Six months after a decisive “yes” at the ballot box, the government has clarified how it will implement reforms to the taxation of residential property. It has consulted the Conference of Cantonal Finance Directors and concluded that cantons need … [Read more...]
News and Features
Above average number of avalanche victims this winter in Switzerland
Avalanches swept away more people than usual in the winter of 2025–26, though the death toll remained broadly in line with the average. A fragile snowpack led to a surge in incidents. By the end of March, 244 people had been caught in 171 … [Read more...]
Pro-Palestine demonstration: Bern publishes images as part of hunt for suspects
After unrest at an unauthorised pro-Palestine demonstration in October 2025, the police in Bern have published images of suspected offenders as part of a large-scale search. The damage caused to around 50 buildings by some protesters is … [Read more...]
Swiss public-transport fares to rise by 3.9% in December 2026
Ticket prices in Switzerland are set to increase again at the end of 2026, three years after the previous rise. Citing economic pressures and the need for investment, the strategic board of Alliance Swisspass has approved an average increase of … [Read more...]
For the first time in Switzerland, people aged 65 and over outnumber those under 20
Provisional figures for 2025 from the Federal Statistical Office show a steadily ageing population. By the end of the year, Switzerland’s permanent resident population had reached 9.12m, up 0.8% (+73,300 people) on 2024. Those 65 and over now … [Read more...]
Guides
8-step guide to hiring a nanny in Switzerland
Brought to you by quitt.ch - No. 1 provider of registration and administration services for domestic help in Switzerland. 1. What do nannies cost in Switzerland? Nannies are expensive in Switzerland. Average monthly salaries range from CHF 3,300 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...]
Activities
Swiss 2021 summer music festival Paléo cancelled
In April 2020, when Covid-19 was spreading across Europe, Paléo announced it was cancelling its 2020 summer music festival. Today, it announced it is cancelling its 2021 festival. In an announcement Paléo said: "the whole organising team kept … [Read more...]
How Switzerland’s best river swim became a summertime commute
Most people float down the Aare River in Bern just for fun. For Evelyn Schneider-Reyes, it was her summertime commute home. “I only had like 30 seconds walking from my office to the river,” she recalls. “I had an ‘Aare Bag’, where I put all my … [Read more...]
Lake Geneva – tests show beaches with cleanest water
A map published recently by the Commission internationale pour la protection des eaux du Léman (CIPEL), a Swiss-French intergovernmental organisation, rates the water quality at most Lake Geneva beaches as excellent or of a medium to good quality. … [Read more...]
