ergobag goes around the world – Switzerland

Inspired by mountain sports – now for children’s backs

With as popular as our school bags are in Switzerland, you'd think they were invented in our alpine neighbor to the south. It might be the way we combine the ergonomic concept of innovative trekking backpacks with the necessary features of a school bag – perhaps the most important criterion for this nation of hikers and climbers. In fact, over the past three years, over 8,000 ergobags have found a new home in the country through about 150 Swiss retailers. A Swiss-German ergobag primer  We've put together a list of key phrases in Swiss German: Hello - Grüezi Good-bye - Uf Widerluege Where can I buy an ergobag? - Wo chani do än ergobag chaufe? School bag ready… steady… go! - Uff dä Ruggä… fertig… los! Switzerland - Schwiiz School - Schuäl Homework - Husi Kindergarten - Chindsgi Mid-day snack - Znüni

Switzerland: Key Facts and Figures

The capital of Switzerland, a country with a population of 8,112,000 and a total land area of 15,930 square miles (41,258 km2), is Bern, not Zurich, as many people think. Switzerland also has four official languages – German, French, Italian and Romansh! To learn more about the country and its customs, we asked our Swiss sales team everything we've always wanted to know about Switzerland:

What is the typical first day of school like in Switzerland?

Swiss children attend kindergarten for two years, starting at age four. Four-year-old kindergarteners are called “Räupli” here (caterpillars in Swiss German) and five-year-olds “Schmetterlinge” (butterflies). On the first day of school, parents accompany their children to school and stay for the first hour. We're pleased to see more and more Swiss children begin this important phase in their lives with an ergobag in tow!

How do kids get to school? On sleds and skis in winter?

In the mountain regions, you'll definitely see that, but most kids walk to school. Those who live farther away can ride their bikes. In remote regions, school buses transport kids safely to school and home. Kickboards are also popular, and there's always personal chauffeur service courtesy of mom and dad ;-)

What do you love most about Switzerland?

The beautiful and diverse landscape. From Kreuzlingen to Geneva, Chiasso to Basel, it's simply breathtaking. Our four national languages, which most Swiss start learning when they're just toddlers, also make us unique.

What's the number one place everyone should visit in Switzerland?

Eastern Switzerland, for sure! From the Rhine valley in St. Gallen to the historic Appenzell region and the Churfirsten mountain range in the district of Toggenburg, there is so much to discover. What travel destinations would you recommend? If you come to Switzerland, make sure you have enough time, as there's lots to see and do. Go hiking in the Alpstein region (Säntis peak) or take a walk through the St. Gallen Abbey District. In Appenzell, you can try some famous Appenzeller cheese.

What are some typical Swiss dishes?

We have several:

• first and foremost our famous fondue! First, we melt cheese over a burner known as a rechaud. Then we dip pieces of bread on long skewers into the melted cheese and swirl it around to soak up the cheese – delicious!
• Another favorite Swiss dish is raclette. The cheese is melted in small pans on a special raclette grill and served with Gschwellti (boiled potatoes).
• Älplermagronen is macaroni with chunks of potato and ham smothered with a fine cream cheese sauce, roasted onions and fresh apple sauce.
•  Also famous is St. Gallen bratwurst with onion sauce and Rösti, a regional specialty made with roasted sausage, onion sauce and fried shredded potatoes.

Is it true you only eat chocolate and cheese?

Of course. And the specialties we described above ;-)

What Swiss German phrase would be incomprehensible to an ordinary German, and what does it mean?

Tue es paar Bölle schnätzle – cut a couple onions

So then: School bag ready… steady… go! (or, as they say in Switzerland: Uff dä Ruggä… fertig… los!)