While hiking the gentler slopes of the Swiss Alps in the summertime, our group of American tourists came upon an unexpected sight: a Native-American style teepee. From a distance, all we could see was the teepee itself, so we were very curious to find out what such a uniquely American symbol was doing in the middle of Switzerland. As we ambled downhill through a brilliant green landscape covered in late wildflowers, we discovered that the "teepee" was simply a practical way to set up a temporary shelter for a "biergarten" or beer hall where local foods and snacks are also served. We later learned that these structures are a common sight throughout this area and especially in southern Germany and Bavaria.