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Hello Switzerland is written by expats for expats living in Switzerland. The magazine contains features, articles and information to help expats feel at home in Switzerland.
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ISSUE No 04/04 | WINTER 2012/2013
SWISS CULTURE | POLITICS | TOURISM | EVENTS
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www.aemovers.com.hk
In this issue:
Readers’ Pages 4
Santa Rules 6
A Taste of Home 8
It’s Your Turn to Speak Up 12
All Aboard in Winter 13
Supplying Supermarkets in the Alps 15
Basel Region
Basel Roundup, The Nabateans of Petra 17
A Century of Music, Feeling at Home in Basel 21
Chasing Winter Blues Away, GGG Stadtbibliothek 22
Bern Region
Bern Roundup, Don’t Let Date Night Slip 24
How an Art Museum Works, The Best Gipfeli in Bern, Restaurant 26
The FASC News Sheet 30
Hot Spots for Cold Days 31
Discover Switzerland: Museums 32
Romandie Region
Romandie Roundup, The Last of the Night Watchmen 37
No Egos on the Mountain, The Beauty of Evolène 40
Zurich Region
Zurich Roundup, My Girlfriend Guide 45
The Artist’s Reflection, Expat Women Entrepreneurs, Book Review 47
Zug/Lucerne Region
Zug/Lucerne Roundup, Feeling foxy?, Rigi Kaltbad 50
Ticino Region
Ticino Roundup, Monte Verità 53
Travel: Braunschweig 57
What’s Going On In Switzerland 58
Voluntary Organisations & Groups 61
Issue 4/4 Winter 2012/2013
ContentsHello Switzerland is an English-language magazine published 4 times a year as a service to the English-speaking community.
© The articles in Hello Switzerland may not be copied or reproduced in any form without the prior permission of Hello Switzerland AG or the author. Hello Switzerland accepts no responsibility for the views or opinions expressed by its writers.
Presenting partner:
www.berneinvest.comwww.roche.com www.autociel.ch
www.crownwms.com
“What is important to you, is important to us”
Hello Switzerland is printed on paper from responsible sources and the CO2 its production causes is offset.
Free Subscriptionwww.helloswitzerland.ch All issues are now also available online
To inform us of changes of mailing address, please contact: [email protected]
Editor-In-ChiefCaroline Thonger+41 (0)79 874 [email protected]
Co-EditorsBasel Anitra [email protected]
Zurich, Zug, Lucerne Allison [email protected]
BernQuerida Long [email protected]
Romandie Catherine [email protected]
ContributorsRoger Bonner & Edi Barth, Anita Breland, Angelica Cipullo & Deja Rose, Olivia Coker, Faiz Kermani, Kurt Metz, Sarah Moore, Andrea Pilot, Rashida Rahim, Mary Seidler, Monika Teal, Elaine Vautier, René Welti, John Zimmer
Cover photograph“Switzerland – The Greatest Country On God’s Earth!” © Tim Bulmer
PublisherHello Switzerland AG
AdvertisingLukas Hayoz / +41 (0)58 356 17 [email protected]
Pre-press Layout & PrintingJordi AG – www.jordibelp.ch
Distribution16,000 copies all over Switzerland
Deadline for the Spring Issue20 January 2013
Packimpex Ltd in Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Lugano, Vevey, Zug, Zurich, Germany: Freiburg i.Br.
Phone +41 (0)58 356 14 00, [email protected]
www.packimpex.ch
« We just love the new
home that Packimpex
found for us!»
Kristine & Magnus CariagaMagnus is Strategy & Marketing Implementation Manager
for a leading nutrition company
Packimpex tailors innovative
and sustainable relocation solutions
to the needs of international
companies and their employees.
“
Editorial
Dear Readers,
In complete contrast to last year’s long and balmy autumn, at the time of writ-
ing winter has already made its presence felt, with snow falling as early as
mid-October across much of Switzerland. The editorial team has therefore
worked very hard on your behalf, to keep you informed about the wide range
of activities and festivities taking place over the next three coldest months of
the year.
The season starts in December with the abundance of Christmas markets all
over Switzerland, colourfully described by each of our Regional editors. And
or Fasnacht in February – each canton having their own traditions. A compre-
hensive list of events is included under the “What’s Going On in Switzerland”
section on p. 58.
This issue introduces our readers to some more Swiss characters with un-
usual jobs – including the watchman of Lausanne Cathedral (p. 38), and an
ecologist-turned-conference manager in the Ticino (p. 54). There’s also an in-
depth interview with a British-born mountain guide living in Leysin (Vaud),
who provides us with a wealth of sensible safety advice for winter sports
(p. 40). True to our readers’ wishes, we’ve included an article on sourcing
non-Swiss food, for those of you missing the taste of home (p. 8). We discover
how supermarkets located in the remoter Alpine regions keep supplied, even
in winter (p. 15); warm places to visit even on the coldest days (p. 31); and
Gipfeli in Bern (p. 27).
Perhaps surprisingly to outsiders, Switzerland has almost more museums per
on a whirlwind tour around some of the more unusual Swiss museums (p. 32).
We hope you like the novel design of this issue’s front cover. Full details of
how this unique, hand-drawn map of Switzerland came about can be found on
p. 4 – together with a once-in-a-lifetime offer exclusive to our readers.
We’ve already said it at the top of this page, but from the whole Hello Switzerland
Editorial Team, we wish you a Very Merry Christmas and an excellent and
Caroline
Winter
Wonderland 24
Fasnacht 22
Museums 32
A Very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!
From the whole HELLO SWITZERLAND team
This message comes with special thanks to all our contributors, who have
played such a large part in our constant efforts to improve the magazine as
a showcase for the expat community in Switzerland.
“ „
4
SW
ITZER
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ND
Compiled byCaroline Thonger
Readers’ Pages
WINNERS of the Ovomaltine and Wenger Reader Competition (autumn 2012 issue)
An exclusive OVOMALTINE bag
fi lled with deliciously tempting
Swiss treats was won by:
Magnusdottir from Uster / R L Mancebo from Basel /
P Tompkin from Basel / F Barattini from Zürich / N Maru from Paudex
A WENGER SWISS ARMY KNIFE
was won by:
H Ozguven from Epalinges / P Popov from Basel /
M Pivetta from Zurich / R Ursachi from Basel / S Layher from Oberglatt
Unique map of Switzerland
Sharon Vaz (British) and her friend Clair
Schönholzer (Swiss) are an enterpris-
ing pair of mothers living in Zurich,
both with young children attending
local schools. Searching for
something to keep themselves
busy during the school day,
they came up with the idea of
sourcing products in the UK and selling
item was a map of Switzerland – but
with a difference. Sharon had already
commissioned art pieces from artist
Tim Bulmer. It seemed a great idea to
produce a map of Switzerland, as the
perfect souvenir for visitors to take
home with them. Together they worked
on the overall design, including what
each canton was famous for. The result
was very successful, as can be seen on
our front cover. What better way to plan
your outings and discover more about
Switzerland?
The map is selling well, with Sharon
and Clair in discussion with the
artist Tim Bulmer for more “Swiss-
themed” artwork – watch this space!
The Bill+Bessie shop is now open for
business, and you can sign up for the
newsletter to be kept up to date with
the latest developments. Sharon and
Clair would be delighted to receive
suggestions or recommendations from
our readers.
www.billandbessie.com
For more information about artist Tim
Bulmer, see his website at:
www.timbulmerartist.com
PICTURE-SHARING
As it says on our homepage: Hello
Switzerland is written by expats for
expats living in Switzerland. Designed
mainly for English speakers, the
magazine contains features, articles
and information to help expats feel at
home in Switzerland.
Now a great idea has come from an
avid reader to start a picture-sharing
tool, which would greatly help us
develop our own unique style.
Currently we are looking for an excel-
lent quality spring front cover picture.
Send us your photo (at the latest by
30 January 2013) via www.wetransfer.
com entering receiver email address
[email protected] and tell
us your personal impressions of
Switzerland. The winning picture (if
selected as front cover) will receive
a special voucher (for example for
shopping or dinner) offered by Hello
Switzerland.
If this experiment is successful, we’ll
see if this picture-sharing tool can be
advanced for the future.
Special offer!
Exclusive to Hello Switzerland readers:
apply now to get your own copy
of this fantastic, high quality
“Bill+Bessie” map.
Special price: CHF 79.- instead of 95.-.
Contact: [email protected]
*Offer ends 30 December 2012*
JOB VACANCY: BASEL EDITOR
Do you have any editing experience?
Are you an expat living in Basel? And
would you like the opportunity to work
with Hello Switzerland’s small but
dedicated Editorial team? Applications
are now open for the post of Basel
Editor. For more information, send
your details and full CV to:
5
SW
ITZERLAND
Reader Outing to the Doubs
On Saturday 15 September, around 50
eager readers of Hello Switzerland and
their families gathered together just
outside the charming mediaeval town
of St-Ursanne, at the northern end of
forested hills and steep limestone cliffs,
it’s situated west of Delemont and to
the north of the Jura Trois-Lacs or
Drei-Seen-Land. We had come from
all four corners of the Confederation
to experience this nature park known
as the Doubs. It’s a favourite area for
hiking, horse-riding, mountain-biking
and watersports in summer; cross-
country skiing and snowshoe-walking
in winter.
The morning’s misty and drizzly
conditions did nothing to dampen our
spirits, as we followed our knowledge-
able local guide on a two-hour walking
tour around the town. We stood on the
stone bridge over the River Doubs,
which makes a loop by St-Ursanne
to legend, this picturesque town was
founded by a wandering Irish monk
called St Ursinicus. Some of its steeply-
roofed burgher houses date back to the
14th century. We had plenty of time to
wander around the little cobbled streets,
and explore the collegiate church with
its stone cloisters.
Lunchtime involved a very companiable
picnic organized by Jura Tourisme’s
generous portions of local cheese and
dried meat arranged on a long table.
By early afternoon the weather had
improved considerably, encouraging us
onto the next part of the day’s activities:
canoeing on the River Doubs. Groups
of up to four (2 adults, 2 children) could
each person provided with a safety
vest. The river Treasure Hunt arranged
by Jura Tourisme created some riotous
fun. By the time we were ready to take
our leave, the entire group agreed this
had been an energetic and enjoyable
day of discovery.
More information on exploring this
beautiful part of Switzerland can be
found at: www.juratourisme.ch
Caroline
Reader Outing to the Doubs (©Julie Collins Photography)
Canoeing Fun (©Julie Collins Photography) Mediaeval St-Ursanne
ERRATUM
On page 35 of the autumn issue of the magazine, in our five-
page section on Switzerland’s Nature Parks, we erroneously
described the “Juraparc” as the “Juraparc Vaudois”. We would
like to point out that there are two completely distinct parks
located in the Jura:
Juraparc is, as described in the article, an animal park situ-
ated near to Vallorbes. All relevant information can be found
on their website:
www.juraparc.ch
Parc Jura Vaudois, or the Jura Nature Park for the Vaudois
Region, covers an area of more than 530 km2, representing
over 18% of the land surface of the Canton of Vaud. Full
details can be found on their website at:
www.parcjuravaudois.ch
The Juraparc animal park was included in the article as being
of particular interest to our readers with children. We recog-
nise, however, that this animal park has nothing to do with
“Swiss Nature Parks”, and apologize for any confusion this
may have caused.
6
SW
ITZERLAND
Contributed byRoger Bonner
with illustration by Edi Barth
Santa RulesThe sleigh goes here ...
During our recent move to a lovely
old apartment, my partner and I
were surprised to learn that other new
tenants – an expat gentleman, Herr S
Claus and his extended family – would
soon be moving into the building too.
print of our copy of the Hausordnung
– the house rules stating what tenants
many things they’re not allowed to do
– we realised that we must have been
given by mistake a set of house rules
intended for our soon-to-be neighbours.
Although I’m certain the Claus family
will enjoy the moderately temperate cli-
offered to famous foreign residents,
how will they react to these infamous
house rules?
The following House Rules must be
strictly adhered to, for the sake of an
orderly and peaceful coexistence:
– Mutual Consideration and Haus-
ruhe
maybe House Tranquillity): The singing
of Christmas carols, the jingling and
jangling of sleigh bells, as well as vocal
emissions of “ho…ho…ho’s” must be
at Zimmerlautstärke (room level), and
are only allowed from 8:00 to 12:00 and
14:00 to 20:00, during which time win-
dows must be closed. On Sundays and
all holidays, including the twelve days
of Christmas, the need for house tran-
quillity must in particular be respected.
The unwrapping of Christmas presents
between 22:00 and 7:00 on any week-
day is forbidden, as gift recipients may
inadvertently emit loud whoops of joy.
– Entrance: The tenant may enter
the building only through designated
entrances (for example, the main door),
which must be locked from 22:00. The
chimney does not constitute a desig-
nated entrance. Reindeer or any other
antler-bearing tenants may enter the
building only via the service entrance
and must wipe their hooves beforehand.
– Stairwell, Hallways, Cellar, Lift
and Locker Areas: Clothing items
such as black boots and soft, velvety
for grooming long silky white beards
or reindeer with shiny red noses, and
decorative elements such as jingle bells,
-
ver tinsel may not be placed, mounted
or stored for any period of time in the
stairwell, hallways, cellars, lift or
entryway. Elves and reindeer may not
loiter, even quietly, in the hallways or
or deposited for any period of time in
any area commonly used by all tenants.
Toys may only be stored in the desig-
nated locker areas or on a sleigh.
– Sleigh Storage Area: Only sleighs
with a valid Swiss licence plate may
be stored in the section of the garage
designated for that purpose. All snow
must be removed beforehand to prevent
the formation of puddles, which could
circumstances may sleighs be parked
on rooftops. Sleighs stored in any non-
designated area are in violation of this
rule and shall be removed at the tenant’s
expense.
– Laundry and Drying Room: The
laundry and drying room may only be
used on weekdays from 7:00 to 21:00.
trim and elf apparel (no matter how
7
SW
ITZERLAND
small or cute) may not be hung out
to dry on Sundays and holidays. The
laundry room may not be used to clean
sleighs or reindeer.
– Balconies and Gartensitzplatz:
Elf-prancing and -dancing are only per-
mitted on balconies and in the tenant’s
Gartensitzplatz (tiny outdoor sitting
areas). Christmas trees and lights may
not extend beyond the perimeter of the
tenant’s balcony or tiny outdoor sitting
area.
– Cleaning: Reindeer droppings
deposited on the driveway, in front
of main entrance, in the garage and
especially on the roof must be removed
immediately. Biodegradable plastic
bags (green with red trim) must be used
to collect droppings and bags must be
deposed in designated organic waste
bins. Used Christmas trees must be
deposited on the kerb on designated
pick-up day (this applies only to biode-
gradable trees). Trees made of plastic
or metal must be stored in the tenant’s
designated storage locker or brought to
a designated recycling centre.
– Trash Removal: Used wrapping
paper, bows and ribbons may not be left
on the balconies or Gartensitzplatz or
stored in any common area. It is for-
bidden to dispose of Christmas lights
in the normal trash bin. These must
be brought to the locally designated
recycling bin.
Additional Rules:
-
ments may be thrown out of the win-
dow, and no red capes may be shaken
out from the balcony or windows.
– When transporting sleighs, reindeer
-
tected accordingly.
in winter (that is, a minimum of 12 C),
even if the tenant is accustomed to a
cooler temperature. The apartment
must be regularly aired, especially if
straw and reindeer fodder are present.
– With the exception of reindeer, no
pets, including partridges in pear trees,
turtle doves, French hens, calling birds,
geese a-laying and swans a-swimming,
are permitted.
– Tenants are liable for any damage
caused by not strictly observing these
House Rules.
After carefully reading the House
Rules, Herr S Claus apparently decided
Pole and continue paying his taxes
there. He did send a note indicating he,
his elves and reindeer would, however,
come to Switzerland for their quick
annual visit. They all wish us all a clean,
orderly, and tranquil Merry Christmas
at Zimmerlautstärke between 7:00 and
22:00 hours!
Need a cartoon
for a birthday,
anniversary or
other event? Edi
Barth, a Swiss/
American cartoonist
/tattoo artist, will
draw a witty cartoon (also in colour)
of whatever subject you want for that
special occasion. He is the author of
“Menue Surprise” (www.boderverlag.
ch). His cartoons and illustrations for
ad campaigns have been published in
many magazines and newspapers.
Roger Bonner
is a Swiss writer/
poet who runs a
writing/editing
business, Right
Style. A collection
of his funniest
stories and columns entitled “Swiss
Me” (CHF 24.90), with illustrations
by Edi Barth, is available from Bergli
Books Basel (www.bergli.ch), or
bookshops throughout Switzerland.
www.roger-bonner.ch
Aviso Treuhand AG Viaduktstrasse 65 / Pelikanweg 2
Telefon 061 227 94 00 Postfach · CH-4002 Basel
Fax 061 227 94 10 e-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.aviso.ch
your fiduciary for all trustee services, such as:
• tax consulting
• accounting
• insurance consultancy
(independent from any insurance company)
• social security
• inheritance matters
We look forward to serving you.
Please contact us for more details.
Member of the Swiss Institute
of Certified Accountants and Tax Consultants
8
SW
ITZER
LA
ND
One of the exciting things about
moving to a new country is dis-
covering the cuisine of that place – in
this instance, Switzerland. There’s also
markets, speciality food shops and
supermarkets. Some items are familiar,
others we can only guess how and when
they might be eaten or cooked. These
mysteries are part of the fun and pleas-
ure of “food adventures”.
the new. We want to balance our new
food explorations with the familiar,
creating dishes previously part of our
food repertoire – the “taste of home”.
And therein lies the challenge. How to
source all the ingredients we need to
make the dish almost exactly as we’re
used to doing?
Luckily, there are many ways of sourc-
ing non-Swiss ingredients to help us
enjoy foods from a wide variety of
international food cultures. The list of
options keeps growing. In many Swiss
towns there are markets, small “ethnic”
grocery stores, while most of the major
supermarkets have “international”
foods. In addition, there are a variety
of online sources within Switzerland
that will deliver to your home. Here,
we present you with a brief overview
of the options in Zurich, and how to set
Switzerland.
the shelves of your local supermarket.
But we sometimes need to look further
the Internet and a good pair of walking
shoes. With some patient searching on
the Internet and the help of chat groups
and Food Blogs, you can create a list of
online food sources and a list of shops
to visit. Using an online dictionary to
translate ingredient names, e.g. from
English to German or French, will also
help you track down that essential ele-
ment for your recipe. Don’t forget to ask
around among friends and colleagues –
they may know of places too.
www.englishforum.ch
groups.yahoo.com/ group/Expats-in-Zurich
Once you have a list of places, it’s time
to put on your walking shoes and go see
for yourself. I guarantee that the more
streets you walk, the more you will
discover, as some small shops don’t
have a website. Some of the ethnic
groceries are situated in clusters. For
A Taste of HomeSourcing non-Swiss food
This article is presented as a direct
response to our Questionnaire in the
summer 2012 issue of Hello Switzerland,
when you the readers told us what you
missed most in Switzerland: food from
home.
example, in Zurich there are at least
two areas, with several ethnic grocery
stores fairly close together. Some of the
international cuisines can be found by
walking a few hundred metres along
Josefstrasse in Zurich 5. Starting right
next to the Hauptbahnhof is Chang
Mai Thai. This delightful little shop is
packed with ingredients and readymade
foods from Thailand and other Asian
places. There is a small café, with take-
away hot and cold Thai food, fresh tofu,
Asian fruits and vegetables, herbs and
chillies.
Further along, you come to El Maiz,
the hub of all things Mexican in Zurich.
Freshly-made tortillas, tamales and
cheeses are in one chill cabinet; with
Pablano and other chillies, and toma-
tillos in another. On the shelves: hot
sauces, beans, dried spices and much
Zabihah,
a Turkish/Middle Eastern store, includ-
ing a restaurant for eat-in and take-away
food. Outside are fresh fruit and vegeta-
bles, inside fresh-baked Middle Eastern
breads, a Halal butcher, as well as fresh
and packaged foods from Turkey and
beyond (see their website below).
India Supermarkt
counter as well as meats, a wide variety
All these non-Swiss items are available in Switzerland
Contributed byElaine Vautier
American and British groceries:
www.peacefoods.ch
www.britshop.ch
www.myexpatshop.com
www.afoodave.ch
For our readers from Down Under:
www.aussieshop.ch
Indonesian
www.pasar-indonesia.ch
Japanese ingredients (online
and in Zurich):
www.nishishop.ch
9of frozen Asian foods and ready meals,
plus the spices and packaged goods that
go to make all the spicy Indian, Bangla
and Pakistani dishes in your favourite
cook books.
www.chiang-mai.ch
www.elmaiz.ch
www.zabihah.com
Another area of multiple ethnic grocery
shops can be found in Zurich 4. The
New Asian Store is in Feldstrasse,
with another branch in Basel. This is
the largest Asian Store in Zurich, with
smaller versions in Oerlikon as well as
in a corner of Shopville in the main train
fruit and vegetables and large bunches
of fresh herbs such as Thai basil, lime
too far from here in Kernstrasse is
Indian store, plus a small Thai store
that makes its own Thai curry pastes
in Zwinglistrasse – they also have
branches in Winterthur and Frauenfeld.
www.new-asia-market.ch
www.aggarwalfood.com
www.sala-thai.ch
Some of us need items to suit our dietary
needs and preferences – e.g. vegan and
vegetarian, diabetic, gluten-free and so
on. For these the most useful solution
is to seek out your local Health Food
store* (all with websites). These shops
also have a wealth of very useful, high
quality and mostly organic ingredients
(known as Bio in Europe). They stock
a wide range of grains and cereals,
brown sugar types that British and
American cooks are familiar with, but
Apart from a wide range of dairy
products, lactose-free, gluten-free and
products for home baking as well as
ready-baked goods.
*This is known as Reformhaus in
German and magasin des produits
diétiques in French. Remember that
some pharmacies, such as SunStore,
also stock a range of these health food
products, including herbal teas.
Elaine Vautier
Originally from
Jersey, Channel
Islands, Elaine has
lived in England
and USA, moving
to Zurich 6 years
ago. Her interest in food and cooking,
combined with a former academic
career in Cultural Studies, motivates
her enthusiasm for seeking out and
experimenting with ingredients and
recipes from all over the world.
10
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ITZER
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ND
When international employees
relocate to Switzerland for
their careers, the Spouse Career
Centre (SCC) helps their newly-
arrived wives, husbands and partners
But it’s much more than simply a
career service, as it provides impor-
tant coaching, helping people from
other cultures to integrate with and
understand aspects of Swiss life and
service as a vital part of their efforts
to attract and retain valuable foreign
The experience of Kyoko Shimba is
typical of many spouses who join their
partners in Switzerland. Arriving from
Japan with her husband, she had given
up everything so that he could start a
new job in Basel. She left behind not
only her friends and family in Tokyo,
but also a successful career as an
Audit Consultant. Despite being well
prepared for the move, the 36-year-old
soon felt completely out of her depth.
Her new world was simply much more
different than she had anticipated, espe-
cially the many cultural differences that
only become apparent in everyday life.
provide the foothold she needed, so she
approached the Spouse Career Centre.
The SCC has been working for 11
years to help expats integrate into life
in Switzerland, both professionally and
socially. Formed from a pilot project
the country. It has worked on behalf of
around 90 multinational companies,
providing coaching and assistance to
over 2000 spouses of international
employees in many different industries
and at all different levels.
Kyoko’s personal coach at the Spouse
Career Centre is Annie Wehinger. She
empathises with her client’s confusion
support, rather than simply to force
Integration Assistance from the Spouse Career Centre
Advertorial
her into a new career here. Relieved to
what she’s going through, Kyoko once
again feels secure, and through her own
career coaching sessions she has also
got to know something about Swiss
a previously alien environment allows
her, indirectly, to regain her self-belief
and ultimately to integrate into profes-
sional life in Switzerland.
Kyoko’s case contains many similarities
to others, with comparable backgrounds
and challenges, even though these are
sometimes hidden below the surface.
The team of 25 expert consultants at
SCC themselves represent a range of
nationalities and languages. They have
local and international experience in a
variety of occupations and professions,
and treat each individual case on its
own merits. Wolfgang Jordan, who had
known Switzerland well for some time
before receiving successful coaching
assistance from the SCC, explains: “It
never ceases to amaze me just how much
11depth my SCC consultant went into to
understand my personal situation, and
to tailor their service accordingly. That
approach gave me a new perspective on
things. It still helps me today.”
From the employers’ point of view,
spouse support programmes have a
assistance to ensure the long-term
integration of spouses and partners
often has a positive effect on staff hir-
ing results, loyalty and retention,” says
Jeanette Cerquone, Managing Director
of the SCC. “As a result, many compa-
nies are able to ensure the security of
their investment in attracting interna-
tional employees, and no longer run the
risk of losing time and money because
of their staff returning home early.”
Kyoko Shimba acknowledges that she
was “on the point of going back home
to Japan”.
Holcim is another company that
has learned from its experiences:
to ensure the international hires, to
whom we dedicate a lot of resources
through the recruitment process and
relocation to Switzerland, stay for as
long as possible, and don’t leave early
for family reasons. Unhappiness, a
feeling of isolation, and integration
have long been at the top of the list of
reasons for transfers abroad proving
unsuccessful or coming to an early end.
And of course, such situations can also
affect the employees’ own capacity to
do their job.”
Many companies, as well as Swiss gov-
ernmental organisations responsible for
securing inward investment to Swiss
regions and industries, are engaged in
a “war for talent”. As a result they offer
integrative coaching initiatives like
this to underpin today’s international
mobility programmes. The Basel-based
Syngenta Group also understands the
conditions to international employees,
we help their partners to continue their
own careers over here. We happily rely
on the assistance of the Spouse Career
Centre in these efforts. Thanks to their
positive experiences of integration, the
employees concerned and their partners
and families come to regard Syngenta
as an excellent company and employer.
This makes us a more attractive
prospect and improves our company’s
reputation in the international market.”
Contact:
Jeanette Cerquone, Managing Director / Business owner
phone +41 79 279 86 96, [email protected]
www.spousecareercentre.com
focal point for careers in transition
With us you will explore possibilities to continue your career in Switzerland
We tailor our services to suit the needs of dual-career couples and guide them through the local job market and cultural differences
> We offer our candidates individual support as needed, with research and consulting, to leverage their portable skills
> We develop a personal plan of action for each individual
> We prepare CV and Cover Letter according to Swiss standards
> We lead the research for target markets
> We give an overview of regional industries, companies, and functional areas
> We support with referrals to target companies
> We offer interview trainings
Jeanette Cerquone, Business owner of SCC
12
SW
ITZER
LA
ND
Contributed by John Zimmer
It’s Your Turn to Speak Up
There is an old joke about a tourist
wants to see a concert at the famous
Carnegie Hall. The tourist stops a man
on the street and asks: “How do you get
to Carnegie Hall?” The man smiles and
replies: “Practice!”
It’s the same with public speaking and,
the information you want, but you will
never improve without actually stand-
ing up in front of people and speaking.
cials: Just Do It!
One of the most effective, economical
and fun ways in which to get that prac-
tice is through an organization called
Toastmasters International.
From very humble beginnings in 1924
Toastmasters International has grown
to become a worldwide organiza-
tion that helps people become more
speaking in front of an audience. Today
Toastmasters boasts 280,000 members
in 13,500 clubs in 116 countries around
the world.
Toastmasters meetings are highly
structured, but the atmosphere is very
informal and supportive. Depending on
the club, meetings are held every week
or two and typically last around two
hours.
The philosophy of Toastmasters is
to learn by doing. Thus, meetings
have no instructor or teacher. Instead,
members take on different roles such
as Toastmaster (a sort of Master of
Ceremonies for the meeting), Timer,
Sergeant-at-Arms (who ensures that the
room is properly arranged) and more.
At each meeting, three or four people
deliver prepared speeches – based on
Toastmasters Speech Manuals avail-
able to members. Speakers can choose
the subject matter of their speeches,
tive such as using vocal variety, using
humor or persuading your audience to
your point of view.
Every speech is evaluated by a club
member, who gives their impressions
about what the speaker did well and
what could be improved for the next
time. In this way, speakers receive
on-the-spot feedback to help keep them
moving in the right direction.
One of the most fun parts of a Toast-
masters meeting is “Table Topics”,
Toastmasters jargon for impromptu
speaking. Members have the oppor-
tunity to try their hand at speaking
on a topic for around two minutes
with no preparation. The exercise can
be a bit daunting, but the topics are
usually lighthearted and the experi-
ence is invaluable for building one’s
quickly under pressure.
Switzerland is home to around 20
Toastmasters clubs, seven or eight
of which are located in the French-
speaking part of Switzerland. Most of
the clubs in the Lake Geneva Region
are located in Geneva and Lausanne.
However, in the last few months, a new
in Switzerland can be found in Bern,
Basel, Berikon, Winterthur, Zurich and
Zug. Most clubs are English-speaking
but there are also French, German and
bilingual clubs.
Fees are extremely reasonable. At my
club in Geneva, annual membership
costs CHF 110 plus a small amount
for the manuals. For that price, I can
attend two club meetings every month
and I receive a monthly magazine
from Toastmasters International with
excellent articles on different aspects of
leadership and communication skills. I
also have the opportunity to participate
in the many different Toastmasters con-
ferences held at the Swiss, European
and global levels. It is superb value for
money.
If you’re intrigued by what you’ve read
thus far, you can attend up to three
meetings at a Toastmasters club for free
before deciding whether it’s right for
you. If you don’t know anyone at the
club, it’s not a problem. Just show up at
a scheduled meeting and you’ll be made
to feel right at home. I hope to see you at
a Toastmasters meeting or event in the
near future.
www.toastmasters.ch
www.toastmasters.org
The origins of Toastmasters, and how the organization has spread to Switzerland.
John Zimmer
John has been
a member of the
International
Geneva Toast-
masters since 2007.
Originally from
Ontario in Canada, he lives in Collex
Bossey near Geneva. He writes a
popular blog on public speaking and
presentation skills:
www.mannerofspeaking.org
A recent Toastmasters event
13
SW
ITZERLAND
Contributed by Kurt Metz
All Aboard in Winter!
When Hillary Clinton visited
Lucerne in January 1998 as
the First Lady of the United States of
America, the then mayor Urs Studer
wanted to show her Central Switzerland
Lucerne Shipping Company considered
this to be completely out of the question,
but after some arm-twisting, the staff
reluctantly started to heat the boilers.
Lake of Lucerne
The outing with the prominent guest
aboard DS Uri to Brunnen was such a
success, that Vierwaldstättersee boats
have been proudly plying the Lake of
Four Cantons throughout the year ever
since. During the winter months, ski-
bound for the Rigi – “Queen of the
Mountains” according to Mark Twain
– take the 09:12 service to Weggis or
Vitznau and then are whisked up to the
slopes and well-marked paths either by
cable car or by rack-and-pinion railway.
They have a choice of returning either
by bus or on the lake again. The
Wilhelm Tell Express boat runs every
day from Lucerne to Flüelen with an
onward connection over the Gotthard
railway line to the warm and sunny city
of Locarno in Ticino.
RailAway offers special deals for win-
ter sports and visits at:
www.railaway.ch
Lake of Thun
The Bernese are not known to be the
quickest people to pick up new ideas,
a daily boat service is being run from
Thun to Interlaken during the cold sea-
son. The MS Schilthorn – their almost
extravagantly comfortable vessel –
leaves the pier by the railway station
at 11:40 and reaches Interlaken West
by 13:49, the ideal time to enjoy lunch
on board and let the wintery scenery
gently pass by.
At the intermediate stop of Beatenbucht
there’s a connection to the Beatenberg
bringing visitors to the peak of the same
name (1950m), where you can enjoy a
and Jungfrau are just opposite, and the
sun shines even when the lowlands are
covered in mist.
On Sundays there is an extra boat run
for brunch on board, leaving Thun at
09:40 and returning at 11:20. And for
the vintage steamer DS Blüemlisalp
will be sailing twice daily. Fondue and
Raclette cruises regularly take place
on Thursday and Saturday evenings.
Finally, starting in March, there will
be a coffee and cake service in the
afternoons.
Three Lakes region
Three lakes on one boat for one price,
a three-course luncheon included – it’s
the two canals linking the three lakes of
this extraordinary journey possible.
And it’s scheduled during the cold
season, too, in the shipping company’s
It’s possible to enjoy a boat trip on the Swiss lakes even when there’s snow on the ground.
MS Rousseau. The elegant but shallow
vessel can also travel on the river Aare
all the way to Solothurn – including a
passage through a lock and some very
old wooden bridges.
Lake Zurich
On Lake Zurich, ships continue
scheduled services through snow and
icy weather. In the evenings they offer
some unexpected themes on board:
there is a Casino Ship, a Gay Cruise,
Improcomedy outings, a Schnitzel-
Schiff and Wine & Dine. The wharf
opens to the public on 24 March and the
summer season 2013 starts on 31 March
with a party cruise.
All aboard!
For timetables, days of operation and
prices, consult the following websites
(also in English):
Lake Lucerne: www.lakelucerne.ch
Lake Thun: www.bls.ch/schiff
Three Lakes and River Aare:
www.bielersee.ch
Lake Zurich: www.zsg.ch
For an overview of boat services on all
Swiss lakes see: www.vssu.ch
Lake Thun in winter
14
SW
ITZER
LA
ND
Advertorial
Taxation – What’s New in 2013
Some surprising federal and cantonal
court decisions as well as several
new initiatives will affect the future
taxation of individuals in Switzerland.
We have selected two of the most
important changes and trends, which
may be of special interest to expats in
Switzerland.
Employee participation program:
new taxation rules from 2013
The remuneration packages of compa-
salary but also of special employee par-
ticipation programs such as employee
stocks or options. These programs
have become more and more popular.
However, for employees moving around
the world and within different tax sys-
tems, the complexity for analyzing the
tax consequences of such programs has
Harmonized taxation within
Switzerland
The main questions are where, when
and to what price are these shares or
options taxable. Up to now, Switzer-
land with its federal structure had
not had a standardized tax law for
employee participation programs but
various different cantonal regulations
instead. With the new “Bundesgesetz
über die Besteuerung von Mitarbeiter-
beteiligungen” being effective from
1 January 2013, under this law the taxa-
systematized and harmonized within
Switzerland.
“Authentic” equity instruments issued by
a company, such as employee shares and
employee stock options, will be taxable
as employment income at the time they
are granted. The taxable amount is cal-
culated by deducting any purchase price
from the market value. Furthermore,
the market value of deferred employee
stocks will be discounted by approx. 6%
per deferred year but for a maximum of
10 years.
Deferred or unquoted options no longer
taxable at grant but at exercise
One of the most important changes
is that deferred or unquoted options
are only taxable at the time they are
exercised. This was different in the past
and could result in a tax burden on an
income that due to an erosion of stock
market prices was never realized by the
employee. In such a case, the difference
between market value of the stock and
the exercise price is taxable.
Relocation during the period of grant
and exercise
If a person has not been tax resident in
Switzerland for the whole period from
the grant to the exercise of the deferred
stock options, Switzerland only taxes
the proportional monetary advantage
according to the period the employee
was residing in Switzerland. The part
assigned to the period abroad is exempt
from Swiss taxation.
If an individual is not tax resident in
Switzerland at the time the deferred
stock options are exercised, Switzerland
taxes the portion related to the time of
residency in Switzerland at source. In
case of taxation in Switzerland and the
new country of residency, it has to be
checked whether it can be applied for
treaty protection under a Double Tax
Treaty between Switzerland and the
new country of residency.
Employee participations considered to
be “non-authentic”, such as the expec-
payments, will be taxed at the time of
Fine arts at home
Art-lovers should pay attention to an
administrative court decision in Zurich.
The court had to decide whether a piece
of art is part of non-taxable household
effects, or must be considered as a
taxable asset and therefore declared for
wealth tax purposes in the tax return.
Important to note that in Switzerland,
in contrast to many other countries,
wealth taxes are levied.
In the case concerned, a lady inherited
a Giovanni Giacometti painting from
her father 30 years ago. Tax authorities
estimated the value of the painting at
45,000 francs and the heir paid inherit-
annual tax returns in the following
years, she considered the painting
sold the painting for two million francs
30 years later, the Zurich tax authorities
initiated procedures to levy retrospec-
tive wealth taxes for the last 10 years
ported by the cantonal administrative
court of Zurich.
Up to that point, paintings at home only
had to be declared as taxable wealth if
they formed part of an art collection.
Although there was no common rule in
an art collection, it was acknowledged
that a single painting obviously cannot
be a collection. According to the new
court decision however, even a single
painting is taxable for wealth tax pur-
poses if the painting’s value exceeds a
As a consequence, taxpayers have to (at
value decorating their homes with the
roughly estimated value in their tax
returns, in order to avoid any retrospec-
PricewaterhouseCoopers AG
Tax & Legal Services
Private Clients
058 792 40 24
Some major changes in Swiss tax law come into force in January.
Nicole, who is
Swiss and was an
expat in the UK,
is an expert on indi-
vidual wealth and
taxation solutions.
15
SW
ITZER
LA
ND
Supplying Supermarkets in the Alps
Contributed byAnitra Green
Some of the most popular resorts in the Alps are really hard to reach. So how do the local
supermarkets manage to be so well stocked, and with fresh produce too?
Think of it: you’re going off to a
have to leave your car at the bottom of
the valley and get on the train, taking
all your luggage and your skis with
you. Wengen is the same. Parts of the
Graubünden, which is practically all
mountain, can get cut off for days at a
time in winter if the weather’s bad. How
on earth do supplies for supermarkets,
sports shops and so on – and maybe
even more importantly, heating oil – get
to these remote, mountainous places?
The answer is: mostly by train. The
main reason for this is sheer practical-
ity – even in Switzerland’s central plain
there’s a growing tendency to use rail
transport. Coop for example has had
enough of delays caused by congestion
on the main Bern-Zurich motorway
jam on this stretch you’ll know exactly
what that means), and is moving more
towards intermodal transport for supply
and distribution all over the country,
i.e. using rail for the main part of the
journey and road for the short stretch
between terminal and warehouse/outlet
at either end. The company has even
bought its own railway company to do
the job.
There’s also the ecological factor. With
the growing awareness of the impor-
tance of environment-friendly means of
transport and manufacturing processes,
train with couple of Coop or other wag-
ons hitched on the back is a common
sight. In 1992, RhB started developing
its own intermodal system to transport
foodstuffs in standard swap-body
units, which can easily be transferred
between a truck and a railway wagon.
1999 saw a big leap forward with a
new handling centre in Landquart (in
Eastern Switzerland) and the opening
of the Vereina tunnel, leading to new
services for Coop and also the post
deal). And in 2000 it opened an inter-
modal terminal, complete with gantry
crane, in Samedan: at 1700m, it’s the
highest in Europe!
As for Zermatt with its restricted road
access and car-free policy, rail really is
the only way. The Matterhorn-Gotthard
railway MGB used to look after all
freight transport to this resort by itself
– foodstuffs, heating oil, furniture:
the lot. But they realized it would be
better to concentrate on running the
railway and get an expert to look after
the increasingly complicated logistics
side. So now a new company, Alpin
Cargo, deals with everything except the
actual carriage by rail, with a terminal
in Visp and another in Zermatt itself.
Amazingly, about a quarter of what
they carry is, yes, oil.
toothpaste at home, or fancy a kiwi for
breakfast, don’t worry – you’re almost
bound to be able to buy it even in these
remote resorts.
both Coop and Migros, Switzerland’s
biggest supermarket chains, are focus-
ing more and more on “fair trade” prod-
ucts and sustainability. According to a
study commissioned by the WWF last
and sustainable retail businesses in the
world.
In Alpine regions, the reason why Coop
and a growing number of other suppli-
ers use rail transport is that it’s usually
the most feasible way, and sometimes
the only one. After all, Switzerland
has a great many railways and tunnels
under the main massifs, often built dec-
ades ago in terrain that nobody would
dream of trying to build a road through
even today.
seen these mountains to imagine the
scale of the problem. There’s a lovely
story about Aldi, the international dis-
count chain: when they wanted to move
into the Graubünden a couple of years
ago, they said they carried everything
by road, everywhere, and train wasn’t
an option. They changed their minds
when they saw the steep, narrow roads
in this area: “Our trucks will never get
gauge railway line, Rhaetian Railway
(RhB), like everybody else.
As the amount of goods to be carried
is comparatively small, RhB is one of
the very few railways left in the world
to run mixed trains: here, a passenger
Samedan
Unloading at the terminal
If so, we would be delighted to hear from you as we are relo-
cating people to Switzerland and therefore constantly looking
for new properties. Just drop us an email or phone any of the
Packimpex offices and we will do the rest.
If we are successful in connecting client with property you will
receive a bottle of champagne from us as an extra thank you.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us
at any of the locations.
Are you leaving your home?
Looking for a new tenant?
Perhaps we can help you! No charge.
Do you know of a good property
becoming available?
Basel: 061 281 58 40
Bern/Biel/Fribourg: 031 888 14 14
Geneva: 022 710 21 51
Lausanne: 021 613 80 20
Lugano: 091 940 26 69
Neuchâtel: 032 724 07 66
Zug/Lucerne: 041 760 84 55
Zürich/Schaffhausen: 044 275 21 01
www.packimpex.ch
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17
BASEL
Contributed bythe Basel Team
Basel Roundup
The Book Nook
“Sali zämme - your Baseldütsch sur-
vival guide” has just been published
by Bergli Books, and not a moment too
soon. This highly useful book is a mine
of information about the local dialect,
enabling you to communicate with
local people in their own language and
giving useful tips on do’s and don’ts
(the importance of being polite/observ-
ing laundry room routines/bringing a
gift when invited). It’s also very funny,
being liberally sprinkled with the most
hilarious cartoons, which drive a point
home like nothing else. Everything
you’re likely to need is there, from a
potted history of Swiss dialects to easy-
some basic grammar and a small dic-
tionary in both directions at the back.
in Basel …
By Sergio Lievano & Nicole Egger,
with Baseldütsch by Walter Loeliger.
Published by Bergli Books
ISBN 978-3-905252-26-2
www.bergli.ch
Faiz Kermani, well-known as a Hello
Switzerland contributor, also writes
children’s books, the zaniest things you
ever saw. Try “A First Guide to Space
Creatures” which won last year’s
Reviewers Choice Award and contains
the strangest, most colourful creatures
imaginable (how does he dream them
up), or “My Alien Penfriend”, the
story of an intergalactic friendship
between two boys in letter form – again
full of fantasy.
Both books published by AuthorHouse
ISBN 978-0-557-74879-2
ISBN 1-4206-5860-2
“Belonging Nowhere” by Susan
Meredith, a long-time resident in the
Basel region, is a gentle romance rather
in the style of Jane Austen, telling the
story of Sylvie and the ups and downs
of her life in Switzerland. Elegantly
written with fabulous descriptions of
Swiss scenery, it’s full of cameos of
scenes, people, emotions, with some
lovely touches of humour. A nice read.
ISBN 978-1468182088
Christmas market
Basel’s Christmas market on Barfüsser-
platz is a gorgeous market with lots
of arts and crafts, local specialities,
Glühwein, rides for kids, and a great
fairytale atmosphere with beautifully
decorated Christmas trees everwhere
– no wonder it attracts visitors from all
over Europe. There are also stalls on
the Münsterplatz – very beautiful with
lights in the trees – and the Claraplatz,
any number of Christmas concerts, the
Basel Wish Book in the Rathaus (town
hall) for all to sign, and a procession
of Santa Klauses on Harley Davidsons
(afternoon of 9 December). Better still,
take the Basel city Christmas tour on
Saturdays in December, 16:00 at the
www.basel.com
13th Basel Museum Night
was such a success that it’s become a
regular feature. Held in mid-January,
it now attracts over 100,000 people
including hosts of young people and
families, and most of the museums in
the area join in, including the Vitra
Design Museum in Weil-am-Rhein (D).
Special guest last year was the Fernet
Branca contemporary art museum in St
Louis (F). There’s such a huge variety
of entertainment, special exhibitions,
activities, competitions, presentations
and refreshments – as well as the regu-
where to start, and even in eight hours
(18:00 to 02:00) it’s impossible to visit
them all. Transport by tram, bus, trol-
leybus and ferry is included in the ticket
price, special buses are laid on (the
Münsterplatz becomes a bus terminal),
and you can even take a Rhine ship.
www.museumsnacht.ch
A Christmas Carol
For a one-man theatre performance of
Dicken’s classic, A Christmas Carol,
it’s well worth going over the German
border to the Wallgraben Theatre in
Freiburg in Breisgau (which also has a
super Christmas market). Brian Barnes,
a gifted and well-known actor who’s
been treading the boards for many
years, is back on 20-23 December with
this classic, which never fails to please.
www.wallgraben-theater.de
Restaurant tip: Tapadera
Located near the main station, the
Restaurant Tapadera is well known for
its Mexican and Spanish food and very
popular with people working in nearby
buffet
à discretion on Fridays at midday – a
salad buffet plus guacamole, prawns
and various Spanish tapas, and a won-
derful hot buffet with a superb choice
-
fully prepared, fried potatoes, paella,
Spanish omelette and I forget what else.
It’s very easy to pig out, which means
you have no room left for anything but
class Argentine steak from the grill,
quesadillas, the Tapadera giant prawns,
a mixed plate of Mexican specialities
and so on. Reservation recommended.
www.tapadera.ch
18
BA
SEL
Contributed byAnita Breland
The Nabateans of Petra: a Twice-Told Swiss Story
Ttal in the southern mountains of the
Jordanian desert. With its Roman pav-
ing stones partly exposed, a sandy path
curves through the Siq, a deep cleft in
stone. The dim recesses are lined with
ancient water-channels and dotted with
prayer niches, cool after shimmering
desert heat. The clop of horses’ hooves
echoes until the 40-meter-high, elabo-
rately carved façade of al-Khazneh
(“the Treasury”) slices through the
shadows.
In 1812 Jakob Ludwig Burckhardt, a
Lausanne native and member of Basel’s
prominent Burckhardt family, traveled
to Petra and into our history books.
since its decline a couple of centuries
after the dawn of the Christian Era.
This autumn, two independently
organized exhibitions in Basel cel-
ebrate the bicentennial of Burckhardt’s
re-discovery of the ruined city. The
principal one is at the AntikenMuseum,
Switzerland’s only museum fully dedi-
cated to Greek, Roman, Egyptian and
Petra. Miracle in the desert. In the
footsteps of J L Burckhardt alias
Sheikh Ibrahim highlights the extraor-
dinary feats of design and engineering
that enabled the rapid transformation of
settled traders with a substantial mate-
rial culture. Petra’s location, on the
frankincense trade route between the
was invaluable in ensuring a supply of
the precious spice. The city was the
route’s most important station, a pro-
tected oasis where caravans could rest,
paying a hefty 25% toll on the value of
goods they carried. Bitumen, used for
embalming, made the reverse journey
from the Dead Sea to Ptolomaic Egypt.
Burckhardt’s road to Petra began in
London in 1808, when the African
Association hired him to explore the
continent’s interior for gold and other
resources. With caravan travel at a
standstill for several years, due to
epidemics across Africa, Burckhardt
Aleppo, he stopped at Malta, where
he changed his name. Ever after, he
referred to himself as Sheikh Ibrahim.
Even as his mastery of the Arabic
language improved, he explained away
his accent by claiming to be of Indian
descent.
Two years in Aleppo prepared him for
the disguise that would help him enter
Petra, and later Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
In 1812 he persuaded a Bedouin to take
him to the mountain shrine atop Jebel
ing a goat in honor of Aaron, brother of
Moses. Burckhardt’s terse description
ment at what he found along the way.
The AntikenMuseum exhibition opens
with artifacts from Sheikh Ibrahim’s
travels and concludes with portraits
of modern-day Bedouins in Petra.
Petra awes visitors today as it has for centuries.
Petra’s Treasury glimpsed through the Siq (© Tom Fakler)
Petra. Miracle in the desert.
In the footsteps of J L Burckhardt
alias Sheikh Ibrahim
23 October 2012 – 17 March 2013
AntikenMuseum & Sammlung Ludwig
St. Alban-Graben 5, Basel
www.antikenmuseumbasel.ch
Sheikh Ibrahim’s Dream: Treasures
from the textile and jewelry collection
of Widad Kamel Kawar
27 September 2012 – 7 April 2013
Historisches Museum Basel
Haus zum Kirschgarten
Elisabethenstrasse 27/29, Basel
www.hmb.ch
19The exhibition’s co-curator Laurent
Gorgerat, however, says the primary
aim is to show appreciation of the
extraordinary accomplishments of the
city in one of the most arid areas of the
world. In addition to advanced hydrau-
lic systems, water conservation systems
and dams, they were technologically
sophisticated in architecture, ceramics,
metallurgy, chemistry and construc-
today, Petra was an expression of power
and wealth in a hostile environment.
One object on show is the dramatic “eye
idol”, a two-thousand-year-old iconic
representation of a deity that seems
ences from other cultures and religious
traditions. This is a one-time opportu-
nity to see approximately 150 artifacts
brought to Basel from museums across
Jordan.
Heritage site in 1985. Swiss-led archae-
ology teams began work soon after,
and the exhibition’s virtual reality
tours bring their efforts to life. A walk
through a section of Petra presents the
façades around the Roman soldiers’
tomb and triclinium (formal dining
room) as built architecture, vibrantly
painted. A virtual visit to a villa over-
looking the city provides a sense of the
lifestyle of its well-to-do residents.
The Haus zum Kirschgarten was
museum, it is an evocative venue for the
exhibition of 100 pieces of textiles and
Anita Breland
is a travel writer
based in Basel. Her
blog celebrates
food, art and
cultural traditions
around the world.
Visit Anita’s Feast to read more about
her adventures. Visit Tom Fakler’s
website to see more images from Petra
and other destinations.
www.AnitasFeast.com
www.TomFakler.com
www.danieleangelillo.ch
Bedouin jewelry from a private collec-
tion. The mansion’s splendor contrasts
sharply with the desert environment of
Sheikh Ibrahim’s travels, and gives us
a sense of the privileged context within
which the re-discovery of Petra was
received in Europe.
20
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A Century of Music and Still Going Strong
Contributed byFaiz Kermani
The Basel region has a lively classical music community, and one of
its most enthusiastic participants is the Liestal Orchestra.
The symphony orchestra in Liestal,
known to its members as OLi, has
a long and proud history. The survival
and expansion of the orchestra has been
the result of dedicated work behind
the scenes from various presidents and
committees; much of the following
information was recently accessed
from the state archives in Basel-Land.
Past
The Liestal Orchestra was founded in
1873 by 19 friends. Despite a promis-
ing start in 1885, progress halted due
to internal administrative wrangles,
and by the time they were resolved
in 1896, the available resources had
dwindled drastically. At this point the
orchestra’s equipment consisted of “a
double bass, 4 clarinets, 3 horns and a
viola”. Apparently, the double bass had
“no strings” and the horns and clarinets
and completely useless”. Fortunately
over the years, the orchestra has been
able to build up a wider range of
instruments.
In 1906 violinist Julie Köchlin, a found-
ing member, took over as president. At
around the same time, Karl Lüdin joined
as conductor, and both participated
until 1919. At a time when Europe was
going through dramatic political and
social changes, they were commended
for helping make this “extremely dif-
The next 29 years were marked by
Walter Sterk (1920-1949), when the
track after a drop in membership. The
extended to playing music in hospitals
and nursing homes. The orchestra’s
talents were widely recognised, with
one music critic remarking: “A concert
under Walter Sterk is a social and artis-
In 1949, Peter Zeugin, a young pianist
with little conducting experience, took
over. He adapted rapidly to his new
position, and the orchestra prospered
and gained new audiences. It proved to
of the orchestra has remained largely
unchanged ever since. A music critic at
the time described the orchestra as hav-
ing “left the former amateurish spelling
far behind”.
Present
Based on this solid foundation the
orchestra has continued to thrive.
hold this position. The orchestra has
ents – from composing music through
to playing steel drums. Today there
are around 50 active members from
Basel, Basel-Land, Solothurn, Aargau
and Bern. The orchestra has always
welcomed new members; its friendly
philosophy is illustrated by the age-
range of members, from 15 to 70. All
are encouraged to contribute their skills
and help the orchestra expand. As well
as contributing musical expertise, they
also help in developing and maintain-
ing the website, creating brochures and
promotional material and doing various
administrative tasks.
Each year, programmes are selected
by the conductor and music committee
to maintain a balance between classi-
cal and modern styles. As well as
playing famous popular pieces, the
orchestra likes to try out lesser-known
The Liestal Orchestra today
21
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Contributed byAnitra Green
Feeling at Home in Baselcompositions. Sometimes it also com-
missions works which it then premieres.
Each year, the orchestra concentrates on
developing two musical programmes.
Besides weekly rehearsals, the mem-
bers get together during the busy week-
end in the run-up to major concerts.
These are also fun social highlights for
the members.
Future
At the moment the organising commit-
tee is working on a long-term strategy,
including looking for people or organi-
sations to sponsor their work. Support
is needed because during 2013, the
orchestra will be working on two excit-
ing new programmes with two profes-
sional concert-masters. The orchestra
also intends to continue special pro-
grammes such as the Tango programme
featuring a professional Tango-Trio and
dancers, as it did in 2011, or projects
with the Cantabile Choir Pratteln as
in 2012. Although well received, these
programmes were costly, so support
from sponsors was much appreciated.
In October 2012 the orchestra held a
successful concert in the Stadtkirche
Liestal. The next will be a cooperative
project with a group of gifted young
musicians from the music school in
Liestal known as the “classic strings”.
The orchestra will present two concerts
in Liestal on 27/28 April 2013, featuring
Mozart’s Jupiter Overture, a Concert
for Orchestra and Percussion by Darius
Milhaud with a 16-year-old soloist,
a string symphony by the “classic
strings”, and the D Major Symphony by
Louise Farrenc by the whole ensemble.
www.orchesterliestal.ch
Moving to another country is never easy, but MyTown4You can help.
Faiz Kermani
is part of the PR
team for Centrepoint
the international
community in Basel.
He also serves
as President of the Global Health
Education Foundation, a US-based
aims to improve educational resources
and training for healthcare profession-
als in developing countries.
www.centrepoint.ch
www.globalhef.org
It was an enthusiastic group of people
of various nationalities that met at
the Bottmingerschloss in October,
their main object being to learn about
the Swiss state school system. This
was part of the Gatherings4Spouses
programme for helping newcomers to
Basel to settle in, with various present-
ers including Margaret Oertig (author
of Going Local
duced the story behind “give a chance”
– a charity concert with wonderful
musicians and dancers to support
schoolchildren in Cameroon. At the
end was a highly amusing talk about
Basel’s autumn fair (Herbstmesse) by
Bryan Stone, historian, author and
long-time resident in the Basel region,
followed by an excellent lunch.
organisation’s aim is to be a true one-
stop shop for newcomers, helping them
settle in and familiarize themselves
with local culture and customs. As a
ship is free of charge, it’s effectively a
club (it also has a business arm offering
one-stop shop solutions for individuals
and companies). It was only founded
recently, so is still in the development
phase.
“We’re always open to new ideas,” says
founder Katrin Adler. “Anybody can
visit our website: the more members we
have and the more we know what they
need, the better we can do.” And she
emphasizes: “It’s not just a matter of
helping by providing a service, but also
of connecting locally and globally. All
our board members have lived abroad
and know how challenging it can be,
but we’re global citizens who know
too.”
The monthly Gatherings4Spouses meet-
ings are always held on Wednesday
mornings at the Bottmingerschloss.
According to organizer Kaya Usher-
Samayoa: “It’s got such a wonderful
atmosphere, just right for our gather-
ings.” Meetings follow a regular
pattern: presentation of a special topic
such as insurance, schooling or some-
thing equally serious, with time for
questions, followed by a light-hearted
session on a local event or custom
in this tri-national region. And it’s a
golden opportunity to meet other peo-
ple – both local and global.
www.mytown4you.com
Bottmingerschloss
Anitra Green
Originally from
London, studied
classics and came
to Switzerland
before women even
had the vote.
22
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Chasing Winter Blues Away
Contributed byM. Stannard
People in the Basel area celebrate winter traditions in style.
Baslers boast that their Fasnacht
is unique; the timing certainly is,
as it starts just after the beginning of
Lent, six weeks before Easter, a
tradition said to date from the 16th
century. It begins at 4 am (this winter
on 18 February) with Morgenstraich
in pitch dark, with drum and piccolo
cliques parading the streets with huge
painted lanterns, and ends precisely
72 hours later. A huge procession
winds through the city Monday and
Wednesday afternoon, with wagons,
Waggis –
throwing oranges and sweets or hand-
ing out Zeedel printed with scurrilous
rhymes, and cliques playing their
special music, either drum and piccolo
in a style unique to Basel, or the brass
band Guggemusik. On Tuesday evening
there’s a Guggemusik concert.
Every village in the area celebrates
Fasnacht but on a smaller scale. Although
it’s basically the same tradition as
Carnival in Germany and elsewhere,
Swiss Fasnacht is subtly different – less
riotous and more stylized. Spectators
who dress up are frowned upon (except
children!), but that won’t stop you from
enjoying it enormously. And do try
the traditional Mehlsuppe
onion tart and Fasnachtskiechle (sweet
wafers).
www.fasnachts-comite.ch
Vogel Gryff
This is an event peculiar to KleinBasel,
being held on 26 January this winter.
Vogel Gryff
Wild Maa (Wild Man) and
Leu (Lion) parade through the streets,
and perform dances according to an
age-old pattern. With them are three
drummers, three standard-bearers and
four jesters who collect money for the
poor. Children have great fun trying
to pull off the apples adorning the
Wild Man’s costume. The day starts
River Rhine on a raft, and goes on till
late at night. This unusual tradition
dates back from the Middle Ages,
when the three Honourable Societies
(Ehrengesellschaften) of KleinBasel
who still organize it used to guard the
city walls. The walls have long since
disappeared, but the procession and
tradition of the Gryffemähli
Meal still remains.
Chienbäse
is unique to Liestal (capital of Basel-
Land) and the most incendiary specta-
cle you ever likely to see. It takes place
the evening before Morgenstraich in
Basel with groups of people carrying
lit bundles of wood through the walled
mediaeval town, and even burning
wagons. It’s said to be a pagan tradition
originally, and probably evolved from
the 16th century custom of lighting
sands of people, special trains are laid
on, and you’re well advised to wear old,
thick clothing as protection from the
heat and sparks. Basel’s famous Waggis
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GGG Stadtbibliothek Basel
Founded in 1807 by the GGG* as
(Leseanstalt für die Jugend), Basel’s
library service has become an integral
part of the city’s educational and cul-
tural life. Every day library members
borrow some 3,200 items, and demand
shows no sign of abating. There are
now seven libraries around the city and
one in Pratteln. The central library is
located downtown in Schmiedenhof,
which has its own reading room. The
GGG Basel West Library specialises
in providing library services to the
English-speaking community, with
an English-speaking member of staff
always on duty.
All the libraries are open to the public
and free to use. Behind the scenes,
over 80 employees work in 42 posts
to keep the whole system running. As
a result, this comprehensive library
offers visitors 270,000 media, such as
books, magazines, maps, CDs, DVDs
PlayStation). The library’s knowledge
portal also provides free access to
databases such as international journals
and newspapers. Simply accessing the
Internet will enable you to browse the
library’s entire catalogue and see where
items are available.
Biggest English collection in Basel
Basel West Library, which moved to its
present location in Allschwilerstrasse
in April 2011, is well equipped for
English-speaking members in the
international community and others
looking to improve their language
skills. It has the biggest collection of
English language adult and children’s
books, DVDs and audiobooks in Basel.
This section was originally started with
a generous donation by the American
Women’s Club, and the library contin-
ues to expand in this area. Around 400
new books and audiobooks in English
were ordered in 2012. A very popular
service is the availability of the top
bestseller list; within a week of being
announced.
Another important feature has been the
Library’s keen interest in developing
close partnerships with other organisa-
tions geared towards the expat commu-
nity. In May the library was the location
for an English Book sale, a joint ini-
tiative by the American Women’s Club,
Centrepoint, the Anglican Church of
Basel and the GGG Stadtbibliothek
Basel West. The organisers encouraged
the donation of books, DVDs and CDs,
which were then carefully sorted by
enthusiastic volunteers. The event was
an overwhelming success, and planning
for next year’s event on 7-8 June 2013 is
already underway.
Basel West Library has a growing
children’s section and is particularly
Serving local and international communities for over 200 years. interested in serving its younger read-
ers. It runs a number of events, such as
the Bookworms group where children
can listen to nursery rhymes in English
and German. A fun yet valuable ini-
tiative is the Children’s Literature Bus
(Kinderliteratur-Bus). Its bright yellow
colour is instantly recognisable, and
the bus brings books and playing mate-
rials to libraries, playgrounds, parks
and public swimming pools. Above
all, the Children’s Literature Bus is a
programme that encourages children to
improve their reading skills, wherever
they are. Featuring some 500 events a
year, the Kinderliteratur-Bus reaches
about 6,000 young readers.
Special events
Basel West Library holds a number
of special events. On Wednesday 12
December, author Roger Bonner will
talk about “What it means to be Swiss”.
Based on his best-selling book Swiss
Me (Bergli Books), he will explore
Swiss people, Swiss culture and
Schwyzerdütsch. This follows two suc-
morning for the Basel English-speaking
community, together with International
School Basel (ISB) and Centrepoint,
and an evening talk by Anita Fahrni, an
American living in Switzerland, about
an educational exchange programme
with Mongolia.
Basel West Library’s expanding range
of services and events aim to ensure
that the library is a friendly place for
people to come and relax, read what is
on offer, meet others and bring their
children.
* Gesellschaft für das Gute und Gemein-
nützige – Benevolent and Charitable
Trust founded in 1777 by Basel’s Town
Clerk.
Basel West Library, Allschwilerstr. 90,
4055 Basel
(tram 6 to Allschwilerplatz or Bus 36 to
Morgartenring)
Tel: 061 381 60 93
www.stadtbibliothekbasel.ch
Contributed byFaiz Kermani
Relaxed reading at any age in the library
24
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Bern RoundupIce Rinks
Iceskating is a favorite winter sport of
the Bernese. Whether you’re an expert
or just a beginner, lace up your skates
(or rent some at the rink) and hit the
ice. Admission is 7 francs for adults,
5.50 francs reduced and 3.50 francs for
children (6-16).
PostFinance Arena in Mingerstrasse
is where hobby ice skaters can practice
their moves next to local hockey team
SCB’s home stadium. Open daily until
17 March 2013.
Ka-We-De in Jubiläumsstrasse serves
as an ice rink in the winter and a swim-
ming pool in the summer. Open daily
until 10 March 2013.
Weyermannshaus in Stöckackerstrasse
has three separate rinks, so there’s
plenty of room for everyone. Open
daily until 3 March 2013. All three of
these rinks are closed on 25 December.
Egelmösli in Muristrasse is a natural
ice rink, in other words a pond you can
skate on when the temperature drops
low enough. Opening times depend on
the weather and will be announced in
the Anzeiger der Region Bern and 20
Minuten newspapers.
A lack of funding meant that the ice
rink on the Bundesplatz was missing
last winter, but thanks to new sponsors
it’s back! Open daily 9:00 to 23:00 from
31 December to 10 February.
Winter Wonderland
The Ice Palaces in Schwarzsee
(Eispaläste Schwarzsee) are truly
a winter wonderland. Artist Karl
visitors of all ages for over 25 years.
His imagination and the natural beauty
of ice combine to transform a small
patch of woods into a fantasy land.
Colorful lights make the palaces even
more spectacular at night. Visitors can
explore grottoes, igloos, towering ice
sculptures and even a pirate ship. After
walking through, climbing on and oth-
erwise discovering the ice palaces, they
can warm up with a hot drink from the
snack bar while the children enjoy the
play corner.
The ice palaces are open from Christmas
to the beginning of March; they are, of
course, weather dependent, so check
the website before you leave home to
make sure they’re open. Dress warmly
and wear shoes with good traction.
The ice palaces are fun for the whole
family, but please note that they’re not
entirely stroller and wheelchair acces-
sible. Admission: 10 francs for adults,
5 francs for children (4-16), cash only.
www.eispalaeste.ch
Stauffacher Reading Circle
If you enjoy reading and discussing
books in English, you should give the
Stauffacher Reading Circle a try. Each
month local author Diccon Bewes
chooses a paperback book for the group
to read, and leads the discussion. It’s
free and open to everyone – all you
have to do is sign up in the English
Bookshop. The reading circle meets
once a month, usually on Wednesday
at 19:00. Check the website for details.
www.stauffacher.ch/en
Christmastime in Bern
December is a magical time in Bern.
The city center is aglow with holiday
lights, and the music of Salvation Army
the arcades and enjoy the atmosphere,
but in addition to the usual late opening
times on Thursday evenings, you can
get items crossed off your holiday shop-
ping list on Sundays during this year’s
Adventsverkauf:
– 2 December: shops on Brunngasse,
Münstergasse, Postgasse and Rathaus-
gasse are open 10:00-17:00.
– 16 and 23 December: shops are open
10:00-18:00 (some 11:00-17:00).
There are also two Christmas mar-
kets with plenty to choose from. The
market on the Münsterplatz has mainly
handmade items, while the one on the
Waisenhausplatz offers traditional
Christmas market fare. Both markets
are open daily 1-24 December.
Grab a cup of Glühwein or some roasted
chestnuts to keep you warm, and head
to the Bundesplatz to take a break from
Christmas shopping and enjoy the light
show “Rendez-vous Bundesplatz” at
19:00 and 20:30 until 27 December.
For a more traditional celebration of
the season, you won’t want to miss
the English Carol Service at the
Heiliggeist Church on Thursday 13
December at 19:30.
Berner Fasnacht (Bernese Carnival)
The 2013 Fasnacht will take place 14
In keeping with tradi-
tion, the celebration begins when the
bear is set loose at 20:00 on Thursday.
On Friday at 14:00 the not quite as
loud children’s parade sets off from
Zeughausgasse and makes its way to
the Münsterplatz. On Saturday the
main parade begins at 14:30. People
line the streets, as dozens of costumed
Guggenmusik bands from in and around
Bern head to the Bundesplatz for the
Monster Concert.
Compiled bythe Bern Team
Ice Palaces in Schwarzsee
25
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Contributed byQuerida Long
Don’t Let Date Night Slip into a “Januarloch” Beat the January Blues with ideas for winter dates that go beyond the usual dinner and a movie.
A small step toward getting out of
the rut is replacing a movie with
a play, concert or ballet. The Neustart
website makes this easier than ever
before by giving you the dates for the
Bern city theater, symphony orchestra
the show times, read information about
the event and even buy tickets online.
www.konzerttheaterbern.ch
If you’re ready to plunge into something
new for date night, why not try wellness
for two? Solbad & Spa in Schönbühl,
for example, offers a spa day for two
that includes entry into their warm salt-
and oil massage topped off with a treat
in their bistro. There’s no more relaxing
way to reconnect with the one you love.
www.solbad.ch
Go all out and book a romantic week-
end at the Victoria Jungfrau Grand
Hotel & Spa in Interlaken. The hotel’s
Romance Package is three days of
luxury. The pampering begins when a
limousine picks you up from the train
station and continues with breakfast in
bed, private spa time, a 5-star picnic
basket for your romantic hike in the
Alps, and candlelight dinner for two
with champagne.
www.victoria-jungfrau.ch
Prefer the outdoors? Sledding is always
fun, but perhaps moonlight sledding
is more romantic. Riggisalp has a
well-lit 4km sledding run open every
Friday December through March, and
full moon Saturdays (29 December,
26 January and 23 February) from
18:30 to 21:00. Complete the evening
with fondue at the Bärghuus Riggisalp
or Restaurant Gypsera. Website in
German and French.
www.kaisereggbahnen-schwarzsee.ch
Another romantic way to spend some
time outdoors is to take a ride in a
horse-drawn sleigh
exhilarating tour of the snowy land-
scape or choose a moonlight sleigh ride
as the perfect end to a day of skiing.
Here are two families who offer sleigh
rides in the Gstaad region:
Johann von Grünigen
www.gstaadschlittenfahrten.ch
Walter Reuteler
www.schlittenfahrten-reuteler.ch
The cupcakes at Cupcake Dizziness are
nice treat for your sweetheart, but for
something more lasting, check out the
Dizzy Boudoir
inspired clothing and accessories for
that keeps on giving, sign up for the
Burlesque Workshop called “The Art
of Tease” being offered in February.
For details about the workshop, send an
email to: [email protected]
With Valentine’s Day just around the
corner, we hope this article will give
you some ideas on how to keep your
romance from going cold this winter.
Just one last tip in case you forget
to book something unforgettable for
14 February: there will be a special
Bärenplatz from 7:00 to 18:00 this year,
so even procrastinators can come out
smelling like a rose.A horse-drawn sleigh in the snowy countryside (© Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus)
Try sledding for a fun winter date (© swiss-image)
26
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NContributed by
Monika Teal
Art museums are an enriching way
for us to become familiar with the
aesthetics and history of a culture. They
tell us who we are, what we value and
what we fear. Art museums introduce
us to intellectual, visceral and emo-
tional worlds.
But there is another side to an art
museum – a side that must keep abreast
and education of the arts. Take away the
glamour and what you have is the busi-
ness of art, mostly involving hard work
but tinged with occasional excitement.
Why Solothurn?
This seemed a good venue to show the
basic workings of a museum, because
of its size and the quality of its exhi-
bitions. Together with his museum
assistant and intern, Patricia Bieder, the
museum’s director Christoph Voegele
explained how a museum functions.
This is one of the most respected
museums in Switzerland. Despite being
smaller than most city museums, it
has a success story most art museums
only dare dream of. Its art collection
is world-class, ranging from Holbein
to Van Gogh and Cézanne, with an
equally impressive list of Swiss artists
– including Jean Tinguely, Ferdinand
Hodler, Giovanni Giacometti and Cuno
Amiet, to name but a few.
What makes this museum successful?
The most basic requirement for anyone
dealing with art is a sensitivity to art-
ists and the art world, and a passion
for art. The members of the museum
staff evidently have both enthusiasm
and respect for the arts. But a museum
also needs direction and focus. It needs
to give the public what they want, and
must also be able to seduce them into
something new. This is a challenge for
any museum. Works do not randomly
come together to form an exhibition,
and therein lies the real work.
Supporting their museum
The people of Solothurn feel pas-
sionately about their museum and
contribute generously to its wellbeing.
The museum houses and protects their
art. Donations of precious art come
from the Dübi-Müller Foundation, the
Josef-Müller Foundation and the Max
Gubler Foundation. Solothurn busi-
nesses make donations, while Baloise
Bank SoBa offers generous support.
The people of the city and canton
of Solothurn show the typical Swiss
attitude, that a museum must be visited
to be successful. They are a curious
public, and like to be educated about
themselves and their diverse Swiss his-
tory. The museum offers them a home
for the long and very strong tradition of
quality Swiss art.
How an exhibition comes together
The staff must remain open to all possi-
bilities. Once the direction for a show is
found, the museum begins its practical
work. First a loan is requested to fund
the exhibition. Then proper insurance
must be arranged to cover expenses
while the work is in transit and as it’s
exhibited. There are bills to be paid
by the Museum accountant. Contracts
must be drawn up for the loan of the
work. The Director must handle in-
house responsibilities for the collection
Behind the scenes at Kunstmuseum Solothurn.
and transport of works. There must be a
detailed record with accurate coverage
of the value of the art. Security must
be arranged. Installations, perfor-
mances, paintings and sculpture each
have their own demands and needs. A
maintenance team, security and techni-
cians add to the smooth handling of
exhibitions.
The list goes on and on. But a museum
deals with history in the form of art,
and history is never-ending. Its work is
to protect art, educate the public, and
be the bridge between the past and the
future. There is a belief in art that suc-
cessful work never shows the countless
hours of stress and struggle involved in
making a great work. Perhaps one can
say the same for a successful museum.
Under the hard work of Mr Voegele,
Ms Bieder and the staff, the Solothurn
Kunstmuseum stands as an impressive
of its local, yet world-class collection.
How an Art Museum Works
Monika Teal
is a professional
full time artist and
former university
art instructor in
the U.S. She has
exhibited in galler-
ies and museums internationally and
is the recipient of many prestigious
awards and honors. She maintains a
studio in Switzerland and also gives
private lessons to artists.
www.monikateal.com
[email protected] Solothurn
Kunstmuseum SolothurnWerkhofstrasse 30
4500 Solothurn
Tel: 032 624 40 00
www.kunstmuseum-so.ch
Opening times:
Tues-Fri, 11:00-17:00
Sat & Sun, 10:00-17:00
No set entry fee, donations welcome.
(further information on the website)
27
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Contributed byAndrea Pilot
In the German-speaking part of this
country, bakeries sell Gipfeli and not
croissants. In German, a Gipfel is the
summit of a mountain. Add the diminu-
tive ’i’ and you are describing the
little peaks at the ends of your bread.
Though both the Gipfeli and croissant
come from the long tradition of buttery,
nite differences between the two styles.
Gipfeli and croissants are both made
from laminated dough. A thick slab of
butter is enveloped in an equally thick
slab of dough, and then alternately
folded and rolled out until hundreds of
buttery layers are created. When the
dough is later baked in the oven, steam
escapes from the melting butter and
creates the airy rise in the centre of the
crescents while maintaining the thin
buttery layers.
A croissant is undoubtedly French,
from its tender, sweet insides, to its
truly Swiss, is a little harder to get to
precise and curved, but break through
that crisp exterior and you are greeted
with a slightly breadier texture, and the
butteriness is subtle but intact.
For me there is no better sound on a
Sunday morning than the crackle of a
buttery Swiss Gipfeli. Complement it
a smear of – perfection!
So who makes the best Gipfeli in Bern?
And where can you get it?
Of course, one of the barriers sur-
rounding Gipfeli is ease of access. We
all know Switzerland has some rather
draconian retail hours, so my hunt for
the best Gipfeli took me to the train sta-
tion on a Sunday morning to see what
I could get. Standing at the Treffpunkt,
all the bakeries were within a 200m
radius.
The criterion was simple: the Gipfeli
eater with tiny golden scales, as well
as buttery, and crisp. I brought in an
expert, Sam – born in the Entlebuch and
exposed not only to the sweetest, fresh-
est butter from the best Emmenthaler
cows, but also to the bakers who then
twirled it into a perfect buttery Gipfü.
I should also note here that Sam’s taste
test was blind, while mine was not. In
the interest of a fair result, his patriotic
duty to choose Migros was suppressed.
Café Eichenberger (1.40 francs): In
terms of value for money, this bakery
is a miss. The tiny buttery crescents
were elegant, but hardly satisfying.
Coop bulk bins, BIO Gipfeli (85 cents):
One bite into this small, dry Gipfeli
prompted Sam to exclaim: “This is the
health food one, right?” Dry, tasteless
and dull, the low price is not worth the
Crobag (1.50 francs): The newest
bakery in Bern’s main station selling
croissants in the French tradition. I
was sceptical, but curious to see if Sam
could tell right away that it wasn’t a
real Gipfeli. He couldn’t, but we both
exclaimed how delicious it was. Crisp
on the outside, with a tender, sweet
inside. Though a bit pricier than some
Swiss Gipfeli, it was delicious.
Reinhardt (1.40 francs): A delicious,
some of the others, nor as big, but a
good tasty crescent of bread.
Migros (1.30 francs): A big, beautiful
Sam knew immediately where it was
from, despite my efforts to disguise it
by cutting it into pieces. It wasn’t quite
as sweet as Crobag, nor as buttery as
Reinhardt, but it was big and crispy and
satisfying.
As far as value for money is concerned,
the Migros Gipfeli is your best bet.
It’s big and yummy and an excellent
vehicle for jam, or fresh Swiss butter.
If yo’re dashing through the main sta-
tion on your way to hiking or skiing in
the Oberland, the Migros TakeAway
also has the best hours, opening at
5:00 am Monday to Sunday. Apart from
the main station, honourable mentions
in Bern include Gipfeli from Glatz and
Bohnenblust, a favourite of most of the
natives I surveyed.
Ask at a Schweizer bakery counter for a croissant and you may be greeted with a smirk.
Andrea Pilot
is a lover of the
entire canon of
Swiss baked goods.
Raised in Canada
by a Swiss mother,
she obtained a
degree in humanities before going
baking and pastry. Since graduating,
she has been trying to bake the perfect
Mailänderli, coming to Switzerland in
pursuit of secret family recipes and the
world’s best butter.
The Best Gipfeli in Bern
Get Gipfeli on Sunday at the main station
The perfect Sunday breakfast
28
BER
N
million members and are pooled into
83 associated organizations. The asso-
ciation’s assignment is to motivate the
population to engage in a regular sport-
ing activity, thus establishing sports in
society as a contribution to better qual-
ity of living and health. Furthermore,
Swiss Olympic implements the Code
of Conduct into the Swiss world of
sports, which is based on Excellence,
Friendship and Respect.
Program of the BIBC
at 6:00 pm. The cocktail will be opened
by Andreas Rickenbacher, President of
the Government of the Canton of Bern
and Minister of Economic Affairs,
together with Roger Schnegg, Director
of Swiss Olympic. Following this
Jean-Luc Bivier, President of Hublot
SA, will talk about the activities of
of sports. Gian Gilli, Sport Director,
will speak about the Olympic Games
in London. The networking cocktail
will take place afterwards, when par-
ticipants can inform themselves about
Swiss Olympic and expat activities in
the Canton of Bern. Instead of the usual
guided tours, a surprised is planned.
From February 2013 additional infor-
mation on and registration for the BIBC
can be found on:
www.berneinvest.com/ibc13
Be aware seats are limited, and partici-
pants must register to attend.
www.berneinvest.com
www.hausdessport.ch
www.swissolympic.ch
Every year the Berne Economic
Development Agency (BEDA)
hosts the Bern International Business
on 14 March 2013 from 6:00 pm at the
House of Sports in Ittigen – the home of
Swiss Olympic.
The Bern International Business
Cocktail (BIBC) is the most important
networking event for the international
business community of the Canton of
Bern, attracting around 200 people
every year. Participants consist mostly
of executive leaders from Bernese and
international companies, commercial
attachés and ambassadors from the
embassies, members of international
schools and clubs in Bern as well
as representatives from politics and
administration. The idea is to facilitate
personal contact with potential busi-
ness partners or service providers in the
Canton of Bern.
An event in the spirit of sports
Each BIBC is held at a special location
and has a current topic as theme. The
upcoming event will be in the spirit
of sport. The House of Sports, home
of the Swiss Olympic association,
presents the perfect location for this
event. After this summer’s memorable
Olympic Games, participants will take
a trip down memory lane featuring the
highlights from London.
Swiss Olympic
As the name suggests, Swiss Olympic
is the national Olympic committee
and furthers international oriented
competitive sports. The association
also represents the interests of sports
under private law in Switzerland with
regard to public authorities, as well as
national and international organisa-
tions. Swiss Olympic is also the parent
organization of Swiss sport clubs. The
20,000 clubs nationwide count 1.6
After the Games is before the GamesBern International Business Cocktail 2013 at Swiss Olympic.
Contributed byBarbara Gnägi
The House of Sports
29
SW
ITZER
LA
ND
Restaurant zum blauen Engel
Contributed by Querida Long
The Restaurant zum blauen Engel won’t
leave you spoiled for choice; the menu
has only a few dishes on offer, but they
are all freshly prepared from seasonal
ingredients. Once we ordered, the
meat-eaters were brought an appetizer
of organic beef tartar, and the vegetar-
ians got a lovely beet and fennel con-
coction. When our meals arrived, we
all marveled at how beautiful the food
looked.
The vegetarians in the group were
delighted with their pumpkin ravioli
with mushroom sauce. Those who
ordered the seared duck breast with
polenta and autumn vegetables were
equally pleased. One lady, who ordered
the pork loin stuffed with a prawn on a
bed of Asian vegetables with a side of
coconut rice, raved that her food tasted
even better than it looked.
Although the dessert selections sounded
tempting, we decided on a selection of
house-made cookies to go with our
coffee. After all, we can order dessert
the next time we come. Hopefully the
weather will be nice and we’ll sit in the
garden.
ou could easily walk right past
this restaurant tucked into an
unassuming building in the Länggasse
quarter.
I was introduced to the Restaurant zum
blauen Engel on a girls’ night out. It was
cold and raining when we arrived, so we
passed through the garden that would
have been inviting in better weather
and went inside. We were given a warm
welcome and shown to our table.
The interior of the restaurant is abso-
lutely charming. It’s a small space that
feels cozy but not cramped, with low
lighting punctuated by the warmth of
Interesting details such as crystal chan-
deliers, exotic-looking antlers mounted
above the doorway and antique posters
keep the eye moving and give the decor a
touch of whimsy without being kitschy.
The tables were simple with crisp white
linens and silver candlesticks. We all
agreed that the ambience would also be
perfect for a romantic date.
The servers were friendly and attentive.
Our hostess recommended a white
Burgundy wine for our aperitif, and we
ordered a plate of antipasti to go along
with it. We lingered over our apéro as
we caught up with each other, and our
patient server had no problem with us
ordering in our own unhurried pace.
A heavenly dining experience.
(© w
ww
.zu
mb
lau
enen
gel
.ch)
The Restaurant zum blauen Engel is
moderately expensive (CHF 70-100 per
person), but defi nitely worth the price.
It’s a good idea to make reservations
and walk or take public transportation
from the main station because parking
in Länggasse is scarce. Tip: lunch is
less expensive, but equally delicious.
Restaurant zum blauen Engel
Charlotte von Gunten
Seidenweg 9b, 3012 Bern
031 302 32 33
www.zumblauenengel.ch
Hello Switzerland is a
great platform to introduce
your goods and services to the
growing international community
in Switzerland.
Publish
your advertisement here
and reach English speakers
in Switzerland!
For an advertising proposal or to become an official partner of our quarterly
publication contact Lukas Hayoz +41 (0) 61 206 9053, [email protected]
www.helloswitzerland.ch
30
Compiled byAnitra Green
The FASC News Sheet
A wonderful FASC weekend in
Oberhofen
It was a merry group that gathered at the
Park Hotel in Oberhofen, on the Lake
of Thun, in September – just right for
an FASC weekend with a central loca-
and service, banqueting room, a lovely
garden and even a minigolf course. And
we had it almost to ourselves. Friday’s
brilliant sunshine and an informal din-
ner and impromptu disco, led by the
“Bobby Dazzlers”, set the tone for the
whole weekend.
Saturday unfortunately was rainy,
which threatened to cast a damper on
our afternoon sports or anyone taking
a boat trip. Luckily our sports organiser
Claude is full of ideas, so we could
play table-tennis, darts and horseshoe-
throwing outside, and a simple form
of minigolf and a chocolate guessing
game indoors – all very light-hearted.
A superb gala dinner was followed by
dancing to the music of Carla and Alex,
and a huge tombola. Congratulations to
Ann Byrne (ASC St Gallen) who won
On Sunday most people went to visit
Schloss Hünegg nearby, a fantastic cas-
tle straight out of a fairy tale. But before
that it was prize-giving time in the hotel
lobby, starting with the winners of our
,
where ASC Basel was top. See the
website for the complete list:
www.fasc.ch/bowling
Winners of Saturday’s sports competi-
tions were as follows:
Indoor minigolf: team, ASC St Gallen;
queen, Joan Pert (ASC St Gallen)
Darts:
Coombs (ASC Fribourg); queen, Johanna
Baumann (ASC Toggenburg/Wil)
Table-tennis:
(ASC St Gallen); queen, Vera Scheer
(ASC Basel)
Horseshoe-throwing: team, ASC Tog-
genburg/Wil; king, Bob Howis (ASC
St Gallen); queen, Johanna Baumann
(ASC Toggenburg/Wil)
Chocolate guessing game: king,
Volker Scheer (ASC Basel); queen,
Vicky Bodmer (ASC Toggenburg/Wil)
Autumn Council Meeting
Representatives from all member clubs
but one were present at this FASC
Council meeting, held during the FASC
weekend for the second time. After the
successful Jubilee party in June, the
meeting decided it would be a good idea
to hold more joint events, and rapidly
drafted a programme for 2013, includ-
ing a ski weekend (see below), car rally,
golf tournament, and of course the
FASC weekend in September, for which
preparations are already in full swing.
Club representatives were able to swap
ideas on various aspects of club life at
four workshops, which proved even
more useful than last time, so they’ll be
extended in future.
We were delighted to welcome Imogen
Wiles, Deputy Head of Mission and
Consul General at the British Embassy
in Bern. She not only took part but also
presented the Maisie Bienz Cup to ASC
Lucerne, one of the founders of FASC
80 years ago. This cup is awarded to the
club that has been the most successful
during the past year and done most to
promote the aims of FASC, in memory
of one of FASC’s longest serving coun-
cil members.
Future events
A ski weekend in St Moritz is being
organized on the weekend of 8/10
of our treasurer, Francis Martin. We’re
staying at the Hotel Europa Champfèr,
and if you don’t want to ski you can
always go walking (with or without
snow-shoes) or enjoy the delights of
après-ski in the town.
Ten-pin bowling: annual FASC com-
petition – see our webpage for more
information!
Advance notice: FASC golf tourna-
ment, 6 September 2013.
The FASC has 14 member clubs all over
Switzerland offering a wide range of
activities in English for people of all
nationalities.
www.angloswissclubs.ch
www.fasc.chEnjoying an apéro in Oberhofen
MAX UMIKER AG
Your friendly local English-speaking garage!
16 St Jakobs St
4132 Muttenz
061 461 54 00
www.subaru-basel.ch
31
SW
ITZER
LA
ND
Contributed byKurt Metz
Hot Spots for Cold DaysSome hot tips on warm places to go, with a difference.
Looking for a few heart-warming
alternatives during the forthcom-
ing winter months; to putting your feet
keeping the blood circulating with the
aid of one or two stiff drinks?
How about visiting the Tropenhaus
at Frutigen in the Bernese Oberland?
The Tropical House is one result of the
construction of the Lötschberg base
tunnel linking Bern to Visp and the
upper Rhone Valley. When digging the
tunnel, almost 35km long, the miners
came across a spring producing about
70-100 litres of fresh water a second at
a constant temperature of 18C. If this
relatively warm water had been allowed
exit of the tunnel, it would have had
a tremendous negative impact on the
biosphere and the wildlife.
The challenge was to cool the tun-
nel water down to the ambient water
temperature of the river throughout the
year. Rather than expending enormous
amounts of energy in doing this, some-
one had the clever idea of using it to heat
large greenhouses for growing tropical
plants, fruit and vegetables, creating
the endangered Siberian sturgeon. A
nice – and pricy – by-product of raising
The Lötschberg base tunnel was opened
in December 2007, and the Tropenhaus
two years later. With the great advan-
tage of being independent of bad or
cold weather, it’s now one of the top
tourist attractions in the region. The
eye-opening and interactive exhibition
and the jungle-like greenhouses, where
small tropical animals live too. When
you get hungry, two restaurants await
you with products from the Tropenhaus
and local specialities. There is also a
shop, where one can buy fresh and dried
fruits as well as vegetables produced
onsite. Frutigen can be reached hourly
on the Lötschberg-train from Bern, and
it’s just a ten-minute walk to the site.
www.tropenhaus-frutigen.ch
A somewhat similar operation is the
Tropenhaus in Wohlhusen, in the
canton of Lucerne. The source for heat-
ing here is the compressor station of
the international natural gas pipeline,
running from Rotterdam to Italy right
gas takes it journey through the Alps,
it needs to be compressed to the maxi-
mum and then pushed up the gradients.
These processes produce heat, which
is used to keep the air at the right tem-
perature for over 100 tropical plants.
The Wolhusen site is slightly older than
the Frutigen one and has no particular
islands and a tricky discovery game.
www.tropenhaus-wohlhusen.ch
Warm throughout the year is the
Papiliorama at Kerzers, about mid-
Bern. Here literally thousands of but-
branches or nestle in the trees. The huge
species and colourful birds one would
otherwise never see or hear.
www.papiliorama.ch
Hot is the key word at the Glasi in
Hergiswil, the glass manufacturer on
the shores of Lake Lucerne just a few
miles south of the city. Here glassblow-
ing is an art, and the artists can be
seen at their work throughout the week
including Saturdays. If you are still
looking for an original Swiss Christmas
gift carefully and professionally made
out of glass, this is the place to visit.
www.glasi.ch
All four places can easily be reached by
public transport, and all but the Glasi
are part of the RailAway specials with
reduced fares and entrance fees.
www.sbb.ch
www.railaway.ch
NOTE: Previous issues of Hello
Switzerland mention these venues
(Tropenhaus spring 2011; Glasi sum-
mer 2012).
Kurt Metz
Communications
consultant for
the tourism and
transport indus-
tries, irregularly
publishing articles
on topics he likes such as travelling,
food and drink Papiliorama
Glassblowing at Hergiswil
MAX UMIKER AG
32
SW
ITZERLAND
Contributed by the Hello Switzerland Editorial Team
Discover Switzerland: Museums
From Jurassic fossils to life in
Palaeolithic times; from glaciers
and mountains to ethnography; from
cheese and chocolate to vineyards,
art – housed in buildings ranging
from ancient castles and antique mills
Switzerland has a museum for them all.
Perhaps a common feature running
through all these museums, in whatever
part of Switzerland, is a desire to make
them accessible to the public, both
locals and visitors – and in particular
to present them as a well-used venue
where Swiss children can learn about
their heritage and culture.
Passport to Swiss Museums
This gives you free admission to 445
museums throughout Switzerland.
It’s available in an annual version for
Swiss residents, and a monthly version
the monthly Passport by visiting just
three museums. With the adult Passport
under 16 years of age with you for free.
Annual Passport holders receive a
periodic newsletter listing all the newly
associated museums and the temporary
exhibitions.
Swiss Museums Association
With more than 750 institutional mem-
bers, the Swiss Museums Association
represents the interests of all museums
in Switzerland and Liechtenstein in
encounters with authorities and the
public. It promotes contact between
museums, sets standards and serves
as a forum for ideas and exchanges of
experience.
Their latest app for the iPhone, Swiss
Museums, is a multimedia guide giv-
ing direct access to 1095 geo-located
museums, by name, by canton or by
category. Useful information includes
opening hours, nearby transit stations,
and disabled access. Follow the link
from the Swiss Museums Association
website:
www.museums.ch
We present here each of our Editors’
personal choices of museums to visit
in their area. To ring the changes, we’re
starting in Geneva and then moving
around the Swiss regions in a counter-
clockwise direction.
French-speaking Switzerland
Geneva
Geneva has more than 30 museums
for a visitor to choose from, ranging
from the famous International Red
Cross Museum (currently closed for
renovation, due to reopen in 2013), to
the Patek Philippe Museum with its
extraordinary collection of watches.
The Martin Bodmer Foundation,
comprising Library and Museum, is
set in the prestigious neighbourhood of
Cologny (on the south side of the Lake).
The collection includes “approximately
200 Western and 100 Eastern manu-
scripts, many of them rare or unique
of many of Shakespeare’s works, and
Principia
Mathematica. Well worth a visit,
and the view from the terrace of this
museum overlooking Geneva is nothing
short of spectacular.
Just outside Geneva you can visit
CERN* to see The Globe of Science
and Innovation. This building is 27m
high and 40m in diameter – or about the
size of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica
Universe of Particles exhibition “takes
the visitor on a journey deep into the
world of particles and back to the Big
Bang”.
(*Centre Européen de Recherche
Nucléaire, the European Laboratory
for Particle Physics, and home to the
famous Hadron Collider)
The Geneva Tourism website has an
excellent explanation of all the muse-
ums under the one website. Check out
the Geneva Pass, which allows entry to
over 50 tourist attractions at preferen-
tial rates for 24, 48 or 72 hours.
www.geneve-tourisme.ch
Vaud
Vaud has many famous museums
across the entire canton, including the
International Olympic Museum in
Lausanne, the Château de Coppet
(celebrated as the home of Madame
de Stael), and the Swiss National
Museum
and has a beautiful park alongside it,
together with a kitchen garden. The
museum depicts life in Switzerland in
the 18th and 19th centuries. In March
2013 the museum will unveil a brand
new permanent exhibition.
www.musees.vd.ch
The Toy Museum in La Tour de Peilz
near Vevey is a must for both families
Switzerland has more museums per capita than almost any other country in the world.
Precious manuscripts at the Martin Bodmer Foundation (© fondationbodmer.ch)
33
SW
ITZERLAND
and adults. Here you can discover
games from all over the world such
as Mah-Jong from China, Awari from
Africa and many more. There is a
room purely dedicated to card games,
and another with a collection of slot
machines.
www.museedujeu.com
Valais
Visitors to Sion have the choice of three
museums to visit throughout the year:
the Museum of Nature, the Museum
of History situated in the castle
perched on a vertiginous hill overlook-
ing the Valais, and the Museum of Art.
All of these museums also hold tempo-
rary exhibitions in a fourth building:
l’Ancien Pénitencier (old prison) in the
heart of the old town.
This temporary space is an extraordi-
nary venue and, in particular, one to
view art. The prison has been kept in its
original form, and the works of art are
set in the old cells with the thick wooden
doors and peepholes still in place. The
current (temporary) art exhibition at
this building runs until 6 January 2013
and is called Welcome to Paradise. This
shows the work of an artists’ colony
in the Valais: the School of Savièse,
which was named after a hillside vil-
lage overlooking Sion and has become
synonymous with the phenomenon
of the colonisation of artists marking
the entire Central Valais around 1900.
Among these artists were Ernest Biéler,
Raphy Dallèves and many more. The
vibrant colour and richness of these
paintings are a contrast to the austere
and simple backdrop of the prison. For
information on all three museums:
www.musees-valais.ch
Catherine
If you’re passing through Martigny,
perhaps on your way to Verbier or the
Grand-St-Bernard pass, don’t forget to
visit the iconic museum housing the
While
planning to build a house to rent in
early 1976, engineer Léonard Gianadda
discovered the remains of an ancient
Celtic temple, the oldest of its kind in
Switzerland. On 31 July of that same
year, his younger brother Pierre died
tragically in the aftermath of a plane
crash while seeking help for his fellow
survivors. Léonard built the museum as
a permanent memorial to his beloved
brother, creating the Foundation as a
cultural centre around the temple.
Since its inauguration in 1978, the
Gianadda has presented an eclectic mix
of art and artifacts: the permanent col-
lections comprise vintage automobiles,
the Gallo-Roman museum and the
Chagall court, with a delightful sculp-
ture park in the gardens. Temporary
exhibitions have included the major
Impressionists (many on loan from
the Pushkin in Moscow); the current
exhibition features works by Van
Gogh, Kandisky and Picasso (until 25
exhibition devoted to Leonardo da Vinci
is planned. The ultra-modern exterior
of the building belies the beautifully
acoustic space indoors, which apart
from its permanent displays is used as
a stylish venue for the performance of
chamber music.
www.gianadda.ch
Italian-speaking Switzerland
The picturesque canton of Ticino,
with its balmy semi-tropical climate,
boasts over 60 museums with two
Monte
San Giorgio and the three castles of
Bellinzona). Because of the luminous
quality of the light, the area was, and
still is, a Mecca for artists. Ticino’s
cultural institutions include museums
modern; local produce such as chocolate
writers and poets like Herman Hesse;
and all aspects of cultural life relating
to the only Italian-speaking part of the
Confederation. These are all listed on
the Ticino website (also in English):
www.ticino.ch
A good example is the Museo Cantonale
Established in 1987,
the museum houses a collection of
works representing a cross-section of
the history of art over the last two cen-
turies, from local to international level.
In addition to the preservation, study
and enlargement of the collection, the
research. The number and quality of
resulting exhibitions – from painting
to sculpture, photography, architecture
and graphic art – make the museum one
of the landmarks of the cultural scene
between Ticino and Lombardy.
www.museo-cantonale-arte.ch
International Olympic Museum in Lausanne (© swiss-image.ch)
34 Perhaps one of the most beautiful loca-
tions for a museum is in Ligornetto,
situated close to the Italian border
below the southernmost end of Lake
Lugano. Museo Vincenzo Vela is one
of the most important artists’ house-
museums to have been erected in 19th
century Europe. It was conceived by
the great realist sculptor Vincenzo Vela
from Ticino (1820-91) at the height
of his career, and transformed into a
public museum after it was donated to
the Swiss state. In addition to Vincenzo
Vela’s gallery of monumental plaster
casts, it includes the bequests of the
sculptor Lorenzo Vela (1812-97) and
painter Spartaco Vela (1854-95), a
remarkable collection of 19th century
paintings from Lombardy and Pied-
mont, hundreds of autographed draw-
ings, and one of the earliest private
collections of photographs in
Switzerland.
The collection is housed in a charm-
ing but impressive Italianate villa,
surrounded by delightful parkland (a
“natural discovery garden”) planted
with yews, camellias, roses, lily ponds,
cypresses, sweet chestnuts and oak
trees. Designated as a “museum for
everyone”, the Museo Vela is proud
of its innovative approach to culture
and education. One project dear to
Vincenzo Vela’s heart was to create an
art school in his home, a place to train
museum therefore focuses on establish-
ing a dialogue with schools, families,
adolescents, tourists and visitors from
all walks of life, as well as scholars and
anyone interested in art.
www.museo-vela.ch
Romansh-speaking Switzerland
The easternmost canton of Graubünden
lists no less than 105 museums. As
might be expected in this very moun-
tainous area of Switzerland, many of
the smaller museums are dedicated to
depictions of local rural life, customs
and artefacts. The larger towns such as
St Moritz, Davos, Chur and Klosters
contain various art galleries, all listed
on the website (English):
en.graubuenden.ch
Located in the idyllic village of Sils
Maria, above St Moritz, the Nietzsche
House has been open to the public since
over seven summers from 1881. For him
the surrounding landscape provided
peace and quiet, and enabled him to
concentrate. He worked on a number
of books during this time, in particular
part 2 of Also Sprach Zarathustra –
whose key idea of eternal recurrence
came to him in a moment of inspira-
tion on the shores of Lake Silvaplana.
This former holiday cottage houses a
permanent collection of eclectic objects
as well as putting on temporary exhibi-
tions modern art.
www.nietzschehaus.ch
Caroline
German-speaking Switzerland
Zurich area
Belonging to the city of Zurich and
located in a lovely park in Wollishofen,
the Rietberg Museum specializes in
non-European art. The permanent col-
lection includes 1400 Indian miniature
paintings, over 200 Luristan bronzes
BC, and a wide range of masks, from
Cameroon, Japan, and Melanesia,
as well as carnival masks from
Switzerland. The collection of Chinese
art, including Buddhist statues, funer-
ary bronzes and Ming and Qing Dynasty
paintings, is one of the most important
in Europe. However, the museum is
currently remodelling the Chinese
galleries, so they are closed until mid-
January 2013. Like most museums, the
Rietberg has far more works in storage
than on display in the galleries, but all
of its three-dimensional works, includ-
ing jewellery, masks and statues, are in
“visual storage”, available to be viewed
in glass cases.
By the time you read this, and until
10 March 2013, the exhibition entitled
Chavín: The Arrival of the Gods in the
Andes will feature the latest discoveries
from Peru about the Chavín, called the
mother culture of the Andes.
The restaurant is excellent and seems
to attract its own lunchtime clientele;
there is also a Japanese tearoom.
www.rietberg.chNietzsche House in Sils Maria
Museo Vincenzo Vela (© www.museo-vela.ch)
35
SW
ITZER
LA
ND
Kulturama – Museum of Mankind
offers an overview of evolution, from
ammonites and dinosaurs, to present-
day humans. The museum is very
visual and in some cases, hands-on,
which is helpful if your German is
weak and you’re not afraid of dinosaurs.
The life-size models of early humans
are particularly striking, as are the
comparisons of human, bird and other
mammal bones.
The museum always has a special
exhibit, usually for several months
or even a year. Until 17 March 2013
this is Neuromedia, an exploration of
the relationship between art and sci-
ence, featuring videos and interactive
sculptures.
www.kulturama.ch
Hirzel is a charming little town up the
hill from Wädenswil whose claim to
fame is being the birthplace of Heidi’s
creator, Johanna Spyri. The school that
Johanna went to as a young girl has
been converted into a museum in her
honour – the Johanna Spyri Museum –
with pictures of her family and her
former homes in Zurich, examples of
many of the products that Heidi has
inspired over the years, and versions of
Heidi’s story into several of the dozens
of languages it has been translated into.
This is not a museum you can spend
the whole day at – least of all because
it’s only open two hours a week – but
if you’re looking for a little Swissness,
this is a good place to start.
www.hirzel.ch
The Centre for Photography in
Winterthur is two museums in one:
The Fotostiftung Schweiz (Swiss Photo
Foundation), focusing on Swiss photog-
raphy from its beginnings to the pre-
sent, and the Fotomuseum Winterthur,
which has an international outlook.
The current exhibition (until 3 March
2013) at the Fotostiftung is Swiss pho-
tographer Andreas Seibert’s Huai He
– The Colours of Growth. The dramatic
photos taken along this 1000-kilometre
river illustrate that China’s economic
growth is overshadowing and even
destroying growth in nature. Two
exhibitions are now (until February
2013) at the Fotomuseum: photographs
collection, and Yto Barrada: Riffs,
bringing together photographs, videos
and sculpture in a subversive look at
Barrada herself is from Morocco.
www.zentrumfuerfotografie.ch
Zug area
The Kunsthaus Zug collection
includes works from artists based in
Zug and elsewhere in Switzerland, as
well as other contemporary and recent
European artists. From 8 December to
10 March 2013 it presents Alfred Kubin
– The Last Adventure. A graphic artist
and author, the Austrian Kubin was
illustrator of books by such authors as
Dostoyevsky and Poe. The exhibition
of some 150 works showcases both ele-
ments of his career.
www.kunsthauszug.ch
Allison
Basel area
Basel boasts more museums per
square kilometre – about 40 in 37 sq/
km – than any other city in Europe.
Art Museum, the
Beyeler Foundation, the Tingueley
museum and so on. But that’s not
counting museums in Basel-Land like
Augusta Raurica (Roman remains)
in Augst, or in Germany like the Vitra
design museum in Weil-am-Rhein, or
in France like the Crystal Museum
in St Louis. They range from the
expected: natural history, historical,
antique; to the unlikely: sports, phar-
macy, cartoons, the graveyard museum
at Friedhof Hörnli; to the totally
unexpected, like the Frog Museum
in Münchenstein and the Hoosesagg
(trouser pocket) museum, which is just
a showcase in someone’s front door.
www.museenbasel.ch
One of the most charming is the
Papiermühle, the Swiss museum for
paper, writing and printing. Housed in
a splendid old mill next to the Rhine
with a working mill-wheel driven by
a small tributary, just inside the city
wall (still intact at this point), it was
recently renovated and revamped, with
impressive collections not only of print-
ing presses – still functional – but also
printed works from the time printing
a working museum, and you can buy
the products in the shop; it also holds
courses in printing and making decora-
tive paper, and special tours are on offer
for school classes. The building itself
is a museum piece: a superb, ancient
half-timbered construction built as a
corn mill and then used as a paper mill
1924.
www.papiermuseumn.ch
Way out in Basel-Land at Seewen is the
museum of musical automata (Museum
für Musikautomaten), which started
as a private collection in a barn. The
collector Heinrich Weiss and his wife
items, and the collection includes the
long-lost Britannic organ, sister ship
to the ill-fated Titanic. The museum is
The Paper Mill
36
SW
ITZERLAND
now in the hands of the Swiss confeder-
ation and housed in an air-conditioned
building above the village. It’s one
of the world’s largest collections of
Swiss music boxes, disc music boxes,
musical timepieces and jewellery, and
other mechanical musical automata.
The display of fairground organs in the
reception area is so nostalgic it makes
you weep, the singing birds are beauti-
ful, and the automaton of a naughty boy
trying to steal sweets is quite hilarious.
www.bundesmuseen.ch
Finally, if you’re missing the sea, visit
the Verkehrsdrehscheibe (transport
hub) shipping museum, downriver
towards Kleinhünigen, just short of
Three Countries Corner. It started life
as an exhibition called “Path to the Sea”
in the 1950s, and shows just how impor-
people realize Basel is Switzerland’s
only commercial port, importing a lot
of mineral oil, building materials and so
on via the Rhine. Even more fascinating
to learn is that in 1936 you could take
a ship direct from Basel to London!
There are lots of illustrations of the
Rhine before it was channelled, Swiss
ships and how they were constructed
in the whole collection is a bone ship,
an incredible and rare model made from
bones and wood by prisoners from the
www.verkehrsdrehscheibe.ch
Anitra
Bern area
There are many museums in and around
Bern, but nowhere is museum density
higher than around the Helvetiaplatz.
Within a few minutes’ walking distance
interesting museums.
Immediately noticeable is the castle-like
building that is home to the Historical
Museum of Bern (Bernisches
Historisches Museum), with its impres-
sive variety of permanent exhibitions
from near and far dating from the Stone
Age to the 20th century, as well as
remarkable temporary exhibitions. One
temporary exhibition in 2005 focused
on Albert Einstein’s life in the context
of world history and later became the
Einstein Museum, which is located in
the Historical Museum. Both museums
offer audio guides in English.
www.bhm.ch
NB: The Einstein Museum is not to
be confused with the Einstein House
at Kramgasse 49 in the Old Town
of Bern, which is where Einstein
was living when he discovered the
theory of relativity. At press time the
Einstein House was closed until further
notice due to severe water damage.
Just across the square, but housed in
a building more easily overlooked
is the The
exhibitions, lectures and events in this
museum look at the Alps’ historical
tourism, science and other aspects of
life. The Alpine Museum reopened
in March after a renovation to give it
a more modern feel – relief maps and
artefacts are now artfully displayed
glass display cases. A new addition to
the museum is the restaurant las alps
which specializes in Alpine cuisine
beyond fondue and raclette.
www.alpinesmuseum.ch
Opposite the Swiss Alpine Museum is
the Kunsthalle, which exhibits con-
temporary art by local and international
artists. In addition to displaying the
art, the Kunsthalle also offers lectures
and discussion groups to help visitors
understand the art.
www.kunsthalle-bern.ch
Heading away from the Helvetiaplatz
Swiss
where you can discover
the history of the sport of shooting;
and the Natural History Museum
where you can visit Barry, the famous
St Bernard rescue dog who died nearly
200 years ago but whose legend is
still very much alive. One block over,
on Helvetiastrasse, the Museum of
Communication is full of interactive
exhibits examining the ways people
communicate.
www.schuetzenmuseum.ch
www.nmbe.ch
www.mfk.ch
Of course not all the museums in Bern
are located around the Helvetiaplatz. On
the edge of town near Ostermundigen is
the The wavelike
building by renowned architect Renzo
Piano is a work of art in itself. Inside
the museum is dedicated to the work of
one of the most famous artists ever to
have lived in Bern, Paul Klee. Zentrum
Paul Klee also features temporary
exhibits from other artists, lectures,
readings and concerts. If you’re feeling
inspired, you and your children can
create some artwork of your own at the
www.zpk.org
The work of another famous artist
at the Psychiatrie-Museum Bern on
the grounds of the Waldau psychiatric
addition to the art created by the men-
tally ill, you can see exhibits illustrating
the progression of psychiatry through
the centuries.
www.psychiatrie-museum.ch
Try the Museen Bern app for your
iPhone to have the latest information on
Querida
Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern
37
ROMANDIE
Collated by the Romandie Team
Romandie Roundup
Allocated Seating on easyJet
of this magazine going to press, the
company were set to roll out allocated
seating across its network, including
which now have allocated seating,
should have received a communication
what they need to do.
Ski Passes Discount
-
ing discounts at the end of October
– some offers continue through until
early December. For example, you can
enjoy a 10% discount on a Portes du
Soleil pass for any order made before 9
December 2012. If you have a favourite
ski resort, it’s worth checking their
website out for special offers and early
season discounts.
Panto time again. Oh yes it is!
Readers quick off the mark might
be able to catch a performance of
Sinbad the Sailor, the pantomime to
be performed by the Geneva Amateur
Operatic Society in Petit Lancy in
1 and 2 December.
www.gaos.ch
Visit Santa Claus on the mountain
Lapland to visit Father Christmas.
ber you can take your family to visit
him in his house, perched in a grotto
Montreux (at a height of 2042m). The
chance to meet Father Christmas is
one of the many events organised by
the Montreux Christmas Market. This
market spreads right along the lakeside
and attracts thousands of visitors each
year.
http://montreuxnoel.com
Books set in Romandie for Christmas gifts
Looking for books set in Romandie for
Christmas gifts? There are many to
choose from, such
as Hotel du Lac by
Anitra Brookner,
set in an unnamed
town somewhere
along Lac Léman,
or Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley,
where much of
the story takes
place in Geneva. Henry James’s Daisy
Miller
Chillon in the novel. And more recently,
Murder in Geneva by local author D-L
-
lance writer who “specialises in history
and who must solve a very old puzzle
and a brand new murder”.
Best Village in Romandie and Best Restaurants in Vaud
L’illustré, one of the weekly magazines
in French for the Romandie area,
recently ran a competition among its
was the most beautiful village in
Romandie. From the 35 villages nomi-
nated, the village of Evolène in the Val
d’Hérens was declared the winner. To
see the full article, go to the website and
type in “Evolène” in the search button.
-
lage in English on page 43 of this issue.
www.illustre.ch
L’Hebdo magazine recently published
the results of the best restaurants in
Vaud according to the GaultMillau
guide 2013. From the Auberge de
l’Union in Arzier, to the Café des
Banques in Geneva, the results make
interesting reading! To see the results of
this survey visit their website and type
in “GaultMillau” in the search button.
www.hebdo.ch
New Sports and Cultural Centre at Brillantmont School
In October, Brillantmont School in
Lausanne celebrated their 130th anni-
versary and at the same time, inaugu-
rated a brand new sports facility called
the Francoise Frei-Huguenin Sports
and Cultural Centre. With the facility,
students now enjoy a massive range of
sports right on campus. Members of the
public will be able to attend a series of
events at the cultural centre throughout
the year including a “Room to Read”
event on 18 December.
www.brillantmont.ch
Père Noel at Rochers de Naye
38
ROMANDIE
Contributed by Rashida Rahim
The Last of the Night Watchmen
It’s night. The silhouette of a man
with a dark, wide-brimmed hat and
carrying a lantern is spotted from
afar, pacing the belfry of Lausanne’s
moves slowly from corner to corner – to
-
ers the lantern and raises his hands to
his mouth to boom: “C’est le guet! Il a
sonné le dix… Il a sonné le dix” (It’s the
watchman: it has rung 10, it has rung
10) over the slumbering city.
or the start of a crime novel.* It’s what
the watchman of Lausanne is licensed
to do 365 days a year between the hours
of 10pm and 2am, upholding a unique
tradition dating back to 1405.
In those far-off days, the watchmen of
Lausanne patrolled on foot, and then
also surveyed the city from the lofty
cathedral tower. The Cathedral watch-
man had the greatest responsibility,
because of the clear vantage point over
the surrounding area from the hill above
la Cité. His duty consisted not only of
lookout, but also extended to winding
the bell’s counterweight and raising the
by 54-year-old Renato Häusler: local
philanthropist, lantern-maker, and
part-time helper at an institution for
the blind and visually impaired with
mental disabilities. He and his band of
six guets ensure the custom continues
without fail. That’s not to say the role
was never under threat over the years.
In 1880 a decree announced that the
watchman would cease being on the
call time and rewind the bell mecha-
nisms. Again in 1960, the whole city
and media feared for their watchman’s
future when the city council automated
the winding of the bells’ counterbal-
ance, and thus opted to reduce the
hourly announcements from through-
out the night to their current, more
restricted hours.
Fortunately the time-honoured tradition
mysterious role, and asked how he came
to be entrusted with such a prestigious
and unusual activity.
Willy Annen, was recovering from
hip surgery. The responsibility for
climbing the 153 steps to call time fell
on volunteers. A friend of mine asked
if I wanted to help out. I did, and once
Willy returned many of the volunteers
left but I was asked to stay.”
The hours are atypical, the weather
can be unpleasant – what brings you
back night after night?
“The quiet and solitude. The privilege
of being alone in this huge building all
night, where I work and sleep. And the
idea that I’m perpetuating a tradition
going back over half a millennium.
It’s an honour to be able to hold a
position that has virtually disappeared
in Europe, but has been kept alive in
Lausanne despite the ever-changing
modernism of today’s society.”
The watchman’s room is wedged
between the massive bells of Marie-
you spend these hermetic hours?
“I work on Kalalumen – a project I
started in 2005. I create candle-lit
lanterns with the aim of providing a
magical and enchanting atmosphere for
shows, performances and weddings.
Over the years I’ve been commissioned
to illuminate cathedrals, festivals and
concerts – in Switzerland and as far
abroad as Monaco. I also listen to clas-
sical music and study the composers. At
present I’m annotating the music scores
of Beethoven’s symphonies to identify
the inner melodies.”
You’ve been a watchman for 25 years
– what memories stand out for you?
Salle du
Grand Conseil on 22 May 2002. After
the last call at 2am, I went to bed – there
is one in the small room if we want to
around 3am. I was completely unaware
of the drama unfolding. It was only
when I awoke and opened the small
shutters to check the weather that I saw
the immense amount of smoke, and the
devastation taking place right by me.
“The second was when all seven bells
rang continuously from midnight to
2am on 21 December 2009, because
no notice, as the annual Christmas
Midnight run had just taken place. I
assumed the bells had been commis-
sioned to ring to indicate the end. Then
I thought they must have been booked
One of Hello Switzerland’s intrepid reporters climbs high into the tower of Lausanne Cathedral
to find out about a unique tradition dating back six centuries.
The guet shouting the hour
(© Dushana Häusler, 2011 – photo
courtesy of the Canton of Vaud)
39
ROMANDIE
Rashida Rahim
British born but
Bengali-Italian
raised, Rashida
Rahim is the
eternal expat
currently residing
in Lausanne and despite being a
technical trainer, has strong leanings
towards all that is artsy-fartsy.
exceptionally to ring a full hour, but
then they wouldn’t stop! In the end I
called the emergency services and the
person in charge of the Cathedral, who
phone.”
How is the torch passed from
watchman to watchman? Could I
become one?
the post will be published and open
to applicants. The most important
qualities to have are punctuality, a
good strong voice, and to know how to
welcome visitors – but alas, the position
is for men only. Imagine the dangers the
watchmen had to endure in olden times.
Conditions were hard, with the threat
of bandits and brigands an ever-present
danger. It was not a women’s job.
And even though times have changed
and Lausanne may be open to a lady
watchperson, it’s not their decision to
make but that of the Confraternity of
European Watchmen.”
Although the role is the symbol of a
bygone tradition that has all but disap-
peared in Europe, one that is being kept
alive by the goodwill and support of the
Lausannois people, together with the
Watchman Association of Lausanne
Cathedral – there has yet to be a watch-
woman. Who knows, perhaps one of
our female readers in Lausanne with
a passion for keeping up ancient prac-
tices, a deep respect for Swiss tradition,
an alarm clock and a bit of gargling may
one day be the female guet of Lausanne.
Details and information on Renato’s
project of light are available at:
www.kalalumen.ch
*Editor’s note: The Watchers by Jon
Steele (2011) is a darkly Gothic thriller
based around le guet of Lausanne
Cathedral.
SIS Basel
+41 61 683 71 40
SIS Männedorf
+41 44 921 50 50
SIS Rotkreuz-Zug
+41 41 757 57 11
www.swissinternationalschool.ch
SIS Swiss International School
Bilingual Day School
from Kindergarten through CollegeInternational Education / Local Insight
English / German
Swiss Matura / International Baccalaureate
SIS Schönenwerd
+41 62 312 30 30
SIS Suhr
+41 62 842 97 07
SIS Tamins-Chur
+41 81 641 18 80
SIS Winterthur
+41 52 202 82 11
SIS Zürich-Wollishofen
+41 43 399 88 44
SIS Zürich
+41 44 388 99 44
For information about the intangible
heritage of the Canton of Vaud (in
French and German), as well as other
photos relating to the guet of the
Cathedral of Lausanne, see:
www.patrimonie.vd.ch
www.lebendige-traditionen.ch
40
ROMANDIE
Contributed by Catherine Nelson Pollard
No egos on the mountain
With the winter season now upon us,
and many readers aiming to venture
into the mountains to pursue winter
sports, Hello Switzerland interviewed
Terry Ralphs, a mountain guide who
lives and works in the village of Leysin
in the Vaudoise Alps.
With years of guiding experience
behind him, Terry gives his
advice on safety in the mountains, how
to keep warm in the cold weather, how
he passes on his guiding skills to other
he also tells us about the sport of icefall
climbing.
what the client wants so that they can
take that person to the correct place,
and with gentle encouragement help
them achieve their goal.
What standards should we look for
in a guide?
Most importantly they should be a
member of the International Federation
of Mountain Guides Associations
wearing these badges on their jackets.
The IFMGA is a globally recognised
federation that upholds standards in
guiding and ensures quality assur-
ance. It is a legal requirement for all
Mountain Guides in Switzerland to be
IFMGA members.
How did you get into climbing?
I’m from Stoke on Trent in the UK, and
from a young age I began to climb any-
thing and everything, like playground
walls. When I joined the Scouts, a
group of us raised some money and
bought some very basic climbing
equipment. We travelled to the Peak
District to do some basic, simple top-
roping: climbing a rock face with the
rope always anchored above you. If you
fall, it’s usually only a few feet before
the rope catches you, minimising the
risk of injury.
At college I was also encouraged to
climb by an enthusiastic teacher. I then
progressed to a mountaineering club at
Leeds University, where we climbed in
After university, I knew climbing was
the only thing I really wanted to do,
but was aware it would be more of a
lifestyle choice rather than a way of
making money. Most mountain guides
are in the profession purely for the love
of it. So I went on to be an apprentice in
a national centre for outdoor pursuits in
Wales. Even though it was unpaid, it did
teach me instructional skills on how to
look after people in rock climbing and
higher mountain climbing. This then
led me to work as a freelance instruc-
tor for a trekking company based in
the Himalayas for some six years. I
consolidated a lot of skills during this
time, learning about working with peo-
ple and different kinds of mountains. I
then joined the British Mountain Guide
Training scheme to gain accreditation,
which allowed me to work in regulated
countries throughout the world.
The life of a mountain guide.
Why use a guide for mountain sports?
The main reason is probably the obvi-
ous one: for safety and security. The
guide lives and works in the mountains,
so they’ll know the best conditions and
routes to take their clients for skiing or
climbing. The other reason is to max-
imise your time. This is an essential
commodity for today’s busy profession-
als, so the guide can help you make the
most of your trip, whether for just a day
or a full week.
What makes a good guide?
Egos are useless on the mountains.
A good guide is a calm one, who has
empathy with the client. They listen to
Terry Ralphs
The team in Kyrgyzstan (© T Ralphs)
This is a two-part series on Terry
Ralphs. In next year’s Summer issue,
Terry will tell us how to get the most
out of the mountains in the warmer
weather, how the “Mountain Hut”
system works, which huts are suitable
for family climbing trips, and which
mountaineers he admires.
41
ROMANDIE
Training mountain guides takes up a lot
for the British Mountain Guides. I’ve
been extremely lucky to be involved
with the Mammut Mountain Guide
Training Project in Kyrgyzstan. In a
way Kyrgyzstan is like the Switzerland
of Central Asia – it’s 90% mountainous,
has three peaks over 7,000m and many
virgin (unclimbed) peaks. The Mammut
Mountain Guide project, which started
in 2008, aims to support the Kyrgyz
Mountain Guide Association in train-
ing their guides. Mammut (the Swiss
clothing company) have been very
supportive of the project as part of their
social responsibility approach to busi-
ness. We hope the Kyrgyz Mountain
Guide Association will soon be granted
membership of the IFMGA.
Could you explain the courses you
offer in icefall or cascade climbing?
In winter most Alpine valleys have
waterfalls that freeze. The sport
involves climbing these waterfalls with
two axes, crampons and ice screws. In
good ice if you screw one of these into
the ice it may hold up to 1500 kilos in
weight, but in bad ice it will pop straight
out. So judgement of the ice conditions
is very important in waterfall climb-
ing – you need to know the ice is ok
to climb. It can’t be too cold as the ice
becomes too brittle; the best tempera-
ture is probably between -1 and -10C.
Last winter was a really good one for
ice climbing. There was one waterfall
(Pisse Vache) near Martigny, forming
in the Rhone valley and usually only
appearing every twenty years – it was
superb.
Icefall climbing has become a very
popular sport since the late 80s, and
the tools to climb have evolved to such
an extent that it’s now much easier to
climb. But the sport’s very popularity
has brought its own problems. If you’re
climbing, you can’t follow in somebody
ice down from above. It’s too dangerous
to be below another team – this results
in a lot of waiting around or searching
for other ice climbs. It’s a great sport
Icefall climbing (© T Ralphs)
Terry gives Hello Switzerland readers some tips on mountains safety
Climbing
For amateurs climbing with friends but without a guide, take
your time trying to achieve your objectives: don’t rush into
them. Make sure the conditions are correct and if they’re not,
always have a plan B more suitable for you. If you’re trying to
get experience on the mountains, start off with the shorter
routes well within your technical ability. The smaller routes
give you that buffer so you have plenty of time to get to your
destination and to safety, should you run into trouble. The key:
lots of preparation and understanding the conditions.
Although technical ability is important, the major cause of
most accidents is being in the wrong place at the wrong time,
whether avalanche or rock fall. This usually this means you
haven’t done your research. Avalanches are difficult to predict:
you have to be defensive on your approach, such as keeping
off steep slopes. I’d really recommend taking a ski technique
and avalanche awareness course run by an IFMGA guide.
Getting to the top
Accidents in the mountains can have many causes. Climbing
any mountain, novice climbers have their eye on the top and
they push hard because they are goal-orientated, using all
their energy in the ascent. What they don’t realise is they
need at least as much for the descent. It’s not unusual to take
longer descending some mountains (e.g. the Matterhorn)
than ascending them. Vigilance and concentration all the way
down are essential, and that’s very difficult when you’re tired.
Then your decision-making can be flawed and you start taking
short cuts. You need plenty of reserve for the descent.
Keeping warm in the mountains
Have a good breakfast, carry a flask with a hot drink in your
back-pack, obviously put on warm clothes, and keep the
extremities warm: head, hands, feet. The trick is not to get
cold in the first place: put another layer on before you need to,
monitor yourself so you’re not standing around in the cold –
whether ice climbing, skiing or simply being in the mountains.
If you’re skiing with someone and they get cold, get them
indoors as soon as you can. The danger is being unaware of
the cold – then you start getting the “hot aches” which can be
extremely painful. Keep moving all the time: don’t just turn off
the “engine”, but keep it constantly ticking over.
Terry’s website has links to all the relevant climbing and
mountain associations, avalanche risk warning sites, up-to-
date Alpine ice conditions etc.
www.mountain-guide.co.uk
ISM (International School of Moun-
taineering) based in Leysin. The
work is adventurous, challenging and
extremely rewarding. I’m also involved
with the local Leysin Mountain Guides
bureau.
42
RO
MA
ND
IE
Catherine
Nelson-Pollard
is British, living in
Nyon, and writes
about expatriate
issues for various
UK and Swiss
publications. She can be heard on
World Radio Switzerland, Thursdays,
18:10, talking about expat life.
www.catherinenelson-pollard.com
Blogs: www.livinginnyon.com
http://the-perpetual-expatriate.
blogspot.com
Leysin Academy of Switzerland and
the Swiss Hotel Management School.
It’s a typical Swiss town but also has
an international feel to it; there’s plenty
going on.
Leysin is still in an area where in winter
and you can be very quickly immersed
in nature. Bigger mountain resorts in
Switzerland can be so busy, so it’s not
and probably one of my favourite, but
you really need to know what you’re
doing.
Switzerland?
I like living in Leysin itself as it is a
great place to be based in. It has plenty
of traditional Swiss charm and a popu-
lation of around 4,000. It also has the
Leysin American School, the Kumon
most climbers, this is what it’s really all
about – being high in the mountains
above it all, and being in contact with
nature.
Skitouring the Haute Route (© T Ralphs)
Le sens de l'effort et le respectd'autrui qui amène chaque élèveà l'épanouissement de sa personnalité
Une école de vie
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43
RO
MA
ND
IE
This year the magazine L’illustré ran a contest among its readers
to fi nd “le plus beau village romand”.
The Beauty of Evolène
Contributed by Catherine Nelson Pollard
The village of Evolène in the Val
d’Herens won the top prize for
many reasons: its situation, its beauty,
and the fact there are still many tradi-
tions that are kept alive in the village by
its citizens. This summer the Romandie
editor was lucky enough to watch the
mid-summer fair parading through the
village and she took some photos of the
event. From the children going to school
in the old school bus, to the gathering of
the harvest, to mountaineers dressed in
traditional climbing gear and the vil-
lagers dressed in traditional costume, it
was a joyous event and one that readers
if they are in the Valais.
For more information on the village,
see:
www.evolene-region.ch
Florimont : The schoolCatholic co-educational francophone day school, open to all faiths,
Institut Florimont offers general education based on both the French
(baccalauréat sections ES, L, S) and the Swiss systems
(Swiss maturité and with option bilingual).
Full programme of extra-curricular activities.
School transportation and restaurant.37, av. du Petit-Lancy – 1213 Petit-Lancy – Genève
Tél. : +41 (0) 22 879 00 00 – www.florimont.ch
www.benedict-basel.chDufourstrasse 49 / Aeschenplatz, 4052 BaselTel. +41 61 284 96 86, [email protected]
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45
ZURICH
Compiled bythe Zurich Team
Zurich Roundup
Christmas Markets
The weatherman decided to get Zurich’s
winter started early this year, with a
big snowfall at the end of October. But
the season really begins when all the
Christmas markets open – and there are
plenty!
The biggest is the Christkindlimarkt
in the main station, which is indoors
and of course, easy to reach. Open every
it has about 150 stalls with food, cloth-
ing, jewellery, ornaments and toys from
around the world. The centrepiece is the
Christmas tree, reaching almost to the
roof, bedecked with 7000 Swarovski
crystal ornaments.
The market seems to spill out onto
Bahnhofstrasse, although in fact the
Bahnhofstrasse market is separate.
It’s illuminated with LED lights that
twinkle above the street. Follow these
to Uraniastrasse and you’ll come to yet
another market, at Werdmühleplatz.
This one has only a few stands, but
its highlight is the Singing Christmas
Tree. Members of different children’s
choirs climb onto the tree-like structure
every evening at 17:30 and 18:30 and
Saturdays and Sundays at 14:30 and
15:30 and give a Christmas concert.
From 7 to 23 December, continue along
Uraniastrasse across the river and into
the Niederdorf
oldest Christmas market in the city. Stalls
and at the Hirschenplatz and Rosenhof.
Continue from there along the Limmat
to Bellevue
“Charming Christmas at Bellevue”
market. This is a good place to get
refreshments if you need some.
Another market is a tram ride away:
the third Wollishofer Wiehnachtmärt,
at the end of tram line 7 runs from 30
music and donkey rides, along with a
candle-making stall and mostly hand-
made articles for sale.
Ready for Summer?
Summer is a good time for weddings
and travel, and that makes January a
good time to make your plans. If you’re
getting hitched in 2013, be sure to
check out the Wedding Fair. Over 200
exhibitors showcase everything you
need for your big day, from venues and
of course – the dress! Last year, over
8000 people attended (and about 40,000
weddings took place in Switzerland).
12-13 January, Messe Zürich.
www.olma-messen.ch
Holiday Fair, where
you can get some great ideas for
how to spend some time and money
after or instead of getting married.
Airlines, hotels, tour guides, car rental
companies – all will be there to tempt
you away from grey Zurich. The guest
country is the Maldives.
31 January-3 February, Messe Zurich.
www.fespo.ch
Kapital
ongoing exhibition is perfect for anyone
who is or would like to be rich. The
exhibition focuses on merchant traders
in 13th century Venice and 17th century
Amsterdam, the earliest capitalists,
whose practices are not too different
from those of the present day. Until 17
February.
www.landesmuseum.ch
Zurich’s Christmas market (© swiss-image)
The Doge of Venice receives the Dutch
Ambassador (17C)
46
ZURICH
Contributed byAngela Cipullo and Deja Rosa
MyGirlfriendGuide
Whether your latest Facebook pro-
card or grandma’s daily photo update,
it’s wonderful to send your family and
friends overseas adorable photos of
your expat life. They love watching the
little ones change and grow and sneak-
ing a peek at where you live.
As if your kid’s expressions alone were
not adorable enough, Girlfriend Guide
caught up with children’s photographer
Clare Breheny for some tips on bring-
ing creativity and variation to your
pictures.
Clare’s work is known for being natural
and relaxed. As she told us: “The most
important thing is to get the children
and family interacting with each other
and the place they’re in. This creates
a more genuine, natural situation. It
helps the children ignore the camera
(and stop putting on those silly faces)
and prevents parents from having to ask
them to smile one more time.”
Together, we’ve outlined suggestions
for family-friendly outings and photo
tips to help your special family day
memories last a lifetime.
Scenic Delights
All around Zurich are beautiful views.
Whether it’s a family walk along the
Kinderwagen-friendly Wanderweg or
a strenuous uphill hike with a view
from dad’s shoulders, a refreshing day
may be spent exploring Switzerland’s
and trails.
Clare’s photography tips
-
dren and photograph them interacting.
Remember to stand still while taking
the picture, for a nice, sharp image.
landscape and also zoom in for some
close-ups of the kids. The combination
works really well in a photo book.
your camera on self-timer and prop it up
on the buggy. Or, use a gorilla pod, a
small bending mini tripod that will grip
your buggy handle or a nearby branch or
know what will be in the shot and then
place the family members in the shot.
for your group shot – using layers and
building a triangular shape with family
members looks great (and kids always
love standing on things and climbing on
your shoulders).
kids change and grow with the seasons.
Mark the calendar to visit the same spot
each season and see how different eve-
ryone looks each time while admiring
the fall leaves, winter snow, and spring
blossoms.
Girlfriend Guide location tips
Spend the day outdoors following the
Planetenweg Trail: an educational and
exposing forest paths, great views and a
model of the solar system.
Play Areas
Full of bright colors and plenty of
activities to keep the kids entertained,
play areas are great for taking photos.
Outdoors or indoors, capture the
essence of play and your child’s joy in
the simple pleasures of swinging, slid-
ing, crawling and climbing.
The best places to capture memories of your children around Zurich. Clare’s photography tips
areas to add a creative dimension to
your photographs.
the different perspectives available to
you. Be waiting at the end of the tunnel,
crouch underneath the netting ...
Girlfriend Guide location tips
Quartiertreff Enge, Kollerwiese Park,
Planeta Magic Wadenswil
Kinder City Volketswil
Starbie Spielhalle Dietikon
Kidsmeetingpoint Baar.
Iconic Zurich
Everyday shots are perfect, but if you’re
yearning to dive deeper into the Zurich
scene, try these ideas:
swans on the Limmat, grab a shot with
the Fraumünster and Grossmünster in
the background.
clear day to photograph the beauti-
ful backdrop of the snow-capped
mountains.
-
ture a surreal picture of your child right
on top of Zurich.
Hauptbahnhof. Visit on a day when the
sun is streaming through the high win-
dows for some really dramatic shots.
Want more tips? Girlfriend Guide
and Clare Breheny Photography have
teamed up to provide 90-minute talks
about how to take better pictures of
your children – with an iPhone or a
Angelica Cipullo
are co-founders
of MyGirlfriend
Guide, Zurich. Keep
updated on hotspots
in Zurich as well
as stylish Zurich wellness, fashion and
beauty tips and Girl’s Nights Out and
Ladies’ Spa Weekends.
www.mygirlfriendguide.com
(© Clare Breheny Photography)
47
ZURICH
Contributed byOlivia Coker
The Artist’s Reflection
Despite the diminutive structure
of the Kunsthaus Zürich, it is not
shocking to see the curators bow gra-
ciously before vast, unblemished white
walls. They gesture, almost impercepti-
bly with their eyes, to secret chambers,
where a few select vintages from the art
cellar are on offer.
As wine breathes, these fortunate sur-
face dwellers gaze out contentedly from
their loci — in Switzerland even art
must be “contented” — auras glowing
and pulsating with no offensive overlap.
The curators promise that in 2017, when
release a few more “acquisitions” from
the vaults for exposure to daylight … in
the proper space and time.
For now it is enough to relish the
exquisite contrast this respectful Swiss
immaculacy provides as a backdrop for
the dark matter of the Paul Gauguin
prints.
The visitor steps around a white pil-
lar, to be enveloped suddenly by the
-
ing in deep terracotta, pine, and myrtle.
The unbroken, eye-level march of the
60 prints, mathematically distributed
along the horizontal, is mesmerizing.
On the wall at the mouth of the cave,
Gauguin’s ghost has scrawled the theme
of the exhibit:
“L’œuvre d’art, pour celui qui sait voir,
de l’artiste.”
“For those who know how to see, the
condition of the soul of the artist.”
A lady nearby says loudly to her elderly
companion: “It’s the DARK SIDE of
Gauguin!”
True, Gauguin lovers revel in his lush
colors. Most of these prints are dark,
some even dingy – or of only one color,
with simple, woodcut lines. But on
closer examination, these are clearly
the same subjects that later evolved
into sculptures and paintings of more
substantial proportions and hues.
As promised at the door, unobscured
by the sumptuous Gauguin palette,
these subjects and their interpreter are
rendered transparent.
meditations on the purity of nature
so-called civilization. Even the yellow
are spiked by expressions of longing,
or the petty malice corroding everyday
joy.
The sinister, indiscriminate cruelty
of nature also stars in several prints,
most notably in the Oviri, Tahitian
for “Savage”, a term Gauguin used to
describe himself in his writings and
self-portraits.
Gauguin connoisseurs recall his utterly
unremarkable existential crisis, which
prompted him, remarkably, to abandon
into the doomed career of a would-be
primitive with teenage “brides”. He was
perpetually haunted by his guilty con-
science as a European sophisticate. All
this is revealed in the prints as nowhere
in his paintings or sculpture.
We take our artists as we do our fami-
lies, unconditionally. If not for their
they would not have the freedom to
articulate what we, the stalwarts of
society, smother or conceal. They cre-
ate guideposts, peeking up above the
enigmatic paths ahead of us. Gauguin’s
and superstitions tugging at our own
souls.
Some personal thoughts on the exhibition entitled “Paul Gauguin: The Prints”.
Olivia Coker
is a freelance writer
and speaker.
Gauguin woodcut – Noa Noa (1893)
This exhibition is highly recommended.
Entrance to the museum is reasonably
priced at CHF 18.
Paul Gauguin: The Prints
Kunsthaus Zürich
Until 20 January 2013
Opening times:
Sat/Sun/Tues 10:00-18:00
Wed–Fri 10:00-20:00
Closed Mondays
Check out the website for concessions
(also in English) – for example, children
under 16 go free:
www.kunsthaus.ch
48
ZURICH
Contributed byMary Seidler
Expat Women Entrepreneurs
I am seeing a new trend: the explosion
of expat women entrepreneurs –
and set out to build a business around
it. It makes me think of the Confucius
saying: “Choose a job you love, and you
will never have to work a day in your
noticed the trend. The place was thick
with women, launching and running
their dream venture. My attention was
caught, and I wanted to learn more.
At the exhibit table for Expat Exchange
I met my old neighbor and friend,
Louisa Schibli, the founder of this
Swiss information website. Louisa had
moved back to the States about seven
years earlier, yet her website was thriv-
ing. I still have the pen inscribed with
xpatxchange.ch that she handed me
while our little boys played at the lake
in 2004. Back then the Internet was
just taking hold as a source for infor-
mation. Louisa saw how expats could
on the opportunity. She told me how
she enjoyed sitting down with a cup
of coffee at her home computer each
morning to spend time working on the
website.
www.xpatxchange.ch
At another Expo table, Assem Klamm-
steiner handed me a delicious soup
sample. She talked about planning to
open Simply Soup Restaurant-Take-
away, which she did in February 2012,
as a fast food alternative in Zurich.
Simply Soup offers international soups
made daily of only the freshest, sea-
sonal ingredients for eating in or taking
away. Based on her enthusiasm and
complete devotion to serving superb
soups, I think she found her dream, and
the option of unique soups.
www.simplysoup.ch
Fans of the Zurich Comedy Club
productions and The IMPROVables
shows have seen the talented work of
the actress Sylvia Day, so when I saw a
table introducing Junior Improv classes
and workshops for young children,
I was not surprised to see Sylvia.
“Children are natural improvisers,”
reported Sylvia. Through games, Junior
Improv improves listening, concentra-
life skills. Sylvia mentioned that these
classes were launched with the goal of
providing a fun place for her young son
to learn together with other children. I
admired her clever plan to combine her
did not stop there. She now has a solo
show – described as “Carol Burnett
and 16 at the Töpferei in Zurich.
www.juniorimprov.ch
www.sylvia-day.com
Another table was displaying beautiful
Indian textiles made by Kanal Shah.
Kanal learned the tradition of Batik
from her mother, and is committed to
preserving and sharing this craft. To
this end, Kanal now markets her designs
and teaches Batik courses. Coming
from an academic background, she
told me this was a big change, but she
felt she must try being an entrepreneur
to purse her passion and give herself
freedom, or she would regret it forever.
www.kanalshah.com
An introduction to some very enterprising women in Zurich.
How do all these women become
entrepreneurs in Switzerland? It turns
out another woman entrepreneur,
Désirée Steinmann, has made helping
entrepreneurs her niche and now offers
the VIP (Very Inspired Performers)
Team Workshops to help start-ups and
young businesses. This is a seven-
month guided process, which teaches,
supports and motivates participants to
drive their business plans to success.
Tammy Fuery of FueryCoaching wrote:
“The VIP course has helped me get my
business off the ground in Switzerland
in a way that I would have not been able
to do by myself.”
www.steinmann-international.com
fureycoaching.com
Who knew Switzerland would be such
a fertile place for expat women to start
a business? It just requires the vision
Like the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu
(604-531 BC) wrote in The Way of Lao-
tzu: “A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step.”
Mary Seidler
enjoys Swiss life in Thalwil with her
family and Swiss dog, an Entlebucher
Sennenhund.
Kanal Shah, scarf-maker, at Expat Expo
49
ZURICH
Contributed byAllison Turner
Book Review
I love crime novels and I love books
set in places I know well, so I had
high hopes for Behind Closed Doors –
book in what promises to be a series of
crime novels featuring Beatrice Stubbs,
by Zurich-based JJ Marsh.
is in Zurich leading an international
team investigating a series of murders
that had previously been ruled suicides.
who had made their fortunes in highly
unethical ways – victims, but far from
innocent. Marsh intersperses the inves-
tigation with a recounting of how each
murder actually happened, keeping the
action fast-paced and, frankly, making
me a little nervous that she lives so
close to me.
Marsh also brings Zurich to life so
well, from the sights to see to the early
lunchtimes, that I had to double-check
that Big Ben, the English tearoom she
city as JJ Marsh is to the world of crime
An online review by Elizabeth Perrat
from France is equally enthusiastic.
“The plot is as intricate as it’s inspired,
and the conclusion daunting. The
heroine is a refreshing change from the
usual, tired-out detective hack. If you
enjoy high quality crime novels, you’ll
be looking out for the next Beatrice
Stubbs story.”
Behind Closed Doors by JJ Marsh
A thriller set in Zurich
JJ Marsh
Behind Closed Doors by JJ Marsh
(first published 2012)
ISBN: 9783952397
Available as a print-on-demand from:
www.amazon.com
www.amazon.co.uk
Also at Orell Füssli or see:
www.beatrice-stubbs.com
For Kindle version see:
www.amazon.com
www.amazon.co.uk
www.smashwords.com
You can read more about the author
on www.goodreads.com
50
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Compiled byAllison Turner
Zug / Lucerne Roundup
Christmas in Lucerne
Lucerne is lovely at Christmastime!
Enjoy the markets in the train station, at
Hirschenplatz and at Franziskanerplatz.
Or take a guided stroll through town,
in the evening when it’s all lit up for
Advent, to learn about local Christmas
customs. Meet every Saturday in
December at 16:00 at Jesuitenplatz for
a tour in German, or request a private
group tour any day, in English or several
other languages. Also not to be missed
is the 75th Lucerne Sternsingen. On
23 December, follow a choir through
the old town as they sing traditional
Christmas songs. It begins at 17:30.
“Live on Ice” returns to Europaplatz
(the plaza in front of the KKL Luzern).
Skating is free for all and is lit up by the
work of internationally renowned light
artist Gerry Hofstetter. Remember,
when the background is beautiful, even
falling looks elegant! Until 2 January.
The boats on the lake don’t sail as often
in the winter as the summer, but don’t
think that means that winter’s not a
great time for a cruise. The city lights
look spectacular when seen from, and
Sleep in an Igloo
When it’s cold and snowy out, make
the most of the snow by sleeping in
it. Several locations in Switzerland,
including Engelberg-Titlis, offer an
overnight you won’t forget: sleep-
ing in an igloo. Since seals and even
served cheese fondue instead. Unlike
traditional Inuit villages, this one has a
sauna and a warm whirlpool. When the
weather is right, night-time snowshoe-
ing is also part of the programme.
www.iglu-dorf.com
Fasnacht time in Zug
Easter comes early next year, so
Fasnacht will be from 7 to 12 February,
with parties and parades. The unique
Zug element is Greth Schell, an old
woman who carries her drunken hus-
band home through town in a basket
on her back. Call out “Gret Schellebei”
to her and her seven jesters, on the
Monday of Fasnacht week.
…and Lucerne
Same dates, different traditions.
Lucerne wakes up at 5:00 on Thursday,
and parties and parades almost non-stop
from then until Tuesday night, when it
dress up and join the action and fun.
Engelberg’s Iglu-Dorf
Fasnacht in Lucerne (© swiss-image)
51
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Contributed bySarah Moore
I like surprises and I love Lucerne. So,
when the opportunity arose to take
part in an intriguing “great race”-style
adventure through this beautiful city it
was not to be missed.
“Foxtrail” is a paper chase that can take
you on foot, by boat, up the funicular,
and via several other forms of transport
through one of a number of different
trails in and around the city. Armed
with a series of clues, small groups
meet at a central location and set off
With a little discussion and head
scratching, this should yield enough
information to allow you to reach the
site of the next clue and so on for each
subsequent one. The chosen trails can
vary in length, but all are well-devised
and planned. The clues are challenging
enough to keep you on your toes, but
never so cryptic that the chase is at risk
of becoming frustrating. This fox may
be wily, but he’s never downright mean
and he certainly knows some beautiful
areas of Lucerne.
Our group’s cunning and steady leg-
work took us to parts of the city we
never knew existed – a lovely urban
park hidden behind a museum; a
funicular railway on the edge of one of
Lucerne’s suburbs; a ghostly building
with a hidden past; a hillside stroll with
stunning mountain views, and then a
plunge down into a forest alongside a
watercourse before being led back down
into the old town for the last few clues.
This was not the Lucerne you would
ever know as a tourist, or possibly even
after living here for some years.
Having successfully tracked the fox
(have I mentioned that we were the
apéro and a comparison of the trails.
The groups were made up of expats of
various nationalities and lengths of resi-
dency in Switzerland, who very quickly
bonded through the shared experience
and the opportunity to compare notes.
Provided you’re armed with a comfort-
able pair of shoes, a bottle of water and
a desire to see a city in a very different
way, “Foxtrail” is a great way to play
tourist in your own town.
Discover a different way to explore Lucerne.
Feeling foxy?
Sarah Moore
recently moved to Lucerne from
Australia and is mum to three boys.
research for 14 years as a project
manager and medical writer.The fun of the Foxtrail
The 20 October Foxtrail Paper Chase
in Lucerne was one of the regular
events Packimpex organizes all over
Switzerland. All are welcome; for
information about upcoming events
see: www.packimpex.ch/events
Foxtrail is the most thrilling paper-
chase in Switzerland, always making
you think outside the box. Operating
in various regions of Switzerland, the
Foxtrail-fox does everything in his
power to cover up each of his tracks.
These consist of one deviously devised
task after another, each successful
solution enabling you to close in on
him. No matter which trail you follow,
Foxtrail will create a different experi-
ence every time. Entire enterprises,
clubs and societies, flocks of tourists,
as well as private groups – all will be
baffled because of the persistently
enigmatic clues thrown up by the cun-
ning fox.
52
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Rigi Kaltbad – The View from the Top
The sign-posted trail from Rigi-
Scheidegg (1661m) to Rigi-Kaltbad
(1453m) offers you a constantly pano-
ramic view of the surrounding Alps.
It’s a pleasant hike along a wide and
level trail, following the old train tracks
that once connected the two peaks.
If and when there is snow, the trail is
machine-packed daily so you can easily
panoramic view extends from Mount
Saentis in the East to Mount Titlis and
the Central Swiss Alps, and from there
to the Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau in
the West. Using binoculars, you can
even see as far as the Black Forest in
Germany on a clear day.
Once you arrive at Rigi-Kaltbad,
you can enjoy the Mineralbad & Spa,
designed by internationally renowned
architect Mario Botta and newly
renovated in July 2012. Soak up the
revitalizing, mineral-rich and balmy
indoor/outdoor waters, heated to 35C,
and including herbal steam baths and
saunas.
Health-seekers from all over the world
have been coming to the healing waters
of the Kaltbad, or “cold bath” mineral
springs, since the early 1400s. A brief
historical synopsis helps to explain the
century three nuns, now known only as
the “Three Sisters”, having had enough
of the misogynist ruler of their Arth
on Mount Rigi. There they nursed and
worked with the local farmers. After
their deaths, water suddenly began
of the pious sisters, the site became a
place of pilgrimage, where pilgrims
bathed in the pool of water now called
the “Springs of the Three Sisters”. The
tradition was to immerse oneself three
times, and then recite the Lord’s Prayer
In 1552, a small chapel was built on the
-
sure continues to be the natural source
of water for the Mineralbad & Spa.
Helpful Mount Rigi region links:
www.rigi.ch
www.mineralbad-rigikaltbad.ch
How to get there
The Mt. Rigi region is easy to get to
from all Swiss cities. The train journey
from Zurich, for example, takes only
from the train station at Arth-Goldau,
or by boat from Lucerne to Weggis or
Vitznau. From here you can ride on
Europe’s oldest electric cogwheel train,
dating back to the 1870s. The area also
boasts its own recently renovated aerial
cableway.
www.rigi.ch
A panoramic hike and a spa – the perfect winter combination.
Contributed by René Welti
René Welti
American/Swiss,
hiking guide, lives
in Lucerne and runs
native English-
speaking guided
day walks, hikes and bike tours from
Lucerne that Trip Advisor rates # 1 in
the Lucerne, Tours category. A guided
Mount Rigi panorama hike & spa
tour is offered daily through March.
www.echo-trails.com
The Alpine winter wonderland seen from Rigi
One of Rigi’s cogtrains
TICIN
O
Compiled by Caroline Thonger
Ticino Roundup
Christmas Markets
With Christmas approaching, during
the month of December large towns and
small villages are full of stalls, music,
lights, tantalizing odours of biscuits
and hot wine, decorated pine trees and
glittering windows. The squares and
old centres in Ticino dress up in their
of tiny lights and stars. A warm and
enchanting atmosphere pervades the
Italian-speaking part of Switzerland,
complete with Christmas music and the
scent of appealing delicacies made in
the local tradition. Whichever market
you choose, you’ll have the opportunity
for your loved ones.
Christmas markets in Ticino are called
mercato di Natale or mercato natalizio.
www.ticino.ch
Locarno on Ice
Every year the Piazza Grande in the
middle of Locarno is converted into a
huge ice-rink. Opening on 1 December
this year, it will remain a permanent
January. A full program of events is
on offer, including live music – and the
appearance of Babbo Natale, the Italian
version of Santa Claus. Of course the
rink looks most spectacular at night,
under the Christmas illuminations.
www.locarnoonice.ch
Risottata
One of the most important parts of the
Carnevale celebrations is the creation
of a huge Risottata, or pot of rice. In
the past, Shrove Tuesday was the day
when a meal was traditionally served to
the poorer citizens of the parish. Until
the end of the 19th century rice was
considered a luxury and rarely served
in the family. It was a meal for wed-
dings, and thus a special treat. Today
the charitable aspect has disappeared,
but the tradition still remains of huge
vats placed outdoors, with enough
food for everyone. Varying from place
to place, the traditional dishes served
can include gnocchi, polenta, or risotto
with luganighe, locally made little
sausages.
Full details of Carnevale events around
Ticino can be found at:
www.ticino-events.ch
FAI comes to Switzerland
FAI stands for Fondo Ambiente
Italiano, the Italian Foundation for the
Environment but usually referred to in
in April 1975 in order to contribute
to the protection, conservation and
enhancement of Italy’s artistic legacy,
natural heritage and landscape. FAI
came about as the result of a concept
proposed by Elena Croce – daughter
of the great philosopher Benedetto
Croce – who wanted to see an Italian
The list of FAI’s achievements over
the last nearly 30 years is impressive
indeed: 40,000 square metres of his-
toric buildings and nearly 3.5 million
square metres of landscape protected;
more than € 67,000,000 raised and
invested in restoration projects; and
There are now 80,000 FAI members
with 111 delegations across 20 Italian
regions. They have over 7,000 volun-
teers throughout Italy, with more than
500 corporate sponsors contributing
funds every year.
In the wake of the newly inaugurated
FAI International with connections
to similar organizations worldwide
FAI Switzer-
land
Lugano. We will be updating our read-
ership on the impact of this organiza-
tion on Switzerland’s cultural heritage
in a future issue of the magazine. More
information at:
http://eng.fondoambiente.it
Carnevale in Ticino
During the week of Shrove Tuesday (or
Mardi Gras), Ticino’s towns all vie for
attention as the best venue for carnival
celebrations. One of the most famous
takes place in Bellinzona. Following
the form of carnival celebrations in
northern Italian cities, this carnival
goes back to the 1860s, complete with
Rabadan,
next year’s vibrantly colourful annual
carnival in Bellinzona takes place
7-13 February. Every year the King
and Queen of the Carnival are chosen,
together with their courtiers. Stunning
costumes, parades through the streets,
bands, and special children’s events
all form part of the seven days of
celebration.
www.rabadan.ch
53
Risottata in Carnevale week (© swiss-image)
54
TIC
INO
Contributed byCaroline Thonger
Sipping a tiny cup of excellent Italian
espresso, I wait on the elegant ter-
race and gaze out over the lush gardens.
The hill can only be accessed from the
centre of Ascona up a narrow, steep and
winding road, but it’s well worth the
effort. From this high vantage point, the
autumnal haze cannot hide the stunning
views of Lago Maggiore and the islands
of Brissago. Behind me is the distinc-
the Bauhaus style of architecture, the
hotel and conference centre known as
the Fondazione Monte Verità.
the ETH in Zurich – the Swiss Federal
Institute of Technology. 20-25 high-
here every year, and in the past these
-
ners as speakers.
The building is also venue to smaller
symposia and seminars, as well as
being available to private individuals
for weddings, banquets and receptions.
The season runs from April to the end
of October, with most of the facilities
shutting down over the winter months.
The Foundation’s wide-ranging cultural
program, open to the public, focuses
together with an account of its unique
location as well as of the people who
came to visit.
I’ve come to meet Lorenzo Sonognini,
the Foundation’s irrepressibly cheerful
young Director, who took up his cur-
rent position only a year ago. We sit on
the terrace, looking out over the lush
gardens, while I ply him with questions.
Signor Sonognini has an interesting
background. Hailing originally from
Valle Verzasca – a picturesque hidden
valley above the tiny Lago di Vogorno
north of Locarno – he completed his
studies in environmental sciences at the
ETH in Zurich. He then went on to gain
an executive MBA, and managed his
own consulting company for the next
lists being an auditor for standards in
management systems (ISO-900), under
the International Organization for
Standardization. At the same time he
President of the Ethnographic Museum
in his native Verzasca.
So what made Lorenzo Sonognini
switch to hotel and conference man-
agement? “The post of Director was
announced in the press,” he tells me.
“And a friend of mine persuaded me to
apply.” He wrote the application letter
and promptly forgot about it, only to be
amazed some time later when he was
-
Monte VeritàA utopian colony founded above Ascona in 1900 has now become
one of Europe’s foremost venues for scientific symposia.
sequently successful interview. “It was
a daunting prospect,” he smiles,” but I
decided to try it out for a year.” Twelve
months on and despite the many chal-
lenges of the job, his initial enthusiasm
shows no sign of waning.
How Monte Verità was started
Before being given a conducted tour
around the hotel, conference facilities
and beautiful grounds, the Director
gave me a potted history of this fasci-
nating location.
Utopia
-
dinary utopian community, founded
over 100 years ago in 1900. The name,
invented by one of the community’s
founders Ida Hofmann, was an allusion
to the myth where “truth” is revealed
on mountaintops. Seeking refuge
from industrialised culture, anarchists
an alternative way of life based on
freedom, simplicity and new spiritual
values. They practised sun-therapy and
naturism, advocating a symbiosis with
nature that included being vegetarian.
Rejecting the rule of authority, capi-
talism and sexual taboos, the colony
became a magnet for the convergence
of ideas, movements and experiments.
Visitors
During the twenties and thirties, Monte
-
ers and rebels, but in particular artists
were: Rudolf von Laban, who estab-
lished a “School for Art”; dancers
Mary Wigman and Isadora Duncan;
Alsatian artist and sculptor Jean Arp;
Swiss and German expressionist art-
ists; writers DH Lawrence and Franz
Kafka; poet Hermann Hesse. Monte Verità’s Bauhaus hotel with Jean Arp’s sculpture
Director Lorenzo Sonognini
Eranos
One of the movements started at Monte
This was an intellectual discussion
group, meeting annually and dedicated
to the study of psychology, religion,
philosophy and spirituality – a set of
principles that persuaded Carl Gustav
Jung to collaborate with the group.
Much of his research into images of
archetypes was carried out at Monte
The Baron and the Bauhaus
In 1926 a German nobleman called
Baron von der Heydt, banker to the
former Kaiser Wilhelm II, acquired
German architect Emil Fahrenkamp
to build a hotel on the site in the
Bauhaus style. The Baron was one of
the greatest collectors of contemporary,
Oriental and primitive art. Fascinating
examples of his extensive collection
can be seen throughout the hotel. After
going through various phases, follow-
ing the Baron’s death in the mid-sixties,
the hotel was donated to the Canton of
Ticino. But his ghost is said to walk
about the hotel to this very day. His
remain a location where major cultural
place.
Completed in 1992, the comprehensive
renovation work (but with improve-
ments to the conference facilities
extending well into the new millen-
nium) has remained entirely respectful
to the Bauhaus style of the original
architect. Switzerland’s ICOMOS com-
mittee, made up of experts from various
sectors including heritage and tourism,
have awarded the building the title of
“Historic Hotel of the year” for 2013.
Monte Verità today
Hotel
My head reeling with images of naked
sun-dancers in the 1900s, Director
Sonognino then took me on a con-
ducted tour of the hotel itself, and then
the gardens. Inside, the restaurant is
modern but very stylish and consists of
various areas. Apart from an à la carte
section, a lounge bar and the panoramic
terrace I’d already experienced, the
hotel boasts a banqueting hall capable
of seating 400 people – and there’s even
a dedicated space in the gardens for
hotel has also run a restaurant on Isola
Brissago, famed for the excellence of its
cuisine.
Conference Facilities
The various seminar rooms provided
by the hotel bear witness to the echoes
of the past – among them the Eranos,
Fahrenkamp, Van der Heydt and
Mandala Rooms. All these are spa-
cious, light and airy, and well furnished
– some of them adorned with artifacts
from the Baron’s Oriental collection.
There is also an amphitheatre: this is
an ultra-modern auditorium seating
120 people in comfort, and provisioned
with state-of-the-art audiovisual and
simultaneous translation equipment
Museums
are its museums and archives, located
in the gardens. These include the
permanent exhibition by Swiss curator
and art historian Harald Szeemann
(who died in 1966). Entitled “Die
Bruste der Wahrheit” or “The Breasts
of Truth” (after the many-breasted god-
dess Diana), the exhibition is dedicated
to the rediscovered history of Monte
The Gardens
Six years ago a project was inaugurated
One of the villas (called Lorelei) was
converted into a teahouse, and Europe’s
only green tea plantation was created,
together with a Zen garden where
visitors can sit in contemplation, sur-
take even courses on the Japanese tea
ceremony.
simply to walk among the Baron’s
imported species of exotic trees from
China, Japan and the Far East. Don’t
forget to experience the Energy Path
winding through the grass: it’s believed
to promote physical and mental
wellbeing.
As it says in the brochure: “Monte
exchanging ideas, research, analysis,
introspection, creativity, activities,
or simply relaxing in a natural setting
steeped in history.”
Fondazione Monte Verità
(museum / conferences / hotel /
restaurant / gardens)
Via Collina 84, 6612 Ascona
Tel: 091 785 40 45
www.monteverita.org
TIC
INO
One of the seminar rooms
Japanese tea garden The energy path
govAccess GmbH, Forchstrasse 239, CH-8032 Zurich / www.govaccess.ch / Tel. +41 (0)44 388 71 77
As your Competence Centre we support you in following areas: International Human Resources Management Expatriate Management / International Assignment Contracts Coordination Social Security / Retirement Consultancy Information „Free Movement of Persons Switzerland – Europe” Operational support and trainings in all topics
57
EUROPE
Best of Both Worlds in BraunschweigA city of contrasts, with a mediaeval centre and a hi-tech environment.
While Braunschweig, or
Brunswick as it used to be
known as, probably wouldn’t be at
the top of your list of tourist destina-
tions, it’s a super little city with a lot
of charm. I was fascinated by the city
centre with its exciting mix of very
old and very new architecture, cheek
by jowl with more classic buildings.
There’s a good reason for this: it was
the last war, and, as in other cities, the
good burghers of Braunschweig found
it important to rebuild as many of their
beautiful old half-timbered, mediaeval
houses as they could.
pedestrian precinct in the centre, a
fabulous place for keen shoppers, is a
wonderful building that was probably
a rich merchant’s house, with painted
wooden carvings decorating the beam
ends at each level (it must be four or
ladies’ clothing. Another lovely build-
ing with a superb gateway to the sys-
tem of courtyards within is a students’
home: the façade may be the same but
-
ern, and tailor-made for student life.
The old squares are still there, with
their lovely fountains: there’s a fruit
and vegetable market on the Kohlmarkt
(cabbage market) on Wednesdays and
Saturdays, where you can also get
in unexpected corners, are modern
sculptures and bronzes – amusing,
unexpected, and a huge contrast to the
old buildings. And there are so many
choose. We reserved a table in one of
the most popular, Mutter Habenicht
(Mother Have-not), which was packed,
but the generous portions of food
(try their special fried potatoes) and
the beer were excellent, the service
friendly, and the atmosphere delight-
fully rustic and cosy.
Braunschweig has a long history. The
century: it was a logical place to build
a settlement, situated on the crossroads
of the north-south and east-west trade
routes on the River Oker, which was
navigable. The river was eventually
diverted to form a ring round the city
centre; it’s still there, and boating round
it is a popular pastime in summer.
There are also a lot of cultural events,
an aspect I didn’t stay long enough to
explore but intend to on a future trip.
The lion, which is the emblem of
Braunschweig and adorns its coat-of-
arms, is everywhere. An impressive
bronze of the Braunschweig lion keeps
watch on the beautiful main square in
front of Dankwarderode Castle; in fact
it’s a copy, and the original is in the
museum as it dates back to the 12th
century. It was commissioned by one of
the city’s most eminent rulers, Henry
the Lion, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria,
who was a power to be reckoned with.
There’s a charming story about Henry
and a real lion, which is supposed to
have left its claw marks on the wall of
the cathedral; you can still see them!
Braunschweig with its population of a
quarter of a million or so has another
claim to fame as well. It’s the site of
Germany’s oldest technical university,
founded in 1745, and it’s the country’s
largest research centre for all types of
Contributed byAnitra Green
technology, covering aerospace, agri-
culture, viruses, truck technology and
so on. It’s home to the national institute
for natural and engineering sciences,
and the highest technical authority
for metrology and physical safety
engineering in Germany. In fact it’s the
most R&D-intensive area in the whole
European Economic Area, investing a
remarkable 7.1% of its GDP in research
and technology. The whole district
is home to a wide range of industry,
including VW in nearby Wolfsburg,
which is a generous sponsor of many
projects in this region.
How to get there/around: by high-
speed train (ICE); the main station is
just outside the city centre. There’s
an excellent public transport system,
including trams through the centre.
www.braunschweig.de
Traditional inn in Kohlmarkt
The old bronze lion Bronze cats
What’s Going On In SwitzerlandDecemberBasel: Christmas market on
Barfüsserplatz & Münsterplatz. Until
23 December.
www.baslerweihnacht.ch
Locarno (TI): Locarno on Ice – a huge
skating rink becomes a permanent fea-
ture in the town, illuminated night and
day. Until 6 January 2013.
www.locarno-ascona.ch
Basel: exhibition of works by Edgar
Degas at the Beyeler Foundation in
Riehen, until 27 January 2013
www.fondationbeyeler.ch
1 DECEMBER
Basel: international exhibition of
minerals and fossils, everything from
collectors’ items to jewellery, at Basel
trade fair, Hall 4. Also on 2 December.
www.mineralien-basel.ch
Basel: Mother Goose, pantomime
performed by the Basel English panto
group at the Scala. At 14:00 & 19:30,
also on 2 Dec at 13:00 & 17:00.
www.baselpanto.org
Basel: last performance of Oscar
Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan in the
Beggars (Basel University’s English
Seminar drama group).
www.gaybeggars.ch
1 DECEMBER
Ticino: Christmas markets take place
all over the Lago Maggiore region
Until 31 December.
1-2 DECEMBER
Bern: Advent concert in the Münster.
Saturday at 20:00 and Sunday at 15:00.
2 DECEMBER
Zurich: Samichlausschwimmen in the
Limmat River. What could be more
refreshing than a December dip in the
river? Start at Pier 7 (near Bellevue) at
14:00.
www.samichlausschwimmen.ch
2-9 DECEMBER
Bern: Make your own candles on the
Waisenhausplatz.
www.kerzenziehen.ch
5 DECEMBER
Küssnacht am Rigi: Klausjagen – this
it all: tall lantern headgear, cowbells,
whips, and of course the good saint
himself.
www.klausjagen.ch
6 DECEMBER
Basel: comedians Patrick Monahan and
Loretta Maine at the Kuppel, presented
by the International Comedy Club,
20:00.
www.internationalcomedyclub.ch
Locarno (TI): Mercato di Natale
(Christmas market) in the old town.
www.ascona-locarno.com
7-9 DECEMBER
Geneva: The Escalade. Commemoration
of the heroic victory of the Genevoise
over the invading French Savoy troops
on 12 December 1602. Historical parade
in 17th century costumes. Geneva’s big
winter weekend festival.
www.escalade.ch
8 DECEMBER
Basel: procession of Santa Klauses
through the city centre on Harley-
Davidsons, ending at 15:00 on
Marktplatz with presents for children.
www.basel.com
8 -9 DECEMBER
Bern: Christmas market at the Köniz
Castle. Saturday, 10:00-19:00 and
Sunday, 10:00-17:00.
9-10 DECEMBER
Bern: Tattoo im Zelt, a Scottish music
parade straight from Edinburgh.
www.daszelt.ch
13 DECEMBER
Basel: Artwall vernissage, 18:30 at
Centrepoint, “An Artist in Basel” with
works by Cornelia Ziegler, well-known
for beautiful, often humorous pictures
drawn from life. Exhibition runs until
end-March 2013.
www.centrepoint.ch
Bern: English Christmas Carol Service
at the Heiliggeist Church. Begins at
19:30.
16 DECEMBER
Basel: traditional Christmas Carol
service, with Glühwein afterwards. At
the Pauluskirche, 18:00.
www.anglicanbasel.ch
Zurich: Silvesterlauf – 16,000 partici-
pants of all ages and levels run various
distances through the old town of
Zurich, many in funny hats or costumes.
www.silvesterlauf.ch
23 DECEMBER
Ascona (TI): Corsa di Natale – a fun
run for all: students and children,
families and singles, active and retired,
able-bodied and handicapped.
www.usascona.ch
26-28 DECEMBER
Bernese Oberland: Trychlen in the
Oberhasli is a very old custom of chasing
out the old year with a rhythmic march
to the sound of drums and cowbells.
www.haslital.ch
31 DECEMBER
Bern:
Bierhübeli.
www.bierhuebeli.ch
Zurich:
of Zurich. The area from Limmatquai to
festival of music, food and drink. After
www.silvesterzauber.ch
59
SW
ITZERLAND
2013January1 JANUARY
Interlaken: Touch the Mountains open-
air concert.
www.touchthemountains.ch
4 JANUARY
Zurich: Poetry Slam. A celebration of
the spoken word. Pfauen, 20:30.
www.schauspielhaus.ch
6 JANUARY
Nyon: Galette de Roi (King Cake)
traditional cakes made to celebrate the
hidden toy in the cake, you get to wear
the gold crown.
www.nyon-tourisme.ch
10-13 JANUARY
Lausanne: The Village Players present
Blue/Orange by Joe Penall at the CPO,
Croix d’Ouchy.
www.villageplayers.ch
12 JANUARY
Basel: premiere of Tchaikovsky’s
Eugen Onegin, a new ballet by well-
known British choreographer Richard
Wherlock. At Basel Theatre, 19:30.
www.theater-basel.ch
16 JANUARY
Bern: Brave New World as performed
by the American Drama Group Europe,
15:30 and 20:00 at the Theater am
18 JANUARY
Basel: Museum night, open door at all
local museums 18:00-02:00.
www.museumsnacht.ch
Horgen ZH: Burns Supper. 4-course
menu and ceremony, whisky-tasting
and live musician. Hotel Schwan, 19:00-
23:00. Also in Lucerne, 19 January,
Hotel Schweizerhof.
www.thewhiskyexperience.com
21 JANUARY
Basel: Swissbau, building and property
fair held every two years, until 25 Jan.
www.swissbau.ch
21-26 JANUARY
Grindelwald: World Snow Festival and
Ice Sculpture Competition.
www.grindelwald.ch
23 JANUARY
Zug: CH-uckles presents English
stand-up comedy. Acts TBA. Theatre
Casino Zug, 19:45.
www.chuckles.ch
26 JANUARY
Biel/Bienne: “Treberwurst Festival” in
Tüscherz, Lake of Bienne, sponsored
by the Swiss American Society Bern.
Pre-register:
Chateaux d’Oex: 35th International
Hot Air Balloon Festival. Balloonists
(aerostiers
their balloons in this exceptionally
beautiful part of Switzerland. Until 3
February.
www.chateauxdoex.ch
Basel: Vogel Gryff, traditional event in
and Wild Man (see page 23).
www.vogel-gryff.ch
Bern: The Bernese Chopin Society
welcomes Claire Huangci from the USA
to the Auditorium Martha Müller in
Zentrum Paul Klee to play works from
Mendelssohn, Bach and Chopin. 17:00
www.bernischechopin-gesellschaft.ch
27 JANUARY
Basel: exhibition of the late works
of the famous Swiss artist Ferdinand
Hodler, at the Beyeler Foundation in
Riehen. Until 26 May.
www.fondationbeyeler.ch
30 JANUARY
Lugano: More than 50 million people
have seen Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
Phantom of the Opera -
tacular new production comes to Ticino.
February1-2 FEBRUARY
Lugano (TI): Carnevale – Campetto la
Piana, Davesco-Soragno. Two evenings
of gastronomic delights and disco music.
Hot food served by Re Ciuchin e Regina
Sciepasciücc (the King and Queen of
Cooking in local dialect). Friday 19:00-
0200, Saturday 11:30-19:00
www.lugano-turismo.ch
1-3 FEBRUARY
Bern: MariNatal, a fair for marriage,
celebrations and birth
www.bernexpo.ch
1-9 FEBRUARY
Gstaad: Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad
music festival.
www.sommets-musicaux.com
2-12 FEBRUARY
Geneva:
presents La Traviata by Guiseppe Verdi.
www.geneveopera.com
6 FEBRUARY
Basel: Gatherings4Spouses meeting at
the Bottmingerschloss, 09:15-12:00.
www.mytown4you.com
7-12 FEBRUARY
Bellinzona (TI): Rabadan – a week of
colourful parades and costumes, in
celebration of Carnevale (see page 53).
www.rabadan.ch
8-9 FEBRUARY
Locarno (TI): La Stranociada – a typi-
cal Carnevale procession and celebra-
tion, taking place in the old town.
www.locarno-ascona.com
With famous soloists, chorus, dancers
and orchestra. Sung in German. 20:30,
Palazzo dei Congressi. Presale of tickets
in local stores (eg Coop and Manor), and:
www.ticketcorner.ch
31 JANUARY
Zurich: Art on Ice returns, with music
60
SW
ITZER
LA
ND
15 FEBRUARY
Basel: Ferienmesse (holiday and travel
fair).
www.baslerferienmesse.ch
Zurich: ZüriCarneval Zurich was one
of the last Swiss cities to embrace the
carnival spirit, but they’re making up
for lost time. Until 17 February.
www.zuerichcarneval.ch
15-16 FEBRUARY
Gstaad:
Festival featuring extreme winter
sports, pyrotechnics and loud music.
17 FEBRUARY
Liestal (near Basel): Chienbäse, tra-
ditional torch procession through the
town centre, 19:30 (see page 23).
www.chienbaese-verein.ch
18 FEBRUARY
Basel: Fasnacht, starting at 4 in the
morning, until 21 February. Procession
Mon & Wed afternoon, Guggemusik
concert Tues evening (see page 23).
www.fasnachts-comite.ch
20 FEBRUARY
Zug: CH-uckles presents English
stand-up comedy. Acts TBA. Theatre
Casino Zug, 19:45.
www.chuckles.ch
22 FEBRUARY
Basel: MUBA, annual consumer fair in
Basel, with fashion, food & furniture,
household & health, the Tower Run,
special guests and many other attrac-
(from 28 Feb), and Basel Holiday Fair
(until 24 Feb). Until 3 March.
www.muba.ch
Zurich: Salsafestival Switzerland.
Workshops, shows and the chance to
dance. Kongresshaus, until 24 February.
www.salsafestival.com
8-12 FEBRUARY
Fribourg: Traditional pre-Lent Festival
held prior to Ash Wednesday in the
historic Old Town.
www.frigbourgtourisme.ch
11 FEBRUARY
Zug: Greth Schell. Pity the old woman
with the drunken husband as part of
Zug’s Fasnacht celebrations.
12 FEBRUARY
Ascona (TI): Carnevale con Risotto –
the traditional way to celebrate carnival
in the Ticino.
www.locarno-ascona.com
14 FEBRUARY
Bern:
the Bärenplatz, 7:00 – 18:00.
Zurich: Cocktails & Cupcakes. Taste-
test some of the best cupcakes available
Girlfriend Guide Valentines Day event.
Come alone, with girlfriends, or with
your V-Day date for “dessert before
dinner”. 18:30-20:30
www.mygirlfriendguide.com
14-16 FEBRUARY
Bern: Fasnacht in Bern.
www.fasnacht.be
Global Innovation Index
The GII recognizes the key role of inno-
vation as a driver of economic growth
and prosperity, and acknowledges the
need for a broad horizontal vision of
innovation applicable to both devel-
oped and emerging economies.
Switzerland remains in the number 1
position in 2012.
Next in the top 10 rankings are
Sweden, Singapore, Finland, the UK,
the Netherlands, Denmark, Hong Kong
(China), Ireland and the USA.
More information, in the form of
expert articles and analysis:
www.globalinnovationindex.org
31 Jan-3 Feb: Zurich (Hallonstadion)
5-6 Feb: Lausanne (Patinoire de Malley)
8 Feb: Davos (Vaillant Arena)
Tickets available online from:
www.artonice.com
www.ticketcorner.ch
Art on Ice
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ITZERLAND
Voluntary Organisations & GroupsMoms In Prayer International
An interdenominational, Christ-
centered prayer ministry for women
desiring to pray for children and schools
from preschool to college/careers.
www.MomsInPrayer.org
www.momsinprayer.ch
Toastmasters International
Meetings in Basel, Berne, Geneva, Lau-
sanne, Zug & Zurich. English as a mother
tongue not required.
www.toastmasters.ch
BaselAmerican Women’s Club of Basel
organization with about 160 members.
Maintains library at Centrepoint with
over 5,000 English-language books.
www.awcbasel.org
Anglo-Swiss Club Basel
The ideal meeting place for cross-
cultural exchange, meetings usually on
Thursdays.
www.asc-basel.ch
Basel Childbirth Trust BCT
For English-speaking expectant parents
and families with young children. For
more information, contact:
www.baselchildbirthtrust.com.
Basel Cricket Club
Weekly training sessions on Thursdays
at the Gymnasium Münchenstein.
www.baselcricket.ch
Basel Irish Club
A meeting place for Irish people and
friends of Ireland.
www.baselirishclub.com
Boy Scouts of America
For boys of all nationalities, 11 to 18yrs.
Meetings, 19:00 Wednesdays (term-
time), International School of Basel,
Reinach. Steve Crump, scoutmaster,
Centrepoint
For English speakers of all nationalities
including local Swiss. With an English
book library, conversation groups in
seven languages and plenty of events
for the 800+ members.
061 261 2002
www.centrepoint.ch
Connexions Social Events Club
Organises social events and activities
for English-speaking adults of all
nationalities in the Basel region.
www.connexions.ch
English Seminar Choir
Open to all singers. Rehearses on
Tuesdays, 12:15-13:45, in the Grosser
Basel.
www.esc-basel.ch
English-Speaking Cancer Support
Group
Contact: Sue Style
0033 389 07 30 34
or Alwyn Hinds Merk
061 481 4767
Morris Dancing Group
Meets on Wednesdays in the Halle au
blé in Ferrette.
Squire: Pete Sandbach
Contact: Lizzie Gleaves
0033 389 07 86 01
www.chamerion.ch/ferrette-morris
Open Door
Zwingerstr 20 4053 Basel. For English
speaking families with young children.
061 361 171
www.opendoorbasel.ch
Professional Women’s Group, Basel
130 members. Meets on the last Monday
of the month.
www.pwg-basel.ch
SwitzerlandAmerican Citizens Abroad
The voice of Americans overseas: a
organization that represents the
interests of Americans living and
working outside the U.S.
ACA, 5 rue Liotard, 1202 Geneva.
022 340 0233
www.aca.ch
British Residents’ Association of
Switzerland (BRA)
Regional activities in Basel, Berne/
www.britishresidents.ch
British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce
based in Zurich, with chapters in Basel,
Berne, Central Switzerland, Geneva,
Liechtenstein, London, Ticino & Zurich.
www.bscc.co.uk
Day Away Association For Women
Sponsors breakfast seminars addressing
life issues from a biblical perspective,
with seminars in Zurich, Berne, Basel,
& St. Gallen.
www.dayaway.org
Federation of Anglo-Swiss Clubs
An association of English-speaking
clubs all over Switzerland, with a wide
range of social and cultural activities.
www.angloswissclubs.ch
Gymboree
Play & Music programme for newborns
and children of up to 5 years old in
Basel, Berne, Geneva, Zug and Zurich.
www.gymboree.ch.
Hash House Harriers, Switzerland
Popularly known as the drinking club
with a running problem, with kennels
in Basel, Berne, Geneva, Interlaken,
Lucerne and Zurich.
www.harrier.ch
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ITZERLAND
Swiss African Forum (SAF)
An innovative voluntary association
on African Integration working within
www.saf03.ch
Swiss American Society Berne (SAMS)
“For fostering close contacts between
the United States and Switzerland.”
Doris Miesch, VP – Administration
Rue des Genevrés 17, 1784 Courtepin
Swiss-British Society Berne
Meets about once a month for cultural
Contact: Regina Walter-Fuchs
SwissEnglish Services
Combines business promotion with net-
working in the English-speaking com-
munity.
www.swissenglish.ch
Upstage
English-language amateur theatre group.
www.upstage.ch
RomandieAmerican International Club
of Geneva
The AIC is a community of English-
speaking people living around Ge-
neva who are enriched by diverse
backgrounds and interests, and connected
by a common language.
022 910 25 80
www.amclub.ch
American International Women’s
Club of Geneva (AIWC)
With 700 members from 50 different
nations, speaking over 10 languages.
11 Route de Chêne, 1207 Geneva
022 736 0120
www.aiwcgeneva.org
American Women’s Club of
Lausanne
With its own clubhouse at Avenue
Eglantine 6, 1006 Lausanne
021 320 2688
www.aiwc-lausanne.org
Rugby Football Club Basel
Founded in 1975, now has 150 members
including juniors and women.
www.rugbybasel.ch
Savoyards: Gilbert & Sullivan
Society
For all G&S enthusiasts, with regular
meetings, singalong evenings, visits.
www.savoyards.ch
Scottish Country Dance Group
Meets every Tuesday at the Bettenecker
School in Allschwil.
www.scdgb.ch
Semi-Circle
Basel’s English-language amateur
drama group, with regular readings and
productions twice a year.
www.semi-circle.ch
BernAmerican Women’s Club of Berne
Founded in 1949, with a current
membership of around 150 women.
www.awcbern.org
ASK: All Special Kids
Berne Chapter of the Geneva-based
non-funded, volunteer parent network,
to support the families of children with
www.allspecialkids.org
Australia-New Zealand Contact Club
times a year.
tritt.bizland.com/anzcc
Berne Dancing Bears
American Western Square Dance Club.
www.squaredance.ch
Berne Cricket Club
For everyone who enjoys playing and/or
watching cricket.
http://berne.play-cricket.com
BERNnet
A network of English-speaking
professionals with a wide range of
expertise in English-language services,
media, and technical skills.
www.bernnetwork.ch
Canada Club of Berne
For singles and families who are from
or have lived in Canada.
www.canadaclub.ch
The Caretakers
English-language amateur theatre
group.
http://thecaretakers.ch
English Club Biel
Meets usually on Wednesday.
www.englishclubbiel.ch
English Speaking Club of Berne
A meeting point for English speakers
in Berne. Club bar open Thursdays &
Fridays from Eight till Late.
031 381 6364 (bar nights only)
www.englishclub.ch
English Speaking Playgroup/School
Founded as a playgroup for English
speaking children, the group offers
classes and examination courses for
children aged 3 – 18 years old.
www.esp-bern.ch
Fribourg Expat Woman’s Group
A new club with lots of activities and
free membership. Visit
http://fribourgexpatwomansgroup.com
kerri@fribourgexpatwomansgroup.
com
Friends of ISBerne
An extension of ISBerne’s Parent
Teacher Committee to develop a deeper
connection with the community.
www.isberne.ch
International Club of Berne
For people from all corners of the world
with English as the common language.
Rugby Club Berne
With teams for men and women. Plays
at the Allmend.
www.rugbybern.ch
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ITZERLAND
DigiFotoCH
Activity and discussion group for
anyone who has an interest in digital
photography.
www.mydigifoto.ch
The Elizabethan Singers
Perform English music from 1600 to the
present day. Director: Roland Johnson.
044 713 2194
www.e-singers.info
English Speaking Club Zurich
Meets several times monthly, with a
regular “open house” on the last Tues-
day.
www.escz.ch
“Expats-in-Zurich” Discussion List
A discussion list and resource center for
expats living in and around the canton
Zurich. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/
Expats-in-Zurich
A multi-cultural forum for members to
maximize their potential.
International Men’s Club (IMC)
Weekly round table at the Mariott
Hotel, monthly meetings with speaker
and dinner.
www.zimc.ch
International Club Winterthur
A lively club with 150 members from
more than 20 nations.
www.internationalclub.ch
Irish Club of Zurich
Monthly meetings. Contact:
Living in Zurich (LIZ)
English language orientation course
covering must-know topics for new-
comers.
Contact: 044 240 4455 for details
Professional Women’s Group of Zurich
The PWG is an in-person networking
platform for women who live in and
around Zurich.
www.professionalwomensgroup.com
Anglo-Swiss Club of Fribourg
Meets monthly on Thursday/Friday.
Contact Reidar Magnus 026 481 5928
www.angloswissclubs.ch
English Cancer Association
21 ch. de Saussac, 1256 Troinex
022 300 2967
www.cancersupport.ch
English-Speaking & Anglo-Swiss
Club Lausanne
Social club for all English speakers,
with a wide range of activities.
Case Postale 541, 1001 Lausanne
021 802 2858
www.esc-lausanne.ch
Geneva Amateur Operatic Society
The largest English-speaking amateur
musical society on the continent, with
three to four major stage productions
each season.
www.gaos.ch
Geneva International Cricket Club
Plays at the sports stadium at Bout-de-
Monde.
www.gicc.ch
Geneva English Drama Society
Holds three or four full stage produc-
tions per year, staged playreadings,
workshops and social events.
www.geds.ch
Geneva Scottish Country Dance Club
Meets on Thursdays, beginners’ classes
also offered.
www.genevascdc.com
Geneva Writers’ Group
Started in 1993, GWG brings together
over 175 English-language writers
from 40 countries. Its objective is to
encourage all forms of creative writing
in English. Workshops, critiquing,
masterclasses, and readings. Publication
of “Offshoots” anthology alternating
with the GWG Writers’ Conference.
www.genevawritersgroup.org
International Club Lausanne
Social club offering 2-3 activities per
month. Contact:
http://home.worldcom.ch/icl
International English Speaking Club
of La Chaux de Fonds
For English speakers of all nationalities,
meets weekly.
www.iesc-cdf.com
International Women’s Club of Nyon
www.iwcn.ch
Neuchatel International Club
lish-speakers of all nationalities, with
full programme of events for families
and singles.
www.thenic.ch
The Village Players, Lausanne
Amateur theatre group.
P.O. Box 7561, 1002 Lausanne
www.villageplayers.ch
ZurichAmerican Club of Zurich
Welcomes all US and Canadian citizens
living in the Zurich area. For more
details, call 079 243 5681.
www.acz.ch
American Women’s Club of Zurich
With over 400 members in the greater
Zurich area and its own club house at
Schoentalstrasse 8, 8004 Zurich.
044 240 4455
www.awczurich.org
Asian Ladies Club of Switzerland
Frequent social, cultural and other
activities for Asian ladies and others
www.alc-swiss.ch
Boy Scouts
English speaking Scout Troop for boys
between 10 and 17. Meets on Wednesday
evenings at 19:00. For more information
call Chris Fuchs, 041 760 5822.
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ITZERLAND
Zurich International Women’s
Association (ZIWA)
Over 700 members from 65 nations.
www.ziwa.com
Zug/LucerneAnglo-Swiss Club Lucerne
Meets fortnightly on Wednesday.
Contact Robin Lustenberger
041 310 2912
www.angloswissclubs.ch
English Theatre Group of Zug
Produces musicals, pantomines and
plays, also other entertainments for
special events by arrangement.
www.etgz.ch
International Men’s Club of Zug
Over 250 English-speaking members
from around the world. Weekly “Stamm-
tisch” on Thursdays at the Parkhotel,
Zug, and many other events.
www.imcz.com
International Mums & Kids Club Zug
The IMKC meets weekly at the Christ-
licher Treffpunkt in Baar, and also
organises outings and family parties for
traditional celebrations.
www.imkc.ch
Rugby Club Zurich
Regular training for men, women and
juniors at Allmend Brunau Zurich.
www.rugbyzurich.ch
Swiss Friends of the USA (SFUSA)
Swiss-American Society to promote
cultural and business relations. Holds
monthly lunch meetings with speaker.
www.sfusa.ch
Swiss American Chamber of
Commerce
meetings in Zurich, Geneva & Lugano.
www.amcham.ch
Women’s Activity Club
For families of all nationalities, with
playgroups and “Learning Tree Coope-
rative School”.
Winterthurerstrasse 18, 8610 Uster
043 305 9250
www.wac.ch
Zurich Comedy Club
Meets on Monday for play-readings;
regular performances.
www.zcc.ch
Zurich International Club
Zurich’s largest expat community.
www.zhic.org
Lucerne International Women’s Club
Holds monthly luncheons, cultural and
sports events and special projects for
charities.
www.iwcl.net
Rugby Club Lucerne
Training sessions on Tuesdays and
Thursday at the Allmend, at 19:00 for
women and 19:30 for men.
www.rcl.ch
Rugby Club Zug
Practice sessions at Unterägeri.
www.rugbyclubzug.ch
Swiss American Society Lucerne
Over 300 members from all over central
Switzerland, who get together for events
and outings several times a month.
www.sasl-lucerne.ch
Zug International Women’s Club
The ZIWC offers a full range of activi-
ties with “Stammtisch”, outings, special
interest groups, workshops, seminars
and parties
www.ziwc.ch
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