Anyone is living in Jura

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1
Hey Folks,

I currently live in canton ZH and plan to buy a home in 2021.

After very long search I am down to two options, one is in Ticino and another in Jura. I am truly thorn between the two.

Jura option is a awesome villa, compared to Ticino it has considerably larger living space (130%), more land (160%), and absolutely breathtaking open view over the Porrentruy valley, large pool and it is considerably cheaper (1m vs 1.15m).

But this really is secondary, what I truly wonder about is quality of life in Jura? How does it feel to be expat living there?

My friends tell me this is a "depressing dump" / "place everyone is running away from", my bank adviser went like "whoa, wait a moment, think about your life, you are making decisions here that are very very big" when I told her about considering Jura. Everyone seems to be shocked even by an idea. This seems to be a "Rust belt" of Switzerland. How much truth is to that?

One thing I noticed while driving around / looking for homes is that in Jura there are quite a few billboards that advertise AA (alcoholics anonymous), maybe it was just a campaign but it made me think, kind of chimes with reactions of people on the place....

2
Depends on what quality of life means to you. In general terms it is true Jura is economically stagnant and therefore a "depressing dump" and there are analogies with the rust belt.

I think ticino is better just on house terms, you can always rent the house out to tourists, in Jura you are stuck with it and will have a hard time selling a 1m house I guess.

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According to referendum results - a plenty of socialists.

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Taxes are murder in Jura.

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It rains a lot

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Ticino all day long. Much better weather. Better taxes. Better food. More to do.

I'd think twice before moving to Jura - and this coming from someone who lives in the middle of Aargau.

7
Everything is relative.Jura may not enjoy the highest status in Switzerland but it may be simply awesome when compared to other sites around the world.

But....I work with water, I have acquaintances working in contaminated sites in Jura. Rust Belt? Coming from the US? In Switzerland there's something similar to EPA Superfund sites. This is one of them in Bonfol: https://www.jura.ch/DEN/ENV/Decharge...onfol-DIB.html The remediation of the Bonfol site has been completed but several decades of bad reputation don't go away that easy. The whole story about contaminated sites in Jura here: https://www.jura.ch/DEN/ENV/Sites-pollues.html

I'm not taking a dump of Jura. All regions in Switzerland with an industrial past have or had problems with pollution. The only difference is that Jura is relatively less wealthy and the cleanup of polluted sites is 40-50 years behind other regions/cantons. I'm sure desirable and high-status regions of Zürich canton were like this in the 1970s or even 1980s.

I'm not trying to scare you. I live 5-6 km away from the Kölliken site in Aargau. More important, 15m away from the Suhre river that flows from that site. The cleanup has also been completed, so safe. Just take a deep dive into the polluted site info of Canton Jura and make an informed decision.

8
Which part of the Jura? And the Jura Jura, or other parts of the Jura in Bern, Neuchâtel, Vaud?

We are all different- and have different priorities- The Jura has wonderful scenery, wildlife, sports' facilities, famous for xc skiing, horse riding, cycling, and more. Very close to Basel for some parts, and very close to France for cheaper shopping and a culture mix.

Taxes are high- and properties are fabulous value for money, and being able to shop in France, and eat out in France, etc- makes up for this to a large extent. I am have the Jura in my veins, born and bred and for generations- so I am biased.

The term Jura is so confusing- it is a French Departement, a Swiss Canton, a chain of mountains that go from beyond Geneva to Basel covering several C/kantons- oh and an Isle in Scotland.

It is a bit like asking if the Peak District is better than Devon, or Vermont versus Florida- almost incomparable.

9
Hi Everyone!

Thanks for your input, the region of Jura I am talking about is close to Porrentruy (Courtedoux to be precise).

Interesting thing is that most people who told me to "run" from Jura never lived there. Me neither, nor did I spent any considerable time there but my first impression when I drove in Jura was tripple wow.

First WOW was at infrastructure, the highways built in 2003 are incredibly modern and better then in some other "more developed" areas of Switzerland, roads are great and there's lots of road work going on. It seems as if confederation is pumping lots of money into Jura because I can hardly believe that a Canton with 77k population can afford all what is being done.

Second WOW was at nature and open spaces, mountains and valleys are just awesome.

Third WOW was at the quality of both old and new homes, people build there on a grand scale, a big chunk of land, big house and a pool are quite common and they are certainly not occupied by millionaires. Then there are old homes and buildings all around that are remains of seemingly vibrant past, some areas of Porrentruy feel like "Zurichberg in decay".

The gut feeling I got after those few visits is that Jura is like a rocket on a launch pad being prepared for a take off. But then, there are some places of "old jura" that are very depressing and sad. One such "downer" was a Moutier in Bernese Jura (the only town that voted to join Jura), this town used to be quite impressive but now the impression it leaves is less then stellar, it is rotting away, it's main street reminds me of Weststrasse in Zurich before the street was pacified and rebuilt.

Taxes are indeed high but not the highest in Switzerland, the increase is a murder if you'd move from place like Zug but it is much less of a shock between Ticino and Jura.

One thing that worries me a lot is language... I am fluent in German and easily learn Italian but French.. Oh my. Tried to learn it twice, gave up both times. I would never be good in it, basics for a very casual conversation yes but hardly more then that. I have heard that people in Jura are very proud of French and anyone who does not speak it well is kind of a "outcast", how much truth is in that?

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Hi,

Yesterday I was talking to an accountant from here and suddenly he was speaking Italian with me with a good accent. I’ve asked him where he learned and he surprised me saying that a part of Jura canton it’s Italian. Never heard or paid attention on it before...

Anyway I did an exercise with incoming and taxes there and are quite high, however, there’s no trick, high taxes, usually cheap food and rentals...

Here it goes:

https://ch.talent.com/en/tax-calcula...ar®ion=Jura

Regarding the place isolation.: this is very subjective... my only suggestion , if you don’t mind, it’s to rent a temporary place and check if you like and then you buy or rent with more confidence.

Hope that helps,

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You just can't compare Moûtier and Courtedoux/Porrentruy, for sure.

Porrentruy is lovely, not sure about Courtedoux- but the countryside is fabulous- reall horse riding country, the Montana of Switzerland. And so so close to nice towns in France, and amazing countryside there like Baume-les-Dames, Baumes-les-Messieurs and more. Close to Alsace too, and easy access to Basel. As for the rain- this is nonsense for the past 20-30 years.

Properties are indeed amazingly good value, with S P A C E, which is wonderful. And good bilingual international schools too.

As for taxes- just depends on your situation. If you are VERY rich it can hit you compared to Zug- but if you have a mortage on the property especially- the fact that the property is so cheap comparatively, and you can shop and eat in France, etc- then it really is not an issue.

You need to understand the history of the Jura to understand why they are still very catholic and proud of their french speaking heritage. They were annexed to Bern without their consent- and when the Bernese landowners and farmers came, they imposed their language, laws, Protestant religion - all schools only taught in German and French was forcibly banished. And yes, the resentment still lives today. And you have to be aware of this, and why.

There is not reason btw, why you should not be able to learn French. Tragically, it was so badly taught, with strong emphasis on learning vocab out of context, by rote- and grammar galore especially complicated just for the sake of making the majority fail. It grieves me- but ... It is quite possible to learn French in a much simplified manner, in a communicative way- without losing any of the quality. Some of the tenses can be just discarded for active use- like the future, and the Passé Simple which is never used- with just a few forms of it that can be learnt by heart as a formula. And even then. 'Il faut que je fasse'- can be totally replaced with 'je dois faire' - without any loss of quality or understanding. So chill out on the French- but show willing. People are incredibly helpful when someone shows willingness to have a go.

There are also beautiful parts of the Jura in Kanton Bern, and Cantons Neuchâtel (where I live) and Vaud, around St Croix and Vallorbe, above Nyon, etc.

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The annexation was in 1815 btw. My father's family still lived there- it was my great-grandfather who moved away to settle in NE Canton- where they were also a small Catholic minority in the late 19C - but at least allowed to speak French and be free to practise their religion freely- and to have a Trade as an artisan.

13
This is excellent advice. Since you are already in Switzerland, could you find a way to do this in both Jura and Ticino?

Walk the walk. Take along your bicycle and explore. Take the buses and trains up and down. Go shopping. Think about other shops besides just groceries, e.g. pharmacies, shoes. See where the doctors and dentists and hospitals are. Look for things specifically to do with your hobbies and interests. See if there's a language school nearby. Look for sporting facilities or arts or events. Think about the topography. Park your car. Study the public transport timetable, to get you from there to the main important city nearby, and also to where you live now, in case you want to visit people you already know. Listen to the sounds (animals, traffic, farm noises, lakeside boulevards, isolated mountains, the lot). Be out and about at different times of the day and night.

Good luck, and great that you're thinking things through, looking before you leap.

14
Yes, great advice. Although the house you reall like won't be there by then. A choice.

I wonder about public transport from there. Here we have brilliant bus service till late, both down to the Valley and also into France and our nearest French town- and then linking to both Swiss and French railways, including TGV to Paris. have you looked at the SBB site (you can click for English)- and see how it all connects by bus, train and TGV.

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Ok, ok I exaggerated

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Renting temporarily is a good idea. You can do the research and explore, maybe staying somewhere for a few nights. Treat it like a holiday with a purpose.

In our search we considered the Jura, but only briefly. Languages weren't an issue for us. We really wanted to escape the Aargau fog and enjoy better weather. Given the recent snowfall in the Tessin I am beginning to wonder. But the locals tell us it never snows like this.

We've met quite a number of people who have moved here from other areas of Switzerland.

There is a facebook group for expats which is quite helpful.

These are difficult times to take a holiday but I am certain you can find a self catering place to rent to explore the Tessin a bit more if you are still considering this region. One thing to be aware of, other than the cost of the house in the Tessin, there is the cost of buying it, which the buyer pays. Count on about 2% of the sales price of the house. So definitely worth your while to negotiate on the price.

As for languages in the Tessin, many people speak German or English, but you will need to learn Italian. I can't say if you will have better luck with that than with learning French.

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Up above the fog. From my garden bench. We live in the Berner Jura, 20min from Biel and Neuchàtel, at 900mt. Up here we don't have any swimming pools, but the lake of Biel is just down the hill.

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Hi, there ! Sorry to open an old topic . I live in Canton Jura since 2021 and I start to put myself some questions seeing a lot of people with health problems . Mostly in Delémont ...I always got the impression that there is here something wrong that makes people look unhealthy . Very , very skinny , depressed faces , many persons with disabilities and guess what ! My husband started to have health problems , and he never had one in his entire life . And now I see this comment of yours about the water . Can you tell me more ? Could it be true ? If so, why are still so many people living here ? Don't they know about the old contamination ? Any word could help me find an idea on what shall we do in the near future .