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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

Five things to do in autumn in Switzerland

The days are growing shorter and the cuckoo clocks are on the verge of being wound back - yes, summer is officially over in Switzerland and autumn is here.

Published: 27 September 2019 14:19 CEST
Updated: 13 October 2022 10:53 CEST
The
The "Blue Lake" surrounded by larch trees is seen on a warm autumn day on October 20, 2018 above Arolla, western Switzerland. Image: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

While it’s understandable to lament the end of sunshine and the arrival of jacket weather, there’s plenty to look forward to even as the shadows lengthen. 

READ: Six brilliant ways to survive November in Switzerland 

Summer officially ended in Switzerland on September 23rd, but things have been cooling down for a while now. 

Hiking 

Hiking, wandern or bushwalking: whatever you call it, it’s better in autumn. The cooler weather means it’s not that easy to break a sweat, while there’s also less of a chance of sunburn. 

There’s an estimated 60,000 kilometres of hiking trails across Switzerland, with tracks in excellent conditions in all language regions – and indeed in pretty much every canton (Basel’s urban hiking options and walking along the Rhine are still best in autumn). 

Many of the best hikes are only a short drive away from the major cities, with some accessible by public transport. 

Hiking around a blue lagoon. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Seasonal food

Seasonal food has always been popular in Switzerland. Thanks to a range of ‘buy local’ campaigns which encourage consumers to be more aware of their food miles, the popularity of seasonal food has only increased in recent years. 

PICS: Why autumn is the best time in Switzerland 

From Bärlauch (wild garlic) to Spargel (white asparagus), the end of summer means autumn menus can spring into action. Some consider autumn to be Switzerland’s best season for food – and it’s not hard to see why.

Roasted chestnut stalls are being wheeled out across the country, while dishes like pumpkin ravioli and mushroom ragout are sure signs that autumn is here. 

White asparagus blooming in autumn. SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP

From Bern to Lucerne, the markets alone are worth visiting – making autumn the season for culinary delights. 

Autumn also allows you to get away with other things you might not attempt for the rest of the year – like waking up to drink Glühwein (mulled wine). On the fourth Monday in November in Bern, check out the Zibelemarit (onion market) where the regions onion growers sell their wares. 

The market starts at 5am, where you can join the locals as they drink Glühwein and sample a range of onion-based delicacies. 

Enjoying the weather – and the view

Summer might be warmer, but autumn holds the distinction of being the clearest season of the year – with blue skies and crisp air offsetting the drop in temperature. 

There are few countries in the world with better views than Switzerland, so why not head out at a time of year when you’ve got your best chance of seeing them?

READ: Switzerland bides time on daylight savings decision

With the backdrop of the autumn leaves – as well as the possibility of wildlife like an Alpine ibex or chamois making an appearance – the autumn is the perfect time to test out everything you learned in that amateur photography course and impress/annoy your friends on Instagram. 

Festivals – and cows, lots of cows

The Swiss love a good festival and they have the tendency to hold them all year ‘round. Some of the best on the calendar however take place in autumn, as the country’s various regions celebrate the harvest in their own unique and sometimes bizarre style. 

One of our favourites takes place in mountain villages all across the country – the return of the cows. As the cows make their way down from the paddocks where they have spent the summer, locals adorn them in with special headwear made from flowers and large cowbells. 

Residents gather in the villages and towns, drinking local wine and eating cheese to celebrate the return of these true heroes. 

Photo: Caroline Bishop

Cheese holds a special place in Swiss hearts and autumn is the time when the locals will show gratitude to the cows that produce it. 

Another one of our favourites is the truffle hunt, which takes place in Bonvillars on the last weekend in October. The village holds a truffle market showcasing specialities from across the region, while restaurants will serve a variety of seasonal truffle dishes. 

Throwing sausages and smoking children: Switzerland’s five weirdest festivals

The more adventurous visitors can join the locals on a truffle hunt before returning to prepare their findings at a cooking workshop. 

For a complete rundown on Swiss autumn festivals, check out this list. 

How’s the serenity? 

The problem with summer is, of course, that everyone likes summer. Summer’s warmth can be fleeting, guilting everyone into leaving the house, heading outside – and into your way. 

An autumn dip in Lake Geneva. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Autumn offers many of the same activities – swimming, running or even just finding a place to perch – but fortunately with fewer people to wade through in order to get there.

With the year coming to a close – but not yet over – autumn is the perfect time to reflect on the year as it slips through your fingers, but while also having enough time to chase down your New Year’s resolutions before Christmas comes around. 

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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

REVEALED: How Switzerland’s native-English speakers are growing in number

Some Swiss cities have higher concentrations of foreign residents than others. A new study reveals where most of them live and interestingly how more and more of them are native English-speakers.

Published: 23 April 2024 15:21 CEST
REVEALED: How Switzerland's native-English speakers are growing in number

Foreigners who move to Switzerland like to settle in the cities.

This is what emerges from a new study published by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) on Tuesday.

Surprisingly, the municipality with the highest number of foreign residents is not Zurich or Geneva, but Kreuzlingen in canton Thurgau, where 56.3 percent of the population are foreigners.

Next is Rorschach in St. Gallen, where just over half (50.6 percent) of residents are foreign.

In terms of regions, however, more towns in the French-speaking part of the country have a high proportion of non-Swiss.

In the first place is the Lausanne suburb of Renens, where 49.3 percent of inhabitants are foreign.

It is followed by Geneva (49.2 percent) and its districts Meyrin (45.4 percent) and Vernier (44.8 percent). Next are Vaud municipalities of Montreux (44.2 percent) and Yverdon (37.7 percent).

The study doesn’t indicate why exactly so many immigrants move to these particular towns, but generally new arrivals tend to settle in or near places where they work.

Another interesting finding: English language is gaining ground

“If we consider non-national languages, it is striking to see that English has developed significantly,” FSO reports.

“It is today the main language of 8.1 percent of the resident population.”

This has also been shown in another FSO study in March, which indicated that  English is not only the most prevalent foreign language in Switzerland, but in some regions even ‘outperforms’ national languages.

In French-speaking Geneva, for instance, 11.8 percent of the population speak English — more than 5.7 percent who speak Italian. And in the neighbouring Vaud, 9.1 percent of residents speak English, versus 4.9 percent for both German and Italian.

In Basel-City, where the main language is German, 12.5 percent speak English, 6.1 percent Italian, and 5 percent French.

And in Zurich,10.8 percent speak English, versus only 5.8 percent for Italian and 3.2 percent French.

The ‘ winner’ however, is the German-speaking Zug, where 14.1 percent of the population over the age of 15 has English as their primary language. 

READ ALSO : Where in Switzerland is English most widely used? 

What else does the study reveal?

It shows to what extent Switzerland’s population ‘migrated’ from rural areas to cities over the past century.

While only a third of the country’s residents lived in urban regions 100 years ago, the 170 Swiss cities and their agglomerations are now home to three-quarters of the population.

As a result of this evolution, “new cities sprang up, many political and spatial boundaries were moved, and the country became increasingly urban.”

With a population of 427,000, Zurich is still the most populated city, followed by Geneva (204,000) and Basel (174,000).

And there is more: Fewer people practice religion

The proportion of people who feel they belong to a traditional religion is generally falling, FSO found.

This downward trend concerns all religions, but it is strongest among people of the Reformed Evangelical faith.

In six towns in particular — Bussigny, Crissier, and Ecublens (VD), Kloten, and Opfikon (ZH), as well as Oftringen (AR) — the drop was of more than 70 percent.
 
 READ ALSO: Why so many Swiss are quitting the church and taking their money with them

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