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CULTURE

8 of the best Easter events in Switzerland you won’t want to miss

From fun fares to egg hunts and Swiss traditions, here are some events you shouldn’t miss this Easter in Switzerland.

Published: 22 March 2023 16:51 CET
Updated: 6 April 2023 16:16 CEST
Easter decorations.
Easter decorations. Image by L Moonlight on Pixabay

Osterchilbi

If you happen to live or be visiting the Zurich area over the Easter break and are looking for something quintessentially Swiss to do, drop by the Osterchilbi held at the Klotener Stadtplatz from April 8th-16th 2023 between 1.30pm and 10pm.

Swiss chilbis, or annual fairs, are a must-see at least once in your lifetime and feature many rides, claw machines, games, and delicious local and foreign foods for you to try.

Easter egg hunt

For those with children, Baden’s Easter egg hunt is well worth a visit. The traditional egg hunt is hosted in the large park around the Museum Langmatt and includes many great hiding places for 200 children aged 8 and under to enjoy.

The hunt starts at 3pm on April 8th and will take place in all weather conditions, just remember to bring your own baskets.

Easter goodies

Get ready for Easter events in Switzerland. Photo: George Dolgikh @ Giftpundits.com / Pexels

Zwänzgerle

Always fancied taking part in a Swiss tradition? Now’s your time to shine and win some money – if you’re any good that is. Zwänzgerle is an Easter tradition dating back to the 18th century that is still celebrated in the city of Zurich each year.

Every Easter Monday morning, crowds of adults and children gather in the heart of Zurich’s Old Town to play a few rounds of Zwänzgerle. The tradition dictates that children hold out a hard-boiled egg while adults throw 20-cent coins aimed at cracking the egg. Only if the coin lodges in the shell does the adult win, making Zwänzgerle a blast for children.

Blaueierschwimmen

This unique Easter tradition takes place in in the Seebadi Niederuster at 2pm on April 10th. To get hold of a blue egg, hundreds of participants must venture into the 5-13C cold Greifensee lake and retrieve the egg some 20 metres away.

Whether you’re visiting as a pro swimmer or prefer to enjoy a snack as a bystander, this event is good fun for the whole family.

Easter at Aigle castle

Another fabulous Easter activity for children will take place at the Aigle castle, itself a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Every Wednesday to Saturday in April between the hours of 2pm and 3.30pm and 4pm and 5.30pm visitors can delight in the castle’s mesmerising surroundings during springtime. The castle will also be organising various activities for children, such as hide-and-seek with an Easter bunny, a treasure hunt and Easter-related storytelling.

Chemin du Château, Aigle, Switzerland.

Chemin du Château, Aigle, Switzerland. Photo by Yann Lerjen on Unsplash

Easter market

If you’re looking to combine a leisurely stroll with magnificent views over Lake Zug with a shopping trip and delicious food, look no further than the town’s Easter market.

The market, which takes place on April 10th from 9am to 6pm, will feature some 60 vendors offering a wide variety of items, from jewellery and leather goods, to toys, accessories, and home-made bread. If you get hungry, you can choose from a number of food stalls serving tasty and healthy dishes for young and old.

Easter at the rural and craft museum

If your kids have had their fair share of egg-hunting this Easter, why not have them hunt for chicks instead?

Between April 7th-23rd, the Musée paysan & artisanal in La Chaux-de-Fonds will be home to a set of hens and their chicks. Children are invited to come observe the animals and learn about the many objects in the museum by locating the hidden chicks.

Easter at the Vullierens castle

On Easter Sunday, April 9th from 9.30am to 6pm, visitors can participate in the great Easter egg and treasure hunt in the gardens of the Vullierens castle. Children can follow in the footsteps of Lindt’s gold rabbit in the search for lost eggs. The good news? The game is adapted for different age brackets, with older children being given more challenging tasks involving planning and problem-solving.

The day will also include pony rides for the young, while adults can sip on delicious local wine.

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DEMOGRAPHICS

What Switzerland needs to do to accommodate 10 million residents

Forecasts say the Swiss population could swell to 10 million in the coming years. How would the country accommodate the increasing number of people?

Published: 30 May 2023 14:48 CEST
What Switzerland needs to do to accommodate 10 million residents

Some studies indicate that Switzerland’s population is expected to exceed 9 million people this year (from the current 8.8 million), and reach the 10- million mark a few years down the road,

This growth is due to several factors, one of which is that people in Switzerland are living longer — in fact, according to some figures, the country has the highest life expectancy in the world.

Chart: OECD

Another important factor is that the number of foreigners who have settled in Switzerland in the past few years has grown significantly.  

“Switzerland has been in a situation of uninterrupted demographic growth for several decades, and this is explained in particular by the arrival of young migrants, who also contribute to the Swiss birth rate,” according to Philippe Wanner, professor at the Institute of Demography and Social Economics at the University of Geneva. 

This prospect is prompting MPs to ask the Federal Council to develop scenarios on how the small country can make room for that many residents.

Specifically, deputy Judith Bellaiche has called on federal authorities to devise, already now, a plan on how to prepare the country’s infrastructure for the growing numbers.

In response, the Federal Council said it “will take up these concerns in the context of legislative planning from 2023 to 2027.”

What exactly does this entail?

These are the main areas where measures would have to be taken:

Housing

Housing, especially in cities where most immigrants settle, has become scarce.

In Zurich, for instance, 30,000 foreign nationals settled there in 2022.

And according to a forecast by the Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB), more people are likely to move to the Zurich area this year as well — only to be faced with a shortage of dwellings.

READ ALSO: Zurich hit by affordable housing shortage amid record-high immigration

In other high-demand housing markets, like Geneva, the situation is similar.

To remedy the situation — and ensure that expanded population will find accommodations — the government must attack the root of the housing problem.

One way would be to ease construction regulations to allow more dwellings to be built. Right now, dense construction is becoming increasingly problematic because of high land prices in many regions, along with noise protection regulations.

Various politicians are already proposing this, and other measures to counteract the housing shortage.

READ ALSO: How can Switzerland solve its housing shortage and curb rents?

Healthcare system

There are more than 280 hospitals throughout Switzerland, and the general level of care is excellent.

Except during the Covid pandemic, when these facilities became saturated, in normal times access to patient care is not a problem.

But is Switzerland’s system ready to handle the influx of more people?

Only time will tell whether the current number of public hospitals and private clinics suffices. A major problem, however — unless it will be resolved in the meantime — is a shortage of healthcare workers.

For instance, there are already about 15,000 too few nurses in Switzerland and, unless more are trained, there may not be enough to care not only for the current population but even more so, for newcomers.

In January 2023, the government made plans to improve working conditions of medical personnel — including fewer hours and better pay — in order to prevent essential staff from resigning, and therefore ensuring enough qualified personnel in Switzerland’s hospitals. 

Public transport

One of the arguments brought forth by anti-immigration groups like the Swiss People’s Party is that the more people there are in Switzerland, the more overcrowded public transport will become.

However, beyond stating that in the event of higher population the country will need “a robust and strong railway infrastructure,” the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has not yet presented a concrete plan to tackle the 10-million population. 

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