Sofa on Wheels
A sofa was converted into a roadworthy vehicle with a moped engine, blinkers, steering wheel, and horn, and was legally driven through the streets of Lucerne during the 2025 carnival.
Lucerne · Lucerne ·
Bizarre, unexpected and just plain strange facts from the Canton of Zurich. Browsing 80 curated facts.
A sofa was converted into a roadworthy vehicle with a moped engine, blinkers, steering wheel, and horn, and was legally driven through the streets of Lucerne during the 2025 carnival.
Lucerne · Lucerne ·
Only from the lower part of the Spreuerbrücke were people allowed to throw 'Spreu' (chaff) and leaves into the Reuss river in medieval times, a peculiar privilege that highlights the bridge's unique…
Spreuerbrücke · Lucerne
The building that houses the Bourbaki-Panorama was once used as a parking garage, and in the 1920s, it even featured a rotating platform, making it one of the first mechanized parking facilities in C…
Bourbaki-Panorama · Lucerne ·
The world's steepest cogwheel railway, the Pilatus Railway, runs from Alpnachstad to the top of Mount Pilatus. This railway has been in operation since 1889 and offers breathtaking views of the surro…
Pilatus Railway · Lucerne ·
The Pilate mountain has a unique and steep railway, the Pilatusbahn, which is the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48%. This feat of engineering was opened in 1889 a…
Pilatusbahn · Lucerne ·
The Stanserhorn features a unique 'CabriO' double-deck open-top cable car, which was the world's first when it opened in 2012, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and lakes.
Stanserhorn · Lucerne ·
During the Battle of Sempach in 1386, Austrian knights had to cut off the tips of their poulaines, a type of shoe, in order to move more easily on foot. This unusual act was necessitated by the terra…
Sempach · Lucerne ·
The Rütli meadow was the site of a bizarre incident in 2007, where an individual, dubbed the 'Rütli-Bomber', caused a detonation during the National Day celebrations. However, it was later discovered…
Rütli meadow · Lucerne ·
The Catholic Church's AI Jesus project in Lucerne has sparked worldwide interest, with hundreds questioning the AI Jesus and even the Vatican showing interest.
Lucerne · Lucerne
In 1603, a couple, Jacob Leringerst and his wife, held a second wedding ceremony, inviting the city's dignitaries, despite being poor. The bride wore a maiden's wreath, and the groom wore a garland l…
Basel · Lucerne ·
In 1372, the wine was so cheap that a measure cost only 1 Schilling, and 4 measures could be bought for 1 Pfennig. The same year, a religious dispute arose, and the Catholic Church complained about t…
Basel · Lucerne ·
A horse-drawn carriage is used for compost collection in the Hirschmatt and Neustadt quarters, bringing joy to children and seniors alike while promoting social integration.
Hirschmatt and Neustadt quarters · Lucerne ·
In a bizarre twist on sustainable fashion, a Lucerne-based designer creates luxury coats from human hair, collecting it from her salon clients and transforming it into exclusive, vegan-friendly outer…
Lucerne · Lucerne ·
A Volvo EX30 was vandalized three times with a key in the Schönbühl-Center parking lot, with the owner suspecting targeted vandalism.
Schönbühl-Center · Lucerne ·
The 25th 'Tir des Sorcières' (Witches' Shooting) event will take place from June 26 to July 4, 2026, at the Stand de tir de Diesse, a unique and quirky tradition.
Stand de tir de Diesse · Switzerland ·
In Oberbüren, a bizarre tradition took place where stillborn children were temporarily 'revived' through warming to allow for baptism. This practice, known as 'sanctuaires à répit', was believed to e…
Oberbüren · Switzerland ·
The Linde tree in Linn, Aargau, was almost cut down in 1586, but was spared, and later survived multiple fires, including one in 1979 that surprisingly helped the tree by burning away parasites and p…
Linn, Aargau · Switzerland ·
Meteorites, or 'iron stones', fell on the region over 176,000 years ago, leaving behind a mysterious legacy.
Plateau de Diesse · Switzerland ·
In Oberbüren, a former sanctuary allowed parents to temporarily 'revive' stillborn babies by warming them up, just long enough to baptize them. This practice, known as 'sanctuaire à répit', was based…
Oberbüren · Switzerland ·
The lord of the manor in Maur had the right of 'ius primae noctis', which meant he could spend the wedding night with every bride in the village. However, this right was likely never exercised, and t…
Maur · Switzerland ·
Ziefen had an extraordinary law that prohibited new citizens from moving to the village for 139 years, from 1835 to 1965, with only a few exceptions, including a essential roof maker and two honorary…
Ziefen · Switzerland ·
The Pflugstein, a massive boulder, was left behind by the Linth-Rhein glacier around 15,000 years ago and was nearly blown up in 1939, but was saved by the president of the local tourism board.
Pflugstein · Switzerland ·
The Bechtler Stiftung in Uster features a massive sculpture called 'The 2000 Sculpture' by Walter de Maria, which can only be viewed in daylight. This 500-square-meter installation consists of 2000 g…
Bechtler Stiftung · Switzerland ·
The Amish, descendants of the Anabaptists, still live in closed communities in North America, rejecting modern technology and civilization, and speaking old German and Swiss dialects.
North America · Switzerland
IWC's first secular perpetual calendar took into account the complex leap year rules of the Gregorian calendar and was so precise that it would only deviate by one day after 45 million years.
IWC Museum · Schaffhausen
In 1428, a bizarre 'dance epidemic' broke out at the feast of Saint Vitus in Schaffhausen, where people danced uncontrollably for weeks, with some even dying from exhaustion. The cause of this phenom…
Feast of Saint Vitus · Schaffhausen ·
The canton of Schaffhausen has a unique law that requires its citizens to vote in elections. Failure to do so results in a small fine, making it one of the few places in the world where voting is com…
Schaffhausen · Schaffhausen ·
The Munot fortification in Schaffhausen has a unique tradition where the Guardian of the Munot rings a bell every evening at 9 p.m., a custom that dates back to 1377 and signals the time for city gat…
Munot · Schaffhausen ·
A 20-year-old man got stuck on a construction crane in Schaffhausen, prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving police, fire department, and emergency services.
Construction site · Schaffhausen ·
The Rhine Falls is home to a unique inhabitant, the eel, which can climb up the rocky walls of the falls, defying the powerful current. This phenomenon has fascinated visitors for centuries. The eel'…
Rhine Falls · Schaffhausen
A woman was spotted walking with a robotic dog through the streets of Schaffhausen, leaving onlookers bewildered.
Schwabentor · Schaffhausen
The Abbey of Saint Gall has a unique architectural plan, known as the 'Plan of Saint Gall', which is the only major architectural drawing from the period between the end of the Roman Empire and the 1…
Abbey of Saint Gall · St. Gallen ·
The Mühleggbahn funicular in St. Gallen has a unique history, having been originally opened in 1893 as a water counterbalancing funicular with two cars and a passing loop, before being replaced by a…
Mühleggbahn · St. Gallen ·
The Kunkler-Bau, a former theater building, was demolished in 1971 and is now the site of a McDonald's restaurant.
Bohl · St. Gallen ·
The Abbey Library of Saint Gall has a mummy on display, which is a surprising and unusual artifact to find in a library.
Abbey Library of Saint Gall · St. Gallen
The Library of Kiersau Abbey is located in a former Roman tower, which is an unusual architectural feature. The Library also has a secret entry through the Crypt, which is a unique and intriguing asp…
Kiersau Abbey Library · St. Gallen
In 1416, three Italian scholars, Poggio, Cencius, and Bartholomä, visited the St. Gallen library with the intention of 'rescuing' ancient Roman and Greek texts, potentially by stealing or buying them…
St. Gallen Library · St. Gallen ·
A brand new grill caught fire at Burgstrasse 72 due to an incompatible gas regulator from Austria, causing a blaze that engulfed both the grill and the gas tank.
Burgstrasse 72 · St. Gallen ·
Public payphones in Zurich, such as those near tram stops Bezirksgebaeude and Albisriederplatz, play horror music when you enter them, for no apparent reason.
Various payphones · Zurich
H.R. Giger, the famous designer of the Alien franchise, had a personal experience with a supposedly cursed devil's head in his home in Zurich. The head, made of hollow wood and covered with human ski…
H.R. Giger's home · Zurich ·
Activists from Extinction Rebellion blocked the Rudolf-Brun-Brücke and a section of Uraniastrasse, with some protesters gluing themselves together and others hanging from a wooden and bamboo structur…
Rudolf-Brun-Brücke · Zurich ·
A construction worker was thrown from a cherry picker on Pfingstweidstrasse when a passing truck touched the boom, but he miraculously fell onto the truck's container and survived with moderate injur…
Pfingstweidstrasse · Zurich ·
A social media influencer was hired to supervise a law exam at the ZHAW Winterthur, and she proceeded to take photos of the students and post them on her public Instagram account, revealing sensitive…
ZHAW Winterthur · Zurich
A mummified corpse of a woman named Anna Catharina Bischoff was discovered in a brick-walled grave chamber at the Barfüsserkirche in 1975. She was found to be an ancestor of Boris Johnson. The church…
Barfüsserkirche · Basel ·
The company Sandoz, founded in Basel, produced the synthetic substance lysergic acid diethylamide, better known as LSD, in 1938. The psychoactive properties of this preparation were discovered by acc…
Sandoz Headquarters · Basel ·
During the Carnival of Basel, participants in costume, known as 'carnival people', will often 'stuff' passive spectators by running up behind them and filling their shirts with confetti. This traditi…
Basel · Basel
During the Fasnacht, paramedics face significant challenges in reaching emergency patients due to blocked roads, including Spitalstrasse, which leads to the university hospital's emergency and trauma…
Spitalstrasse · Basel
At the Basel train station, a woman paid with a mysterious 10 franc note that looked unusual, sparking curiosity about a potential local currency.
Basel train station · Basel
The Peak Walk suspension bridge at Glacier 3000 is the only bridge in the world that links two mountain peaks, offering breathtaking views of the Eiger, Jungfrau, and Matterhorn.
Glacier 3000 · Lausanne
For over 600 years, the Cathedral's Watch has been calling out the time to Lausanne inhabitants from 10 pm to 2 am, a tradition that continues to this day. This unique practice is a fascinating aspec…
Lausanne Cathedral · Lausanne
A naked woman brought traffic to a standstill on the A9 highway near Lausanne, shocking drivers and prompting a swift police response.
A9 Highway · Lausanne ·
The YouTube channel 'Juste milieu.' with over 266k subscribers was allegedly bought by the Swiss company Publishing factory, which is linked to a network of suspicious businesses and newsletters prom…
Rue neuve 3 · Lausanne ·
The same Swiss company, Publishing factory, is behind a network of newsletters and websites promoting survivalism, cryptocurrency, and other questionable products, all linked to a single address in L…
Rue neuve 3 · Lausanne ·
The Bern Historical Museum contains the Moringen arrowhead, which was determined to be of meteoric origin in 2023. This ancient artifact has been in the collection for over a century, and its otherwo…
Bern Historical Museum · Bern ·
The Zibelemärit tradition includes a bizarre custom where farmers braid onions into intricate designs, which are then sold as a specialty of the region. The braided onions are a symbol of the region'…
Nebengasse · Bern
The Kindlifresserbrunnen, or Ogre Fountain, is a bizarre fountain featuring an ogre devouring a child, surrounded by frightened children. Its origin is disputed, with theories ranging from a represen…
Kindlifresserbrunnen · Bern ·
The Burgerbibliothek Bern holds letters from Wilhelm Fabry, a 17th-century surgeon, that contain bizarre drawings, including one that resembles a creature from H.R. Giger's Alien films, 350 years bef…
Burgerbibliothek Bern · Bern ·
The body of Barry, who saved over 40 lives, is on exhibit at the Natural History Museum in Bern, Switzerland, where it has remained since 1815.
Natural History Museum · Bern ·
A leaked video showed people in robes performing a 'sacrifice' in front of the Shiva statue at CERN, which the organization later dismissed as a prank. The incident has sparked conspiracy theories ab…
CERN Shiva Statue · Geneva ·
A famous story from the Escalade is that of the Mère Royaume, who scalded a Savoyard soldier with her soup, helping to defend the city. To this day, chocolate marmites (cauldrons) are sold and eaten…
Old City · Geneva ·
A woman in Geneva gave birth to a calf in 1609, which was seen as a punishment from God for her sins. This bizarre event was considered a miracle and a sign of God's wrath.
Genève · Geneva ·
In the neighborhood of Neuburg, Winterthur, there was an annual 'Fassdaubenrennen', a bizarre race where participants wore wooden barrels on their feet, which has been held since 1953, with the most…
Neuburg · Winterthur ·
Louisa Lamour, a pornographic actor, was born in Winterthur, which might come as a surprise to the city's conservative residents.
Winterthur · Winterthur ·
A group of around 30 masked individuals crossed the intersection at Unterer Graben without a green traffic light, and were later stopped by heavily protected police near Deutweg.
Unterer Graben · Winterthur
In 1943, during World War II, the town of Campione d'Italia issued its own postage stamps, featuring the town's coat of arms and views of the town, with values in Swiss francs.
Campione d'Italia · Lugano ·
The lake's water is home to a unique phenomenon called meromissi, where the water is stratified into layers with different chemical properties, creating a 'lake within a lake' effect. This natural wo…
Lake Lugano · Lugano ·
The roads in Lugano can become slippery during the spring due to the annual migration of toads, whose crushed bodies can create a slick film on the asphalt.
Lugano roads · Lugano
A devastating cyclone passed through La Chaux-de-Fonds on August 23, 1934, causing widespread destruction and leaving a trail of debris in its wake. The cyclone's path was later replicated in 2023, w…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · La Chaux-de-Fonds ·
A rare and intense storm ravaged La Chaux-de-Fonds in the summer of 2023, causing significant damage. According to MeteoSchweiz, the convergence of currents created a hybrid phenomenon called a super…
La Chaux-de-Fonds · La Chaux-de-Fonds ·
La Chaux-de-Fonds was redesigned to suit the watchmaking industry, resulting in a unique grid street pattern that is surreal to see in Switzerland.
La Chaux-de-Fonds · La Chaux-de-Fonds ·
A brothel in Solothurn's Freubad area sparked outrage by hosting an 'Abschiedsparty Papa Franz' on the day of Pope Francis' death, offering free drinks to attendees.
Freubad · Solothurn ·
In a residential area of Solothurn, organized group sex parties are being held in a private apartment, with up to 30 men attending and paying over 200 francs each, despite the events being unauthoriz…
Solothurn · Solothurn ·
A kangaroo and its joey were spotted hopping through the streets of Lostorf after escaping from the 'Maro's' adventure restaurant.
Lostorf · Solothurn ·
A city in Brazil called Nova Friburgo has a population 5 times larger than Fribourg, Switzerland. This unexpected connection between the two cities is a fascinating example of global naming coinciden…
Fribourg · Fribourg
A group of men wearing unique red hats with gold embroidery and black/gold plaited ropes were spotted in Fribourg, sparking curiosity about their mysterious uniform.
Fribourg · Fribourg
An 84-year-old man used his car to push people out of the way to get to a parking spot during the Schwyzer Sennenchilbi festival.
Schwyzer Sennenchilbi · Schwyz ·
A private villa in Davos Platz can cost a staggering $92,000 for four nights during the WEF, offering a wellness area with a whirlpool and accommodations for eight people.
Davos Platz · Davos ·
In the 7th century, the chronicler Frédégaire reported a bizarre event where the water in the Lac de Thoune became so hot that it boiled and cooked the fish, a phenomenon that has never been explaine…
Lac de Thoune · Thun ·
A woman in Baden was fined 600 francs for unintentionally not paying 85 cents for a pastry at an Aldi store, after a self-checkout error went unnoticed.
Aldi Baden · Baden ·
The capital of the Warhammer fantasy world, Altdorf, shares its name with this Swiss town, a surprising connection between the real and fantasy worlds.
Altdorf · Altdorf
Hidden stories of Zurich beneath your feet
Facts are sourced from various open websites and may have been edited. Copyright of original content belongs to their respective owners.
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