Summer fun for everyone

River Cruising

If you look over a bridge this summer, you might just see huge unicorns, flamingos and all other manner of crazy creatures floating down both the Limmat river in canton Zurich and the Aare river in canton Bern. Don’t worry though, you haven’t gone insane… it’s just the beginning of river cruising season! Every year more and more people are getting together with their friends, with some water-proof dry bags, their favourite tunes, and their inflatable craft of their choice to enjoy an afternoon cruising down the river. It has become a major summer tradition in Switzerland and some entrepreneurial people have even begun to set up stations along the river bank selling everything from beer to sunscreen. Our top tip is to start at Escher-Wyss-Platz in the heart of Zurich and to cruise down the Limmat to the man-made beach at Werdinsel for a spot for ice cream, sunbathing and swimming. Fair warning though, we only recommend this activity to strong swimmers. Always remember to check the weather forecast before you set sail and don’t forget to bring along your SIGG bottle for hydration.

Hiking

You knew we were going to mention it eventually, but we really have to say that hiking is a classic Swiss summer activity. We also draw attention to it because the truth is, Switzerland might be the best country in the world for hiking. There is no end of beautiful trails all through the Alps and the many forests that Switzerland is so blessed to have. One example of a fantastic hike is up to see the largest glacier in Europe, the Aletsch glacier. Located between canton Bern and Valais on the Bernese Alps. The glacier can be found just east of the Gemini pass. The whole Jungfrau-Aletsch area is stunningly beautiful and has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2001.

Lakes

Even though the Swiss mountains are recognised as beautiful all over the world, ask a Swiss person and they will tell you that it’s their lakes that they are most proud of. Every single lake in Switzerland is certified as safe to drink, which if you think about it for a second, is truly an amazing achievement by the Swiss conservation groups. In the summer months you will find that going for a swim in one of the many lakes is considered to be one of the most common and enjoyable activities that everyone can enjoy for free. Our recommendation here is simply to have fun and be safe. Always make sure that when you go swimming that there are other people around in case there is an accident and to be aware that in most of the lakes there is a steep drop off point in which the lake suddenly becomes much deeper.

Festivals

Summer time is festival time! There are amazing festivals all over Europe for both music and art and that’s certainly the case in Switzerland, too! There are several annual events with world-wide appeal which we think you would enjoy. Where better to start with than with the Open Air St Gallen, which many people have called “Switzerland’s Glastonbury” for over 40 years? This year between the 27th and 30th of June, 100,000 people will descend on the beautiful River Sitter valley to share in a diverse mix of rock, hip-hop, pop and electronic music amongst Switzerland’s stunning north-eastern landscape. For a very different but no less enjoyable experience, why not go to the world-famous Montreux Jazz festival on the Lake Geneva shoreline between the 28th of June and 13th of July? The annual festival is the second largest Jazz festival in the world and features a who’s who of musician’s musicians from all over the world every year.

Shop now