"Hausordnung", the German word for the daunting house rules that tenants face in much of Switzerland. Photo: Hausordnung.ch
Finding a place to rent in Switzerland is hard enough. Adhering to the thicket of tenant rules governing everything from running baths to pet ownership can be even tougher, although misconceptions linger over when toilets can be flushed.
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My Swiss Career
Ann Söderblom
After working for a large company, Swedish-born Ann Söderblom, 31, recently took the plunge from employee to entrepreneur. Söderblom, who advises expats on how to start their own business, tells The Local why Switzerland is the perfect place to set up your own company.
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Christoph Blocher, Swiss People's Party cabinet minister ousted in 2009. Would he still be in government if the people had voted? Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP
Swiss direct democracy means voters get to have their say on almost everything – except who represents them in the seven-person government cabinet. Citizens are being asked to change this in a national vote on June 9th.
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Photo: Children First Association
Politics, crime and . . . day care? In Switzerland these days, child care is often front-page news. Authorities and parents are wringing their hands over everything from high prices and long waiting lists to overly detailed regulations that govern child-care facilities.
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Photos (left to right): Helge Øverås, Chris J. Moffett, Linnaeus University, Cooling/Living Vienna
Whatever happened to Shania Twain, Tina Turner and Phil Collins? For one reason or another, all have ended up in Switzerland. They're just three of our top ten celebrity expats living in the country. Find out where they are and why.
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Healer Denis Vipret works with a patient. Photo: Boris Heger/AFP/File
Denis Vipret moves around the circle of 20 people waiting for his healing touch, touching their shoulders and pumping his right hand lightly to transfer its energy to each patient.
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My Swiss Career
Michael Fontana-Jones at his British cheese centre in Zurich. Photo: Marta Kepinska
When Michael Fontana-Jones moved to Switzerland from London eight years ago, he took on the brave mission of persuading a country renowned for its own cheeses to try his native Cheddar and Stilton. Here, he tells The Local how he fared.
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Photos (left to right): Charlesjsharp, ND Strupler, liladobbs and Mirko Grifoni
Everyone knows about the snow-capped mountains and pen-knives with lots of attachments but do they represent the real Switzerland? Here, the author of The Xenophobe's Guide to the Swiss explodes — and confirms — a few myths.
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Image: Detail from an FH poster against watch counterfeiting.
The Swiss watch industry remains robust despite a recent dip in exports but it continues to wage a battle against unfriendly competition from counterfeiters who are marketing their copycat timepieces through the internet.
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My Swiss Career
Photos: Tomasz Trzebiatowski
Tomasz Trzebiatowski originally moved to Lucerne from Poland to study music, but his interest in photography soon split his career in two directions. Today, he tells The Local why the city in central Switzerland is such a thriving artistic centre and why he decided to found a photography group.
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Photo: SDS
Richard Bloomfield has spent three decades embracing the Swiss way of life. Married to a Swiss woman, the 63-year-old retired pastor speaks Swiss German fluently and admits he does many things “the Swiss way”. In the eyes of wary Swiss banks, however, he’s still very much an American.
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My Swiss career
Lesley Lawson Botez. Red Cross headquarters (right). Photo: tshein
Geneva can be a difficult place to find love. Or so says psychologist and communications expert Lesley Lawson Botez, who finally met Mr Right at the age of 44. Now, drawing from both her own experience and that of people she’s interviewed, Botez is writing a book for the over-40 set about finding a partner.
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Despite low interest rates, new home buyers in Switzerland face hurdles. Photo: Mirko Grifoni
Continuing low interest rates for mortgages are encouraging many in Switzerland to step onto the housing ladder – expats and Swiss alike. But while property remains a sound investment, experts say it makes more sense to rent than to buy in some areas of the country.
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My Swiss career
When Michaelene Stack moved to Switzerland from England – for a job at the International School in Geneva – she found herself without friends and needing to brush up her French. Eight years on, the native of Scotland tells The Local how she adjusted to work at the world’s largest international school.
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Matthew Moore of Stamford Consultants: "Very good opportunities."
The number of jobs offered in Switzerland has jumped by seven percent since the start of the year, offering encouragement to those considering a move to the country.
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