Every country has its cultural quirks and legal oddities, and Switzerland is no different. The Swiss have far more than delicious chocolate up their sleeves. Some of these rules are as cuckoo as a Swiss clock. So what could possibly be peculiar about this affluent nation known for nature, neutrality, and luxury? Let’s find out!
Be Quiet!
Do you know those neighbors whose lawnmowers are in full gear early in the morning on a Sunday? Not in Switzerland! Due to the loud noise, it’s considered an offense to mow lawns on Sunday. In keeping with the noise complaints, slamming a car door after 10 pm or you might just end up with more than scathing looks. Sundays are not the right day to wash your car or hang clothes out to dry, both practices are considered highly offensive and inconsiderate by Swiss standards.
Legally Speaking…
On greener side of things—grow as much as you want, gift as much as you want, smell, smoke, eat, and whatever else you want to do with marijuana as often as you want, but don’t ever sell it. It’s illegal to sell hash and marijuana in Switzerland, but legal to use and grow it which has resulted in approximately 100 tons of hash and marijuana used each year by around 600, 000 citizens—one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world.
Table for Two?
The Swiss animal rights code is pretty strict, specifically regarding socializing between animal species. Forget about keeping just one guinea pig as a pet, if you’re going to have one, you must have two. Swiss law doesn’t allow owners to keep just one and, if you’re not sure where to find a partner for your furry friend, that’s made easy too. Say your guinea pig’s companion has died and you can’t bring yourself to get a new one, just call up Priska Küng, whose “rent-a-guinea pig” service pairs up grieving and lonely guinea pigs with ideal matches. You can find this animal lover and her multitude of pets in Hadlikon, a village not far from Zürich. By the way, it’s also illegal to flush a goldfish down the toilet in Switzerland, so if you need to dispose of your scaly friend, be discreet.
Break Glass…
Switzerland’s population is just over 8 million, but this number is nothing in the face of their military’s preparedness systems. Not only are there fully-stocked bunkers that can house the entire population, but these bunkers are hidden in plain sight in populated villages posing as regular country homes. The bunkers are just the beginning though, as at least 3, 000 locations are ready to blow at the drop of a hat in case of an attack. Yup, the Swiss aren’t messing around when it comes to their nation’s protection, and the destruction of every major access point into the country is high on the cards as one of their defense mechanisms. As for needing landing strips if things go south? All the military has to do is remove the highways’ grade separations and they’re all set. Talk about being prepared.
A Cow For Some Magic Cheese
The Swiss take their cheese very seriously. Leasing a cow to restaurants is customary for Swiss farmers, as it’s not only legal to do so, but all the cheese that is procured from the cow’s milk can be kept by the leaser. Though private leasing arrangements are rare, some still choose to do so, preferring to create cheeses more suited to their palates than those found in stores.
So What’s Oddly Legal There?
Here are some things that are oddly legal in Switzerland. You can legally download music and movies, no problem, just not share them. Prostitution is legal and so is assisted suicide. The Swiss are okay with public nudity, but draw the line at nude hiking. The Appenzell region in the northeast banned this activity in 2009 and actually fined a violator 100 Swiss Francs in 2011.
