In a number of European holiday resorts, including in Italy and Spain, walking around in a bikini or swim trunks outside of beach areas is illegal and subject to fines. What’s the situation in Switzerland?
When it’s very hot outside, some don’t feel like wearing a lot of clothing – in fact, many may want to walk around just in the bare minimum.
Well, not exactly ‘bare’ but in the least amount of clothing allowed by local law and rules of decency, at least.
Does swimwear fit into this category in Switzerland?
The 20 Minuten news platform has asked authorities in several Swiss municipalities to find out which, if any, fines are slapped on bathing-suit clad people walking the city streets as opposed to the swimming pools or lake and river shores.
It appears that in this regard, Switzerland’s rules are far less strict and much more lenient than in many other European cities.
The country’s largest cities don’t have an explicit ban on swimwear in public spaces, though some boundaries should not be crossed.
Cool and at ease
In Zurich, for instance, “it is not forbidden to walk through the city in a bikini or swim trunks,” according to Marc Surber of the Zurich city police.
Ditto for Geneva: Merely wearing a bikini, swimsuit or swimming trunks in public spaces is “not in itself a violation” and does not justify police action, local police said.
There is also no general ban on this type of wear in Bern.
“The freedom to choose one’s clothing is part of the right to an individual lifestyle, ” according to police inspector Norbert Esseiva. “Restrictions are only necessary where a law, a public interest, and proportionality converge.”
This line could be crossed, for example, if sexual motives or harassment are involved.
Basel also takes a relaxed view.
“Swimming in the Rhine is very popular in Basel,” said Stefan Schmitt, spokesperson for the Basel-City Department of Justice and Security.
“The fact that many people are still wearing their swimwear afterward “is part of the cityscape in summer.”
The same message comes from the Lugano police, which confirmed that “there is no municipal legislation that explicitly prohibits wearing a bikini, swimsuit, or swim trunks in public.”
What about public nudity?
Many beach areas in Switzerland have special spots where people can swim or walk around in the nude, though this is obviously not the norm.
If you want to go to a beach stark naked, you will be relieved to know that Switzerland’s, um, penal code, does not ban public nudity — as long as it is not lewd.
At the same time, the country does have legislation against public indecency, so the line here is quite blurred.
But the bare facts are these: as long as nudity is not provocative or vulgar — again, this is all in the eye of the beholder — then bathing naked should be no skin off your back.
READ MORE: Are there nudist beaches in Switzerland and what are their rules?
