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LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

5 handy products to make everyday life easier in Switzerland

Swiss products are valued worldwide for their high quality, but some inventions are more useful than others. Find out which products can help make your daily life run smoother.

Published: 14 April 2023 16:17 CEST
5 handy products to make everyday life easier in Switzerland
The humble Swiss army knife. Photo by Patrick on Unsplash

Raclette grill for on the go

Raclette has been a Swiss favourite since the Middle Ages when it was written about in Swiss monasteries, then referred to as Bratchäs (fried cheese). Today, the dish, which is said to have originated in the Alps, has become a national favourite and has been hailed as one of the most popular New Year’s Eve dishes for years.

But before the invention of the electric raclette oven – a staple in Swiss households since the 1950s – cheese was melted in front of the carmine usually for larger groups of up to 40 people. However, the Swiss have since taken their inventions one step further with the ‘raclette oven for on the go’.

You can now enjoy a hearty raclette while on a hike, out skiing or cycling around Switzerland. The small oven fits in any backpack, whips up a meal in 2 to 5 minutes and – the best part – works without electricity. Simply let your raclette cheese melt over the candles (any tealights candles will do the job), spread the melted cheese on a slice of bread and enjoy.

READ ALSO: Raclette – the Swiss winter dish you have to try 

Free postcard with Swiss Post

One of the fun parts of travelling around the country or abroad is sharing your trip with friends and family back home. Many travellers choose to send postcards, an easy and effective way to stay in touch while spending an hour or two relaxing in a local café watching the world go by.

But sending postcards can prove more hassle than it’s worth, from struggling to find a nice postcard to buying the right stamps and then locating the local post box only for the card to arrive after you’re long back from vacation.

Grindelwald, Switzerland

Who wouldn’t want to send a postcard from Grindelwald, Switzerland? Photo by Avinash Shanker on Unsplash

In Switzerland, however, a great way to send postcards – that arrive quickly – even when you don’t have a pen at hand is to download the Swiss Post app. The PostCard Creator not only lets you design your own postcard – let’s face it, choosing a picture you snapped of your trip is far more personable – but you can also type the text from the comfort of your hotel room.

The app lets you send a free postcard both domestically and internationally every 24 hours.

No junk mail stickers

Living in Switzerland many residents will struggle with an influx of junk mail as soon as they walk through their front door, but there are a number of things you can do to prevent this.

While it is generally recommended to only give out your personal information if absolutely necessary, you can also contact the sender directly and ask them to not send mail to your address in the future.

However, in Switzerland there is an even easier way of stopping unwanted mail from making it inside your mailbox: a simple sticker. That’s right. Simply purchase a “No Advertising” or “No Free Newspapers” online and stick it to your mailbox.

A sticker to deter junk mail.

A sticker to deter junk mail. Photo by Leon Seibert on Unsplash

In doing so, you make use of your right to refuse acceptance of junk mail and openly state that you do not want any unaddressed advertising. This small act of rebellion usually does the trick.

Helia travel mug

It is no secret that Switzerland and fountains go hand in hand. In fact, Zurich has the world’s highest number of fountains worldwide with a whopping 1,200 spread across the city. The general consensus is that Swiss fountain water – much like tap water – is (almost) always safe to drink.

If you’re looking to make use of Switzerland’s high-quality water and save some money while at it, a great investment is the Swiss company SIGG’s Helia travel mug. The handy mug is BPA-free, made from food-safe materials and comes in two sizes complete with a straw to keep your teeth healthy.

The mug’s copper-coated double wall construction ensures your ice-cold drink stays cool for 17 hours while hot beverages will stay warm for 3 hours, perfect for a day’s hike or long commute to work.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about the drinking water in Switzerland

But that’s not all. By snagging yourself a SIGG aluminium bottle – which are made from 100% recycled material – you will also be contributing to saving the environment. The company even cleans its bottles with collected and recycled water and makes sure to recycle whatever waste its production creates.

Swiss Army (Pocket) Knife

It would be a crime against (Swiss) humanity to not include this classic. The Swiss Army Knife was first sold in 1897 when it was officially reserved for the military. Today, however, the knife is valued as a multifunctional pocket tool and owned by many Swiss households.

Still, this hasn’t stopped the Swiss from improving on their proven formula and inventing an even more practical small pocket knife. The shrunk version still bags an impressive number of tools, such as a blade, letter opener and orange peeler, but is even easier to take with you wherever you go as it can be directly secured onto a keychain, backpack or even necklace.

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For members

LIVING IN SWITZERLAND

EXPLAINED: What exactly are ‘Swiss values’ and do you need to know them?

If you are a foreigner living in Switzerland, and especially if you have applied for naturalisation, you are probably no stranger to the phrase ‘Swiss values.’ But do you know what this means?

Published: 22 May 2024 15:25 CEST
EXPLAINED: What exactly are 'Swiss values' and do you need to know them?

You could say that there are two kinds of ‘values’ in Switzerland: official and unofficial ones.

Let’s look at the official ones first — that is, the ones that you are expected to live up to if you hope to become a Swiss citizen.

Among the criteria that the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has set out for naturalisation candidates is integration.

The word “integration” has a broad definition of course, but in Switzerland it means assimilating into, rather than standing apart from, the mainstream — in other words, adopting to the local laws, customs, and way of life.

These are the integration requirements laid out in the Foreign Nationals and Integration Act:

Respect for public safety, security and order

This is self-explanatory: you should not have committed any serious offences, and your actions should not pose a threat to the country’s security.

You may think this means you cannot have a criminal record, but even ‘trivial’ infractions such as speeding can be taken as lack of integration, as some applicants have found out.

READ ALSO: Frenchman barred from Swiss citizenship over speeding offence 

In this particular case, the naturalisation committee took the man’s careless driving to mean than he was “not successfully integrated.”

Respect for the values of the Federal Constitution

In addition to being a law-abiding person, you need to uphold the constitutional rights, such as the right to life and personal liberty, while eschewing torture and any other form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment of others.

Language skills

A requirement to know a local language is not specific to Switzerland — many other countries have such a rule as well.

What is different (and more complicated) in Switzerland is that there are four national languages — German, French, Italian and Romansh.

Fortunately, you don’t have to know all four, but you do need to be proficient in the language of your place of residence.

This is determined by SEM, which has based its requirements on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), a definition of different language levels written by the Council of Europe. 

The required level, according to SEM, “differentiates between oral and written language proficiency,” with the requirement for spoken proficiency higher than for written one.

This is because oral communication is considered more important for the integration into working and social life.

Be aware, however, that SEM’s levels are a minimum requirement, and some cantons might have stricter criteria.

This SEM chart indicates language proficiency on the federal level for both permits and citizenship, for different population groups.

Participation in working life or efforts to acquire an education

This too, is self-explanatory: you must either actively study or be gainfully employed.

This goes under the heading of self-responsibility, which the Swiss value a lot.

It means you should be self-sufficient and not rely on public assistance.

It also extends to good financial habits — that is, paying your bills on time and not going into debt. If you do get social aid or have debt collection proceedings against you, this is a clear sign that you are not living up to Swiss values.

READ ALSO: Which minor offences could prevent you becoming a Swiss citizen? 

And then there are the ‘unofficial’ values — those that the society expects of you:

Be tidy

This implies not only not littering, but also disposing of your trash correctly.

Putting trash into random garbage bags rather than official ones, not taking it out on designated days, or not sorting the recyclables and disposing of them in proper containers, goes against everything the Swiss believe in.

Greet people

Wherever you happen to be, you are expected to greet everyone you pass with a friendly ‘Grüezi’, ‘bonjour’ or ‘buongiorno’.

You should greet people you pass in the street, at the railway station, when hiking and even at the ski lift — regardless of whether you know them or not.

Shake hands

This habit was temporarily suspended during Covid, but now handshaking is in again — whether in business or social environment.

Kindergarten children are trained to shake hands with their teacher at the beginning and end of lessons, so they learn this habit earl on.

That’s why this story about two Muslim schoolboys refusing to shake their female teacher’s hand was seen as an affront to Swiss culture. 

Be discreet

The Swiss believe in discretion and privacy, the two traits often mistaken for aloofness.

Therefore, being too nosy, gossipy, or butting into people’s personal sphere uninvited is a definite ‘no-no’.

Be quiet on Sundays

In Switzerland, Sundays and public holidays are for resting, which means silence should prevail.

Therefore, DO NOT use noisy tools, lawn mowers,  have parties or loud social gatherings, or recycle bottles on this sacrosanct day.

If you do, you are sending out a signal that you don’t care about Swiss values, which could cost you your citizenship, as this fellow has found out:

READ ALSO: Frenchman denied Swiss passport over ‘mowing his lawn on public holidays’

Be active in your community

The Swiss appreciate seeing everyone, and especially foreigners, participate in the life of their local community.

Whether you join the fire brigade, sing in a choir, volunteer at school, or merely attend local football games and other events, you will show everyone just how integrated and respectful of Swiss values you are.

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