Five ways to uncover the hidden traditions of Europe

Beyond a destination’s glitz and glamour are the traditions that have formed a part of its fabric for centuries.

Dig deep enough to discover them, and you’ll be rewarded with an authentic sense of place – the holy grail for travellers.

The richest city in the world, Zurich, has luxury and modernity in spades. But scratch the surface, and you’ll be rewarded with customs and traditions that date back hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

The best way to get stuck in? To participate in one of the city’s vibrant festivals, of course.

And Qatar Airways will get you there in a jiffy with fares from $1450 in economy class and $6150 in business class*.

Here, we round up our five favourite Zurich festivals:

Sächsilüüte

Image credit: Zuerich.com

Kick off spring in true Zurich—style on the third Monday in April each year. The festival begins the day before with a children’s parade, with the thousands of mini participants decked out in masks and historical costumes. Then on Monday at 6pm, tens of thousands of visitors descend upon the city to watch the parade of around 3,500 guilds as they make their way, in colourful dresses and traditional costumes, to the famous bonfire where the Böögg, a 3 metre high snowman, is burnt to symbolise the end of winter.

Zurich Festival

Image credit: Zuerich.com

With a musical fireworks display that is among the five largest in Europe, this festival draws around two million visitors to the city for three days each July. On top of the impressive display, there are performances spread across 60 stages, around 120 food stands and a further 300 plus market stalls dotted all around the city.

Limmat Swim

Image credit: Zuerich.com

Each year, the hardiest of swimmers jump into the cold waters of the Limmat River for a 2000 metre race under the city’s bridges and past some of its most iconic sights such as the Grossmünster and the Frauenmünster, the Linderhof and the Platzspitz, It’s a difficult one to plan for however – due to weather conditions, the date of the swim is decided just a few days beforehand.

Dörflifäscht

Image credit: Dörflifäscht.ch

Head to Zurich’s lower town between the end of August and the beginning of September, and you’ll most likely clap your eyes on the legendary “Dörflifäscht”. Tourists and locals alike are delighted by this annual multicultural event which features numerous artistic performances and live bands are definitely as part of the fun along with a range of culinary delights to keep festival-goers in fine spirits

Knabenschießen

Image credit: Zuerich.com

Perhaps the most unconventional of Zurich’s festivals, and yet actually its oldest, the”Knabenschiessen” is a shooting festival that can be traced back to the 17th century. Since 1899, Held at the Albisgütli every September since 1899, the event draws around 800,000 visitors annually to see a “shooting king” declared and, more recently, a shooting queen. Add a funfair for an extra dose of fun, minus the ammunition.

Qatar Airways and Zurich Tourism would like to give you the chance to WIN two return economy flights to Zurich, Switzerland, along with two nights of accommodation in a 4 star hotel and two city travel passes for free public transportation, and access to most of the Museums in and around Zurich! Terms and conditions apply. Enter here: qatarairways.com/visitzurich.

*Conditions apply.

Main image credit: Zuerich.com

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