Practical Information

Sports

The Swiss enjoy being active and participation in physical activities is high on the list of leisure activities. There are a wide range of sporting activities available in Switzerland to suit almost anyone’s taste, from golf to rope climbing to inline skating.

Hiking is one of the most popular activities, especially among older people and the German-speaking Swiss, with 60% of the population taking at least one hike in the previous year. There is a network of 60,000 footpaths across the country, well-kept and signposted.

Winter sports are something Switzerland is well-known for, with its famous Alps and ski resorts. In addition to skiing, tobogganing and skating are popular as well.

People of all ages take part in endurance sports, like triathlons or Iron man competitions and mountain races. Around 10,000 competitors took part in the first Swiss gigathlon in 2002. This race was 1477 kilometres in length, and took seven days. The disciplines were swimming, mountain biking, cycling, inline skating/wheelchair and running, and most entrants competed as part of a team.

Watching football matches is very popular, and two of football’s most important governing bodies are based in Switzerland, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in Zurich and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon. In 2008, Switzerland hosted the UEFA European Championship.