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Welcome to our little Swiss Dish. Where we highlight several interesting news stories in Switzerland in a cheesy way.
Chef’s choice:
Summer is here and people are eager to be outside with their friends, enjoying their favorite beverage, singing and dancing to the music playing by the bands on stage at an open air. End of June to August music connoisseurs can pick almost every weekend a festival they would like to attend. All genres are represented and spread throughout Switzerland. All festivals are easy to access by public transport. If you want to marvel at traditional costumes, see flowered decorated cows and enjoy (3) weekends full of yodeling, mark your calendar for June 2024.
Jam for bread and butter:
2022 was a record year in terms of traffic jams or as the Swiss say Blechlawinen (iron sheet avalanche), reaching pre-pandemic level. The traffic jam hours on national road increased by 22.7%. To visualize, think about 29.3 billion vehicles kilometers stuck in traffic. Continuing with vehicles, according to swissinfo.ch Uber is keen on expanding its reach to Swiss villages. “We see potential where public transport is less dense,” Uber Switzerland head Jean-Pascal Aribot told the Swiss German weekly NZZ am Sonntag. Uber will collaborate with public transport services. At the moment Uber is active in cities like Geneva and Zurich. This will be a game changer for everyone who’s last public transportation leaves at 11 pm to or has to wait until 4 am to catch the first bus/train home for breakfast.
Slice the cheese down:
Swiss trade union demands meaningful wage increases to offset rising costs. Calling on employers to increase wages and purchasing power to offset the rising cost of living. Switzerland’s largest trade union is launching a campaign to tackle this matter. The union recommends raising the monthly minimum wage to CHF 4’500 or CHF 5’000 for employees with a professional certification.
Our equity choice from our wine cellar:
“Hello? Are you still there?” You heard this at least once when visiting Switzerland and you are travelling through a tunnel by train. This positive change makes it now possible to stay close with your loved ones while going through the new Albula tunnel. Staying in Graubünden, the mountain village Brienz or also known Brinzauls narrowly escaped a major landslide. The residents were evacuated from their homes, leaving their belongings behind. Reflectors used by geologist are being used to measure the speed of rockslides, which is needed to make the decision as of when the residents of Brienz will be allowed to fully return to their homes.
There is always room for desert:
If you ask a Swiss person, the majority will agree that the marmots are cute and everyone wants to cuddle them. Should you stay in Saas-Fee in the Swiss Valais area, you can get really close to these charming little nuggets. They love to feast on the nuts and carrots offered by visitors during the summer season. As winter approaches, they hibernate in their burrows between six and eight months.
Food baby:
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) has increased the key interest rate, making living in Switzerland more expensive. The interest rate hike is also having an effect on the real estate market: rental prices will increase and have an impact on the inflation rate later in the year.
Check please:
As of July 2023, you can take the cable car “Matterhorn Alpine Crossing” from Zermatt, enjoy the fantastic scenery with the Matterhorn and stay in Cervinia, Italy. However, it comes with a hefty price tag. During the summer season the price per adult for a return ticket is CHF 240. Comparison you can fly from Zurich to Ibiza and back for only CHF 156.
We hoped you enjoyed our plat de jour and look forward sitting you to our next sitting with a mountain view.
Compliments of Belvoir Welath Managment AG – a member of the EACCNY.