Street performers are one of the fabulous delights of European city living. They provide immediate relief from the grind of the past working week and transform even the grumpiest person into an enraptured holidaymaker. Never ones to stint on providing the best “street artistes”, the Swiss have a deserved reputation for organising wonderfully eclectic street […]
Tax-free storage bonanza in Geneva
GENEVA What do you do with wine, works of art or carpets that you may eventually wish to sell, but do not want to bring into the country and pay tax on? Although the Guinness Book of Records considers the village of Mileștii Mici (population 4,500) in Moldova to have the largest number of wine […]
Caribana Music Festival is back with 3 stages and 40 performers
The Annual Caribana Music Festival is back from 4 – 8 June and this year. It boasts an array of talent from arena sell-out performers to up and coming DJ’s from around the world. With three stages and over 40 performers, some of this year’s big acts include Jessie J, Passenger, Bastian Baker and Youssoupha. […]
Geneva celebrates 200 years as part of the Swiss confederation
This weekend, Geneva celebrates 200 years as part of the Swiss confederation. The festivities, which are a mix of official ceremonies, historical and contemporary plays, parades, shows and concerts will last from Friday to Sunday. During the course of the weekend, people will be able to discover what it was like to live in Geneva […]
Weekend in an Italian constellation
If you are planning a weekend away and want to take in some history and enjoy nature, you can find an ample supply of both less than three hours’ drive from Geneva. Nestling in the Piedmont mountains near Turin in northern Italy, in a region called the Via Lattea (or Milky Way), are the villages […]
Patrouille des Glaciers: Reaching new heights
The Patrouille des Glaciers took place last week, with a record 5,400 participants, after some fears it might have to be cancelled like the previous race in 2012. Unstable weather and significant snowfalls at the beginning of the week delayed all departures by a day, but in the end everyone was able to compete. The […]
Delightful boat cruises on Swiss lakes
SPRING-SUMMER-AUTUMN As summer moves into gear, why not take to the water to unwind and enjoy a calmer pace. No one living in the region can be unmoved by the beauty of Lake Léman, Western Europe’s largest lake. Taking one of the six Belle Epoque boats is a wonderful way to get a new perspective […]
The wonderous Val D’Aoste
AOSTE A holiday in Italy conjures up visions of escaping cold, grey winters for a sunnier and warmer clime. The Meteo even reports sunnier weather in Italian-speaking Ticino right here in Switzerland. Nevertheless, just on the other side of the Mont Blanc tunnel, in Italy’s Val d’Aoste, the weather can sometimes be colder than in […]
Burgundy: recycling France’s rail and tow routes
BEAUNE One of the most impressive cycle routes in France is the almost completed circuitous 800km Saône et Loire Voie Verte in Burgundy, built along abandoned railway lines and canal towpaths. Less than two hours from Geneva, this voie verte was begun in 1997 and follows a route away from car traffic through staggeringly beautiful […]
Salève cable car Geneva
SPRING-SUMMER-AUTUMN One of Geneva’s most popular tourist attractions – taking the cable car to the top of the Salève for a panoramic view of the Jet d’Eau – reopens on 5 April 2014 after a shutdown of three months to overhaul its cable system. The two cable cars, which each carry 60 passengers, are the […]
