Over the weekend, Verbier hosted its opening day, an event where the resort attempts to assemble a record number of skiers dressed as St. Nicolas, or his redder equivalent Santa. Unlike the red man himself, this year’s Claus turnout left last year’s tally of around 1,200 looking thin. An official representing the Guiness World Records […]
Heavy snow falls in parts of Switzerland
Snow has arrived in Switzerland, particularly in the west. While not as heavy as 2010 when 29 cm fell in Geneva between 30 November and 2 December, there is still a good dusting a bit above lake level, increasing in depth with altitude. Many ski resorts have received 20-30 cm of new snow with a […]
Deadly effects of flu and heatwave in Switzerland
A recent report shows 67,606 people died in Switzerland in 2015, 6% more than in the previous year. Two the big drivers of the rise were a flu epidemic over spring and a heatwave in July of that year. In 2015, an extra 4,000 people died compared to in 2014. Most of these extra deaths […]
Swiss depression rates far higher among French and Italian speakers
The results of a recent report by Switzerland’s Federal statistical Office reveal big differences in reported depression rates across Switzerland. The data, published by Le Matin over the weekend, show that almost 9% of those in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland suffer from depression, compared to 5.5% in the Swiss-German-speaking part. The regional difference for women […]
VIDEO: Rock slide in Swiss town of Le Locle, Neuchâtel
On Tuesday, a rock slide in the town of Le Locle was captured on video. The video contains some swearing (in French). The rock slide happened on the outskirts of the town. According to local media no one was hurt. Le Locle, a town of around 10,000 people, borders France and is in the Jura […]
Hunting season opens in Valais
Every year hunters take to the mountains of Valais in search of deer and chamois for two weeks. The hunt is a highly regulated and well planned exercise with clear targets. The canton’s hunting authority sets annual hunting targets, part of a system of regulating wild fauna. This year the target is 1,800 red deer, […]
Switzerland’s welfare spending jumps 53 percent
A recent report shows welfare spending increased 53% over ten years. From 2005 to 2015 it rose from CHF 1.7 billion to CHF 2.6 billion. These figures only include cash payments. The sum is even more significant when other elements are included. Once added the bill rises to around CHF 8 billion. In 2005, the same […]
The super restaurant at the end of the Swiss universe
“At the end of the world and at the same time at its origin, at its beginning and at its centre.” That was Carl Zuckmayer on the Upper Valais. But as that environmentalist and writer Douglas Adams told us, at the end of every universe there’s a restaurant. By Peter Hulm How come you live […]
FILM: Neptune reports from Locarno film festival
11 August 2017. Switzerland’s most important film festival, LOCARNO, celebrated its 70th birthday this year. With its penchant for “new” cinema, its exquisite setting of the Lago Maggiore, velvety mountains and its magical nightly screenings of films on the gigantic Piazza Grande (seating up to 8,000!), it draws more cinephiles every year. Despite incredibly high temperatures […]
Switzerland braces itself for a storm
Tribune de Genève. Swiss Meteo is predicting heavy storms this evening. A mass of heavy unstable air is poised to unleash heavy rain, winds, and possibly hail. Storms are predicted to cover much of the Swiss plateau from Geneva through to Lake Constance. The warning is level 3, which is described as considerable danger. and […]