Home vacancy rates in Switzerland’s main cities have all risen over the last few years, bringing some hope to those looking for a place to live. The latest 2017 data confirm this trend. Over the last five years vacancy rates have risen by between 18% and 49% in the main cities of Zurich (+32%), Bern […]
Giant grass fresco painted at Rocher de Naye above Montreux
The artist Saype strikes again. The Frenchman, based in Moutier, Switzerland, has created another of his immense artworks on the back side of Rocher-de-Naye, near Montreux. Une publication partagée par Saype (@saype_artiste) le 12 Sept. 2017 à 8h34 PDT The artwork, which covers around 6,000 square metres, has been named “A story of the future”. […]
Super high-speed train between Zurich and Milan unveiled
20 Minutes. Dubbed the “Superveloce”, the new high-speed journey is expected to start operating between now and 2020. Made possible by the opening of the new Gotthard train tunnel, the trip should take only 2 hours and 45 minutes. Since the world’s longest train tunnel was opened in December 2016, 2.3 million passengers have passed through […]
Swiss Federal Councillor and foreign minister Didier Burkhalter resigns
Today, Swiss Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter announced his resignation. One of seven in Switzerland’s executive, he became known around the world, during his stint as the nation’s president, when a photo of him of him standing alone on a public train platform waiting for his train was Tweeted. The photo was taken by Le Temps journalist […]
Swiss politicians push for tax on short-haul flights out of Switzerland
20 Minutes. Two Swiss politicians from Zurich, Thomas Hardegger and Priska Seiler Graf, are calling for short-haul flights to be taxed, a move they think would push people away from flying and towards train travel. They want an end to the uncontrolled increase in air travel and the emissions it generates. In 2010, the average distance flown by […]
Vegan condoms launched in Geneva
When most think of vegan products they think of food, however this product is not for eating. Launched this week by Gabrielle Lods, a Geneva-based scientist, the product is certified to european conformity, known as CE marking. Baisez bien – baisez bio! Choisis tes préservatifs en latex bio, sans parabènes ni produits toxiques #condom #vegan #organic #freeshipping […]
Swiss still show strong preference for car over train
Despite one of the world’s most efficient train networks, Swiss residents still overwhelmingly prefer hopping in their cars than getting on trains or other forms of transport. Of the 90 minutes an average Swiss resident spends moving every day they spend the vast majority of it in a car. In 2015, two thirds of trips were made […]
Poor not being pushed out of Swiss cities
It is widely believed that as the price of real estate climbs those on low incomes are forced out of city centres. A study by the University of Geneva, commissioned by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office focused on the period between 2010 and 2014, shows this is not true in Switzerland. Rich leaving the centres […]
Swiss collectibles ending up inside cats
20 Minutes. A clinic in Zurich has warned Swiss cat owners to be on guard. Several cats have ended up at the vet after eating Coop’s little rubber collectables. A cat was recently rushed to the vet in Regensdorf for an emergency operation, according to 20 Minuten. The little rubber figurines were given to customers […]
Commission calls for stricter integration requirements for foreigners in Switzerland
Le Matin. A Swiss government commission decided last week that recent legal changes to help temporary permit holders qualify for permanent residency in Switzerland are not strict enough when it comes to integration requirements. Foreigners on temporary permits have been in the firing line in Switzerland for some time. Because returning to their home country often isn’t possible, a […]
