Tuesday night brought a chill to Switzerland. The temperature in the town of Brévine in the Jura plunged to -20 degrees. In Glattalp, another of Switzerland’s famed cold spots, the temperature went as low as -36.5 degrees. Neither Brévine (1043m) or Glattalp (1896m) are particularly high, however they both have micro climates dictated by geography […]
Swiss supermarkets selling products with no country of origin on label
Even when labelled properly food labels provide precious little information on what a product might contain. For example, a piece of farmed salmon will typically be labelled only with its country of origin, containing no information on what the fish has been fed. Contaminated fish feed can significantly push up the level of dioxins found […]
Switzerland’s army to be headed by a woman for the first time
Viola Amherd, one of two new women joining Switzerland’s seven-member executive team on 1 January 2019, will head the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), a position focused mainly on military matters. This will be the first time the position has been held by a woman, according to RTS. Amherd, a lawyer […]
Swiss health insurance deductibles to be locked in for 3 years
One way to reduce the cost of compulsory Swiss health insurance is to choose a high deductible. Currently, some people do this and then postpone treatment until they’ve switched to a lower deductible the following year. Recently, Switzerland’s parliament voted 113 against 60 in favour of locking in deductibles for three years to reduce this […]
Three of seven of Switzerland’s executive will soon be women
Two members of Switzerland’s Federal Council announced they would step down earlier this year. Last week, two women were elected to replace them. Doris Leuthard and Johann Schneider-Ammann will be replaced by Karin Keller-Sutter and Viola Amherd. This means there will soon be three women, instead of two, among Switzerland’s seven-member executive team. Both women […]
When a discount is not a discount
When shoppers see a discount they typically assume the original price is correct. However, this is not always the case, as some hidden price labels have revealed. This week Ochsner, one of the Swiss retailers caught with suspect price discount labels, was fined CHF 4,000, according to the newspaper 20 minutes. Tandis que Manor dément […]
Flying more than 10% of Switzerland’s greenhouse gas
More than 10% of greenhouse gas emitted by Switzerland comes from flying, according to data from the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Overall, Switzerland’s greenhouse gas emissions were nearly 10% lower in 2016 than they were in 1990. However, the trend in flight emissions was the opposite, rising by 68% since 1990. The 10.7% […]
Famous Swiss vegetarian restaurant opens in Lausanne train station
On 7 December 2018, the restaurant chain Tibits, which has eight restaurants in German-speaking Switzerland, and one in London, opens its first restaurant west of the rösti graben*, in French-speaking Switzerland. Ahead of the launch of their first restaurant in 2000, three Swiss brothers, Christian, Daniel and Reto Frei, who had dreamt of creating quality […]
Over half of Swiss ready to rethink lifestyle to save the planet, according to survey
Over half (54%) of those surveyed felt climate change was serious enough for them to rethink their way of life, according to a survey by GFS Zurich. Across Switzerland, 62% of women and 46% of men thought this. The percentage was higher in German-speaking Switzerland (65%) than in French-speaking Switzerland (29%). Only a minority thought […]
Swiss offers fondue on flights from Geneva
On 1 December 2018, Switzerland’s flag carrier started offering cheese fondue on flights out of Geneva. The dish is a new addition to the airline’s Swiss Saveurs menu, which was launched six months earlier. The pre-heated, specially packaged fondue, which is 50% Vacherin Fribourg and 50% Gruyère cheese, is available on Swiss flights from Geneva […]
