Permanent Tourist

The most easily identifiable and famous of all the central European alpine flora is the beautiful and very unusual Edelweiss. Although one can buy seeds for the flowers and grow them at home, the wild flowers are rare enough that it is forbidden – even illegal – to pick them without permission. These fine examples are on the Flower Trail at Mürren, and are the first ones I’ve seen actually growing in their “proper” environment on a mountain hillside. (That said, I’m sure that there are plenty at the mountain-top “botanical garden” of Schynigge Platte in late summer, too!)

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever.

Small and white clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever
Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever

(Source)