Helvetia

Helvetia is a town in Fallout 76.

Background
Settled by German and Swiss immigrants in 1869, Helvetia was a village of professionals and craftsmen, including musicians, cheesemakers, stonesmasons, doctors, and teachers. It was established by the Grütliverein (Grütli Society) formed in Brooklyn, New York, who planned to establish a community of their own to maintain their customs and traditions, with the site chosen due to the low price of land and ready availability of materials - a function of it being near-total wilderness. With additional immigration from Switzerland and areas of the United States, Helvetia's population rose to 308 by 1875, specializing in crafts, arts, and of course agriculture.

Helvetia never expanded beyond a village, maintaining its unique Swiss- and German-American culture, including art and holidays. Key among these was the Fasnacht celebration, on the last Saturday before Lent, when Helvetians celebrated the end of winter and the beginning of spring through burning an effigy of Old Man Winter, after a parade known in West Virginia for its extensive use of colorful, sometimes disturbing, and always unique masks. The small Helvetia found itself affected by the loss of workers due to the protests and the ongoing war with China, and the town invested in a fleet of Protectron robots to keep its traditions alive and reduce the workload. These proved quite useful and popular with tourists.

The nuclear war barely touched the village. However, the collapse of society pushed the town's peace to the breaking point, especially after a Horizon Airways jet crashed out of the sky and in the valley to the east. The cult of the Mothman seems to have turned the local church into a place of worship, but beyond that, Helvetia remained remarkably peaceful and safe over the years.

Points of interest

 * Helvetia is small and compact, bordered by the mountains on the north and the south, and straddling the Buckhannon River. the two main roads are Pickens Road, entering Helvetia from the west and terminating in the east, over the river, at the Helvetia-Adolph Road passing through the town on a north-south axis. Helvetia also hosts the seasonal Fasnacht Day, released as part of Wild Appalachia. When active, Helvetia is decorated and the Master of Ceremonies floats about.
 * The northern side of the town includes the church in the west, with a chemistry station and a voting station on the ground floor, Mothman's effigy in place of the altar, and a weapons workbench in the attic. Directly east of it is a small unmarked museum with a sleeping bag and a bookstore slightly to the north. The Cheese Haus and the locked Honey Haus lie in the east. Just by the road are the town hall with a banjo and a piano for those inclined to gain the Well Tuned bonus, and the Welcome Haus (or hotel). On the other side of the road is the post office, with a locked safe behind the counter and a wooden maintenance and storage shed with a weapons workbench.
 * The eastern part of Helvetia, just over the river, contains Freyja's Restaurant, the stage where the Fasnacht seasonal event begins, a house, and the school hause to the southeast.

Notable loot

 * Nuka-Cola Quantum : In the Cheese Haus.
 * Caps stash: Under the dresser in the hotel (upstairs, right-side, far room).
 * Notes
 * Airplane Crash: Upstairs in the hotel, on the dresser.
 * Fasnacht Robots: On the counter in the Cheese Haus.
 * Happy Fasnacht!: On the counter in Freyja's Haus Restaurant.
 * Checklist: Kitchen of Freyja's Restaurant.
 * German Books: In the bookstore.
 * Old Guns
 * Fasnacht Beverage Report and Fasnacht Residue Analysis: In the museum.
 * Dynamic spawns

Behind the scenes

 * Helvetia is based on the real-life town in West Virginia and features several of its landmarks. Perhaps the most readily identifiable one is Freyja's Restaurant, whose appearance is based on The Hütte Restaurant standing in the exact same spot.

Appearances
Helvetia appears in Fallout 76.