offbeat

offbeat

The Swiss Spaghetti harvest: The most successful April Fools' Day prank of all time

On April 1st, 1957, the BBC broadcast a three-minute video about a family in southern Switzerland harvesting their annual spaghetti crop. More than 60 years later, it’s widely regarded as the most successful April Fools’ Day prank of all time.

offbeat

Partial solar eclipse to cross swathe of Europe on Saturday

Skygazers across a broad swathe of the Northern Hemisphere will have a chance to see the Moon take a bite out of the Sun on Saturday when a partial solar eclipse sweeps from eastern Canada to Siberia.

offbeat

Swiss ambassador weighs in on the ‘Sweden versus Switzerland’ debate

In October, the Swedish tourist board launched a tongue-in-cheek campaign in a bid to end the confusion of people mixing up the Scandinavian country with the Alpine nation. Now a Swiss ambassador has responded.

offbeat

Eight signs you’ve settled into life in Austria

Whether it has been five weeks or five years, Austria can sometimes feel a little strange as a foreigner. But if you recognise any of these eight signs, you might be a little more integrated than you think.

offbeat 1

Eight weird and wonderful Austrian place names

From the famous Fucking to the lesser known Windpassing - and of course Lower Stinky Well - Austria’s countryside is full of weird and wonderful place names.

offbeat 1

Swedish islanders warned to 'stay away from explosive whale'

A small town on the Swedish island of Öland has issued a stark warning to locals and visitors not to come too close to a nearby beached humpback whale for fear it might explode.