A recent reported published by Switzerland’s Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), reveals that 42 extremism investigations were requested in 2017. In 2016, there were 50. Switzerland has a system of compulsory military service for all Swiss men who pass a physical and psychological aptitude test. Those who miss the mark on […]
Switzerland’s grueling high-altitude journey from Zermatt to Verbier
Every two years, around 5,000 hardy skiers make the grueling high-altitude journey from Zermatt to Verbier along a route known as the haute route. The event, known as the Patrouille des Glaciers, is organized by Switzerland’s army. This year it runs from Apr 17, 2018 – Apr 21, 2018, with different teams setting off on different […]
Crime down in Switzerland – home break-in remains more likely than vehicle theft
Statistics published today show a significant drop in most types of crime in Switzerland. Between 2009 and 2017, the number of break ins fell by 36%, steeper than the fall in the number of vehicle thefts, which declined by 26%. In 2009, there were 64,268 break ins, compared to 41,351 in 2017, while vehicle thefts […]
How one Swiss town rewards long-time married couples
By Bill Harby Upon their 50th wedding anniversary, Pierrette and Lucien Erard received an unexpected surprise: a big bouquet of flowers from the government of the town of Neuchâtel. “It’s always nice to receive a gift, especially when it’s unexpected, and from the government of my hometown”, said Madame Erard. “I was also surprised by […]
Switzerland tests its sirens
Every year, Switzerland tests its apocalyptic-sounding sirens on the first Wednesday of February. This year it will be done on 7 February 2018, starting at 13:30. Sirens will be sounded for three minutes. The tests finish at 14:00 for general sirens, and 15:00 for flood sirens. If an alarm sounds outside of these times it […]
Switzerland ranked best country in 2018 – the good, bad and the ugly
Once again the USA News Best Country ranking placed Switzerland first out of 80 countries in 2018. The overall score is based on nine groups containing a total 65 measures, scored out of 10, which show Switzerland’s underlying strengths and weaknesses. Switzerland makes the top 10 on five of the nine high-level measures. These include: […]
Life satisfaction in Switzerland by age, money and household makeup
A recent report by Switzerland’s Federal Statistics Office shows how life satisfaction varies based on life situation. Life satisfaction in Switzerland, measured on a scale of zero to 10, sits just below 8 across all age groups. It peaks at an age of 16-17 at around 8.7. Then it’s all down hill to around 7.8 […]
Basel’s Fasnacht festival gets UNESCO cultural heritage status
All those weird masks (and the people behind them) that are so much a part of Basel’s annual Fasnacht festival have a new reason for their crazy grins. The annual 3-day festival was just added to the UNESCO list of events exhibiting the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. With this list, UNESCO “seeks to protect […]
Swiss hate lateness – a study shows just how much
In Switzerland, punctuality is important. Expectations vary by age, gender, political leaning and language. Someone among the 15% that frown upon any degree of tardiness is most likely to be male, over 65, politically right, and Italian speaking, according to figures published in a survey by Sotomo. The survey, done on behalf of the insurance […]
Time to change Swiss clocks – an idea once rejected by voters
If you’ve found recent mornings a little too dark, don’t worry, help is on its way. At 3am next Sunday 29 October 2017, Swiss time moves back one hour, giving Swiss residents an extra hour to sleep (or party). Until fairly recently however, there was no Daylight Saving Time (DST) in Switzerland. In 1978 Swiss […]
