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SOCIAL LIFE

Social life in Switzerland: 10 things the Swiss do in their free time

Have you ever wondered what Swiss people get up to after work and at the weekend? We have put together 10 of the most popular leisure activities of the Swiss – and some are completely free of charge.

Social life in Switzerland: 10 things the Swiss do in their free time
What do the Swiss do in their free time? Photo by Maurício Mascaro: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-dancing-inside-building-801863/

Hiking and picnics

Not surprisingly, given Switzerland’s magnificent landscape and easy access to various hiking trails and breath-taking views, hiking and picnicking are among the Swiss’ favourite outdoor activities and make for a great not-so-lazy- Sunday afternoon pastime.

In fact, hiking happens to be the most popular sports activity in the country with 97 percent of the Swiss population enjoying a hike frequently, regularly, or occasionally. Of that, 57 percent of people aged 15 and over hiking on the regular. This corresponds to around 4 million Swiss people!

But while the average age of Swiss hikers is 50 years, enthusiasm for hiking is also evident in 15- to 29-year-olds, the youngest age group, with a recent increase recorded among young women.

Hiking is in fact considered a lifetime sport for the Swiss and many keep it up well into their old age as one of the very few sports to be practiced by people over 74 years old.

Meeting friends

According to the Federal Office for Statistics, meeting up with friends is equally high (97 percent) on the Swiss priority list with the majority choosing to meet up after working hours (5 pm to 6 pm).

Once work is wrapped up for the day, the Swiss like to head out for a casual dinner with a friend, blow off steam with some shopping, enjoy a round of pool, or simply get together for a coffee.

However, since the Swiss take punctuality and work ethic very seriously, don’t expect to be partying well into the night on a weekday.

Get fit

Speaking of breaking a sweat, there has been a real fitness boom in Switzerland in recent years and 92 percent of Swiss take their fitness seriously enough to practice it now and again, regularly, or religiously.

While some early risers will squeeze in a quick workout before work, doing so at a gym will be nearly impossible – unless your manager proves extra generous.

Switzerland’s gyms tend to open after 8 am and close at 9.30 pm during the week, which is why you’re more likely to find the Swiss working out after work, either right before dinner, or a good while after.

Some Swiss also like to hit the gym early on a Saturday morning anywhere between 8.30 am. and 12 pm.

Village, district, and club festivals

Three quarters of the people living in Switzerland take every opportunity to be a part of their community by partaking in smaller festivities hosted by villages, districts, or clubs (Vereine).

The latter are great if you happen to be a member of a local social or sports club and are typically held over the weekend.

Card and board games

While you can always invite a few friends over for a board game night on a Friday, many Swiss choose to sign up with local card game clubs, such as all-time favourite Jassen – Switzerland’s national card game – to face more serious competition

READ ALSO: Jass – What is Switzerlands national card game?

Typically, meet-ups take place during the week anywhere from 7pm until 10pm or on a Saturday afternoon from 2pm onwards.

A total of 76 percent of Swiss people listed card and board games as an activity they enjoy doing in their leisure time. So, next time you’re looking to befriend a Swiss, why not suggest a round of Monopoly?

Festivals

Some of Switzerland’s largest festivals have also made the list with seven out of ten people in the country joining large scale celebrations such as the August 1st (Bundesfeiertag), Fasnacht and various music festivals.

Cinemas

Cinemas are a firm weekend favourite for the Swiss, but unlike in many other European countries that show entire movies without any interruptions (barring the odd cellphone!), in Switzerland most movies break up in the middle allowing the audience to use the loo and buy (more) snacks.

Though the Swiss love late night showings on a Saturday, many also visit the cinema on a Monday or Tuesday. Depending on the canton, district, or town you reside in, many Swiss cinemas grant a 20 percent discount on Mondays or Tuesdays because that day is dubbed the official ‘Kinotag’ (cinema day).

Zoos

According to a 2020 study by the Verband der Zoologischen Gärten, a third of Swiss zoo visitors (33 percent) had been to a zoo in the past 24 months. Almost half (47 percent) visited a zoo two or three times in that time and 12 percent said they had been to the zoo roughly four to five times. Zoo Zurich counted 1’270’000 visitors in 2021 alone.

Needless to say, the Swiss love their zoos and when asked where that love originates 26 percent of visitors said their admiration for zoos is fuelled by a need to protect and care for the wildlife.

Another 23 percent of visitors said their motivation for going so frequently is to learn more about the animals, while 22 percent think zoos are vital for children.

As with hiking, most Swiss people leave their zoo visits for the weekend or whenever their kids are off school.

Botanical Gardens

Switzerland has an array of wonderful botanical gardens where visitors are enchanted by thousands of native flowers and plant species. Around 48 percent of the Swiss population enjoys frequenting the country’s botanical gardens, particularly during the icy winter!

In Zurich, you can visit not one but eight botanical gardens with the most popular being the Botanischer Garten der Universität Zürich. The garden welcomes visitors from 7 am until 7 pm during the week (March – September) and 8 am – 6 pm in the winter months for free.

Though particularly popular on the weekends, many Zurich city dwellers pay the garden a visit at lunchtime to marvel at its over 7,000 different plant species and enjoy an inexpensive lunch at the university’s canteen. Pssst, the latter is intended for students and researchers, but anyone is welcome!

Night clubs

This one may come as a bit of a shock, but a few select Swiss, namely 37 percent, do like to live it up in a night club from time to time! If you’re looking to dance the night away, remember that Swiss night clubs generally don’t open before 11pm and the party definitely doesn’t start before the clock strikes midnight.

Those looking to make the most of their money may still want to arrive early as most clubs shut their doors at 4am.

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For members

TAXES

Why do companies in Switzerland have to pay church taxes?

Many of us who have moved to Switzerland are familiar with the concept of 'Church Tax'. While individuals can be required to pay it, what are the obligations for companies?

Why do companies in Switzerland have to pay church taxes?

Do companies need to pay Switzerland’s church tax?

Unfortunately, yes, companies are required to pay church tax most of the time and across most of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, as per Article Three of the Swiss Constitution.

There are very few exceptions.

If your company has an explicitly religious focus, it may be exempt from church tax.

Another exemption may apply if your company is a partnership. If the owner has left their church, as per the requirements for individuals, the company may no longer be liable.

Of course, this depends on cantonal tax laws, which can vary widely across Switzerland. That’s why it’s essential to understand your canton’s tax laws before setting up shop.

READ MORE: Do I have to pay ‘church tax’ in Switzerland?

How much is it?

Church tax is a proportion of cantonal taxes, representing approximately 23.5% of net profits. The exact distribution will vary from canton to canton – and year to year.

Are there cantons where companies are not liable for the church tax?

Some cantons don’t levy church tax on companies.

The good news is that companies based in Geneva, Basel-City, Aargau, Schaffhausen, and Appenzell-Ausserrhoden do not have to pay.

In two other cantons, Ticino and Neuchâtel, the payment of church tax is optional for companies.

Do sole traders and freelancers have to pay?

Not unless the owner, as an individual, has indicated membership in one of the recognised churches in their canton during the registration process—the Swiss Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Reformed Church, or the Jewish community.

If you’ve already done this, you can leave the church by following a simple procedure, depending on your canton of residence.

This involves sending a registered letter to your parish or synagogue expressing a desire to leave the church. You must send a registered letter stating the same to the cantonal tax office.

Of course, this procedure will vary, so you must determine the exact process for your canton, and remember that the Swiss are sticklers for detail.

Having done this, you will be considered as leaving the church on December 31st of that year, and not be liable for church taxes from that point onward. 

READ MORE: OPINION: Why so many Swiss are quitting the church and taking their money with them

How do the Swiss feel about this?

Despite a dramatic drop in the number of Swiss declaring membership in a church over the last five years – some estimates put it at approximately 5 percent – most of Switzerland’s cantons have yet to abolish church taxes on companies, and those referenda that are called on the matter do not succeed.

One reason could be—and so the churches argue—that scrapping the church tax on companies would substantially burden the state and, therefore, the average Swiss taxpayer.

The number of hospitals, aged care facilities, daycares, and schools run by churches—the Catholic church in particular—is cited. Substantive infrastructure costs could be incurred if these facilities were either closed down or taken over by the state.

That’s not to say that abolishing the church tax on companies is not a subject of frequent debate. As recently as this week, a right-of-centre FDP party member, Carlos Reinhard, introduced a motion in Bern’s cantonal parliament to make it voluntary for companies to pay the church tax.

Such a move would place in doubt the local Catholic church’s ability to fund the equivalent of approximately 38 million euros in works. Understandably, the church in the canton has been strenuously campaigning in favour of maintaining the status quo.

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