Have you heard of Unspunnen?

Every dozen years or so, crowds flock to the Unspunnen Festival that features the best of Swiss traditions: alpho music, Schwingen wrestling, flag throwing and a feat of strength to see who can throw an 83.5kg stone the furthest.

The festivalexteal link take place over ten days from August 26 in the alpine resort of Interlaken. There are rumours that the original Unspunnen stone dating back to 1808 might make a reappearance. It was first stolen in 1984 by regional separatists from Jura to make a political statement and was retued in 2001 before disappearing again in 2005.

The first festivals were held in Unspunnen castle in the Beese Oberland and were meant to bring people from rural and urban areas together. Today, it helps preserve Alpine traditions and offers visitors the chance to see them all in one place.

(Video: SRF/swissinfo.ch, text: Peter Siegenthaler, swissinfo.ch)

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