Arrivals & Departures Immerse yourself in tradition at Switzerland's oldest cultural festival

Folk dancing, alphorn blowing and the throwing of a 76kg Unspunnen stone will be at the centre of Switzerland’s longest-standing traditional cultural festival.

Set to welcome 150,000 visitors, the Unspunnen Festival will take place from August 26 to September 3 in Interlaken.

Locals dress in traditional costume to play and compete in games and activities in a celebration of Swiss folklore.

The festival dates back to the 13th century, when it was set up to defuse tension between the city and the provinces, the government and its people. It was revived in 1805 and has been held 14 times since, the last in 2006.

The festival takes place at the foothills of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau summits, and between the lakes of Thun and Brienz.

Switzerland Tourism advises travellers attending the festival to book event tickets, Swiss Travel Passes and accommodation in advance to avoid disappointment. 

Fact File

• Buy tickets for the festival here. 
• For more on Switzerland, visit myswitzerland.com.