The forest of Pfyn/Finges, on the French-German language border between Sierre and Leuk, is home to one of Europe’s last large-pine forests. Once the haunt of robbers and highwaymen, it is now a nature paradise prized for its diversity (from insects and amphibians to plants and birds) with rich literary associations. If you can manage […]
Show jumping at Villars-Gryon – win tickets!
This year’s showjumping trials at Villars-Gryon take place on 3–10 July and there’s plenty on offer for those interested in equestrian sports amid spectacular Alpine scenery. This free event, which brings together both regional and national as well as pony competitions, serves as a qualifier tournament for the Swiss Grand Prix Championship Elite 2014. If […]
Montreux Jazz Festival
The 48th annual Montreux Jazz Festival is set to start in a couple of weeks, from 4 to 19 July. Although it began as a pure Jazz Festival, other styles of music were quickly integrated. As it is the second largest jazz festival in the world, it needs a killer line-up, which it has once […]
Bergamo, Italy: Dolce vita around the corner
Need a dolce vita fix? Located 50km away from the hustle and bustle of Milan, Bergamo is a city full of old-world Italian charm. The city’s defining feature is the ancient hilltop Città Alta (Upper Town) surrounded by the Mura, over 5km of well-preserved Venetian walls. A wander through the cobblestone streets leads to several […]
The Lake Geneva region: A writers’ pole for creativity
Perched at the foot of the Jura mountains, the Maison de l’Écriture rises as a strident intrusion of modernity with its vaulting, white pillars, panoramic windows and perforated roof. Yet this is not the first time that a New Age phenomenon has imposed itself on the area. Back in the 1890s, when the Morges to […]
Street Arts Festival Gratte-Bitume – 17 great street acts
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 […]
