Lake Geneva region (24 Heures, Fre) – It was a busy weekend of outings in the region: some 5,000 people attended the opening of the new home for Vaud’s cantonal art school in Lausanne while 15,000 headed for Lutry for the wine harvest festival. The colourful descent of the cows in St Cergue drew crowds […]
Swiss Tourism backed by upper house for SFr9 million
Bern, Switzerland (romandie/ats, Fre) – The upper house of the Swiss parliament Tuesday voted a package of SFr9 million in additional money for Swiss Tourism, from 2008-2011. The money would go to marketing in countries where inflation is hurting the group’s budget. The lower house still needs to vote and it is traditionally less generous.
Grape harvest to start Monday in most areas
Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland (TSR, Fre) – The grape harvest will begin in cantons Geneva, Vaud and Valais, the country’s three largest, Monday 17 September. Neuchatel begins Thursday of this week. Weather for the past two weeks has been kind to the growers and the harvest should be very good, say cantonal authorities. See also: […]
Max the stork bids Swiss summer farewell, heads south
Lake Geneva region, Switzerland (Tribune de Geneve/ats, Fre) – If you feel like summer is ending you are not alone: Max, a stork born in Avenches, Vaud in 1999, has just headed south from his summer home in Lake Constance. He is the longest-living satellite-tracked bird in the world and his previous nine migratory trips […]
Federal alcohol commission goes after happy hours
Bern, Switzerland (RSR, Fre) – The Swiss alcohol commission, which regulates the wine and spirits industry in the country, looked into 98 possible cases of abuse of "happy hour" rules this summer and fined 26 establishments and opened proceedings against another 33. Under Swiss law it is illegal to offer hard liquor deals, such as […]