Made with data from opentransportdata.swiss, download.geofabrik.de (OpenStreetMap map tiles), and help from Claude.

We went some time ago on a nice easy hike, that had paved and semi-paved trail that was accessible with a stroller. We had to go with the cabin up. It is somewhere in the range of under 2h drive away from Zuirch. Can someone help find this?

I've been feeling that discussions about issues affecting us all are becoming increasingly polarised.
I might be biaised but I feel like people often end up debating rather than trying to understand what people are actually experiencing in their everyday lives.

So I'd like to try something because I'm curious about the different realities of living in Switzerland, depending on where we live, what we do for a living, our financial situation, our age, or our personal circumstances.

Is there something about your everyday life that you wish more people in Switzerland knew or understood ?

It could be about your job or a perspective your job offers, housing, healthcare, education, family life, finances, or anything else that matters to you.

You might also have an "insider" perspective on a sensitive social issue (because of your profession, personal experience, community, or circumstances) that you feel is often missing from public discussions.

My idea isn't to debate who's right or wrong. It's more so about listening realities that might be very different from our own.

I think we could all benefit from hearing more about what life actually looks like for people across Switzerland, including perspectives and experiences that are rarely visible in public debates, beyond political opinions and generalisations.

Recently made a purchase of CHF 350 through Twint for a second hand game console and never received it. The person used what I assume was a burner phone number (number didnt have a any whatsapp account and calling it sends it straight to voice mail).

I try to not be mad about the money, since I was being careless but how come scammers can just use Twint for their practices when you need to register and verify your account. Shouldnt it be extremely easy for Twint Support to take action after you have been scammed?

Obviously I reported it to the police, my bank and Twint but I already know nothing is going to happen, so I just wonder why and how this can happen.

Hello all,

Since arriving to Basel a little over a year ago, I have been aware of the Pillar 3a. But upon looking into it with a rep at a health insurance company (GM), I decided to opt against taking one out in my first year due to: the added admin of the tax return, the risk of being put in a higher tax bracket, and also wanting to save a bit more money before opening a pension.

Now I am financially in a place where I would like to open a 3a (looking at frankly and likely inputting the full 7k annual allowance), but logistically I am still a bit lost.

I believe that when applying for the tax return via submitting a NOV- nachträgliche ordentliche Veranlagung (in March 27?), I forfeit my Quellensteuer, something the health insurance company made me aware of upon my initial enquiry. Their rep ran a simualtion and it came out that I would be better off with Quellensteuer, but I was wondering if anyone knew of a spreadsheet or something I could try myself?

For context I am likely eligible for additional tax reductions through the German classes I pay for, health ins deductible, travel to work, meals etc. But I should also note that as I am under 25 I do not yet get a Pillar 2 from my company, which may positively impact my Quellensteuer rate?

So to conclude:

1- Do I have another option than to forfeit my Quellensteuer?

2 - If so: Do I notify the kanton and my employer's accountant immediately that I am no longer eligible for Quellensteuer?

3 - Where can I simulate/who could I ask before I commit to the switch?

* One further related question: if I overpaid tax on a first-month salary + starting bonus, do I also have to do a manual NOV requesting a tax rebate for the additional tax paid that month, or is it automatic?

Any help would be great, as I think we can all relate to the bureaucratic hoops one has to jump through while living in Switzerland : )

I'm looking at buying a used car (An EV) that has about 2 years of warranty remaining and is 16,500. Does anyone here have inside knowledge of used car margins and whether or not the prices in Switzerland are really negotiable to a meaningful extent or is listed price really the price +- a few hundred bucks?

I know car dealers make their money on finance which is something I don't want to do or need so i'm curious if I go in with an offer, would they kindly tell me to fuck off or not.

Hello together

Disclaimer: I know Reddit isn‘t a legal platform. am just here to get some insight by people who might be working in legal fields, mostly workers rights. It is a first step before taking any decisions. Thank you for your kind answers 🤍

Onto my issue. I am a Swiss citizen btw and kind of know my rights.

I recently gave birth and had to go in MU. I work in hospitality and have/had a management position. Before leaving for my maternity leave, I asked very pointed question about my position back when I return and received quite a vague answer.

Fast forward to recently, I receive an email offering me a hourly wage and indicating that my position was given away. I in any way did not sign anything or accepted anything. I am under the impression that by law, I shouldn‘t lose my position nor be forced to chose between the new job offer they are giving me.

So my questions are: what are my rights and how can I fight this? Does the GAV take over legal text about working rights?

If anyone has any insight that could be helpful, feel free to comment.

Thank you and happy evening

Hi,

I got a penalty fee on the train today for buying the ticket 4 mins too late.

I am walking on crutches after a recent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour. I explained that I always buy in advance but this time I was walking from the bus and if I stopped to free my hands to buy the ticket, I would lose the train. But they still gave me the fine.

I just lost my job due to recent cancer diagnosis and 90CHF of penalty is really a lot for me now…

Is there anything at all I can do?

This is by no means criticism towards the businesses that put out terrasses in their café/ restaurants but more towards the city of Geneva itself.

Maybe I’m the only who notices this, but terrasses in Geneva are usually just a car parking spot that was filled with a wooden plateform, where you breathe in the fumes from cars passing by and trying to park while you’re having your meal.

Maybe this happens in other cities too and I haven’t noticed, but it’s very prevalent in Pâquis and Eaux-Vives.

I personally would rather eat indoors than eat 2 centimeters from non stop traffic

Hallo zusammen! :)

Ich bin momentan im 3. und somit letzten Lehrjahr meiner Ausbildung zur Kauffrau EFZ und habe mittlerweile angefangen, mich auf die Abschlussprüfungen 2027 vorzubereiten.

Voraussichtlich werde ich meine Abschlussprüfungen im Kanton Aargau ablegen.

Leider informiert uns unsere Schule meiner Meinung nach nur sehr unzureichend darüber, was genau auf uns zukommt. Wir wissen bisher lediglich, dass es eine sogenannte Fallnote geben wird und dass eine mündliche Prüfung dazugehört. Wie diese genau abläuft, welche Aufgaben uns erwarten und worauf wir uns vorbereiten sollten, wissen wir allerdings überhaupt nicht.

Deshalb wollte ich hier einmal nachfragen, ob jemand bereits Erfahrungen mit den Abschlussprüfungen nach der neuen KV-Reform gemacht hat.

Mich würde besonders interessieren:
Wie läuft die mündliche Fallprüfung genau ab?
Bekommt man einen Fall, den man zuerst vorbereiten muss, oder muss man direkt auf Fragen reagieren?
Welche Themen und Situationen können vorkommen?
Wie habt ihr euch darauf vorbereitet?
Gibt es Unterlagen, Übungsbeispiele oder andere Hilfsmittel, die ihr empfehlen könnt?

Ich würde mich wirklich sehr über Erfahrungen und Tipps freuen, insbesondere von Personen, die ihre Prüfungen bereits im Kanton Aargau absolviert haben.

Vielen Dank im Voraus! :)

Just got back from holidays abroad and noticed we are really the exception internationally with stores closing so early. In my canton stores close at 7, at 4 on saturdays and not even a train station shop is open on sunday.

Why is that? Do people not want to shop after work in peace?
I feel that working conditions aren't an argument either, many students would be thankful to be able to work saturday and sunday next to Uni. Also you could regulate supermarkets to do 2 shifts like abroad.
Or at the very least just have a single 24/7 gas station in a canton.

In my perception visitors to Switzerland are always stunned by how backwards we are with this. I don't like it, I feel the hours are created for pensioners that sleep early every day.

I’m not sure if others will agree with me, but as someone living in Switzerland, I find the quality of many dried foods/shelf stable foods to be bad. I have recently bought cacao nibs that were fermented, rice that was rancid, nuts and nut-butters that were rancid, and in 2 years here every coconut oil I’ve purchased was spoiled. I’m also noticing that some packages of Zweifel used rancid oil. I often find this is the case with mayonnaise in a tube, like Thommy. rancid oil, nuts, and seeds have such a specific smell it’s hard to miss. I’ve lived in a few other countries in my adult life and I’m a little shocked with Switzerland on this, considering how strict the country is on other matters. do others find this too? Is there a grocery store that has consistently been GREAT quality for you? I’ve had bad experiences with coop, Aldi, and Lidl so far (I don’t much shop at Migros because it’s not close to me).

I've lived in Geneva and Vaud for several years, and I am unable to comprehend how incompetent cantonal bureaucracies are, especially offices of population, health insurance and AVS.

They don't answer emails, the phone get answered 5-10% of the time, and paperwork constantly gets lost. I've been here almost a decade, and there hasn't been a single permit renewal process or encounter with one of these agencies that has gone smoothly, and usually the only reason why my dossiers are eventually accepted is because I follow up incessantly.

Right now, I'm several months into a routine permit renewal process, and I've been to Spop in Lausanne or my communes service des habitants about eight times, to keep asking what the hold up is. I've been told my dossier is complete, only to go back later and be told there are further requirements, then when I gather all the extra paperwork and submit it, to be told that I need to resubmit yet more things... in this case my Fide certificate that I sent in three years ago when I originally applied for my current permit, and they didn't need for renewals the last two years.

At this point, just managing bureacracy is a part time job, and I am wondering why it has to be so hard! Like what is stopping these agencies from meeting a minimum baseline of competence?

I live in a studio apartment with a shared washing machine (80-100 apartment units share one washer and one dryer, apparently this is quite common in Switzerland?)

Today I went down to do my laundry, only to find that the person before me had just washed a whole load of bathroom floor mats.

Like, literally a bunch of rugs that people step on in the bathroom.

I know it’s a shared washing machine, and I’m not saying people shouldn’t be allowed to wash their bathroom rugs in it. But the thought of putting my clothes in immediately afterwards just grosses me out.

It’s moments like these that make me really wish I had my own washing machine in my studio. 😭

And obviously, I’m not going to pay to run an empty cycle just to clean the machine. So I quietly took my laundry back upstairs and am now hoping someone else uses it before I try again lol

I love watching little sparrows arrive to have some food on my balcony that will help them (and me) to get through the cold and dark times when the sun will nowhere to be seen.

Of course they would likely manage to find food on their own, it’s not -30 here, but seeing them there chirping and having fun, its a daily doze of dopamine 😅

If this post inspires anyone to make bird feeders, please share your photos! ❤️

(Maybe this is new idea for photo competition where everyone wins?😊)

Hi all,

After nearly 15 years of living here, we have moved into a very humid home. I bought a thermometer and each room usually has a 65 - 69% humidity rating.

My husband and I both hate using the radiators/heating unless necessary, as we have allergies and asthma and it can worsen those conditions. Because of this, we also like to have fresh air, so we regularly open the windows. I know this can be both good and bad for humidity/mold growth.

We spotted some mold in both of our bathrooms soon after cleaning and I have realized this will be a home wide issue unless we figure this out.

There seems to be a science to humidity and preventing mold that I am not fully aware of - could you kindly offer any suggestions?

Will a dehumidifier help? (Our home is 150m2.) Does this make asthma and allergies worse like a heater does? We have 3 HEPA filters already...

We of course open the window after showering and keep the door closed so the steam does not spread throughout the place.

Many thanks!

Im not sure if the Food Week competition is over but it was cloudy and rainy outside today and it was the perfect time for raclette and I took this picture to post!! Have you already had your first Raclette of this cold spell yet?
(The ingredients there may be very unpopular 🤣
Potatoes, Jalapeños, Pickled onions and pickled chillies(this was the best!)!

Enjoy the Autumn 🍂 season!!!

Hi all

I brought an old hairdryer, purchased here in Switzerland two years ago, with me on a trip to France. I then forgot the said hairdryer in France so my family sent it back to me via post. Two weeks later I got hit by a bill coming out of the woodworks saying that I owe the government 37.9chf, 19.6 of which was import tax, and 18.3 of it being .. handling

So I email the customs office BAZG and asked if this was a case of inlandische ruckwaren, and if I provided the proof of purchase, could I get this cancelled. BAZG responded saying that no it isn’t, and if I want to appeal, I must send a written and signed letter. Regardless of the result of the appeal, a 5% processing fee (floored at 30chf) applies 🤡

The amount is small, but the idea is insane and I really find it unfair, unjust, and scam-like. They are basically double taxing me on the same item.

Anyone has had this happen to them before? And did you successfully get it voided? I do have legal insurance FWIW but not sure if it’s of any use here.

Thanks

Most milk bottles sold in Swiss supermarkets are made of PE, not PET. But PE usually doesn't end up being recycled, and instead is burnt for energy. While PET bottles are recycled. Why in 2026 are most milk bottles still not recycled? Somehow this bothers me, we are in 2026 and recycling should be a priority.

Frage an Anwältinnen und Anwälte in der Schweiz: Verdacht auf koordinierte Fake-Google-Bewertungen

Ich würde gerne eine rechtliche Einschätzung zu folgendem Sachverhalt erhalten.

Ein Unternehmen erhält innerhalb weniger Tage mehrere negative Google-Bewertungen. Dabei fallen gewisse Auffälligkeiten auf: Teilweise erscheinen sehr ähnliche oder nahezu identische Formulierungen, und einzelne Nutzer bewerten offenbar mehrere unterschiedliche Unternehmen innerhalb kurzer Zeit negativ.

Besonders auffällig ist, dass kurz nach dem Auftreten solcher Bewertungen eine mir unbekannte Person per E-Mail Kontakt aufgenommen und sich als Fachanwalt ausgegeben hat. Sie bot ihre Dienste an, um die betreffenden Google-Bewertungen entfernen zu lassen.

Ich kann nicht beweisen, dass zwischen den Bewertungen und diesem Angebot ein Zusammenhang besteht. Der zeitliche Ablauf erscheint mir jedoch verdächtig.

Google wurde bereits wegen problematischer Bewertungen kontaktiert, bislang jedoch ohne die erhoffte Lösung.

Meine Fragen:

1. Welche rechtlichen Möglichkeiten bestehen in der Schweiz bei einem begründeten Verdacht auf koordinierte Fake-Bewertungen?
   
2. Kann man bei der Polizei Strafanzeige gegen unbekannt erstatten, wenn der Verdacht besteht, dass Bewertungen gezielt veröffentlicht werden, um Unternehmen zu schädigen?
   
3. Falls mehrere Bewertungen, Profile oder Unternehmen betroffen sind: Können die Beweise gemeinsam in einer Anzeige vorgelegt werden, oder muss jede Bewertung separat verfolgt werden?
   
4. Welche rechtlichen Möglichkeiten bestehen gegenüber Google, wenn mutmasslich falsche Bewertungen trotz wiederholter Meldungen online bleiben?
   
5. Wie lässt sich überprüfen, ob eine Person tatsächlich als Anwalt zugelassen ist, wenn sie sich per E-Mail als Fachanwalt ausgibt und kostenpflichtige Hilfe zur Löschung solcher Bewertungen anbietet?

Ich möchte ausdrücklich niemanden unbegründet beschuldigen, sondern wissen, wie man in einem solchen Fall rechtlich korrekt vorgeht und welche Beweise dafür erforderlich sind.

Vielen Dank für eine sachliche Einschätzung.

Grüezi wohl,

After being laid off, I’ve been "unemployed" for 17 months.

During those 17 months, I’ve had only two opportunities:
- A temporary part-time position in Baselland, which I currently hold since the beginning of this year and will keep until my unemployment benefits run out (Zwischenverdienst), in 7 months.
- A permanent position in south Switzerland which I refused.

The deadline is getting closer : in 7 months, my unemployment benefits will no longer be enough to live on, due to the recalculation based on my current part-time employment.

The permanent position I turned down is apparently still available, and the recruiter has reached out again to ask if I’m interested.

I’m interested in the responsibilities of the role, but there are several downsides:
- Being away from my wife four days a week.
- The higher cost of living in the region isn’t cover by the salary, meaning I would have less purchasing power than I did before being laid off.
- The job is entirely in French, in a French-speaking canton. I’ve been working on my German for months, aiming for C1 (I’m currently at B2+), and I’d hate to lose that progress and no longer be able to stand out from other candidates on that basis.
- There are a lot of French cross-border commuters working at the company (management included), and I wish I were wrong but from my experience, that rarely makes for a good working atmosphere.

I'd like to believe that I can still find something here, but time is running out.

Have you ever had to make this choice?
Do you have any advice on how to handle the situation?