Monday 17 March 2014

Celebrating Easter in Switzerland – What to Expect When You Move

If you are moving to Switzerland, with Easter coming up soon you may want to know how the Swiss mark this grand occasion. The good news is that the Swiss celebrate events in style and if you are moving abroad as a family, your children will enjoy taking part in the festivities (as well as eating all that delicious Swiss chocolate!). Meanwhile, the adults of the family can look forward to an extended holiday.

Removals from the UK to Switzerland – Contact Hamiltons Removals today for high standards at low prices.

Easter in Switzerland

Easter is a grand cause for celebration and, just as in Britain, children can wake up to chocolate eggs and egg painting. Many Swiss families also decorate their homes too and some have an Easter ‘tree’, which might be a bush or branch from which they hang delicious Swiss chocolate eggs, chicks and bunnies. As Swiss chocolate is known worldwide for its quality, the chances are the adults will want to indulge in some chocolate eating too! Decorating at Easter is not just confined to the home; many shop windows in cities, towns and villages will be awash with colour as decorated eggs are put on display in shop windows.

The Easter Egg Hunt


If you are arranging removals from the UK to Switzerland with children, just as in Britain the day generally starts with an Easter egg hunt where the youngest members of the family will get the run of the house and/or garden to gather as many eggs and chocolate bunnies they can find. The winner, who is the one who collects the most eggs, will be rewarded with even more treats!

If you are moving to Zurich, you will discover a traditional Easter custom called Zwanzgerle, which involves the adults. Children challenge the adults to break their painted eggs with a coin thrown from the distance. If the adult is successful, they get the coin and the egg, and, if not, the children get the coin. In most cases, this is the perfect opportunity for children to top up their pocket money!

In addition to these games, various Easter egg hunts take place all over the country, which also include a host of children’s activities. So, if you are organising removals from the UK to Switzerland, it is well worth finding out what is happening in your area, so you can join in the fun.

Easter Festivals

Easter is very traditional in Switzerland and wherever you settle in the country, you can expect a festival or celebration of some sort. Street markets, egg hunts, live music, craft making, egg decorating, egg and spoon races, and parades take place in towns and villages all over the country.

As well as the regular events, there are also more unusual festivities. For example, in the town of Nyon in the canton of Vaud, fountains are decorated with colourful flowers, eggs and ribbons. It is a delight to see and the children will enjoy discovering the decorated fountains. More comically, in the village of Rumedigen, Bern, you might be a bit taken aback to see people throwing wooden clubs on the ground on Easter Sunday. This is a throwback to when it was forbidden to play traditional sports on the day, and the aim of the game is to get your club closest to the oldest player’s club. 

Expats will also discover various sombre and religious festivals taking place in Switzerland. On Good Friday, for example, in the town of Romont, Fribough, a procession of veiled and weeping women carrying crimson cushion with symbols of Christ’s passion, parade through the streets dressed in black.  Also, on the day, there is a procession in Mendrisio, Ticino, where people walk through the streets carrying statues of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Wherever you live, you will never be short of things to do at Easter!

Hamiltons organise removals from the UK to Switzerland that are designed to take all the stress out of moving house. Whether you are moving home or office to Switzerland contact Hamiltons Removals  as we have more than 20 years of experience in making your move run smoothly.

Thursday 13 March 2014

Attractions in Switzerland to Spark Your Child’s Imagination!

If you are moving house from the UK to Switzerland, you may struggle to keep the children amused before term starts. As a newcomer, it’s still early days to make friends in your host country, and as a result, you may find it hard to find ideas during the school holidays. Once term starts, however, parents are often surprised how quickly their children settle in and make new friends.

The good news is that in the interim period, there are a host of family-friendly attractions in Switzerland offering a fun day out for all age groups. Whether your children enjoy adventure parks, theme parks, and attractions that will spark their imagination, you will find plenty of these. And, if you are lucky, some of these attractions may be just a short drive from your new home!

This article spotlights amusement parks and themed attractions for families moving house from the UK to Switzerland.

Moving House from the UK to Switzerland? – Contact Hamiltons Removals today for a high quality, low cost removals service. 

Theme Parks, Amusement Parks, and the Science Museum in Switzerland

Conny-Land in Lipperswil – Opens from the first Saturday of April to mid -October (2014) and promises to be an exciting, fun filled adventure for youngsters and adults alike. Rides and attractions for thrill seekers include the water-filled Voodoo Island and the stomach dropping Cobra rollercoaster. Your children can enjoy a fascinating trip through Prehistoric times and there’s also a jungle adventure for the liveliest of youngsters. If you remember to pack swimsuits, why not head for a splash about in the water-filled activity area?  If you are moving house from the UK to Switzerland and live in the area, the venue also hosts children’s parties, which promise to be a birthday to remember.

Labyrinthe Adventure in Valais – This is actually the world’s largest tree-lined maze and is 3km long. Children love finding solutions to the challenges and discovering the hidden treasures. At the end of the maze is a children’s playground with miniature golf, a climbing wall and trampoline. You don’t have to bring food with you as you will find plenty of refreshments at the venue. The Labyrinthe is wheelchair and pushchair friendly, so it is fully accessible.

Maxifun Sports and Nature Park in Val d'Anniviers – This fantastic sports and adventure park opens from April to October and offers adrenalin rush activities for children and adults. It’s not for the faint-hearted though as among the activities are: bungee jumping (the highest jump from a suspended bridge in Europe), trampolining, flying fox (which is a sort of zip wire), a sphere to experience weightlessness, a 360 degree swing, and an activity similar to high ropes. Steer clear if you are afraid of heights! For safety purposes, there are age limits, height and size restrictions on some of the activities. It is always best to check what these are in advance to avoid disappointment.

Swiss Science Centre in Winterthur
– This isn’t an amusement park, but it offers an interesting play on the senses. If your young ones are fascinated by science, a visit to this Science Centre will be a real highlight. This is an amazing, interactive museum, which puts your children on a journey of discovery and offers a variety of hands-on activities for all age groups. Let your young ones find out all about wood, get tricked by optical illusions, learn about magnets and immerse themselves in the world of mechanics. They can also discover how lightening occurs, and how powerful gasses are.  If you live in Winterthur, this museum is covered by the 2-day Museum Pass.

Hamiltons Removals provide high quality, full and part load domestic and commercial removals to Europe, including removals to Switzerland.  Our services are tailored to individual needs and we also offer specialist removals for cars, motorcyclists and oversized goods. We do our best to cater for all your requirements, and we can even provide cleaning services to spruce up your new or former home.

If you are moving house to Switzerland, or moving from Switzerland to the UK, contact Hamiltons Removals who are the experts in making your move run smoothly.

Friday 7 March 2014

House Moves to Switzerland: Celebrating Christmas and New Year in Switzerland

If you are undertaking house or office moves to Switzerland, two key events you can look forward to in your host country are Christmas and New Year celebrations. Whether you are enjoying Christmas at home with the family or watching fireworks being set off against the backdrop of a picturesque lake at New Year, your first festive celebrations in Switzerland will always be remembered. If you are planning a house move to Switzerland, seeing the New Year in is synonymous with a brand new beginning and a fresh start – just like moving house.

Whatever the date of your move, you can look forward to joining in the festivities. Here’s our brief guide to what you can expect when you bring in the New Year at the end of 2014...and as they say in Swiss-German ‘Es guets Nöis!’ 

House Moves to Switzerland – click here for full information on domestic or commercial removals to Switzerland or contact us direct on 01379 855203.

Christmas in Switzerland

If you are celebrating Christmas in Switzerland, the good news is that there are a host of celebrations at this time of year, and wherever you choose to settle you will find one near you.

The fourth Sunday before Christmas Eve hails the start of Advent, which is said to teach children the benefits of patience. Householders decorate their windows for Advent, and the opening of each Advent window corresponds with an open house which is followed by music and mulled wine. Advent candles (four arm candles) also mark the countdown to Christmas. One candle is lit for on the first Sunday, and two on the second, and so on until all four candles are lit.

In addition to this, church services, concerts, parades and carol singing events take place all over the country. Among the many celebrations is Trychle in Meiringen, which involves processions each evening from Christmas Day until New Year’s Eve. It’s a noisy celebration too, as the locals carry drums or cowbells to make as much din as possible to drive away evil spirits. 

If you are short of Christmas gift ideas, there are some amazing Christmas markets all over the country, where you can also whet your appetite with a glass of mulled wine, and tasty waffles or sausages. The largest, and what are considered the most attractive, are the Basel Markets which start at Advent and run until December 23. You can find them next to the cathedral in Munsterplatz and in the Old Town in Barfusserplatz.

St Nicklaus Day takes place on December 6 and is traditionally when the children get a visit from St Nicholas and his ‘evil’ twin called "Schmutzl’. The children receive small gifts after they recite a poem to gain forgiveness for their naughty deeds. This usually happens on the day, but can take place after December 6th.

The week before Christmas, the youngest members of the household visit homes of friends and relatives and bring small gifts. The Christmas tree is chosen and cut down on Christmas Eve and is decorated after Midnight Mass, after which the families feast on doughnuts and hot chocolate.

Christmas Dinner

Families enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve – which usually takes the form of boiled ham, scalloped potatoes with melted cheese, followed by walnut cake and gingerbread biscuits. 

Fondue is traditionally eaten at this time of year, and is a popular winter dish (as in summer it is mainly eaten by tourists).

After Christmas dinner it is traditional to attend Midnight Mass, and the service followed by decorating the tree with real candles. Families will either present gifts on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day or on January 6th.

New Year in Switzerland

If you are in Switzerland over the New Year period, the good news is that the Swiss like to bring in the New Year in style and you will find some fantastic, vibrant and colourful celebrations taking place all over the country – all against a scenic backdrop of beautiful lakes or mountains.

If you are in the popular ski resort area of Zermatt, you may have the chance to bring in the New Year with fireworks and music. However you are celebrating in Zurich during 2014 you can join the thousands of people at Silvesterzauber, and soak up the atmosphere on the shores of the Lake Zurich. Now in its 12th year, you can enjoy a fantastic firework display and dance the night away. Don’t eat before you go as there will be plenty of food and drink on offer.

Interlaken also attracts thousands of people for the New Year. Here, you will also find all sorts of festivities including a gala dinner, an open air concert and a massive firework display. The celebrations end with a procession designed to ward off evil spirits.

About Hamiltons Removals

If you are organising house moves to Switzerland, Hamiltons are the experts, and whether you require domestic or commercial moves, we will help make the entire process, from door to door, run smoothly.


Hamiltons Removals – click here for full information on our home or office moves to Switzerland or contact us now for a free online quote.


Tuesday 4 March 2014

Removals to Switzerland: Ten of the Most Popular Art Museums in Switzerland

With European removals experts Hamiltons at the helm for your removals to Switzerland, we aim take all the worry out of your hands. With almost every aspect of your removals taken care of, you can turn your attention to the fun part of moving – such as how to furnish your new home or office, and places to see in your host country.

If you are an art lover, investing in costly masterpieces for your interior may well be out of your reach, but there are some wonderful works of art you can buy from established local artists or up and coming names in Switzerland. Whether you like traditional oil paintings or modern designs, something is bound to catch your eye once you have completed your home or office removals to Switzerland.

Meanwhile, after you have organised your house move to Switzerland and have settled in your new home, there are many excellent art museums and galleries to visit. Many host permanent exhibitions, and some also feature temporary exhibitions, including tours of works by famous names such as Van Gogh or William H Turner. Hamiltons Removals puts the spotlight on ten of the most popular art museums in Switzerland:

Moving to Switzerland –  click here  for a low cost quote for your move.

Oskar Reinhart Museums, Winterthur – The amazing Oskar Reinhart collections can be seen in two museums – the Oskar Reinhart Museum, a former grammar school where you can view more than 600 works  of art by Australian, German and Swiss artists – and a collection in his former home, ‘Am Romerholz’. The latter museum houses works by French impressionist painters such as Monet, Cézanne and Renoir, as well as those by famous old masters such as Rubens.

Reitberg Museum, Zurich – This museum, which opened in the early 1950s, is the third largest in Switzerland and receives more than 150,000 visitors a year. One of the many reasons for its popularity is that it is the only museum in Switzerland dedicated entirely to non-European art.  Another highlight of the experience is that the museum is set in one of the most beautiful parks of Zurich.

Ariana Museum, Geneva
– If you enjoy ceramics and glassworks, this is the museum for you.  Set in a picturesque location by Lake Geneva, it features as many as 20,000 works of art, from all over the world and spanning a dozen centuries. The museum is actually named after the mother of Gustave Revilliod, from Geneva. Revilliod built the museum for his own private art collection and generously bequeathed it to the city of Geneva.

Kunsthaus Zurich, Zurich – This museum dedicated to fine arts is in fact one of the best museums of its type in Europe. As well as a permanent exhibition where you can find around 4,000 works of art, there is a year round programme of temporary exhibitions, including a private collection of master prints by Norwegian Expressionist Edvard Munch, which includes ‘The Scream’, which you can see until January 12.

Rosengart Collection, Luzern – This is the newest art museum in Switzerland and houses a host of well known works by artists of the 19th and 20th centuries including Monet, Matisse, Cézanne and Picasso. It also includes a Paul Klee collection of more than 100 paintings, drawings and watercolours.

Fondation Beyeler, Riehen – This art museum receives around 350,000 visitors a year and houses the private collections of Ernst Beyeler and Hilda Kunz. Visitors can admire 20th century artworks by well known names such as Warhol, Picasso, van Gogh, Cezanne, Lichtenstein and Bacon, and also includes various tribal art works.

Museum of Fine Art, Basel – This museum’s main emphasis is on Flemish paintings and paintings from the Upper Rhine area from the 15th to the 17th century. It also shows art collections from the 19th and 20th century and features Cubist works (including Picasso) and Pop art.

Paul Klee Center, Bern – This museum is dedicated to German-Swiss artist Paul Klee, one of the most important artists of the 20th century. It opened in 2005 in a wave-like building designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, which is a feature in itself. Klee’s works are shown on a rotation basis with only 150 works displayed at any one time.

Geneva Art Museum, Geneva – This museum opened in the early part of the 20th century and is Geneva’s largest art museum. Art lovers will find gems from the pre-historic era to the modern day. There are various different sections including archaeology, applied art and fine art. 

Museum of Photography, Lausanne
– If you enjoy photographic works, this stunning 18th century villa overlooking Lake Geneva is the superb setting for around 120,000 exhibits.  It opened in the mid-80’s and was in fact one of Europe’s first ever museums devoted entirely to photography.

Hamiltons Removals are specialists in removals to Switzerland and our moves are tailored to your requirements. We can take charge of everything for you to ensure a stress free move – even down to arranging storage, packing and unpacking your possessions and organising the cleaning of your new home. To find out more about our services, just click on the link below.

Hamiltons Removals are the experts on house and office moves from the UK to Switzerland. To find a competitive quote for your house move, please click here

Saturday 1 March 2014

Moving House Switzerland: International Schools

If you are organising UK removals to Switzerland and are settling in the country with family, the good news is that the standard of education is excellent. However, although it has a superb the state-run system, if you are living in Switzerland then you may want to consider sending your child to an international school. Here, your child will gain an internationally recognised qualification or benefit from an education similar to that in Britain, so they will be able to move gently back into the UK school system once you return.

Hamiltons Removals provides domestic, international and UK to Europe house moves, including removals to Switzerland. We provide packing and unpacking service, sole use of containers or shared loads, and will also organise the removals of specialist items such as cars and other vehicles.

UK Removals to Switzerland – Click here to find out our prices for removals to Switzerland service or contact us  for a competitive quote for your move.

Meanwhile, if you require UK removals to Switzerland, here’s the run down on some of the country’s top international schools. We have been unable to mention all the international schools here, but here are just some of the best. It is worthwhile researching and visiting the schools in your canton to find the right one for your child.

Some Top International Schools in Switzerland

British School of Geneva

Students from more than 40 nationalities represented at the British School of Geneva. It is the ideal choice for children who want to continue following the English national curriculum and is open to students between the ages of five, right the way through to A-levels. Classes are small too, as you can expect a maximum of 16 students per class, with ten pupils per A-level class. Founded in 2005, the school has been purpose built for learning. Facilities include science labs, three IT premises, a dining hall, library, music room, theatre and nurses’ station.  

The International Cottage in Vevey

The English-speaking International Cottage in Vevey has a spectacular location overlooking Lake Geneva. It was founded by an expat family who wanted something suitable for their children in the Vevey area, and has a strong emphasis on green development. One of the many benefits of the school is its excellent student teacher ratio, as it has just one teacher for every eight students. The school is expanding too and is set to open a second campus next year (in 2014). This will enable the school to accommodate 145 children up to the age of 15.

Gstaad International School

The exclusive Gstaad International School is set in picturesque surroundings in a stunning ski resort overlooking the Alps. Classes are small and are geared to the standard of the student, so they are placed in a class according to ability, rather than age. It is an academically challenging school, founded in the early 1960’s, and is considered one of the world’s most exclusive and expensive boarding schools. Along with its full academic programme, it has a fantastic range of extra-curricular activities, including white water rafting, horse riding, paragliding and even zip-lining!

International School of Berne

Founded in 1962, The International School of Berne gives a quality education to the children of expats living in Switzerland. This truly multi-national school takes in pupils from 40 different countries, and covers a wide age range from early years, right through to the 12th grade. It offers all three International Baccalaureate programmes to its 250 students, and also offers a fully-recognised US high school education. As well as its strong academic emphasis, the school is involved in the Swiss city's international community, with a full programme of activities and sports.

International School of Zurich

The International School of Zurich was founded in 2001 and is an amalgamation of two schools – the American International School of Zurich and the International Primary School of Zurich. It has grown dramatically in size and now accommodates 1,500 students across five different campuses. The students, aged from two to 18 years, are representative of more than 50 different nationalities.

International Removals If you are moving home or office from the UK to Switzerland, contact Hamiltons Removals today.