Swiss voters are likely to have their say on a proposal to introduce parental leave. The Green Liberals announced on Wednesday that they had submitted 112,517 signatures in support of the initiative to the Federal Chancellery for … [Read more...]
News and Features
How Swiss Rail uses AI to find track defects
Instead of sending staff to walk the tracks and inspect them by eye, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) uses specially equipped diagnostic trains and artificial intelligence to examine around 2,000km of track each month, according to SRF. Rather than … [Read more...]
FILM: HEART OF THE BEAST ***1/2
25 September 2026 This week you have two completely different films to choose from. One for the guys and one for the girls. Or isn’t one supposed to imply that in the WOKE era? But then the guy film stars Brad Pitt, so there will be women lining … [Read more...]
Swiss central bank maintains world’s lowest rate
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has left its policy rate unchanged at zero, the lowest policy rate in the world. Inflation remains subdued. Consumer prices rose by 0.8% in August, the highest rate in two years but still comfortably within the … [Read more...]
Swiss passport ranks ninth worldwide — but several European neighbours beat it
The Swiss passport remains one of the world’s most powerful travel documents, ranking ninth globally in the latest Passport Reports index. Swiss citizens can travel visa-free to 119 destinations. Another 54 allow entry with a visa on arrival or … [Read more...]
Guides
Hiring a cleaner – around half break law on Swiss accident insurance
Brought to you by quitt.ch - No. 1 provider of registration and administration services for domestic help in Switzerland. In Switzerland, around one in seven hire someone to do their cleaning, but around half break the law, risking fines and a big … [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...]
Activities
Halloween in Switzerland in 2024
Many expats, particularly north Americans, may be surprised to discover that Halloween is not a big event in Switzerland. But it is catching on. Long before Halloween existed, a Gaelic festival known as Samhain marked the end of the harvest … [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...]
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...]
