A study has found that a “yes” vote on the Swiss People's Party (UDC/SVP) initiative would impose considerable costs on Switzerland. The study was conducted by Demgrafik, a research and consulting firm based in Basel. Its authors argue that … [Read more...]
News and Features
“No Switzerland of 10m people” initiative has driven campaign spending to record levels
Groups backing and opposing the initiative have amassed CHF 15m for the campaign, an unprecedented sum, reports RTS. Campaign budgets ahead of the June 14th referendum have reached a record high, largely because of the “No Switzerland of 10m … [Read more...]
Swiss glaciers enter summer with unusually low snow cover
Swiss glaciers are emerging from winter with unusually little snow, leaving them poorly protected ahead of the summer melt season. According to the latest report from the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS), measurements taken on 25 … [Read more...]
Extra train capacity does little to relieve Gotthard tunnel queues
Switzerland’s Ascension holiday weekend once again brought heavy traffic to the country’s roads, with long queues forming at the Gotthard tunnel despite expanded rail services to southern Switzerland. After tailbacks of nearly 10km on Wednesday, … [Read more...]
FILM: THE SHEEP DETECTIVES *** a delightful family movie
8 May 2026 THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (Bêêêtective Privé) *** The lambies are the best part of this sweet movie. They’re the ones who are going to figure out who killed their beloved shepherd (Hugh Jackman), for he had been reading the most … [Read more...]
Guides
15 things you should know about Swiss health insurance
It's health insurance season. Average premiums are increasing in 2018. Compulsory basic Swiss health insurance can generally only be changed once a year. To change you must notify your current provider by 30 November. This article explains the basics … [Read More...]
8 things you must do if you’re running a Swiss business
Brought to you by Winbiz online accounting for Swiss businesses. Once a business is established, there are many ongoing administrative tasks required by law. The main ones are covered in this article. The first few relate to employees and … [Read More...]
Activities
Going underground – Touring Switzerland’s oldest salt mine
There is a reason why the Swiss excel at digging tunnels: they have been doing it for a very long time. In 1680, tunnels were dug into the Vaud Alps near Bex to get at salt buried there more than 200 million years earlier, le Sel des … [Read more...]
The best way to save forests, according to a forester
Last summer, two mates and I set out on what turned out to be a “bridge-too-far” walking project. Switzerland is blessed with more than 60,000 km of walking trails crowned by seven iconic National Routes. The National Route 5 (which extends as the … [Read more...]
5 totally-not-stuffy Swiss museums for kids of all ages
By Bill Harby Winter weather is the perfect time for families to explore Switzerland’s fine museums. Some suggestions: Swiss Museum of Transport Lucern No wonder this is the most-visited museum in Switzerland with its hands-on exhibits showing the … [Read more...]
