Mountains, nature, folklore – Switzerland doesn't get more cliché than that. And if we're going to do it, let's do it properly! Swiss Post’s special issue stamp shows the Matterhorn, the symbol of our country and one of the most famous mountains in the world. There's also edelweiss, the most typical mountain flower of all. The collection also includes the alphorn and the dairyman who blows it.
Yet, many people don't realise:
- The Matterhorn is a piece of African rock. In fact, it is the remnant of a huge mass of rock that was pushed across the European continent when the Alps were formed.
- Edelweiss originated in the Himalayas and Siberia and only reached Europe in the ice age; the highest example found in this country is 3,140 metres above sea level – in a place below the Matterhorn.
- The alphorn is a brass instrument, about 3.5 metres long, that can only play 16 notes of the harmonic series and can be heard up to 10 kilometres away.
The stamp was designed by Andrea Klaiber and is meant to depict something “typically Swiss”; a stamp for tourists, collectors and fans of Switzerland.
The design is the result of a competition with four illustrators. The winning subject was chosen by Swiss Post's own stamp commission.
The “Typically Swiss” stamp is available from 8 September 2022 in Swiss Post branches and from www.postshop.ch/typischschweiz. The stamp sheet with ten stamps also includes free matching stickers to decorate the envelopes. The stamp will not be reprinted and is only available until 30 September 2023 or while stocks last.