The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

Appenzell clamps down on nudist hikers

Naked ramblers face a fine of SFr200 ($176) if caught pursuing their hobby in a region of eastern Switzerland.

Citizens of Appenzell Inner Rhodes on Sunday voted to ban nude hiking in public.

The traditional open-air assembly in Appenzell decided overwhelmingly to clamp down on a sudden influx of nudists, particularly from nearby Germany.

The government of Appenzell Inner Rhodes recommended approval of the ban saying the local population was opposed to the “indecent” practice.

At least one naked hiker was detained in the mountain region last summer but could not be fined as naked rambling was not outlawed.

swissinfo with agencies

A smartphone displays the SWIplus app with news for Swiss citizens abroad. Next to it, a red banner with the text: ‘Stay connected with Switzerland’ and a call to download the app.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR