Over the past few years living in Zürich, there have been innumerable “only in Switzerland” moments. Local festivals come to mind, especially Stoos Schwinget, the country’s national sport, where large men dressed in sky blue Edelweiss-clad shirts hold on to each other’s shorts and wrestle to the ground, within a circle of saw dust. (There’s rock throwing contests, alphorn players and yodeling there too.) The hot air balloon festival in Château d’Oex is a must see, the sky filled with enormous, colorful balloons against a breathtaking backdrop of snow-covered Alps. Yet another jaw-dropping visual is White Turf in St. Moritz, when dark, handsome horses race on a frozen lake.  It’s simply spectacular.  And finally, I can now add Alpabfahrt to that list of unforgettable Swiss events. Alpabfahrt ?  Time for Swiss cows to come home; summer vacation on the Alps is over.

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