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The great spotted woodpecker (Dentocopros major) is the most common woodpecker in Switzerland. The secret to its success: its adaptability. The bird feels at home almost anywhere – maybe even in your garden. In general you’ll hear a spotted woodpecker before you see it. The bird prefers to knock and drum on rotting wood. Its…
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Bern City Hall, dating from the 15th century, was once the seat of the Bern elite. Here, behind the thick sandstone walls, the councillors – all rich and from the nobility – sat together and made decisions about their subjects. Then Napoleon came and ended the regime. Nowadays this former symbol of lack of freedom…
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For this year’s celebration of world forests, the United Nations emphasizes that forests are key to supplies of fresh water, the basic building block of all life. Three-quarters of the world’s accessible fresh water comes from forested watersheds and wetlands. A third of the world’s largest cities get a major part of their drinking water…
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On August 30, 1965, the tongue of a glacier collapsed at the construction site of the Mattmark dam in canton Valais – destroying it and killing 88 people.
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Once there were kilns for smelting iron ore here. For 100 years, nature has been left to itself. It is not always easy to keep things this way.
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The four promoters – Oskar Schneuwly, Oswald Bäriswyl, Markus Jungo and Hubert Grossrieder – all run their own farms outside Fribourg. They joined forces to open the biogas power plant last year. It uses manure and liquid sewage from 30 farms in the region. The gas produces 2.2 GW of electricity per year which is…
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The Swiss ringing station on the Col de Bretolet mountain pass in canton Valais specialises in watching birds during the autumn migration.
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The 81st Geneva Motor Show opens this week with the usual media hype and plenty of new bodywork to admire, and even more under the hood. Mass-market carmakers are once again promoting green technologies, claiming it will help them weather the impact of skyrocketing fuel prices, while less humble sportscar makers continue to flaunt their…
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On March 1, colourful groups process noisily through the villages of the Engadine valley in southeastern Switzerland. Dozens of children and teenagers, wearing blue shirts and red caps, pass through the narrow lanes, singing and ringing cow bells in every square and round every fountain. Some of those taking part in the village of Ardez…
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Forests cover just under a third of Switzerland. Coverage has been increasing over the past century and a half and continues to do so, especially in the Alps. Forests perform important functions, from providing wood and oxygen to offering a place of leisure. (Production: Rolf Amiet, swissinfo.ch, images: Keystone)
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In his photographs and texts, Heinz Storrer catches the magic of the moment. They invite us to stop, take a deep breath, open our ears and discover Switzerland afresh. (Pictures and text: Heinz Storrer, Picture editor: Rolf Amiet, swissinfo.ch)
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Exotic, literary and fantasy themes all have a part in his weird and wonderful creation..(Pictures: Rolf Amiet/swissinfo.ch)
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Winter has left Switzerland, at least at the lower altitudes. People and animals alike enjoy the warmer temperatures and prepare for summer. (Rolf Amiet, swissinfo.ch)
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Boys in the Lower Engadine region of eastern Switzerland drive away the spirits with their bells, whips and rattles, so that “the grass will grow better”. Chalandamarz, here in the village of Ardez, takes place on March 1 (chalanda = first day of the month, marz = March). (Photos: Rolf Amiet, swissinfo)
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Michel Brunner, a graphic artist and author of “Giant Trees of Switzerland”, has been measuring and photographing giant trees in Europe for more than ten years. He has listed more than 2,000 trees, of which more than 1,000 are in Switzerland. (Photos: Michel Brunner and André Hübscher; selected by Rolf Amiet, swissinfo.ch)
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Isabelle Eichenberger and Rolf Amiet are given a guided tour of the Ravire Château by owner Michel Savioz, a wine producer who knows how to add extra character to the very old vines of the Rhône Valley. (Production: Daniel Wihler, swissinfo.ch)
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
