“Chriesisturm”: canton Zug’s Cherry Race

The race participants have to carry 8-metre-long ladders and traditional cherry picking baskets. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

An ancient race featuring 8-metre-long ladders: the Chriesisturm in Zug is Switzerland's oldest living cherry tradition.

The canton of Zug is renowned across Switzerland for its cherries, known locally as “Chries”. This region boasts a 600-year-old cherry culture, deeply rooted in its agricultural history and celebrated through culinary traditions and popular customs.

Chriesisturm and the opening of the cherry season

With the arrival of summer, canton Zug marks the start of the cherry season with the “Chriesisturm”. This tradition, dating back to the 18th century, is heralded by the ringing of the “Chriesigloggä” (cherry bell) at St Michael’s Church at noon, signalling that the cherries are ready to be harvested. This event kicks off a unique race.

Participants, armed with 8-metre-long wooden ladders and “Chriesihutten” (special woven baskets, carried on the backs of cherry pickers), race to the Allmend, a communal area rich with cherry trees. The first race participant to place their ladder on a tree gets the privilege of picking the finest cherries.

Departing for the harvest before the bell rung was a strictly forbidden and punishable act, so much so that the town even employed a “Chriesiwächter” – a cherry watcher – who kept watch over the area day and night in the weeks leading up to the harvest. Cherry thieves caught in the act were fined or imprisoned.

In the 20th century, urbanisation and a decline in agricultural activity led to fewer cherry plantations and the eventual fading of the Chriesisturm tradition. However, since 2008, the “IG Zuger Chriesi” (Interest Group for the Promotion of Zug Cherries) has revived this tradition, promoting targeted cultivation and reintegrating the cherry tree into regional culture. Since 2009, the Chriesisturm has been celebrated anew, with the race’s ladders displayed year-round on the old town hall’s walls.

Each June, the Zug village centre hosts this spectacular race. This year the event took place on June 24. Teams navigate a challenging course through the old town, competing while carrying their large ladders and baskets bouncing on their backs. The day is a festive occasion, featuring the Chriesimärt (cherry market), Switzerland’s oldest cherry market. This market runs for several weeks and showcases Switzerland’s 350 different cherry varieties even includes rare varieties.

Declared intangible cultural heritage

In 2011, cherry-growing in canton Zug was officially declared a living tradition of Switzerland under the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Zug cherries and their specialities

Cherry cultivation has historically been integral to Zug’s economy and social life, particularly in the Baar plain, considered one of Switzerland’s most fertile areas.

A market is held alongside the cherry race, displaying around 350 different cherry varieties. Keystone / Urs Flueeler

The 18th century saw the first cherry-based recipes, such as “Türkenbund”, a cake made with cherries, eggs, butter, and durum wheat semolina, resembling the French clafoutis. This recipe is preserved in an old cookbook in Baar’s city archives. Zug’s cherries are also renowned for Kirsch, a famous cherry-based spirit. In the late 19th century, the Kirschwasser-Gesellschaft (cherry brandy society) in Zug successfully exported Kirsch worldwide, cementing Zug’s reputation for its cherry products.

In the 20th century, confectioner Heinrich Höhn invented the “Zuger Kirschtorte”, a cherry cake using Kirsch, which gained international fame. Visitors can explore this heritage at the Zuger Kirschtorten Museum, where the original cake was created and can still be enjoyed.

Adapted from French using DeepL/amva