Squeezed between France, Germany, Lichtenstein, Austria and Italy, Switzerland is one of those countries we know little about. Let’s stay away from hearsays and dig into the Swiss history.
Squeezed between France, Germany, Lichtenstein, Austria and Italy, Switzerland is one of those countries we know little about. Let’s stay away from hearsays and dig into the Swiss history. What lies behind the money and slowness clichés? Here are ten fun facts and obsolete laws about the Swiss Confederation to give you a hint of what it’s like in the square flag land.
It is forbidden to flush the toilets after 10pm
Switzerland is very cautious of its citizens’ well being! If you live in an apartment, a law forbids you to flush your toilets after 10pm. The government decided it was a noise pollution, although this law might not still be applied everywhere.
Prostitution is legal, but it is illegal to use the services of a prostitute
A prostitute can work legally in Switzerland, but her clients can be prosecuted for using her services. It is a peculiar law, but still in place.
The Swiss flag is one of two only square sovereign-state flags
The other one being the flag of Vatican City.
You’re not allowed to mow your lawn, wash your car or do your laundry on a Sunday
This law comes as another example of Switzerland carrying out the comfort of its citizens. Sunday is your day in Switzerland, and no one can take it away from you by loudly mowing its lawn on your afternoon coffee time.
70 per cent of Switzerland is covered in mountains
Known for its beautiful landscapes and nature-like environment, it is no surprise almost three quarters of its territory is mountainous. Switzerland plunges you into a real nature-adventure.
Until the end of the 19th century, there was no Swiss national anthem
The Swiss Psalm (national anthem of Switzerland) was composed in 1841. It took long for Switzerland to call it the ‘national anthem’, as the council wanted the people to express their say on what they wanted (according to its politics, which privileges the opinion of the people)(Switzerland is the closest state in the world to a direct democracy).
Public transport runs like clockwork
No country can beat Switzerland at its punctuality. The timetable says the bus is supposed to be there, so look around, it is there.
It is the first national team to loose the World Cup by failing to score a single penalty
This isn’t what a country would wish to be remembered for, but Switzerland unfortunately marked the World Cup history for its lack of technique. The team set a FIFA World Cup record by being eliminated from the competition at the penalty shoot-out by falling to score a single penalty against Ukraine.
Switzerland has more than 1,500 lakes
Which means you are never more than 10 miles away from a lake.
Swiss cities are often classified among the best to live in on the planet
Zürich and Geneva came respectively 1st and 8th in the list of the best cities to live in in 2010 according to the Mercer Quality of Living Survey. In 2012, Zürich came 2nd and kept this place until today.
What do you think? Have you been to Switzerland? Have your say in the comments section below.
Image via Wikimedia Commons
