Swiss customs are reminding holidaymakers what not to bring back this summer.
Counterfeit luxury bags, watches and jewellery are seized on sight and destroyed, with 1,442 cases logged last year.
Any cash or securities worth CHF 10,000 or more must be declared on request, and purchases beyond CHF 150 per person trigger VAT of 2.6% on food or 8.1% on other goods.
Souvenirs made from protected species — coral, shells, ivory, certain woods or plants — can be confiscated and lead to fines.
Lausanne bike shelters get an upgrade
Lausanne's grey metal Vélobox bike shelters, mocked as "Soviet bunkers" since their rollout in January, are getting an artistic makeover
Cook from Vaud goes global
A 31-year-old Vaudois cook is finding a global audience for a very local idea — low-calorie versions of classic comfort food
Lake Zurich at record low
Lake Zurich is at its lowest level ever recorded, 22 centimetres below the previous 1952 low
Ticks more prevalent in Switzerland
Ticks are moving to higher altitudes in Switzerland, with researchers now recording them at up to 2,300 metres
Winter flu wave expected
The Federal Office of Public Health expects Switzerland's flu wave to hit from mid-December, but some vaccine deliveries are already running late
Cross border gun burglaries
French criminal networks are recruiting teenagers on Snapchat and TikTok to break into Swiss gun shops and feed the black market across the border
