Skip to main content

Hiking in Switzerland after Corona

Hiking in the mountains - berggeist007  / pixelio.de 

While other parts of the world are still struggling to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, Switzerland is on it's way back to normality. While the lockdown in Switzerland never has been as severe as in other countries, being forced to slow down, stay at home a lot and reduce social contacts hasn't been an easy thing for many people. 

What saved many people from lockdown cabin fever was that there was never a general prohibition for outdoor activities. As long as you stuck to the safety recommendations it was perfectly fine to go for a walk in the forest with your family, ride your bike around Lake Zurich or hike one of the thousands of hiking trails in Switzerland. Definitely a smart decision!

Hiking in Switzerland after Corona

While you could always go hiking, it wasn't always easy or even possible to get to your desired hiking spot. Public transportation was limited and ALL mountain railways (including cable cars and chairlifts) had to close operations. This made it difficult toreach the alpine regions for hiking or mountain biking. Most people opted for recreation areas closer to their homes - luckily, there are plenty of those to choose from in Switzerland!

Starting this weekend, many mountain railways will retake their operations and start into their summer season. For example, the mountain railways of Arosa-Lenzerheide will open to the public on June 6th with reduced services which means cable cars and chairlifts as well as restaurants will be open on weekends. They will be implementing the Swiss Federal regulations and recommendations in regards to Coronavirus. In addition, they call on visitors to comply with social distancing rules and appeal to the personal responsibility of the guests to wear a mask if the distance cannot be maintained. 

Recommendations and Rules for Hiking after Corona

First and foremost hygiene and social distancing rules must be followed at all times! 
  • This means also that you should stay home if you feel unwell or have symptoms of any kind. 
  • While hiking keep the recommended distance of 2m between hikers. This also applies for rest stops. If you can't keep the distance, wear a mask.
  • Do not shake hands with your hiking partner.
  • Do not hike in large groups. Activities in groups of more than five people are still prohibited! Best hike alone or with people from your household.
  • Instead of eating at a restaurant, bring your own lunch.
  • If you're in one of the risk groups, avoid using public transportation to get to your hiking spot.
  • Avoid alpine tours for now as they carry higher risk of accidents.
  • Choose a hiking trail close to home. You can probably find one nearby on wandern.ch


Sources:
wandern.ch for tips on hygiene while hiking
BAG for general hygiene rules

© 2020 IRENE WYRSCH "A HUMOROUS GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND" ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

You have something to add or would like to ask a question? I would love to hear from you!

Popular posts from this blog

Schätzli, Schnüggel and Müüsli - Terms of Endearment in Swiss German

Kiss -  Oliver Haja  / pixelio.de If you've ever been invited to the home of a Swiss couple, you are probably familiar with the most popular Swiss German term of endearment "Schätzli" ('little treasure') or one of it's many varieties like e.g. "Schatz" or "Schätzeli" . Obviously, this is not the only pet name used by Swiss couples (or parents for that matter). Like many other languages, Swiss German offers a wide variety of words and phrases that you can use to address your loved one. Swiss German Terms of Endearment What most of these pet names have in common is the ending "-li" which basically turns the thing or person a word refers to into something small or cute. For example "Haus" means house and "Hüüs li " means small house. Plus, this ending "-li" can also be added to first names as a means of endearment, e.g. Benjamin li , Esther li or Fabienne li . I tried to come up with a colle...
4 comments
Read more

How to Say 'I Love You' in Swiss German

To be completely honest, I'm not very fond of hallmark holidays and Valentine's Day is probably the mothership of them all. In my home there will be no cheesy cards or flowers on that day and, personally, I'm happy about it. However, I know that there are many people who like to celebrate Valentine's Day and take it as an opportunity to show their love and appreciation to their loves. Even in Switzerland, there are plenty of people celebrating it nowadays. If you're short on ideas for this years Valentine's Day in Switzerland you might find some inspiration here: Valentine's Day in Switzerland . If you're already set and have the perfect date ready, how about surprising your loved one with a few romantic Swiss German phrases? You should know that the expression "I love you" has only recently made its way into Swiss German from the High German "Ich liebe dich". Swiss people used to simply say "I like you" or "I like ...
4 comments
Read more

How to Spot a Swiss Person

"You're not from here, right?!" These were the words the saleslady of a small clothes store on a busy Tel Aviv street directed at me a few years ago. I was surprised she had spotted my foreignness so easily. After having lived in Israel for a few years and mastered the local Hebrew, I thought I was able to blend in quite well by then. So, I asked her how she knew. She replied with a smile and said: "You nicely folded the clothes you tried on before bringing them back out!" Oh that! Something I assumed was 'normal' but, apparently, the locals didn't do that. My Swiss background gave me away.  A Stereotypical (Swiss) Person As an expat I can usually spot fellow expats right away even if at first they seem to fit right in. Be they Swiss people I encounter abroad or foreigners living in Switzerland. Mostly, I catch a word or a phrase in a foreign language or see clothes or other items that are clearly not local. Here in South America it's very easy t...
13 comments
Read more