Swiss glaciers are emerging from winter with unusually little snow, leaving them poorly protected ahead of the summer melt season. According to the latest report from the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS), measurements taken on 25 … [Read more...]
News and Features

Luzern overtakes Zug as Switzerland’s lowest-tax canton
For decades Zug has been synonymous with low corporate taxes. But according to a new analysis by PwC, Luzern has now edged ahead. The consulting firm calculates Luzern’s maximum effective corporate-tax rate at 11.66% in 2026, marginally below … [Read more...]

Greens propose 80km/h speed limit on Swiss motorways
The Green Party want to turn turmoil in the Middle East into an opportunity to reduce Switzerland’s reliance on fossil fuels and ease pressure on household budgets. Among the measures proposed by the party is an 80km/h speed limit on motorways, … [Read more...]

Switzerland plans tougher penalties for bicycle theft
The Swiss government wants to crack down on bicycle theft by tightening penalties for offenders who claim they only intended to use stolen bikes temporarily, reported SRF. The Federal Council has backed a proposal by Lukas Reimann of the Swiss … [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...]
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 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

20 ice skating rinks around Lake Geneva. Get your skates on!
Ice skating season is here so get your skates on! There are ice-skating rinks all over Geneva, Vaud and neighbouring Fribourg. Entrance prices vary and all rinks have skates that you can hire. The links below will take you to the relevant websites … [Read more...]

Art in an alpine setting – the Pierre Arnaud Foundation in Valais
On 12 November 2016, Museums in Switzerland are free. Valais resident Peter Hulm suggests going to the Pierre Arnaud Foundation in Lens, just below Crans-Montana. Not just because of its magnificent building and a restaurant whose young chef was … [Read more...]

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...]

