Popular customs and festivals in Switzerland

Vintners' Festival in the small but beautiful wine-growing region at Lake Thun featuring a parade, festivities and musical entertainment.

Every other year there is a Lake Night Festival in Spiez.

St. Antönien's focus is all summer long on folk music.

At the start of September, around 340 cows descend from the Alpine pastures of Dürrenwald adorned with flowers and ribbons - after the summer on the Alp. Accompanied by the farmers and cowherds they are welcomed back into the village of St. Stephan by spectators from near and far.

The traditional Stoosberg wrestling takes place every year in June. This down-to-earth sport is fun to watch - not only for the locals.

Since 1891, the first of August has been celebrated as Swiss National Day.

Every year, on the last Monday in September, the people of Thun celebrate their folk festival and remember the fool whose name was Fulehung. He was court jester to King Charles the Bold. Early in the morning the youths of Thun rush into the main street and up the castle hill, where they wait impatiently for their idol, Fulehung, to appear.

The Moosalp is the stage for an Alpine farmers' festival, which brings together local farmers and guests to celebrate and to watch a colorful folklore parade.

Many well-known folk music bands and artists have been discovered at this festival since its creation, including Roby Odermatt, Pietro Bianchi, Antoine Fluck, La Montferinne, etc.

Friday evening is festival time on the market square in Visp.