https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed One of the biggest annual events in Zurich, the Sechseläuten, takes places every April. The Local explains what it's all about...and what the Böögg is. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230404/sechselauten-what-you-need-to-know-about-zurichs-snowman-burning-spring-festival Tue, 04 Apr 2023 10:22:38 +0200 sechselauten-what-you-need-to-know-about-zurichs-snowman-burning-spring-festival Zurich real estate is among Switzerland’s most expensive, and in some lakeside areas prices are driven upwards by international residents. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260414/how-wealthy-foreigners-are-driving-up-prices-in-zurich-neighbourhoods Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:15:42 +0200 how-wealthy-foreigners-are-driving-up-prices-in-zurich-neighbourhoods American fast-food chain McDonald’s is set on expanding its operations in Switzerland, but not everyone is happy about its plans for a new Zurich location - including British actress Emma Thompson. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260414/oscar-winning-british-actress-joins-fight-against-new-mcdonalds-in-zurich Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:30:38 +0200 oscar-winning-british-actress-joins-fight-against-new-mcdonalds-in-zurich Only 276 kilometres lie between Switzerland’s two largest cities, but distance is not the only thing that separates Switzerland's German and French-speaking hubs. https://www.thelocal.ch/20191031/swiss-city-differences-updated Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:15:22 +0100 swiss-city-differences-updated A new global report ranks three Swiss cities - Zurich, Geneva, and Lausanne - among the world’s ‘smartest. What exactly does this mean? https://www.thelocal.ch/20240409/what-makes-zurich-a-smarter-city-than-geneva-and-lausanne Tue, 09 Apr 2024 13:39:16 +0200 what-makes-zurich-a-smarter-city-than-geneva-and-lausanne A curious phenomenon is underway in the Swiss city of Zurich: instead of trying to raise their fares, a group representing taxi drivers wants to see them capped. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260311/62-francs-for-3km-taxi-drivers-in-zurich-demand-new-price-caps Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:19:39 +0100 62-francs-for-3km-taxi-drivers-in-zurich-demand-new-price-caps Zurich's population has reached a new high, but data also reveals interesting information about foreigners who call Switzerland’s largest city ‘home’. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260206/what-we-know-about-zurichs-population-of-foreign-residents-in-2026 Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:35:49 +0100 what-we-know-about-zurichs-population-of-foreign-residents-in-2026 Each year, some 40,000 people move away from Switzerland's largest city, Zurich, and 55 percent are foreign nationals, new municipal figures show. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260116/in-numbers-how-thousands-of-foreigners-leave-zurich-every-year Fri, 16 Jan 2026 14:50:39 +0100 in-numbers-how-thousands-of-foreigners-leave-zurich-every-year People who live in Zurich, Switzerland’s most expensive city, can look forward to some financial relief in 2026 – lower tax rates. But is this really good news? https://www.thelocal.ch/20251218/zurich-announces-biggest-tax-cut-for-residents-in-20-years Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:15:38 +0100 zurich-announces-biggest-tax-cut-for-residents-in-20-years New cantonal figures reveal that communes in Zurich are relying less and less on personal interviews with applicants as part of the Swiss citizenship procedure. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251205/why-are-zurich-authorities-skipping-naturalisation-interviews Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:03:06 +0100 why-are-zurich-authorities-skipping-naturalisation-interviews Thanks to new CT scanners being installed at Zurich airport, bottles of water and other liquids will no longer have to be surrendered at security checks at Switzerland’s largest airport. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251208/zurich-airport-to-lift-restrictions-on-liquids-in-2026 Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:35:50 +0100 zurich-airport-to-lift-restrictions-on-liquids-in-2026 A 55-year-old tram driver will appear in the Zurich District Court this week, accused of ‘negligent homicide’ after an elderly American tourist was hit and killed by the tram. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251209/zurich-tram-driver-goes-on-trial-for-american-tourists-death Tue, 09 Dec 2025 11:40:44 +0100 zurich-tram-driver-goes-on-trial-for-american-tourists-death If you are planning to travel out of Zurich Airport in the days leading up to Christmas, be prepared for long and slow lines. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251204/long-wait-times-at-zurich-airport-to-continue-throughout-december Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:00:15 +0100 long-wait-times-at-zurich-airport-to-continue-throughout-december The Swiss group Stadler Rail announced Friday it has appealed a major public contract awarded to its German competitor Siemens Mobility, the latest development in a contentious public infrastructure dispute. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251129/stadler-rail-appeals-swiss-2-6-billion-contract-with-siemens-mobility Sat, 29 Nov 2025 17:26:52 +0100 stadler-rail-appeals-swiss-2-6-billion-contract-with-siemens-mobility When it comes to time spent on public transport or in traffic jams or the cost of a monthly travel pass, not all cities in Switzerland are equal. In some places commuters find it easier and cheaper to get to work. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251015/which-swiss-city-is-the-best-for-commuters-to-get-to-work Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:11:35 +0200 which-swiss-city-is-the-best-for-commuters-to-get-to-work The European Union's Entry/Exit System (EES), which will change border control procedures for third-country nationals, is set to launch at Zurich airport on Monday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251117/zurich-airport-launches-eus-biometric-entry-exit-system Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:18:36 +0100 zurich-airport-launches-eus-biometric-entry-exit-system Lufthansa, SWISS airline’s parent company, reportedly seeks to centralise more operations in Germany, at the detriment of Zurich airport. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251014/zurich-airport-could-lose-long-haul-flights-in-swiss-airline-shake-up Tue, 14 Oct 2025 15:51:01 +0200 zurich-airport-could-lose-long-haul-flights-in-swiss-airline-shake-up Voters in Zurich have approved a plan to cut the cost of an annual travelcard on local public transport (ZVV) down to 365 francs (1 franc a day) from the current price of over 800 francs. Will it really happen and how will it work? https://www.thelocal.ch/20251003/will-zurich-really-get-1-franc-a-day-travel-pass-and-how-will-it-work Fri, 03 Oct 2025 15:30:21 +0200 will-zurich-really-get-1-franc-a-day-travel-pass-and-how-will-it-work Public transport users in the Swiss city of Zurich have been warned to prepare for "historic" changes to its tram system that authorities say will certainly cause "confusion". https://www.thelocal.ch/20250917/there-will-be-confusion-zurich-commuters-warned-of-major-transport-changes Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:14:18 +0200 there-will-be-confusion-zurich-commuters-warned-of-major-transport-changes Over 30 percent of Zurich’s population are foreign nationals – slightly more than the Swiss national average of 26 percent. So how do the locals feel about the city’s foreign residents – and vice-versa? https://www.thelocal.ch/20250826/do-zurichs-locals-and-foreign-residents-get-along-with-each-other Tue, 26 Aug 2025 13:15:25 +0200 do-zurichs-locals-and-foreign-residents-get-along-with-each-other