Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2009
No More Naked Hiking
The Swiss Alps may appear wide open and free, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to feel the same. At the request of outraged locals, Appenzell Innerrhoden, a small, conservative territory in Switzerland, outlawed naked hiking along its mountain trails, calling the practice disgraceful. Naked hiking — which authorities admit isn't all that common, with only a few dozen hikers (oddly, most of them German) trying it a year — isn't a crime, as Switzerland made public nudity legal in 1991. Technically, you can hike freely in other areas of Switzerland all you want — just don't let Appenzell's residents see you do it.