Swiss Stories

© Succession Alberto Giacometti / 2022, ProLitteris, Zurich

In Paris, (Swiss) Italian is also the language of art

Society
For Italian Language Week 2022, the Swiss embassy in Paris went in search of works left behind by Swiss Italians past and present. At the top of a long list is an artist from the canton of Graubünden, who, from an atelier of just 24 square metres in the Montparnasse district, became famous the world over for his artistic creations. We are of course talking about Alberto Giacometti, who is not the only Swiss Italian to have left his mark in France. An alternative tour in the City of Light – in which you will also discover a bit about Italian-speaking Switzerland.
2019 Brochure Cailler 200 ans NCH p.2)) © Nestlé S.A

Chocolate and Switzerland: a story that goes way back

History
Say chocolate and people will think of Switzerland – wherever you go. In fact, the Swiss have been making chocolate since the early 19th century. Here's how it all began.

by Lea Huszno

Riverside bar scene, Lucerne (hi-res). Credit: © Simon Conway

Swiss Craft Beer Boom

History
Switzerland is famous for many things and now its burgeoning beer scene is beginning to gain recognition. The demise of the beer cartel at the end of the twentieth century opened up the industry and provided the space for Swiss brewers to create and flourish. They have responded by establishing breweries and microbreweries in unprecedented numbers and Switzerland has emerged as a major contributor to the ever-swelling European craft beer wave.
San Bernardino © Andrea Furger - Destination Italian-speaking Switzerland: Photograph of the San Bernardino from the canton of Grisons by photographer Andrea Furger from Mesocco. The San Bernardino route is an alternative to the Gotthard pass to reach Ticino from eastern Switzerland.

Next stop, Italian-speaking Switzerland: one national language, two cantons, multiple identities

Society
Suitcase in hand, let's go! Next stop, Italian-speaking Switzerland. The itinerary first takes you to two Swiss cantons - Ticino and Grisons - and then opens up to the whole country. The soundtrack for our trip: the Italian language, jazzed up with some dialectical riffs and unmistakable Helvetisms. Travel note: after this tour of Italian-speaking Switzerland, you'll need more than one suitcase to bring back all the sounds and culture that you'll pick up from Switzerland's third national language.
Virtual Reality

Giving virtual reality the Swiss touch

Science & Education
Swiss start-ups are making the most of the boom in immersive technologies.
Geneva Lake

Niels Ackermann: "Switzerland makes it possible for me to live this life"

Society
Niels Ackermann is hands down Swiss photographer of the year. Meeting with a 30-year-old who manages his career with insight and a taste for life.
humanitarian aid

International Geneva - a laboratory for the digital revolution in humanitarian aid

Science & Education
The fifteen international organisations as well as many NGOs located in Geneva are using technological advances to bring innovation to their processes and humanitarian missions. An overview of the latest technologies being used in humanitarian aid.

by Mehdi Atmani