Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and … [Read more...]
News and Features
4 best mountain spas in French-speaking Switzerland
ALL YEAR ROUND The Alps are synonymous with skiing but alpine geothermal springs and spas are sometimes overlooked. If the thought of lugging skis, poles and person to the ski lift to spend a day risking life and limb on snow isn’t appealing, … [Read more...]
FILM: Geneva’s well-kept movie secret
18 July 2025. Hello cinephiles! It’s summer, “the living is easy”… and this week’s releases are typical for the season - a horror film and some kids’ animation - nothing to take seriously…. @ Cinétransat So, let me let you in on a … [Read more...]
New Swiss personal bankruptcy rules face parliamentary resistance
Switzerland’s Federal Council wants to give the hopelessly indebted a fresh start. Two new legal procedures would allow individuals trapped in debt to shed their debts, but centre-right parties in parliament are pushing to water down the plans, … [Read more...]
Swiss government to subsidise night train to Sweden
On 10 July 2025, Switzerland's Federal Office of Transport (FOT) announced government plans to subsidise new international rail services, with priority given to a planned Basel–Copenhagen–Malmö night train. Malmo station © Mino Surkala | … [Read more...]
Guides
6-step guide to hiring a cleaner in Switzerland
Brought to you by quitt.ch - No. 1 provider of registration and administration services for domestic help in Switzerland. 1. What do cleaners cost in Switzerland? Cleaners are expensive in Switzerland and good personnel are hard to find. Prices … [Read More...]
8 things you must do if you’re running a Swiss business
Brought to you by Winbiz online accounting for Swiss businesses. Once a business is established, there are many ongoing administrative tasks required by law. The main ones are covered in this article. The first few relate to employees and … [Read More...]
Activities
The Swiss town on the 2019 New York Times’ places-to-visit list
Every year the New York Times assembles a list of 52 recommended places to visit. This year it lists Vevey at number 49. 2019 is a big year for Vevey. It is the year of the Unesco-recognized Fête des Vignerons, an event held every 20 to 25 … [Read more...]
Going underground – Touring Switzerland’s oldest salt mine
There is a reason why the Swiss excel at digging tunnels: they have been doing it for a very long time. In 1680, tunnels were dug into the Vaud Alps near Bex to get at salt buried there more than 200 million years earlier, le Sel des … [Read more...]
Taking a trip back in time on a Swiss steam train
Trains run Saturdays and Sundays from 4 May until 27 October 2019. On 21 May 1966, the local rail company closed the line between the two small towns of Blonay and Chamby, in Switzerland’s Riviera region, on the eastern reaches of … [Read more...]
