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The Swiss Miracle: Tranquillity

“Keep calm and carry on” could well be the Swiss national motto. In the third of an eight-part weekly series on the Swiss identity, we take a light-hearted look at the Swiss love of peace and quiet.

The Swiss Miracle, presented by Martina Chyba, takes a humorous stroll through the archives of Swiss public television, RTS. The eight issues under the microscope are fashion, love, tranquillity, food, cleanliness, nature, humour and money.

In this episode we discover why the Swiss are known for being so calm and relaxed. So tranquil. In a nutshell, it’s the usual Swiss aversion to rocking the boat, causing a scene and standing out. This includes, of course, their intense dislike of noise (hence the noise detectives).

That said, one person’s quiet is another person’s boredom. “Being bored is fantastic,” reckons one of the people interviewed. “It means you have no problems. Everything has been taken care of and you can relax a little. That’s true luxury.”

(Subtitles translated from French to English by SWISS TXT)

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

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