In 1992, Switzerland became the first country in the world to consider the dignity of animals in its constitution. In an article for the website Project Syndicate, entitled “The Cow Who“, the moral philosopher Peter Singer, well-known for his views on the treatment of animals, mentions Switzerland. On 17 May 1992, Swiss voters were asked […]
Mountain biking in the Jura
SPRING-SUMMER-AUTUMN The Alps have their attraction, but some of the best mountain biking is just outside Geneva. For most of us, Sunday mornings are meant for kicking back and relaxing. For me, it means waking up and hitting the trails as early as possible. That’s when they’re the best. Empty. Unridden. Pumped up with caffeine, […]
Swiss health insurance hikes announced for 2017
On 26 September 2016, the Federal Public Health Office (OFSP) announced Swiss health insurance premiums for 2017. The average increase across all cantons and insurance companies will be 4.5%, ranging from 3.5% to 7.3% depending on the canton. These figures are for standard cover for an adult with a deductible of CHF 300, including accident […]
Brexit in pictures – cartoons and photos that save many words
Creative types around the world are finding ways to express what happened when 51.9% of British voters voted to leave the EU. Here is a selection: Brexit expressed with food #Brexit in one photo… pic.twitter.com/Ea6esAvI0t — Keith Richburg (@keithrichburg) June 24, 2016 Cartoons from Geneva-based cartoonist Patrick Chappatte #Brexit If Britain closes its doors… – […]
Whizz through Lausanne at street level
Lausanne-based visual artist Sylvain Botter created this fast-paced two minute time lapsed montage of Lausanne in Switzerland. If you don’t know the city this video gives a great feel for what it’s like by taking you down into the city and through the streets. Buckle up. It’s fast. For more stories like this on Switzerland follow […]
What is art for? Lausanne’s Mudac might have the answer
Last week I went to Mudac, Lausanne’s Museum of Contemporary Design and Applied Arts’ and was fortunate to share a lunch table with both the Museum’s director Chantal Prod’Hom and Yves Mirande, the organiser of one of their latest exhibitions, to discuss what art means. The first thing that struck me when I arrived was […]
Have you ever seen 6,000 tons of rock fall off the side of a mountain?
Late last week around 6,000 tons of rock fell off the side of a mountain in the commune of Evolène in the Swiss canton of Valais. According to SRF, the canton’s geologist Raphael Mayoraz had been expecting the rock to fall for some time and had taken the required precautions to ensure no one was […]
Is Lausanne beating Geneva?
A Tale of Two Cities “Lausanne is the capital of Suisse Romande and Geneva is Geneva,” a canny observer recently remarked. The distinction is important. Geneva may be wealthier and have a greater international reputation, but Lausanne, Switzerland’s fourth largest city population-wise, often seems more dynamic. The two cities have chosen very different strategies. Geneva […]
French-speaking Swiss, Nidwalden loves you!
Voters in Nidwalden last Sunday rejected a UDC Nidwalden sponsored initiative that would have resulted in French being dropped from the canton’s primary school curriculum. 61.7% voted “No”. The parliament of Nidwalden rejected the initiative ahead of the vote on the grounds it would negatively impact national cohesion and advised voters to vote against the […]
Credit Suisse’s new CEO’s early life and career
Today Credit Suisse announced the appointment of a new CEO, Tidjane Thiam. He is currently the Group Chief Executive of Prudential, the British financial services firm made famous in 1850s England by its army of door-to-door salesmen who sold insurance policies to the working class population for premiums as low as one penny. These salesmen became […]
