Hilarious April Fools’ Jokes from Switzerland

April Fools! These pranks fooled a nation! Every year on April 1, Switzerland joins the global tradition of April Fools' Day with a mix of creativity, humor, and sometimes a touch of Swiss precision.

From legendary hoaxes to recent digital pranks, here's our round-up of the most epic April Fools' jokes from Switzerland. We've collected legendary hoaxes like the spaghetti harvest or the mountain cleaners. Also, some one-offs like potbelly pig comfort animals.

Classic Swiss April Fools' Jokes

The Legendary Spaghetti Harvest of 1957

Perhaps the most famous April Fools' joke of all time, the BBC's report on the Swiss spaghetti harvest fooled millions. The three-minute video showed a Swiss family harvesting fresh spaghetti from trees, causing thousands of viewers to inquire about growing their own spaghetti plants.

Switzerland Tourism's Mountain Cleaners

Keeping Swiss mountains spotless is a tough job. In a viral video, Switzerland Tourism introduced the unsung heroes who keep Swiss mountains pristine: professional mountain cleaners.

The clip showcased these dedicated workers scrubbing cliffs and polishing glaciers to maintain Switzerland's picture-perfect landscapes. It fooled everyone!

Recent Swiss April Fools' Pranks

Lunar-Powered Aircraft

Remember Solar Impulse, the first airplane to fly around the world using only solar power? Building on the success of Solar Impulse, a fake announcement introduced Lunar Impulse, the first airplane powered by "lunar energy."

See for yourself

Robot Staff at swissnex in San Francisco

swissnex in San Francisco announced the replacement of human staff with AI-powered robots, claiming these RoboSwiss could even speak Swiss German.

First-Class Compartments on Postal Buses

One year, PostBus Switzerland jokingly introduced "Yellow Class," a premium first-class section on their buses, complete with priority boarding and catering.

Here's the original Facebook post about it.

Love-Based Train Compartments

Love prevailed on rails - at least for a day. Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) proposed replacing first and second-class compartments with sections for singles, lovers, and married couples.

CERN Confirms "The Force"

We knew it! Finally, some brainy CERN scientists confirmed the existence of "The Force" from Star Wars.

See for yourself

Bus Toilets in Canton Zurich

Yikes! Thanks, but no thanks... Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland announced the installation of toilets on their buses, complete with a mock-up image.

Konstanz Annexed by Switzerland

One year, Swiss National Radio reported that the German city of Konstanz would be annexed by the Swiss canton of Thurgau. To top it off, Konstanz was even going to be declared the new capital of Thurgau!

In light of world events in 2025, this April Fools' joke of annexing another sovereign place would no longer fly.

Smartphone Ban for Pedestrians

According to NZZ and Berner Zeitung, accidents involving pedestrians due to smartphone use had escalated. Therefore, the cities of Bern and Zürich were going to make it illegal to walk and look at a smartphone in 2015.

While Zürich debated whether taking a selfie should fall under the same rule, Bern considered special sidewalks for (often slower-moving) smartphone users.

Europe's Tallest Hotel in Chur

A local newspaper announced plans for a 400-meter-tall hotel in Chur, surpassing the height of any building in Europe.

According to the local architect, the top floor was supposed to be publicly accessible. There was going to be a tropical garden featuring butterflies from Namibia, and a bar featuring beer from the local Calandia brewery...

Comfort Pigs During Lockdown

During the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, the City of Zurich offered visits from "comfort" potbelly pigs to relieve stress. The pigs would come to anyone's apartment together with their handler.

The City of Zurich announced: "Call our hotline to schedule a visit by a potbelly pig." The result of this announcement? Lots and lots of phone calls by needy residents…

The Mythical Dahu Creature

In 1995, a Swiss museum claimed to exhibit the Dahu, a mythical creature. Conveniently equipped with two shorter legs, the dahu animal is able to easily walk alongside Swiss mountains.

At least that's what the few scientists say who have taken this "shady" picture:

Appenzell's Six-Pack Calendar

Appenzell Tourism jokingly announced a casting call for the best six-packs in Switzerland for their new gift card holders.

See for yourself!

Which is your favorite April Fools joke from Switzerland?

(Copyrights: Love train picture copyright by SBB CFF FFS, gift card holder visualization/feature picture copyright by Appenzell Tourism, CERN Large Hadron Collider photograph copyright by Max Brice and Daniel Dominguez/CERN; VZO bus toilet picture copyright by Mano Reichling, Chur tower visualisation copyright by suedostschweiz.ch, Dahu pictures by Wikipedia/Zoocryptologie)