Appenzeller Alpenbitter - Playing Cards "Jasskarten"

Jassen is considered a national game in Switzerland. However, it wasn't the old Confederates who played the first Jass on the Rütli meadow. Playing cards originated in East Asia and were brought to Europe by Arab tribes in the 14th century. From the 15th century, French, German or Spanish playing cards were created from them. At the end of the 18th century, Swiss mercenaries brought the game and the name "Jass" back home from the Netherlands. “Jas” means farmer. The oldest known German-Swiss Jass cards are kept in the Basel Historical Museum. They date from 1470. It is a variant of the German cards with the suits bells, shields, hats and feathers. Today's symbols "roses" and "acorns" were introduced later.

Jassen is extremely popular in Switzerland and is considered a national card game. In the countless hours of play of a long tradition, the Jass cards were played with and charged with the magical scent of cozy conviviality: be it at the regulars’ table in the local “Rössli”, “Hirschen” or “Bären” restaurant, or at home in the cozy living room, when it is snowing or raining cats and dogs outside, or be it on the train to pass the time. Jass connects and is fun to play.

Enjoy a ‘Schieber’, a ‘Differenzler’, ‘Ramset’ or ‘Kaisern’ game with friends and family with one of the two deck sets available:

In French-Swiss deck the 36 cards are grouped into 4 different suits: carreau, coeur, pique and trèfle, whereas in the German-Swiss deck the following suites are found: bells, shields, roses and acorns.