In Switzerland, paid leave for new parents is limited to 14 weeks for mothers and 2 weeks for fathers. However, the political push for more is growing, and some cantons are pressuring the federal government to extend paid leave. A commission for the … [Read more...]
News and Features

Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
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...]

My Swiss story – through the eyes of a well-travelled cat
Everyone has a story. My Swiss Story is a series that looks at lives in Switzerland. In 2018, we spoke to Loki le Magnifique, a cat, originally from Honolulu, Hawai‘i, who moved to Switzerland in 2010. Settling first in Neuchâtel, with his … [Read more...]

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: A COMPLETE UNKNOWN **** biopic of Bob Dylan’s early career
31 January 2025. A COMPLETE UNKNOWN **** This biopic of Bob Dylan’s early career in the 1960s is an evocative moment, one that director James Mangold (with co-scriptwriter Jay Cocks) has spun into a close impression of this mystery man of … [Read more...]
Guides

Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
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...]

15 things you should know about Swiss health insurance
It's health insurance season. Average premiums are increasing in 2018. Compulsory basic Swiss health insurance can generally only be changed once a year. To change you must notify your current provider by 30 November. This article explains the basics … [Read More...]
Activities

Why you should visit the Gianadda gallery in Martigny
Gianadda, that spectacular cultural centre in Martigny, specializes in exhibitions you want to wander round more than once. Its latest show – Hodler, Monet, Munch: painting the impossible (3 February to 11 June 2017) – also lives up to the … [Read more...]

The Rhaetian Railway – probably Switzerland’s best train journey
Rounding another curve on the Bernina Express, sometimes we glimpse something – an ancient stone hut, a cliff naturally carved with a quizzical face, a shimmering snow-covered village – then wonder later if it was really there. Sitting … [Read more...]

Foxtrail – an adventure game on the streets of Lausanne
As we zoomed down the metro line, the puzzle unfolded with the first clue we were given: watch for the fox’s green paw print on the rail track. Later, during our half-day adventure chasing the “fox”, we had to figure out a series of other clues: a … [Read more...]