Zurich is second-happiest city in the world; Foreign brands profit from Matterhorn logo; Swiss narcissus season approaches

News for 13 May 2025

There is no end to high praise showered upon Switzerland’s largest city in the past several weeks. In April, it won the title of the world’s ‘smartest’ city. And now, it ranked second in the Happy City Index, published by the London-based Institute for Quality of Life, which assesses  200 cities on how happy their residents are. The results are based on 82 indicators across six broad categories, including governance, environment, economy, mobility, as well as physical and mental health, among others.

Only Copenhagen received a higher score.

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The iconic Swiss mountain, the Matterhorn, appears on products around the world, and not only on the Toblerone chocolate; it is also pictured on American pipelines and condoms. The tourist office in Zermatt, a resort which lies at the foot of the Matterhorn, is trying to regulate its use. It is not, however, totally opposed to the depictions of the famous mountain on  some commercial merchandise, said Daniel Luggen president of Zermatt’s tourist body.

"Actually, it's good that the Matterhorn is associated with many positive characteristics and is therefore used as a selling point,” Ludden pointed out. “But if cigarettes will be sold under this name, we obviously won't like it," he said.

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The spring narcissus bloom in Switzerland’s riviera region, was described as the “snow of May” by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms. While the flower bloom is not as plentiful as it once was – it remains a spectacle.

One of the best places to see these stunning flowers is at Les Pleiades above Vevey. The region takes the flower very seriously. The name of this flower comes from the narcissistic youth of Greek mythology, Narkissos. This poisonous plant can be used to make medicine for whooping cough, colds, and asthma. It is also sometimes used in medications to treat wounds, burns, and joint pain.