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
America’s drug-price strategy could hit Swiss health-insurance premiums
Efforts to cut American drug prices could cost Swiss health-insurance premium payers hundreds of millions of francs a year, a new study finds. Drug prices in Switzerland are among the world’s highest. In America, they are higher still. The … [Read more...]
FILM: CLUB KID **** an amusing and touching tale of love and rehabilitation
6 November 2026 Some excellent films this week - the reviews will be short as there are too many releases just now…including the successful GIFF! (Geneva International Film Festival). CLUB KID **** Jordan Firstman has written, directed and … [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...]
8-step guide to hiring a nanny in Switzerland
Brought to you by quitt.ch - No. 1 provider of registration and administration services for domestic help in Switzerland. 1. What do nannies cost in Switzerland? Nannies are expensive in Switzerland. Average monthly salaries range from CHF 3,300 to … [Read More...]
Activities
The best way to save forests, according to a forester
Last summer, two mates and I set out on what turned out to be a “bridge-too-far” walking project. Switzerland is blessed with more than 60,000 km of walking trails crowned by seven iconic National Routes. The National Route 5 (which extends as the … [Read more...]
Chaplin’s World – enter the home and life of a comic genius
Film legend Charlie Chaplin spent 24 years living in the Manoir de Ban, a grand old mansion above Vevey in Switzerland. In 2016, his charming former home and grounds were cleverly and artfully transformed into Chaplin’s World and opened to the … [Read more...]
“Snow of May” – Swiss narcissus season in full bloom
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...]
