Swiss Stories

Rio de Janeiro

OMEGA & Viva Rio

Society
OMEGA, the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, has concluded its successful Community Countdown with Viva Rio. The #OMEGAVIVARIO partnership began in August 2015, with 12 social projects planned over 12 months that would benefit vulnerable young people in the Olympic Games host city.
Montréal Avudo © Compagnia Finzi Pasca

“Avudo” – or how Swiss magic is bringing the Saint Lawrence River to life

Society
Before creating the pageant for the next Winegrowers' Festival in Vevey in 2019, Lugano-born Daniele Finzi Pasca has been invited by Montreal to direct a spectacular show celebrating the city's 375th anniversary.
Julien Gremaud

by Julien Gremaud

Schweizer Fondue mit Gault-Millau-Auszeichnung

The Swiss cheese fondue with the Gault&Millau label

Society
The only Swiss product with the Gault&Millau label is a fondue made with three cheeses.

by Lea Huszno

Heidi in Isao Takahata’s anime series “Heidi the Girl of the Alps,” 1974. Source: Swissinfo

Heidi: behind the scenes of a Swiss myth

Society
She is the most famous Swiss child. Heidi has enchanted generations of readers with her love of life, her independence and her thirst for freedom. The novel has been translated into 70 languages and has inspired over 15 film adaptations. We all know Heidi. But did you know that Japan was at the heart of Heidi’s world fame? And that Heidi’s fate mirrors the story of the 19th-century Swiss emigrants? Here are some other things we bet you didn’t know…
Photo

Drug checking – the Swiss response to the risks of drug use

Society
People have a fundamental responsibility for their own lifestyle and behaviour. The Swiss National Strategy on Addiction is based on this principle. So is the innovative Swiss approach known as 'drug checking'. Its aim is to promote health literacy among drug users by providing them with information on the composition of the drug(s) they take and increasing their awareness of the risks and consequences of their consumption of illegal substances. Although not all drug use can be prevented and many people choose to consume drugs despite the risks, Swiss drug-checking services strive to minimise risks and prevent harmful consequences such as overdosing.

by Infodrog - Swiss Office for the Coordination of Addiction Facilities

Élise Chabbey

Swiss pro cyclist and doctor, the double life of Élise Chabbey

Society
At 27 years old, Élise Chabbey from Geneva is already an accomplished multidisciplinary athlete. In 2012, she competed in canoeing and kayaking at the London Olympics. In 2017, she finished best Swiss female runner in the legendary Sierre-Zinal mountain race. In 2020, she worked as a doctor at the Geneva University Hospitals at the height of the coronavirus crisis, but this did not prevent her from becoming Swiss road cycling champion a few weeks later. Quite a double life.

by Bertrand Monnard

Dal Ticino a Madrid: l’opera “Offset” dei Nevercrew è stata realizzata in occasione della Urvanity 2020 Art Fair. © Nevercrew

Walking tour of Madrid in search of Swiss-Italian art and architecture

Society

It sometimes happens that you visit a city for the first time and immediately feel at home.