Out & About in Switzerland: An earth festival in Lausanne

The harvest will be celebrated at this year's fair. Keystone / Fabrice Coffrini

Agriculture and its ecological importance is the focus of this year's Comptoir Suisse - Switzerland's national fair - which runs from September 13 to 24.

The theme is “Celebrating the Earth” or, more specifically, the fertile ground under our feet, and around half a million people are expected to attend the 81st edition of the fair at the Beaulieu congress and exhibition centre.

The occasion will give visitors the chance to watch craftsmen demonstrate their ancient trades, and to get the feel of a country market, typical of French-speaking Switzerland. They’ll also be able to sample traditional cuisine in the “Village of Flavours”.

Many visitors will also be able to dip their bowl into a giant cauldron of squash soup, specially prepared for the fair.

The guest of honour this year will be the amusement parks of the nearby Chablais region. A labyrinth will showcase the popular activities at Aquaparc, Swiss Vapeur Parc (miniature steam trains) and FunPlanet.

Comptoir Suisse will also present the usual exhibitions including: “Green Spaces”, “Better Living”, “Leisure and Technology” and “Interior Decorating”.

The Comptoir Suisse is a major event on the local calendar. As the saying goes, “there’s only the Comptoir and the visit of the national circus Knie before it’s Christmas”.

swissinfo

Out & About in Switzerland is updated regularly to keep you informed of upcoming events, which may provide a different insight into the country and its people.