Working with a view of the mountains: Roderick and Lisanne share their story

Let us introduce ourselves

Roderick and Lisanne are 25 and 26 years old and come from the Netherlands. Lisanne grew up in Duiven near Arnhem, Roderick in Enschede. Since September 2025, they have been living in Huttwil, a small town with around 5500 inhabitants between Bern and Lucerne, surrounded by greenery.

They deliberately chose this place because it is right between their workplaces. The town is small but complete, with shops, a swimming pool and regular events. Within an hour you can be in a major city such as Bern or Lucerne, in the mountains or across the border.

For Roderick, the choice was not difficult. At the beginning of his studies, Switzerland quickly caught his interest, and throughout his training this gradually grew from an idea into a real plan. He loves nature, enjoys putting on his hiking boots and likes heading for the mountains. He already did this regularly in the Netherlands, but the idea of actually living in Switzerland appealed to him enormously.

Lisanne wanted to make the move together with Roderick. They had talked about it many times, but at that moment she was still completing her Master’s in paediatric physiotherapy. She decided to follow the final part of it from Switzerland. Lisanne also loves being outdoors. Hiking, skiing, playing tennis, staying active, it suits their lifestyle perfectly.

It all started with a LinkedIn message, years ago when PhysioMatch had only just started. Roderick and Lisanne had also only just begun their physiotherapy studies. A small seed was planted. That idea stayed with them and slowly grew into a concrete plan.

Roderick actually liked leaving his familiar surroundings behind. He had never really lived on his own before, apart from a short time in student housing. This felt like a real fresh start.

They were able to find a home quite easily. They had made an extra trip to Switzerland for this and scheduled several viewings. At every viewing, they were offered the property. One of the apartments had already been available for rent for six months, but the landlord preferred a good connection with the new tenant over renting it out as quickly as possible.

Of course, family and friends are still in the Netherlands, but they visit regularly. Roderick and Lisanne are happy to make time for that, although they also sometimes deliberately plan free weekends. The distance is manageable, around seven hours by car or one hour by plane.

What they notice most is how different life feels. In the Netherlands, they often felt frustrated by work and the general busyness. Here, everything is calmer. Nature is always nearby. They are seriously thinking about a longer future in Switzerland. Maybe even permanently.

What stands out to them most is the difference in mentality.

In the Netherlands, they often felt that patients already thought they knew exactly what the physiotherapist should do. There was often pressure for quick results and the administration felt like a huge burden. In addition, the way things were recorded administratively sometimes caused frustration, especially when patients became upset about what was in the system in combination with what their health insurer would reimburse.

In Switzerland, they experience more respect and gratitude. Together with the patient, they look at what is realistic. This feels more pleasant and more professional. The work is also more varied. People come in with a wide range of complaints, from mountain accidents to sports injuries. Fewer desk related complaints, but more complaints caused by outdoor activities.

The healthcare system is also different. Patients first go to their general practitioner and then receive a referral to the physiotherapist. For one indication, 4 series of nine treatments per year can be prescribed. At their employer, administration is still largely done on paper, which they find surprisingly pleasant.

Lisanne works in a team made up mainly of Spanish colleagues. This sometimes creates a bit of group dynamics, but overall it is a friendly team where she feels at home.

Roderick works with Swiss and Dutch colleagues. Together they speak High German, and sometimes Dutch among themselves. Because they come from the border region between the Netherlands and Germany, they could already understand German reasonably well. After a few weeks, speaking it also became surprisingly smooth.

Although many patients speak dialect, the language turns out to be much less of an obstacle than they expected beforehand. Especially for Dutch people, it is quite manageable. Swiss people are happy to give tips and really appreciate it when you make an effort to learn their culture and language.

Lisanne receives an annual training budget. She has not yet used it because she has just completed her Master’s degree. She also carried out research that will be published internationally, focusing on acquired brain injury. She really enjoyed doing this research and may want to continue developing scientifically in the future.

Roderick is exploring a further training programme in manual therapy in Bern. He has also already completed a basic course in dry needling and wants to specialise further in this area. In consultation, part of the training costs can be reimbursed if it adds value to the practice.

Financially, they notice a big difference. Their salary is considerably higher than in the Netherlands. Fixed expenses are slightly more expensive, mainly health insurance and products such as meat, fish and flowers. Other groceries are relatively comparable to the Netherlands.

They live in a 74 square metre apartment with a large balcony, for a price that is comparable to the Netherlands. They now have more financial room to save and to invest in quality, such as good skis and hiking boots.

What may stand out even more is the daily holiday feeling.

Simply sitting on the balcony in the sun with a cup of coffee and a view of the mountains already gives that feeling. Even a drive to a sports shop feels special when you are driving through the mountains. They discover new hiking routes every week. Their Garmin watch helps them map out new routes.

Lisanne has built contacts with Swiss people through tennis, Roderick through unihockey. He is the physiotherapist for a unihockey team that is currently in the play-offs and hopes to reach the national final at the end of April. Sport is hugely important here. Ice hockey, football and unihockey attract thousands of spectators, even on weekdays.

Their first working day was immediately special. The practice owner called the day before to ask whether they wanted to join an ice hockey match with VIP tickets, including food and drinks. Partners were welcome too. That way, you get to know your colleagues in a fun way right away.

They live in the Emmental region, an area known for its nature and traditions. Nearby there is an old Emmentaler cheese dairy that has been converted into a restaurant, with a beautiful view of the mountains, including the Jungfrau. Cheese fondue and raclette are certainly not missing at this special location.

In Bern, the Rosengarten is a favourite place for dining out. But they also recently had dinner in Lucerne in a very special setting. In a gondola on Mount Pilatus, they were able to enjoy a Swiss cheese fondue together with two lovely bottles of wine. A truly wonderful experience that you need to book well in advance.

Lisanne and Roderick also regularly attend sports matches, mainly of the unihockey club and ice hockey club connected to Roderick’s physiotherapy practice. But sometimes they also choose something unique, such as a Young Boys football match or the Spengler Cup in Davos. During this oldest international ice hockey tournament in the world, various top teams compete against each other during the Christmas holidays. It is definitely something you should experience at least once.

What they especially appreciated was that Dorien from PhysioMatch gave them space. There was no pressure. They were able to decide in their own time when they were ready to take the step to Switzerland.

The biggest barrier is often the language. But according to Roderick and Lisanne, in practice this is much less of a problem than expected. Especially if you are open to learning.

Swiss patients and colleagues appreciate it when you make an effort to understand their culture. That opens doors.