Sports
Mountain climbing/hiking
Both hikers seeking relaxation and experienced mountain climbers find their ideal holiday destination in the Swiss mountains. Good equipment is necessary and the weather forecast should always be studied. Hiking suggestions
Winter sport
The numerous ski locations are one of the main attractions of the country. You can do almost every type of winter sport in Switzerland, including ski-ing, tobogganing, cross-country ski-ing, ice-skating, curling, etc. Winter sport equipment can be hired directly in the winter sport area. Winter sport
Bicycles and mountain bike
There are numerous cycle routes in Switzerland, but there are also specially marked routes for mountain bikers.
In principle you can load a cycle yourself onto all trains. Prohibited trains are indicated with a symbol on the timetable and on the yellow departure boards. The blue Train information notice- on the platforms shows you the point where you can load your bicycle. The bicycles can be loaded onto the entry platforms of the passenger compartments marked with a large cycle pictogram or into the luggage compartments, provided there is room.
The Station cycle hire- is the best alternative to transporting your own bicycle. At around 100 stations of the SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) and of private railways throughout Switzerland different types of bicycle (Country bike, mountain bike, childrens bicycles), in top condition, can be hired. Bicycles and mountain bike
Fishing
There are many rivers and lakes in Switzerland which invite anglers to fish. There is a fishing law in Switzerland which states the rules about licences, etc. The law is different from place to place. Ask for information from the relevant tourist office or local administrative office.
Water sports
There are good water sport opportunities on many Swiss lakes. Tourists can bring their sports boats (motor boats and sailing boats) into Switzerland free of charge without special customs formalities, provided that they are already registered in the country of origin and are taken out again within a maximum of one month.
Canoes, rubber dinghies, kayaks, etc, are not technically classed by customs as tourist luggage. A driving licence is required if the power capacity exceeds 6 kW or if the sail surface area is more than 15m2. On Lake Constance a licence is required for a power capacity over 4.4kW or 12m2 sail surface area.
The driver of a motor boat must be at least 18 years old. The required transport permit for sports boats is issued by the cantonal authority (usually the cantonal road and shipping office) and is valid until the end of the following month on all waters allowed for shipping. The permit cannot be renewed within a calendar year. Above all, Lake Lucerne, Lake Neuenburg, Lake Constance, Lake Geneva and the Ticino lakes offer much variety for the holidaymaker; smaller lakes such as Lake Greifen, Lake Pfäffiker, the Aargau lakes, the lakes of Graubünden, and others, are only open to non-motorised water sports. Non-motorised boats and swimming equipment under 2.5m in length are not subject to permit, but are only allowed to operate in a lakeside zone of 150m (exception: surf boards and racing rowing boats, which can also operate outside the lakeside zone). On the Swiss lakes a speed of 10 km/h may not be exceeded in a lakeside zone of 300 m.
Other types of sport
Tennis, golf, squash, badminton, hang-gliding and paragliding are likewise possible.
