More than 25,000 animals were abandoned in Switzerland in 2024, according to the Swiss Animal Protection Society (PSA), which warns of a worrying rise in the number of pets left behind. The charity recorded 32,079 animals taken in by shelters … [Read more...]
News and Features
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...]
15% of Switzerland’s population struggles with literacy
Around 15% of Switzerland’s population aged between 16 and 65—some 844,000 people—struggle with reading, writing, numeracy and basic problem-solving. According to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO), drawing on OECD data, these adults tend to earn … [Read more...]
Homeless in Bern: no papers, no shelter
In Bern this winter, homeless people without residence permits may have nowhere to sleep but the streets, reports SRF. A new regulation from the canton restricts access to emergency shelters to those with valid papers—a move the city calls inhumane … [Read more...]
Can Switzerland charm Donald Trump in Davos?
Donald Trump is expected to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this January, and Swiss exporters battered by 39% American tariffs are hoping the visit might bring relief. The Federal Council, they say, should seize the chance to appeal … [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...]
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...]
Activities
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...]
“Snow of May” – Swiss narcissus season approaches
The spring narcissus bloom in Switzerland's riviera region, a star tourist attraction of the Belle Epoque - the 30 to 40 years before the war in 1914 - was described as the "snow of May" by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms. The book … [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...]
