In late autumn, the canton of Zurich auctioned off the ZH 100 number plate. A symbolic mark of sympathy for people unable to remember numbers? Maybe. A motorist snapped up the plate for the pretty sum of 236,000 Swiss francs – the highest amount ever paid for a Zurich registration. The money went straight into the canton’s ailing coffers.
The Rhaetian Railway broke the world record for the world’s longest passenger train on 19 October 2022, when a 1,910-metre-long chain of 100 carriages gently rolled around the many bends on the picturesque Alpine stretch from Preda to Alvaneu. A select band of 150 people boarded the train, probably caring little about having to depart 20 minutes late. > revue.link/rhb
Talking of money: Switzerland’s federal mint and reliable source of legal-tender coins, Swissmint, also produces commemorative coins. Starting with the special edition dedicated to Mani Matter (1936–1972), the fineness of its special-issue silver coins will now increase from 835 to 999.9. The new 20-franc silver coin honouring the Bernese singer-songwriter was available in a presentation case for the price of almost 80 francs – and is now sold out. > revue.link/swissmint
Good health is worth more than just a few silver coins. Daily exercise helps – and costs nothing. The number of steps that we walk every day is a good indicator of how much we invest in our own health, 7,500 steps constituting a decent yardstick. On average, no one walks as much as that in Western industrial countries. The Swiss languish in mid-table, clocking 5,512 steps a day. Driving is evidently much easier than walking – with or without fancy Zurich number plates.
Every clean river consists of 100 per cent water. But river water comes from different sources. For example, the River Aare should be made up of 55 per cent melted snow, 32 per cent rain, and 13 per cent glacier ice – but this is contingent on Switzerland’s winters being 100 per cent snowy and icy.
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