By Imogen FoulkesBBC News, Geneva
The local population is not happy about naked ramblers in their midstA court case over the question of whether people are allowed to hike naked is set to begin in Switzerland.
It is the first case since the eastern Swiss canton of Appenzell introduced a new public order law last year, which permits naked hikers to be fined.The case centres around an appeal from a man who was fined for rambling while naked.
Canton Appenzell has become a popular destination for those who like to hike without clothes.
But the local population is deeply unhappy about it.
Nude lawThe hiker in question was fined after eyewitnesses complained that he had been hiking in full view of a communal barbecuing area. They also say he walked past a Christian care home, whose residents saw him.
Appenzell is traditionally a rather devout and conservative region of Switzerland. It only gave women the vote in 1990 and its growing reputation as a paradise for naked hikers is not popular with locals.
Authorities hope the new public order law would be a deterrent to naked ramblers.
But the problem is that Swiss federal law states that public nudity is not a crime, so the hiker is now appealing against his fine.
His appearance in court today - fully clothed this time, it’s expected - could be the start of a long and costly legal process, which may end up in Switzerland’s highest court.
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