Friday afternoon, Zurich main station. The guests are slowly arriving and getting on the train towards Elm, Switzerland, ready for the birthday celebration. It wouldn’t be an LC Zurich event if there was no train party, so that’s how the weekend began. The party mood was on – a good start. After arriving in Schwanden, Glarus, we continued our journey by bus, which brought us directly to Elm. From there we only had to take the cable car to get on top of the mountain where our accommodation was located. A familiar mode of transportation for most Swiss people, an adrenalin filled ride for some internationals. Despite some initial concerns, we all enjoyed the ride with a wonderful view of the Swiss Alps.
After settling down, we got to enjoy the panorama from the terrace. We got to know the other guests and had some nice chats with each other until dinner was served. For dinner, we first had a nice Flädeli soup. The main course with grilled veggies, spring rolls and chicken nuggies was delicious and was quickly followed by the next highlight of the weekend: The mediaeval/fantasy theme party! Everyone dressed up in costumes and made the party room look like a game of Dungeons and Dragons. We celebrated, we danced, and most importantly, we enjoyed midnightly raclette.
The next morning, some got up early to go on a hike. With nice weather and nice people, the scenery in Elm got even better. Others just stayed in our beautiful chalet and enjoyed the Bavarian brunch with Weisswürsten and Bretzeln. In the afternoon, it was time for another highlight of the weekend: the ultimate Beer Olympics! In groups of four, the contestants were faced with many fun challenges. They competed to earn points, fighting to be the beer champions. The challenges were diverse: from tic-tac-toe races to quickly building mattress fortresses to flip cup to guessing famous song names. But the most impressive part was the contestants. No efforts were spared in their quest to challenge each other for the title of beer champions.
After the challenges, we were all hungry and had dinner. This time our kitchen blessed us with Älplermagroni. After getting three full plates and eating our fill, we had to get ready for the Toga Party. Again, everyone dressed up as we transformed Elm into the Roman Empire. We celebrated butchles’ birthday and had an amazing time. There was a midnight barbecue on the terrace and of course birthday cake! Those of us who stayed up long enough even got to enjoy some raclette.
Sunday morning, we had one last breakfast together. It was time to pack our things – we slowly but surely had to leave Elm. However, the incredible memories will stay with us. It was a wonderful weekend, and we are grateful for having been able to party-cipate in Europe’s greatest Birthday party.
