We asked our readers what aspect about life in Switzerland has surprised them the most. The responses we received were eye-opening.
Swiss politics ‘is a big plus’
Several respondents mentioned the fact that Swiss residents were so politically engaged as being a pleasant a surprise.
In Switzerland, every significant political decision by the government must be put to a public vote. This is represented in regular elections and referendums which can also be provoked by public campaigned or initiatives.
READ ALSO: How Switzerland’s direct democracy system works?
Cornelius Moloney from Solothurn found that “politics here is a big plus. It’s all about the people and not the politicians. It’s the closest to real democracy in Europe.
In short, he found that while in many other countries “politicians don’t trust the people to make the right decisions”, in Switzerland “anyone can organise a referendum if they get enough people to sign up and the politicians go along with the result.”
Garbage collection
While one respondent mentioned the “extremely high traffic fines” as the most surprising aspect of life in Switzerland other respondents found that the way the Swiss dispose of their garbage – and recycle – is somewhere between mildly confusing and difficult.
One respondent simply said the most surprising element was the “lack of environmental friendliness – plastic packaging and bags, difficulty of recycling and the fact there are not many electric cars.”
A Basel reader remarked how “everything gets collected into one” and that unexpectedly “there’s practically no recycling in the city (Basel).”
“The cardboard and paper is only collected once per month, so you really can accumulate a lot before it’s collected and you need to store it in your house.”
The reader was also surprised to find that the Swiss use special garbage bags and that “if you put these bags out on the wrong day (or too early), you can get fined.”
While general garbage is generally collected in front of your property, this is not the case for glass recycling, which has to be dropped off by residents in Switzerland at specific collection centres in their area.
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“Glass is heavy! It’s surprising that paper is collected but glass isn’t,” the respondent said.
READ ALSO: What are Switzerland’s rules for waste disposal and recycling?
‘Sundays are peaceful’
Upon settling in Switzerland, David Orchard from Basel was surprised by “how peaceful Sundays are”.
In Switzerland, Sundays are considered sacred to many, and quiet time is strongly encouraged, which means that noisy activities are best avoided the whole day.
But while the country’s rest periods (Ruhezeiten/ temps de repos) will likely come as a surprise to most foreigners (Germans excluded), some respondents have also found that having a whole day in silence is good for the soul.
‘Too many languages’
Switzerland has four so-called national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh, which is spoken by an estimated 60,000 people, mainly in the south-eastern canton of Graubünden.
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But while this makes it easier for some foreigners to integrate into the Swiss way of life, some respondents find the number of languages on offer (and Swiss German’s sea of local dialects) a challenge.
Zurich resident Nadia La Madrid was surprised at the amount of English spoken.
READ ALSO: Can you get by in Switzerland with just English?
One thing she found especially surprising when moving to Switzerland was “people always wanting to practice their English or not wanting to speak high German.”
She explained that this “makes it hard to learn German”.
One respondent also said the Swiss people were much warmer than she expected them to be but that it had been harder than expected for her children to integrate.
‘Many people smoke’
Some respondents were also surprised by how many people in Switzerland smoke, especially given the Swiss reputation for clean mountain air and how healthy it can be for your lungs.
Yet, 27.1 percent of the Swiss population over the age of 15 smoked (31 percent men and 23.3 percent women) in 2017.
Jana Baker from Zurich said that she was surprised to find “how many people smoke and especially how many women you see smoking outside”.
In her opinion, the Swiss smoking habit “doesn’t fit with the stereotypical image of mountain air and a healthy lifestyle”.
