Swiss oddities

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Play it again, Sämu: decoding Bernese nicknames

This content was published on Dec 13, 2025 The Bernese are particularly creative when it comes to tweaking and shortening forenames.

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Birdie Song: how a Swiss wrote the ‘most annoying song of all time’

This content was published on Dec 6, 2025 A Swiss accordionist composed Switzerland’s biggest international hit as an après-ski tune in Davos.

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A 260-metre skyscraper in Zermatt?

This content was published on Nov 29, 2025 A hotelier-designer-artist dreams of building a 62-storey residential tower in the Valais resort by 2034. Visionary or too much?

A real postcard image: the small town of Rue, perched around a rocky promontory dominated by a medieval castle.

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Is the smallest town in Europe really in Switzerland?

This content was published on Nov 22, 2025 Several towns claim to be the smallest in Europe. Rue in canton Fribourg is a serious contender.

Nouvelliste crossword case: UDC complaint upheld

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Swiss People’s Party sues crossword setter over clue

This content was published on Nov 18, 2025 Two people involved with a crossword that appeared in Le Nouvelliste have appeared in court.

Approaching the Helvetic way of life: an event centred on the Celts near Vully in 2017.

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Why Caesar was wrong about the ‘nomadic trouble-making’ Helvetii

This content was published on Nov 15, 2025 It turns out the Helvetii were sedentary networkers rather than nomadic warriors.

The original recipe calls for soaking a tablespoon of rolled oats in three tablespoons of water for 12 hours and then adding a tablespoon of condensed milk, the juice of half a lemon, a grated whole apple and a tablespoon of chopped walnuts or almonds.

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Birchermüesli: from cure to cult

This content was published on Nov 8, 2025 Today, Birchermüesli symbolises Swiss cuisine and has conquered the world. But doctors originally turned up their noses at it.

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Switzerland’s first animal hatch opens

This content was published on Nov 3, 2025 The first Swiss small-animal hatch opened in canton Bern to receive abandoned pets, such as rabbits, guinea pigs and other rodents.

It's obviously a matter of taste, but let's face it, Swiss number plates have style.

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Five surprising facts about Swiss number plates

This content was published on Nov 1, 2025 The number plates on our vehicles hold many surprises for the discerning eye – especially in Switzerland.

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All aboard? Let the yodelling begin with ‘Sämi the singing driver’

This content was published on Oct 25, 2025 Bus driver and yodeller Sämi Zumbrunn turns every ride into an unforgettable experience.

The village of Büsingen borders three Swiss cantons: Schaffhausen, Thurgau and Zurich.

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The curious case of the German village surrounded by Switzerland

This content was published on Oct 18, 2025 Büsingen am Hochrhein is a German exclave: its 1,500 inhabitants are circled by Swiss territory.

The reception area of the Ibis Styles hotel in Geneva sets the tone from the outset.

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Welcome to the Geneva hotel devoted to Swiss comics

This content was published on Oct 11, 2025 The art on the walls in the ibis Styles Hotel in Geneva was created by Swiss comic stars. Take a guided tour.

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Swiss hiking trails – unique but under pressure

This content was published on Oct 4, 2025 The federal law on hiking trails came into force exactly 40 years ago. But that’s not the only thing that makes them unique.