Oh Damn.......nude hiking banned in Switzerland!

Photo taken from BBC World News website

Yes, its official...it's over guys, no more nude yodelling / walking in the Swiss alps. 

(I'm allowed to laugh at this....I'm Swiss myself)!

Apparently nude hiking has been taking off in Switzerland and while there is no federal law against public nudity there is one against public indecency. (Who decides which naked body is decent and which is indecent is my question).

The offended and traumatised, were a family with young children who were forced to deal with the site of a naked man hiking past them while relaxing in the picnic area of a Christian drug rehabilitation centre. The male nude hiker was fined, and he later appealed.

(This all happened in the ultra conservative canton of Appenzell, where they only granted women the right to vote in cantonal matters in 1990....yep that's.....1, 9, 9, 0)!

The man's appeal was recently thrown out of the federal court and the $109 fine was upheld. Word of warning this new ruling applies to the whole of the country.

© Copyright Millie Brown 2012

Lake Léman taken from the town of Yvoire

While on the subject of Switzerland, something a little more serious but interesting (to me anyway). Five referendums were held last month, (not unusual for this country) one of which was the initiative of the trade union Travailsuisse who advocated the' 6 weeks of holiday for everyone'.... it was rejected by 66.5% of the voters. (They currently have 4 weeks). I'm not sure that would happen in many other countries of the world.

Switzerland has frequent referendums in regards to changes to their constitution and laws and they are a tradition of the direct democracy in this country. For more information on their political system click here

PS... Proud to be Swiss and Australian :-))

Reading

Swiss Watching - Inside the Land of Milk and Honey by Diccon Bewes

Swiss Watching - Inside Europe's Landlocked Island by Diccon Bewes

Millie x