Bern's fireworks for the Swiss national holiday were cancelled due to rain but on the other side of the Alps, towns were able to have displays
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) - The First of August national holiday in Switzerland was not a quiet one for emergency services. The east of the country was swept by high winds and rain late in the day and during the night from Sunday to Monday, causing flooding in Schwytz and St Gallen. A man drowned in Lake Constance, in the Valais resort of Crans-Montana a car veered out of control in the village centre and injured seven.
The accident in Crans-Montana occurred shortly after noon Sunday 1 August when a 74-year-old man lost control of his car for reasons that are not yet clear, drove onto a sidewalk where he hit five people, then hit the window of a bakery, damaging several vehicles in the process.
Storms opened up around 20:00 Sunday evening in central and eastern Switzerland, causing streams to overflow, blocking roads in some areas, but also putting a damper on holiday fireworks planned in canton Bern and notably at the Bruenig Pass. The city of Bern received a heavy dose: 2 cm of rain in less than an hour. Winds in Neuchatel and La Broye reached 90 kph, according to the national weather service and hail fell in some areas of the country.
A 49-year-old man fell into Lake Constance from his boat late Sunday when a storm suddenly whipped up on the lake and part of their equipment went into the water. The man fell overboard while trying to get it back. The friend who was with him tried to pull him back into the boat, unsuccessfully. She called police immediately and a 50-person, 15-boat international rescue team spent four hours looking for him, to no avail. The search continues Monday morning.
Links to other sites: TSR (Fre), 20 Minutes (Fre)
Title: Swiss National Day
Location: Switzerland
Link out: Click here
Description: Celebrations of the Swiss National Day are usually organized at the municipal or village level.
The most complete listing of celebrations across Switzerland can be found at the official website of the Swiss National Tourist Office. Many events are posted in English but you’ll find more events if you search in French or German.
Find out how the Swiss celebrate it and why in GenevaLunch’s news section.
Enjoy the holiday.
Date: 01 Aug 2009
Lake Geneva region, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The traffic was light at the end of the afternoon, with many people leaving work early to head for other parts of Switzerland for the national holiday, 1 August. Paleo has ended (read GL’s final day review), Geneva is gearing up for its Fetes de Geneve which starts Friday. Some towns in the region are celebrating with bonfires and fireworks Tuesday night while most are preparing for a party Wednesday evening.
GenevaLunch is taking a day off, but we’ll be here long enough Wednesday morning to share a few photos and remind you what the First of August is all about.
