The number of mountain-hiking accidents in Switzerland has doubled in the past 15 years, according to new data from Suva, the national accident insurer. Between 2009 and 2013, just over 4,000 incidents were recorded annually. From 2019 to 2023, that … [Read more...]
News and Features
FILM: A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE ***
10 October 2025 A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE *** Katheryn Bigelow (Oscar-winning director of “The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty” - both concerning wars and the military) is back with another testosterone-filled thriller that feels too plausible for … [Read more...]
Swiss tenants squeezed as rents up one third in two decades
Swiss tenants are losing patience with rising rents, which have jumped by nearly a third over the past 20 years despite falling reference interest rates, according to a study by Comparis. © Alexandre Zveiger | Dreamstime.com Rents have risen by … [Read more...]
Language requirements for Swiss citizenship and visas – what you need to know
Brought to you by Swiss French School. On 1 January 2019, Switzerland’s federal government tightened and harmonised the rules on language requirements to qualify for some residence permits, B and C permits in particular, and … [Read more...]
Switzerland’s most dangerous jobs
Ensuring workplace safety is a legal obligation in Switzerland, yet accidents remain frequent and costly. A recent report by Suva highlights the country’s most hazardous professions — with forestry topping the list. Photo by Fabian Köhler on … [Read more...]
Guides
Setting up a business in Switzerland – a guide
Brought to you by Winbiz online accounting for Swiss businesses. So you have decided to start a business. You have a business plan and are ready to get started. Before you launch you need a name and possibly a company. Broadly there are two options … [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
4 best mountain spas in French-speaking Switzerland
ALL YEAR ROUND The Alps are synonymous with skiing but alpine geothermal springs and spas are sometimes overlooked. If the thought of lugging skis, poles and person to the ski lift to spend a day risking life and limb on snow isn’t appealing, … [Read more...]
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...]
Art in an alpine setting – the Pierre Arnaud Foundation in Valais
On 12 November 2016, Museums in Switzerland are free. Valais resident Peter Hulm suggests going to the Pierre Arnaud Foundation in Lens, just below Crans-Montana. Not just because of its magnificent building and a restaurant whose young chef was … [Read more...]
