for free. Additionally, with the Swiss travel Pass you can also access museums for free. If don’t have the pass, don’t forget to ask for a student discount in the paid museums and even at the Zoo.
Some free museums include :
Thomas Mann Archive of the ETH, Zurich.
Medical History Museum, Zurich.
Institute for the History and Theory of the Architecture of the ETH , Zurich.
Check a full list of Museums and prices here .
These are just a few things to do. There is much more to do, with particular preferences and budget.
Do you what to do and not to do when living in Switzerland? Stay tuned…
