The Swiss Foundation for Social Tourism (SSST), which owns the majority of youth hostels in Switzerland, celebrated its 50th anniversary on 11 May 2023. The Swiss Youth Hostels Association (SYH) will celebrate its centenary on 28 April 2024. The SYH is celebrating this significant milestone throughout 2023 until April 2024. Various activities are being organised across the whole of Switzerland with the aim of bringing people together to enjoy shared experiences and memorable moments. The first exciting activities that have been planned are as diverse as the youth hostels themselves and include a family celebration and the Swiss-wide Youth Challenge.

The four Youth Challenge teams (5 July to 13 October 2023)

This summer, four teams of young people will have the opportunity to travel throughout Switzerland and take part in the Swiss Youth Hostels Youth Challenge. The jury has already chosen four lucky teams to take part in the challenge.

• The first team has named itself the “Eidgeniesserinnen” – which translates along the lines of “Connoisseurs of the Swiss Confederation” – and consists of Léonie, Leah and Elina. The girls will be exploring Switzerland’s diverse linguistic regions from 5 to 11 July. They will set off from the shores of beautiful Lake Geneva in Montreux and travel to Locarno with various stops along the way.
• The second team comprising Dario, Cyrill, Sebastian and Vanessa have called themselves the “Kompanen”, which means “buddies”. They will be setting off with their compasses at the ready from Schloss Burgdorf and travelling from 14 to 20 July.
• The “Pastapläuschler” – which literally means the “Pasta Chatterers” – is made up of Celina, Anna, Laurin and Chiara. Their travel adventures will take place from 23 to 28 July and focus on the beautiful Bernese Oberland region and the canton of Ticino, the sunniest corner of Switzerland.
• The fourth team called “Hugo” consists of four girls: Rahel, Sarah, Sina and Julia. Their trip starts at Schaffhausen Youth Hostel and will take them right across Switzerland from 2 to 9 August.

The teams’ adventures will be chronicled on the Swiss Youth Hostels social media channels. A public vote will be held in October to decide which group enjoyed the coolest and most original travel experiences. For further information: Youth Challenge 2023 | Swiss Youth Hostels (youthhostel.ch)

Family celebration at Richterswil Youth Hostel (19 August 2023)

It’s all about families on 19 August 2023 at Richterswil Youth Hostel. The fun starts at 2 pm and until 6 pm there will be bouncy castle fun, face painting, football games, playground adventures and a chance to enjoy the beauty of Lake Zurich. A special highlight of the day will be the naming ceremony of the Swiss Youth Hostels new mascot, which is being introduced during the summer holidays as part of a painting and naming competition. The winner will be named the mascot's godparent and presented with an accommodation voucher worth CHF 300. For further information and to register free of charge: Family Celebration | Swiss Youth Hostels (youthhostel.ch)

Grand centenary mountain forest project in Trin (13 to 19 August 2023)

Following the success of the Swiss Youth Hostels first centenary mountain forest project in April, a second week-long project is being run from 13 to 19 August 2023 in Trin in the heart of the Mesaglina mountain forest. The project participants will stay overnight at the Trin Youth Hostel. Their volunteering duties will include tidying up the surrounding forest area, planting new trees as well as maintaining and protecting existing trees. Anyone interested in participating can register now free of charge. Being a volunteer on this project offers a fantastic opportunity to help protect and preserve this important ecosystem. The Mountain Forest Project was founded as a charity in1987. The organisation aims to promote the conservation, maintenance and resilience of the forest and cultural landscape in alpine areas. For further information and to register: Mountain Forest Project | Swiss Youth Hostels (youthhostel.ch)

The Swiss Youth Hostels grand table football tournament (30 September / 28 October 2023)

There is no other game that is quite so closely associated with the Swiss Youth Hostels than table football. This is why Swiss Youth Hostels is holding a big Swiss-wide table football competition called the Swiss Youth Hostels Grand Table Football Tournament. From 2 pm on Saturday, 30 September 2023, 26 youth hostels all over Switzerland from Lausanne to Laax and from Zermatt to Basel will be holding table football tournaments. What’s more, Lausanne Youth Hostel is hosting a cool party for guests of all ages from 5 pm. Both individuals and teams of two people are invited to take part. The winners of the regional tournaments will be invited to the grand finale at Zurich Youth Hostel on 28 October. The winning team will receive a Swiss Youth Hostels travel voucher worth CHF 1,000, plus a year’s supply of the soft drink Rivella. For further information about venues and to register: Grand Table Football Tournament 2023 | Swiss Youth Hostels

Overview of the Swiss Youth Hostels centenary celebration activities:

Anniversary highlights 2023/24 | Swiss Youth Hostels

Press release