Two young Swiss men face prison after disturbances in Zurich’s District 4 on the night of October 31st and the morning of November 1st. Prosecutors issued summary penalty orders imposing unsuspended sentences of six and four months on November 3rd. … [Read more...]
News and Features

Don’t eat this: Migros recalls Alnatura salad seed mix over salmonella risk
Alnatura, a German food producer that supplies Migros, has recalled two products as a precaution after salmonella was found in a sample of pine nuts. The two products are Pine nuts, 60g: best-before dates from 31 May to 2 July 2027, and Salad … [Read more...]

Striking number of Swiss find discredited conspiracy theories plausible
Nearly half the respondents in a Swiss survey considered it plausible that the coronavirus had been manufactured as a biological weapon in a Chinese laboratory. More than a third gave some credence to an antisemitic claim that Jewish networks … [Read more...]

Demonstrators in Lausanne protest against cuts to public sector spending
Several thousand people marched through Lausanne on Thursday evening to protest against cuts to public services, reported RTS. The demonstration came a month before Vaud’s cantonal parliament begins debating the 2027 budget. The protesters … [Read more...]

Summer heat linked to nearly 1,260 deaths in Switzerland
An estimated 1,257 deaths in Switzerland between May and August 2026 were attributable to heat, according to a preliminary report by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, commissioned by the Federal Office of Public Health. The summer … [Read more...]
Guides

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...]

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...]
Activities

How Switzerland’s best river swim became a summertime commute
Most people float down the Aare River in Bern just for fun. For Evelyn Schneider-Reyes, it was her summertime commute home. “I only had like 30 seconds walking from my office to the river,” she recalls. “I had an ‘Aare Bag’, where I put all my … [Read more...]

5 romantic Swiss spring getaway ideas
Buds will soon be on the trees, and our juices will start flowing, so it’s time to plan a romantic getaway with your sweetheart. Here are 5 love-struck suggestions. By Bill Harby Ascona-Locarno, Ticino Canton Nesting: The Art Hotel Riposo in the … [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...]

