Switzerland Events and Festivals
Travel to Bern’s Onion Market, L’Escalade in Geneva & Major Parties
Visitors on a Swiss holiday can get musical at the Montreux Jazz Festival or Zurich Street Parade, or enjoy the open air parliament of Landsgemeinde in Appenzell.
As if Switzerland wasn’t being greedy enough hogging all the mountains, Toblerone and cuckoo clocks, it’s also got a monopoly of some of the world’s best festivals and events. These include the Montreux Jazz Festival, L'Escalade in Geneva, The Zurich Street Parade, Landsgemeinde in Appenzell and Bern Onion Market.
Switzerland Events and Festivals: Montreux Jazz Festival
On the banks of Lake Geneva, Montreux is a beautiful setting for one of the world’s biggest music events. Running every July, it gets bigger and better every year. The definition of jazz also gets a little more all-encompassing as rock bands, blues musicians and pop acts such as Jamiroquai have played there in the past. The location is also fairly fitting for a music festival, as Montreux also gave birth to one of the most famous songs of all time. Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple had its birth here, the water being the lake and the smoke being the fire at the town’s casino that set ablaze during a Frank Zappa gig in 1971.
Switzerland Events and Festivals: Zurich Street Parade
The Swiss don’t usually strike as the raving sort, but this August event is billed as the biggest dance party in the world. Over half a million electronic music lovers spill out into the streets in full on carnival mode, doing the big fish, little fish cardboard box, paint the walls and other assorted funky moves.
Switzerland Events and Festivals: L’Escalade, Geneva
This festival is held in honour of Geneva’s victory in battle against the Duke of Savoy’s sneak attack in 1602. The two main events are a costume parade on the Sunday night closest to December 11th, and a prestigious road-running race. However, L’Escalade is also celebrated in the home. A giant cauldron (or marmite) of sweets, vegetables and marzipan is smashed open by the youngest and eldest in the room.
Switzerland Events and Festivals: Landsgemeinde, Appenzell
This event is a strange throwback to ancient forms of democracy that pre-date telephones, televisions and computers. On the last Sunday of every April, the people of the Appenzell Innerrhoden canton get together in the open air to discuss expenditure for the coming year and any changes in law. Any citizen is allowed to ask questions in this giant open air parliament in the regional capital. It makes for fascinating viewing.
Switzerland Events and Festivals: Onion Market (Zibelemärit), Bern
On the fourth Monday of November, enough onions are brought into the Swiss capital to give even the most fragrant mouth bad breath for life. Farmers from the surrounding area bring in the vegetables, some normal, some carved and some woven into plaits. More than a little bizarre, this is regarded as one of the country’s finest folk festivals.
Want more festivals? Here are the five best in…
Australia: Sydney
France: Paris
Greece: Athens
Italy: Sicily
UK: London
USA: Denver
