April’s top reads: mountaineers, dinosaurs and language divides

Robert Bösch

Which stories made the headlines in Switzerland last month and what sparked the interest of our readers around the world? 

The death of Ueli Steck

The Swiss climber broke records and took on challenges many thought impossible, earning admirers around the world. Steck died on April 30 while preparing for his latest challenge on Everest. 

Figure skating in Japanese

Figure skating is extremely popular with our Japanese audience. An article in Japanese on one of skating’s big names, Stéphane Lambiel, became very popular after he retweeted it.

“Mao is a beautiful skater, incredibly skillful and powerful.” https://t.co/Ys3fKRyqw8External link

— Stéphane Lambiel (@StephaneLambiel) April 27, 2017External link

A treasure trove of information – our How To guides

Did you know we provide up-to-date information on a wide range of topics about living and working in Switzerland? The French version of our ‘How To: Work Permits’ guide was one of the most-read articles in April in French. The guides are available in all ten swissinfo.ch languages, including English.

Dinosaur-sized road delays 

News that a motorway building project put on hold 15 years ago had finally been finished especially resonated with our Russian audience. In 2004, thousands of dinosaur footprints were discovered when construction began on the trans-Jura A16 motorway between Biel in canton Bern and the Swiss border in Delle-Boncourt, canton Jura. Construction work was stopped temporarily as a result, but the motorway is now complete. The Russian-language versionExternal link of the following report was our most-viewed YouTube video in April. 

Pay-cut news for International Geneva

One of the most-read articles in English this month concerned 1,000 United Nations staff members in Geneva who protested against plans to lower their salaries. The salary cuts involved a so-called ‘”post adjustment index” for professional staff working in the city, which is one of the most expensive in the world.

Do you know what a “Röstigraben“ is?

A video on cultural divides in Switzerland made by Nouvo in English – a new short-video project by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation – went viral in April. More such videos are available on the Nouvo Facebook pageExternal link.

Homeopathy stirs up strong reactions

When the Swiss interior ministry announced plans to give five complementary therapies including homeopathy the same status as conventional medicine last year, our readers commented, shared and discussed the topic extensively. The change came into effect in May of this year, and the article was shared again on LinkedInExternal link at the end of April.