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...]
News and Features
Geneva debates charging for access to its beaches
Gitana beach in Bellevue has begun charging visitors this summer, joining the small number of paid-access beaches on Lake Geneva. The new entrance fee of up to CHF 4 has reignited debate over whether people should have to pay to reach the lakeshore, … [Read more...]
Recent Swiss heatwave causes fewer deaths than 2003
The heatwave that swept across Switzerland in late June appears to have caused a modest increase in deaths among older people. Mortality among those aged 65 and over exceeded official projections during the week of June 22nd-28th, though it remained … [Read more...]
Switzerland enshrines children’s right to a violence-free upbringing
Children in Switzerland now have an explicit legal right to a violence-free upbringing, reported SRF. From July 1st, amendments to the Civil Code state that corporal punishment and other forms of degrading treatment are incompatible with good … [Read more...]
Switzerland lags behind on support for breastfeeding
Swiss mothers breastfeed at among the highest rates in the developed world. Almost all babies—97%—are breastfed immediately after birth, while half are still being exclusively breastfed at around 17.4 weeks. Comparable figures are lower in … [Read more...]
Guides
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...]
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...]
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...]
Alpine panoramas, fondue and snowballs at Europe’s highest railway station
On top of the Jungfrau, the alpine views (and elevation) will take your breath away. By Bill Harby The two-plus-hour train ride up, up, up from Interlaken is at least half the fun of going to the Jungfraujoch visitors center, 3,454 meters above … [Read more...]
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...]
