Fewer Swiss people want children, and those who do are having them later. Switzerland’s fertility rate has fallen to its lowest level on record. In 2024 women had, on average, 1.29 children, well below the 2.07 needed to replace one generation with … [Read more...]
News and Features
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...]
A third of Swiss Asian supermarket vegetables fail pesticide tests
Laboratory tests in the Swiss canton of Solothurn found excessive pesticide residues in one-third of vegetable samples taken from Asian grocery stores last year, prompting a criminal complaint against an importer. Asian supermarket vegetables … [Read more...]
FILM: THE ODYSSEY **1/2 – neither impressed nor moved
17 July 2026 THE ODYSSEY **1/2 Sorry, I was neither impressed nor moved by this heavily promoted blockbuster by Christopher Nolan. This is, of course, based on the classic mythical tale by the Greek poet Homer, dating from the 8th century … [Read more...]
High Swiss optimism not always matched with confidence
Swiss remain optimistic about the future. That may seem surprising. Geopolitical conflict, rising healthcare costs, migration, climate change and the cost of living consistently rank among the country's biggest concerns. Yet according to a new … [Read more...]
Guides
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...]
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
Lake Geneva’s beautiful paddlewheel boats – getting there is way more than half the fun
They say that “getting there is half the fun”. But sometimes it’s more. A lot more. For example: a Lake Geneva cruise on a grand historic paddlewheel steamboat. Destination? Who cares? On a recent gorgeous Sunday afternoon, I, your intrepid … [Read more...]
Taking a trip back in time on a Swiss steam train
Trains run Saturdays and Sundays from 4 May until 27 October 2019. On 21 May 1966, the local rail company closed the line between the two small towns of Blonay and Chamby, in Switzerland’s Riviera region, on the eastern reaches of … [Read more...]
The low-cost Michelin-starred restaurants closest to Switzerland
Michelin-starred restaurants are synonymous with high cost. However, there is a wide price range and some offer meals for 30 Euros or less. Prices for a three-course meal at Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe go as high as 595 Euros at the … [Read more...]
