The streets are alive with hip-hop — but there’s still plenty of gold beneath them

In the mountains south of Zurich, as winter approaches, the farmers bring their cows down. The snowbound higher pastures will soon be empty, and the precious cattle walk down in traditional processions, some decorated with small flowers, the streets of the villages echoing with the sound of the famous cowbells. It’s a time-honoured tradition, and no one is ancient enough to remember when it began. Switzerland, the world’s oldest democracy, has existed as a recognisable country for over 700 years, and that’s enough time to build up more than a few traditions. The Swiss value constancy, solidity, continuity; these are integral parts of their culture — the canvas on which the life of the country is painted — and it’s one of the attributes that outsiders like, too. It’s no surprise that at times of international crisis money washes into the Swiss franc, and the term ‘flight to quality’ is well chosen.