People are fined on the spot if discovered

Feb 10, 2009 18:41 GMT  ·  By

The piece of legislation may seem to be a bit redundant to the casual observer, given the fact that going about in the mountains being equipped with nothing more than a bag pack can have its risks. For one, even the slightest fall has a chance of causing extensive damage to various parts of the human body, as well as numerous bruises. However, tourists in a Swiss canton feel so at home in the intricate networks of hiking paths, that they often only walk around in their “birth suit.”

This, of course, annoys the people of the region, who are extremely conservative. This is proven by the fact that they only granted women the right to vote in 1990, which was considerably later than the European or the global average, for that matter. However, they do have a point when they say that such indecent exposure may have an unwanted effect on their children, used to travelling the mountains all day long. The region, named Appenzell-Innerrhode, has seen an increased number of official protest on the matter, which has eventually led to the installation of a fine penalty for nude hikers.

Last weekend, the Swiss daily Tages-Anzeiger reported that the police would from then on fine tourists caught “red-handed” with 200 Swiss francs ($170) for their exposure. However, this poses a rather indiscreet question – where will the naked tourists find the money they need to pay the tickets if they are going about with nothing on? This issue remains to be solved, but it's clear that the region doesn't want to renounce the penalty.

Naked hiking has really taken off over the last few years, and is especially popular with German tourists who visit the area regularly. “We must protect our children from these immoral habits,” the cantonal justice and police department head, Melchior Looser, was quoted as saying by the daily. Last September, a tourist was apprehended while hiking with no clothes on, and the police fined him. However, the trial is still ongoing, and it remains to be seen whether the authorities will win the heart of the judge.