It’s the question lurking in many people’s minds, especially during the frenzy of online Christmas shopping: has my email account been hacked? MELANI has got your back – up to a point. The Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANI), is part of the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service. They have recently come into possession […]
My Swiss Story – how mountains changed my life
Everyone has a story. My Swiss Story is a series that looks at lives in Switzerland. This week we spoke to Alex Inchbald. He’s from just outside London, lives near Geneva, is married with two children, works as an extreme artist and leadership mentor and has a passion for skiing and the mountains. What brought […]
Former King Michael of Romania dies at his home in Switzerland
Michael I, Romania’s former king has died at the age of 96. A long time resident of Switzerland, he passed away today at his home in Aubonne, Vaud, Switzerland, a town more likely to be associated with an IKEA store than a former king. Under pressure from communists Michael was forced to abdicate in 1947 and […]
Swiss Fact: Switzerland’s longest glacier has shrunk 1.3 kilometres
The longest, largest glacier in Europe is the Aletsch, in Switzerland’s canton Valais. The glacier is currently about 23 km. long and blankets about 81.7 sq. km. It’s estimated maximum depth is nearly 1 km. For now. Because, alas, like most of the planet’s glaciers, the Aletsch, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage […]
Airbnb charges some customers more than others, particularly the Swiss
Many Swiss residents travel to neighbouring eurozone countries for their holidays. These countries are close and Swiss francs go far there. However, to get the most out of a strong currency you need a good exchange rate. If a Swiss resident presenting euro cash at a checkout in Germany or France was told they couldn’t […]
New Swiss highway sticker on sale from tomorrow
Next year’s Swiss highway sticker goes on sale tomorrow. Every year it changes colour. This year it’s orange. At the same time stiffer penalties are being introduced for fake ones. According to 20 Minutes, the government is putting in place new sanctions of up to 3 years in prison. The amount lost from various forms […]
Swiss village offering to pay people to live there inundated with applications
After the Swiss mountain village of Albinen hatched a plan to pay parents (CHF 25,000 each) and children (CHF 10,000 each) to move there, it has been inundated with applicants. Articles about the offer have been published by Time, The Sunday Times, The Sun, El Pais, and many other publications. Rather than celebrating, the picturesque town’s administration is unhappy. […]
German-speaking Swiss more likely to avoid flying for environmental reasons
Flying is the most polluting way to travel and Swiss residents are frequent flyers. 56% of those surveyed by gfs-zürich on behalf of the Swiss Energy Foundation have flown once or more for non-work reasons in the last two years. According to the Swiss Energy Foundation, the average non-work related distance flown per Swiss resident […]
Amazon Prime coming to Switzerland
According to the newspaper Bilanz, Amazon has signed an agreement with Swiss post to provide rapid customs clearance. The head of postal customs, Felix Stierli, confirmed discussions with the company. A maximum customs clearance time of 3 hours will allow 24-hour delivery, one element of Amazon’s Prime offer. Once Prime is available, Swiss customers will […]
Dogs poisoned in Geneva parks
Dog owners in Geneva have reported poisoning in parks on social media. Genève chiens, a local dog owners association has posted a warning on its website, after warnings from dog owners were posted on the association’s Facebook page. Parks mentioned include: parc Bertrand, parc La Grange and parc Château-Banquet. One dog has died according to […]
