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You are here: Home Health & Fitness Well-Being How to keep fit in Switzerland

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08/09/2009How to keep fit in Switzerland

How to keep fit in Switzerland Switzerland offers year-round sporting opportunities, from skiing in winter to swimming, golf and camping in summer.

Switzerland offers unparalleled opportunities for sports throughout the year, providing the sports enthusiast with ski slopes in the winter months and outdoor swimming pools in summer. With names like Roger Federer and Martina Hingis known by millions, sports are an essential part of Swiss life. The Swiss are health-conscious and practice sports regularly.

Winter sports
Switzerland is home to winter sports like ice skating, skiing and snowboarding. Most families spend at least a week of their annual holiday at a ski resort. Major towns and most alpine resorts have an ice field for skating in the winter. At school, pupils often follow elementary courses in skiing and figure skating.

Biking and hiking
Biking and mountain climbing are the most popular summertime sports. Switzerland also has more kilometres of hiking paths per capita than any other nation and many Swiss enjoy using them. In the main towns and cities, several clubs provide outdoor treks, but most people prefer to practice them independently. For inexperienced hikers, guides are available.


Swimming
The Swiss also love to swim and sunbathe in summer, and the authorities ensure that the city’s waters are kept clean. Public pools, river and lakeside swimming facilities are located throughout the country. Swimming in lakes and rivers is especially popular, as entrance fees cost half as much as for pools.

Opportunities to take part in water sports are best found in French speaking Switzerland. Lake Geneva and Lake Neuchâtel offer sailing, water-skiing and canoeing.

Horseback riding and golf
Horseback riding and golfing, though requiring expensive equipment, attract thousands of people during weekends. The Fribourg region in the French-speaking canton of Jura has hills for riders, hikers and bikers. Switzerland is also a well-known golfing destination, with over 90 golf courses and 40 golf hotels throughout the country.

Camping
Each town and village in Switzerland has at least one campsite available, which are generally clean and well-equipped. The sites are classified according to facilities, ranging from one to five stars, and tourist offices in every region in the country have a camping map showing the locations, contact details and facilities of campsites in the locality. The largest camping facilities are in the south of Switzerland, namely around Lake Geneva, the province of Tessin and the valley of Engadin. Note that these are in high demand between May and September, and can cost between CHF 30 and CHF 60 per night.


Gyms
For an indoor workout, there are several gyms and health clubs in the main cities. Note that membership fees are more expensive than Switzerland’s neighbouring countries. There are Migros Fitness Parks in almost every main city and Activ-Wellness sport centres in many locations as well. A list of private sport centres is available online.

University sports
Universities offer their students a heavily subsidised, if not free, sports programme, ranging from football to caving. Students are also normally offered reductions at private sport centres.

Text: Updated by Chris Morillon / Expatica 2009


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