Today in Switzerland: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Very hot weather persists in Switzerland, but relief is on the way; Zurich allows topless bathing; and other Swiss news in our Tuesday roundup.
The heatwave is not yet over
If you thought the last few days were very hot, you haven’t seen (or felt) the worst of it yet.
Last weekend’s heatwave was only a foretaste of what is still to come: today will also be “extremely hot,” according to meteorologist Klaus Marquardt.
With temperatures up to 35C, it will indeed be hellishly hot today, especially in the Geneva area, though other regions will not be spared either.
However, some relief is on the way in the form of heavy rain, forecast for tonight and into Wednesday, bringing cooler, mid-20C weather, in its wake, Marquardt said.
Property prices climb despite higher mortgage rates
With the mortgage interest rates increasing, experts expected the demand on the Swiss real estate market to slow down.
However, real estate prices continued to rise in Switzerland in the second quarter of this year, according to the new study by Raiffeisen Bank.
Compared to the same period in 2022, single-family homes now cost 6.1 percent more, and apartments are 5.1 percent more expensive.
Hikes differ according to the region, the bank found.
The highest increase (18.8 percent) was in central Switzerland, followed by 9.8 percent in the eastern part of the country.
On the other hand, prices increased less in the Bern region (3.4 percent) and in the northwest Switzerland (3.3 percent).
Switzerland is the world champion in voting
With about four rounds of referendums each year — each tackling several issues — Switzerland is easily the country where citizens vote most frequently.
That's a world record, according to the new study by the Center for Democracy Aarau.
“In Switzerland a wealth of topics are voted on," said Robin Gut, political scientist at the University of Zurich and co-author of the study. "Abroad, this range of topics is much narrower.”
READ ALSO: How Switzerland’s direct democracy system works
Topless swimming is allowed in Zurich
After some elected officials had questioned the municipal council about rules regarding topless swimming, Zurich officials released their decision on Monday: this practice is allowed in both outdoor and indoor swimming pools, for all genders.
The reason is that Swiss legislation mandates men and women must be treated equally in all areas of life, which means that if men are allowed to be shirtless in swimming pools, women must have the same right.
READ ALSO: Are there nudist beaches in Switzerland and what are their rules?
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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The heatwave is not yet over
If you thought the last few days were very hot, you haven’t seen (or felt) the worst of it yet.
Last weekend’s heatwave was only a foretaste of what is still to come: today will also be “extremely hot,” according to meteorologist Klaus Marquardt.
With temperatures up to 35C, it will indeed be hellishly hot today, especially in the Geneva area, though other regions will not be spared either.
However, some relief is on the way in the form of heavy rain, forecast for tonight and into Wednesday, bringing cooler, mid-20C weather, in its wake, Marquardt said.
Property prices climb despite higher mortgage rates
With the mortgage interest rates increasing, experts expected the demand on the Swiss real estate market to slow down.
However, real estate prices continued to rise in Switzerland in the second quarter of this year, according to the new study by Raiffeisen Bank.
Compared to the same period in 2022, single-family homes now cost 6.1 percent more, and apartments are 5.1 percent more expensive.
Hikes differ according to the region, the bank found.
The highest increase (18.8 percent) was in central Switzerland, followed by 9.8 percent in the eastern part of the country.
On the other hand, prices increased less in the Bern region (3.4 percent) and in the northwest Switzerland (3.3 percent).
Switzerland is the world champion in voting
With about four rounds of referendums each year — each tackling several issues — Switzerland is easily the country where citizens vote most frequently.
That's a world record, according to the new study by the Center for Democracy Aarau.
“In Switzerland a wealth of topics are voted on," said Robin Gut, political scientist at the University of Zurich and co-author of the study. "Abroad, this range of topics is much narrower.”
READ ALSO: How Switzerland’s direct democracy system works
Topless swimming is allowed in Zurich
After some elected officials had questioned the municipal council about rules regarding topless swimming, Zurich officials released their decision on Monday: this practice is allowed in both outdoor and indoor swimming pools, for all genders.
The reason is that Swiss legislation mandates men and women must be treated equally in all areas of life, which means that if men are allowed to be shirtless in swimming pools, women must have the same right.
READ ALSO: Are there nudist beaches in Switzerland and what are their rules?
If you have any questions about life in Switzerland, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
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