A stunning place to live and work

With its inspirational mountain and lake backdrops, the GREATER GENEVA BERNE area (GGBa) offers a rather special environment for an ideal work-life balance. The region’s historic cities are renowned for their culture and charm, not least the federal capital Berne, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Geneva, meanwhile, is consistently cited as one of the world’s best cities for quality of life, with advantages including its clean air, convenient size and the health of its residents.

Such factors are an important consideration in helping companies attract the talent needed to succeed in today’s challenging global market place. Other key issues include the GGBa’s

• Safe environment - children generally walk to school unaccompanied. This reflects the extremely low crime rate. At the same time, the traditional discretion of the Swiss is widely valued; international celebrities move around Switzerland easily. It is also not uncommon for the federal president to be seen out walking without bodyguards;
• Abundance of leisure and cultural activities within easy reach. With almost two-thirds of the country’s land mass given over to lakes, glaciers and mountains, it is little wonder the Swiss like their sport. From skiing to mountain biking, sailing to paragliding, the GGBa can satisfy most sporting needs. Culturally, the region has everything from Roman amphitheaters to modern art museums. Its international community also has a rich calendar for all to enjoy;
• Range of housing. From prime city center real estate to quieter retreats in smaller towns or villages outside the principal cities, the GGBa has something for all tastes: traditional and modern homes, renovated farmhouses and environmentally friendly designer apartments;
• Highest quality healthcare. The healthcare system consists of an obligatory base of insurance, paid by the individual, which covers all the basic needs of adults as well as children. In addition, supplementary cover is available on two levels, which entitles those insured access to healthcare professionals and hospitals all over the country. All GGBa cantons have full service hospitals, as well as smaller, regional hospitals and private clinics.