Swiss participants in last autumn’s Gaza flotilla have now received an unwelcome follow-up to their detention by Israeli authorities: a bill. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has written to the activists seeking reimbursement for … [Read more...]
News and Features
Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, has died
Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, Switzerland’s best-known assisted-dying organisation, has died. He took his own life on November 29th, just days short of his 93rd birthday. Once a correspondent for the magazine Der Spiegel from 1964 to … [Read more...]
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...]
Corruption complaint filed against Swiss executives over gifts to Trump
Two Swiss Green Party lawmakers have filed a criminal complaint for suspected corruption against a group of Swiss business leaders who presented luxury gifts—including a Rolex clock and a one-kilogram gold bar—to Donald Trump during recent trade … [Read more...]
Swiss government weighs VAT hike to fund army
Switzerland’s government is weighing a rise in value-added tax to help fund a rapid expansion of the armed forces, reported RTS. According to the Tages-Anzeiger, the proposal—an increase of 0.5 percentage points—was floated by Martin Pfister, the … [Read more...]
Guides
Setting up a business in Switzerland – a guide
Brought to you by Winbiz online accounting for Swiss businesses. So you have decided to start a business. You have a business plan and are ready to get started. Before you launch you need a name and possibly a company. Broadly there are two options … [Read More...]
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...]
Activities
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...]
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...]
The best way to save forests, according to a forester
Last summer, two mates and I set out on what turned out to be a “bridge-too-far” walking project. Switzerland is blessed with more than 60,000 km of walking trails crowned by seven iconic National Routes. The National Route 5 (which extends as the … [Read more...]
