Glanz und Golria - a Swiss lifestyle magazine - in interview with Disco Queen Donna Summers who possibly could imagine to move to Ticino and call Lake Maggiore her home. Many celebs are known to have chosen Switzerland as their main residence. Lake Maggiore together with the Lake Lugano area, in Canton Ticino, the southernmost part of Switzerland rate among their choices. This beautiful Italian region is only 90 minutes from Milan, it is culturally more similar to that of the Italians and offers a milder climate compared to the rest of Switzerland. Lake Lugano scenery is a bit that of Lake Tahoe in California, with a Mediterranean taste to it.

Celebrities and well off foreign citizens enjoy the Swiss stunning nature: the snow, palms, cobalt blue lakes and tranquility are incomparable - let’s not forget that Switzerland is well known to be still a tax heaven. Celebs enjoy the fact that the locals respect their anonymity and are therefore treated like “normal” people.

To name a few celebrities in Switzerland that have chosen this paradise like area to call their home: Karolina Kurkova (Czech Model – Lake Lugano), Catarina Valente (German-Italian Singer – Castagnola), Brigitte Nielsen (Morcote – Lake Lugano) and many more.

Posted by:  Maria Eitouni

On Saturday, the 26th of September 2009, Sawiris officially launched construction for the new tourism-resort in Andermatt. Phase number one features a luxury hotel, a PGA golf course and all the infrastructure of the resort. The hotel is expected to open its doors in 2013 followed by more luxury hotels, apartments, villas, leisure and sport facilities. Andermatt, already known for some advanced skiing will be developed into a state-of-the-art ski, golf and wellness destination. A former military used area will be transformed into a jewel of alpine heaven featuring fine living and sporting beside of all amenities of a charming alpine village. With its close proximity to Zurich and Milan which are only a 2 hour drive away, Andermatt will become a meeting point for people living on both sides of the Alps. It will feature the luxury and uniqueness like St. Moritz, but on a more affordable level. Important to mention is the fact that interested buyers of apartments and/or villas can purchase their property without being effected by ‘Lex Koller’ law, what regulates the purchase by foreigners.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

Am 13. September 2009 findet auf der Anhöhe des Monte Tamaro bei Rivera, auf der Alpe Foppa, das 2. Alphorntreffen Tessin statt. Das 1. Alphorntreffen Tessin wurde mit grossem Erfolg im Jahre 2005 durchgeführt mit über 100 Alphörner aus der ganzen Schweiz. Wie bereits vor 4 Jahren organisiert das Alphorntreffen in der Südschweiz die Tessiner Alphorngruppe „Amici Corno delle Alpi Ticino“ dessen Präsident Herr Marco Fässler ist, Direktor der Wetag Consulting in Lugano. Seine Leidenschaft zum Alphorn geht auf das Jahr 1989 zurück als er als junger ETH-Absolvent in Architektur sein erstes Alphorn kaufte. Im Jahre 1999 wurde die erste Tessiner-Alphorngruppe gegründet nachdem eine Tessinerdelegation mit Alphorn an der Einweihung der Zugsverbindung der Vereina (Graubünden) teilnahm und dort mit stolzen 222 Alphörnern spielte. Mit dabei war auch unser Marco Fässler der seit diesem Erlebnis mit voller Leidenschaft seit bereits10 Jahre die schweizer Tradition mit seiner Gruppe in der Südschweiz aktiv pflegt und verbreitet.

Wie in frühen Zeiten so noch heute, schlägt das Alphorn musikalische und mitmenschliche Verbindungsbrücken von der Nord-Westschweiz bis ins Tessin.

An diesem Anlass treffen sich ca. 85 Alphorn-Spieler aus der ganzen Schweiz und sie werden zudem musikalisch noch von der Militär Blasmusikkapelle des Tessins begleitet, in einem Gesamtchor von ungefähr 125 Bläsern. Weitere Informationen unter www.cornodellealpi.ch.

Posted By: Team Lugano

Il paese di Muggio è il comune più alto dell’omonima Valle, la quale è la più meridionale del Ticino. Comprende frazioni ancora più elevate e diversi pascoli sulle pendici del Monte Generoso, dove il territorio si estende fino a toccare i 1400 metri di altitudine. È probabile che fosse abitato già prima del XII° secolo da romani.

È patria di numerosi artisti, tra i quali spiccano i nomi di famosi architetti del Neoclassico, come Luigi Fontana e Simone Cantoni. Quest’ultimo lavorò molto a Como, dove si possono ammirare molti suoi palazzi, tra cui la maestosa Villa dell’Olmo.

Nel villaggio e nelle frazioni, tipicamente di montagna, vengono ancora praticate l’agricoltura e le attività alpestri. In passato la fonte d’introito più importante era l’economia alpestre come è attestato dalla presenza di numerose nevere.

Le nevere sono i precursori dei moderni frigoriferi, presenti unicamente in questa parte della Svizzera, paragonabili oggi a delle celle frigorifere.

Nel suolo calcareo del Generoso l’acqua penetra in profondità e non vi sono ruscelli che permettono di raffreddare le cantine. Perciò in passato si sono costruite queste nevere, accanto ad alberi frondosi, in zona ombrosa ma soprattutto nei pressi della stalla e del luogo di lavorazione del latte.

Questi edifici costruiti in muratura a secco, spesso a pianta circolare (diametro interno varia dai 3m a 5m), con tetti a debole pendenze in piode calcaree, provvisti di una ripida scala interna, interrati per circa 2/3 (4-5 m); venivano usati per conservare il latte in un ambiente fresco prima della sua lavorazione, nonché per mantenere al suo interno gli alimenti deperibili durante i periodi più caldi.

Nel corso dell’inverno si procedeva al carico della nevera: la neve, pulita e compatta, veniva gettata attraverso la porta e la bocca di carico; poi compressa e coperta con foglie di faggio. La corona di alberi attorno alla costruzione costituiva un’ulteriore protezione dai raggi solari. Grazie a questi stratagemmi la temperatura all’interno della nevera si manteneva costante attorno agli 8-9 gradi.

Essere proprietario di un pezzo di storia rurale così importante ed affascinante è possibile. Proprio nel comune di Muggio, la Wetag Consulting Sa, ha in vendita un importante palazzo d’epoca in stile neoclassico costruito nel 1870 dall’architetto G. Fortini. Splendidi interni originali tra cui locali alti, camini, soffitti con affreschi di grande valore, pavimenti in mosaico e parquet in stile Luigi XVI, fanno di questa proprietà un oggetto unico nel suo genere. Un altro tassello storico presente sulla proprietà è ben appunto una nevera che rievoca tempi passati ma non dimenticati.

Scritto da Deborah Fontana

Posted By: Team Lugano

Am 9. August ist es für Rolf Gérard so weit. Er gehört zu einigen wenigen der Letzten der deutschsprachigen Künstlergilde Asconas. Für ihn naht ein wirklich besonderer Geburtstag - er wird seinen Hundertsten feiern.

Ungewöhnlich: dieses Wort trifft auf ihn völlig zu was seine Tätigkeiten anbelangt: Rolf Gérard ist Maler, Bühnenbildner, Bildhauer, Designer - und Arzt. Zu Gérards Leidenschaften zählen nebst der Kunst und den Frauen auch Havanna-Zigarren. Seit über dreissig Jahren lebt und arbeitet er in Ascona und ist somit Teil der zweiten deutschsprachigen Künstlergeneration, die im ehemaligen Fischer- und Bauerndorf agierte.

Davor war die Zeit, als er bei Picasso zuhause Keramiken brannte oder im Exil als Ambulanz-Arzt während des Krieges in London, wo er sich mit Kokoschka befreundete und danach Venedig mit ihrer Lagune und den kleinen Inseln oder als Bühnenbildner für Opernhäuser wie die New Yorker Metropolitan-Oper, London, Salzburg oder Genf.

Durch seine Jugendliebe Lilli Palmer fand Gérard in Ascona eine neue Heimat - sein Traumort wegen des Lichts, wie er sagt und seinen Freunden unter welchen sich auch Erich Maria Remarque befand und weil es ein Ort ist mit viel Lebensqualität ist.

Seinen Geburtstag feiert er in seinem Museum, der Rolf-Gérard Stiftung mitten in Ascona mit einer Vernissage der neueren Venedig-Bilder.

Uns bleibt nur eines - ihm alles Liebe zum Jubeltag und viel Kraft zum Weitermalen zu wünschen!

Switzerland’s low taxation system makes it very attractive in Europe. Both the fiscal proportion (part of tax revenues plus social security contributions of GDP) as well as the ratio of public spending (part of public expenditures of GDP) is the lowest in Europe. Moderate rates of income tax (marginal tax rate for most Cantons is less than 40% and kicks in at very high income only), wealth tax is relatively low (about 0.5% per year) and capital gains tax and inheritance tax have been abolished in most regions. Taxes are divided between federal tax (about 20%), cantonal tax (about 40%) and communal tax (about 40%). Cantons and communities compete to have the lowest tax rates, resulting in tax being only half in ‘tax conscious’ regions. Swiss citizens and foreigners who move to Switzerland benefit from this competition if they choose to live in a region with lower tax rates.

Wealthy foreigners, who choose Switzerland for their main residence and do not perform any working activity here, are authorised to apply for a cantonal regulated lump-sum tax. The lump sum tax replaces all regular taxes and consists of a single payment per year. It is calculated on an individual basis (a minimum amount exists), using the applicant’s age and estimated cost of living. Latter it is calculated by considering the tax value of the purchased or rented property. If living circumstances do not change, the tax remains the same for each year. In Ticino, the annual fixed amount of tax starts at approx. 35,000 Swiss Francs (relevant to a hypothetical income of 155,000 Swiss Francs) and could reach at least 600,000 Swiss Francs (for an income of 1.5million CHF). Other cantons, like Vaud, have even lower nominal tax rates of 25,000 CHF. Currently in Switzerland approx. 4,300 people take advantage of the lump sum tax living mostly in Vaud (1,100); Valais (860); Geneva (600); Ticino (523) and the Grisons (250). The cumulative tax payment of foreigners is low (400 million CHF), being less than 1% of the overall tax revenue.

A referendum was held in Zurich on the 8 February 2009 and the public voted to abandon the lump-sum tax system for Canton Zurich. Since Zurich is by far Switzerland’s largest and economically strongest Canton, but has very few foreigners, and therefore negligible lump sum tax, there is very little financial effect felt because foreigners would move to another canton or country and take their tax payments with them. However other traditional lump sum tax cantons are rather more concerned to keep their wealthy foreigners.

Posted By: Ueli F. Schnorf

The British Empire gets unsettled by the announcement of the British government to increase tax rates for the upper incomes by 10% to 50%. People with salaries more than £150’000 are thinking about to leave or actually impend doing so.

While several British Medias feature articles on high profiles residents and their moving plans, another source, “Scorpio Partnership”, takes the same line and published a list of the most preferred locations for “tax refugees”. The specialty of this company is market research for the asset management industry. Scorpio compiled a list with eleven regions/cities which are considered first class locations to live and work for the wealthy. In that list, Switzerland has obtained first position right before locations such as Monaco and New York (please see the graphic). This reflects the overall opinion about Switzerland to be one of the most sought-after places in the world in terms of living. Standards in lifestyle, security and healthcare, just to name a few, are very high and really appreciated by foreigners. The favorable tax situation is just another advantageous issue on that list. On the topic of the lately heavy discussed Swiss tax issues, the country only holds the fifth place, what also reflects that’s its not only the tax situation which is so important to many of the wealthy. So the argument that Switzerland is a tax oasis can’t really rank that high as discussed in the past. Switzerland’s German speaking northern part of greater Zurich as well as the French speaking western part around Geneva are the traditional regions of interest to foreigners, but Ticino, the most southern part of Switzerland, is getting more and more interesting, especially for those coming from countries with a more comfortable climate or even very wet and cold climate like UK and therefore will enjoy the Mediterranean influenced climate of Ticino.

Also important to mention is the still stable real estate market and with some negotiations there can be achieved quite some good deals..

Scorpio Partnership 2009, NZZ am Sonntag – Selection of criterias chart

Posted By: Peter Rabitz

Well, it is no secret that for decades Switzerland has been well known for its awesome ski resorts, picturesque scenery and its status as a financial hub, although this changed (or might change) a bit due to financial turbulence’s and the pressure on the famous confidentially in banking.


Over the past years, Switzerland gained recognition for being a strong housing market that has almost defied the global downturn and where business is booming. Strong demand for upmarket homes, partly driven by the limited supply, has propeller up prices in the past years. According to the Swiss firm Wüst & Partner, average house prices in Switzerland rose by nearly 4 percent from 2007 to 2008, against a backdrop of falling prices elsewhere in Europe. Although we are experiencing a leveling of the market with price corrections in some parts, where prices have risen more steeply owing to limited supply and a surge in foreign buyers in recent years, but in general the market still belong to one of the most stable and most attractive real estate markets in the world. Important to mention is, that there has never been a real estate bubble driven by speculations causing the steep decline of values like seen in other parts of the world. Prices have always risen on a consistent level. Buyers are showing particular favour for regions of Zurich, Geneva, Vaud, Valais and of course Ticino, made popular by its well-known Mediterranean climate and lifestyle around the lakes Lago Maggiore, Lago di Lugano and Lago di Como.

In a result of the continuing turbulence’s and uncertainties, the market has definitely turned to a ‘buyers market’ as sellers realize that if they have to sell a property, they will need to reduce their asking price and cannot expect to start with very high prices as of the last 2 years. Despite continuing uncertainties in the world financial system and a still dismal outlook for the economies, we can see key indicators point towards a stirring in the real estate market. While January was similar to previous years, since the beginning of February, Wetag has noticed an increased interest in the property market. We can see 2 factors contributing to this renewed interest – 1. Historically low interest rates and 2. An increased readiness of sellers to lower their asking sale price. In fact – if you are looking for a good investment or a second home, where you can enjoy great lifestyle, beautiful nature, great health care system and security – you have to consider Ticino as one of your choices. Ask for more information on this awesome spot in the world – we will tell you why to choose Ticino!

Posted By: Peter Rabitz