Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

A report published this week by the Aarau Center for Democracy shows how far Switzerland leads the world on voting. Since 1848, Swiss voters have been asked to decide on 689 federal referenda and elections, a multiple of the number in any other nation. If cantonal and municipal votes are added the number of decisions presented to voters the total is probably ten times this number. Since 1900, 622 federal referenda have been held in Switzerland. The nations with the next highest numbers are New Zealand (117), Liechtenstein (115), Northern Mariana Islands (110), Italy (81) and Ecuador (70). The topics…

The sound of cow bells is an integral feature of Switzerland’s image, conjuring up idilic alpine scenes of cows roaming freely, chomping on grass. However, these same clanging bells can be less than idilic when you’re trying to sleep. In the small Bernese town of Aarwangen several poorly rested newcomers have complained. Town locals, shocked at what they view as an attack on their culture, are fighting back, reported SRF. The bells are essentially a sonar location device typically used in summer to find cows roaming freely at higher altitudes where they can get hidden in valleys and wooded areas.…

A report published this week by WSL, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research, calculates Switzerland could double the amount of energy it gets from burning biomass to 97 peta joules (PJ) a year, with 50 PJ coming from wood combustion. In 2019, Switzerland generated 41 PJ of energy burning wood. This represented 4.3% of Switzerland’s total energy consumption. Taking this to 50 PJ would boost energy from wood combustion to 5.2%. Currently, woody biomass in Switzerland is mainly combusted to produce heat (95%) and, to a small extent, electricity (5%) in combined heat and power. One…

Anyone wanting to drive on Switzerland’s motorway network must buy a vignette, a road tax sticker introduced in 1985 which currently costs CHF 40. This sticker must be displayed on the windscreen. From next week it will be possible to buy an electronic alternative to the physical sticker, reports Switzerland’s Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS). Those opting for electronic vignettes will have their licence plate numbers entered into a system that automatically checks whether there is an e-vignette registered to the plate. From 1 August 2023 the e-vignette can be bought via the federal government website www.e-vignette.ch…

Recently published data from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show that Switzerland’s total population passed the 9 million mark at the end of June 2023, reported RTS. At the end of June 2023, 9,006,664 people were living in Switzerland. 8,902,308 were permanent residents and a further 104,356 were present on visas lasting no longer than a year, a group made up mainly of asylum seekers (11,000), EU and EFTA nationals on short term visas (54,000) and Ukrainian refugees. Around 73% of residents were Swiss nationals. Most of those who weren’t hold a passport from an EU or EFTA nation. Switzerland’s…

This week, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) surprised many investors by leaving its benchmark interest rate on hold at 1.75%. The decision to hold mirrors decisions this week by the US Fed and Bank of England not to raise rates. By contrast Norway and Sweden lifted rates this week. In addition, like central bankers in the US and England, the SNB refused to rule out future hikes. And like Sweden the SNB signalled that it would continue to support the currency by selling its stock of foreign currency. The SNB has used a strong currency, partly the result of foreign…

There is far more to Switzerland than cheese and chocolate. Switzerland has watches too! Home to global watch brands such as Audemars Piguet and Jaeger-LeCoultre, La Vallée de Joux, is one of Switzerland’s most renowned watch making regions. Watchmaking is woven into the valley’s past. Farming has always been a challenge, given the region’s high altitude and long winters, so the locals were always on the look out for additional ways to make a living. Clocks, which became an important element of church design in the 12th century, were installed in local church turrets by clock makers from France and…

Solitary, pensive figures. Deserted streets or a luminous gas station in twilight. A night diner seen from outside. These are the static, atmospheric scenes we usually connect with Edward Hopper’s paintings. A uniquely American artist, who lived from 1882 to 1967. The famed Beyeler museum in Basel has chosen to exhibit a few of these, but also the early works that depict landscapes in the areas where he grew up, in northeastern United States. There are sea views and bright sailboats in New England, studies of rugged coastlines or a lighthouse, and a roomful of small, superb drawings that show…

In April 2020, when Covid-19 was spreading across Europe, Paléo announced it was cancelling its 2020 summer music festival. Today, it announced it is cancelling its 2021 festival. In an announcement Paléo said: “the whole organising team kept their hopes alive until the very end. They stacked all the odds in their favour, fiddling with concepts in every way possible. Starting with a blank sheet of paper, they had imagined the 45e Parallèle, a wonderful event brimming with bold discoveries that they were eager to present. But the Paléo team must unfortunately face the facts. A festival, even a scaled-down…

That small window where the hillsides turn white with narcissus (often referred to in English as a white daffodil) is upon us again. Narcissus in Blonay One of the best places to see these stunning flowers is at Les Pleiades above Vevey. The region takes the flower very seriously. There is an association for the preservation of the narcissus, the Association pour la sauvegarde et la promotion des narcisses de la Riviera. The name of this flower comes from the narcissistic youth of Greek mythology, Narkissos. This poisonous plant can be used to make medicine for whooping cough, colds, and asthma. It is…