Hello All - We are leaving for Switzerland on July 29th and I just realized that August 1st is Swiss National holiday..
We will be in Wengen on that day..
Will everything be closed, like Jungfrauch, Interlaken activities and boat rides etc?
How about train schedules?
Anything special that is worth seeing on that day?
thanks so much
Priya
We have been there a number of times on August 1. Never noticed a change in the train schedules. Some villages have a celebration which is well worth attending. Count yourself fortunate if there is one nearby you can attend. Nothing quite like a Swiss party.
Yes, it is a (the) major holiday.
Public holidays are treated like Sundays. Shops will be closed, and public transport will run a Sunday timetable.
But restaurants, hotels and anything dealing with tourists will stay open (same as Sundays). A Sunday timetable is little difference for long distance trains, rush hour extra trains will not run and local transport will be less frequent.
Many places will have firework displays. Thes will be on the night before (Monday 31st July), late in the evening after dark.
Most people will take Monday off work as a "bridge", creating a 4-day weekend. So this period will be busier with many Swiss going away.
On Aug.1, at night there are many bonfires on hills around small towns and villages. In the Aargau area where my Dad's family lives , we've seen numerous bonfires at once from a high vantage point.
Very cool.
