What exactly is Swiss culture?

At the Congress of the Swiss Abroad 2023 in St Gallen, participants tackled the question of whether Swiss culture can be considered an “export product”. What would your answer be?

When people think of Switzerland, they often think of punctuality, mountains and melted cheese. These things are indeed part of the country’s image – although there are late trains there, too – but are they also part of Swiss culture? After all, one discovers different beliefs and traditions in all corners of the country, be they linguistic, religious or culinary.

When we also asked our readers this question, they sent us photos of everything which constitutes Swiss culture abroad. In addition to cuckoo clocks, chocolate and small wooden cows, a number of other things were included in the patchwork.

While various organisations strive to create a positive image of Switzerland abroad, the Swiss Abroad are ultimately the ones closest to the local population and through whom the culture of the country is passed on.