Switzerland marks National Day under shadow of Covid-19
Big public firework displays have been cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions, but this valley had its own light show.
Keystone / Valentin Flauraud
Part of the Alps lit up on Friday night ahead of August 1 Swiss National Day celebrations under the shadow of Covid-19.
The mountain chains of Veisivi and Dent de Perroc, which rise to nearly 4,000 metres in the southern canton of Valais, glowed as magnesium powder was ignited in the event.
Thousands gathered below to watch the three-minute long display, at a safe distance from each other.
“Lots of people around Switzerland normally have fireworks to celebrate our national day, but they weren’t able to this year because of distancing regulations,” organiser Jacques Morard told Reuters.
National Day marks the legendary founding of Switzerland in 1291.
Gatherings of more than 1,000 people remain banned to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Traditional large public firework displays for August 1 have been cancelled but some smaller events are planned and politicians will be delivering speeches around the country.
The foreign ministry has launched a special websiteExternal link to help Swiss people abroad celebrate this “unusual August 1”.
Swiss President Simonetta Sommaruga has also sent a message to the Swiss Abroad.
More
More
To the Swiss Abroad: ‘You represent Switzerland and its democratic values’
This content was published on
For Swiss National Day, the Swiss president addresses Swiss people living outside the country.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Ecological status of Swiss streams insufficient according to study
This content was published on
Pesticide use and obstructions of waterways have a particularly negative impact on sensitive organisms, completely absent in 70% of streams analysed.
Train line between Brig and Domodossola interrupted
This content was published on
One day after a derailment approximately 15 kilometres from the Swiss border, BLS is running buses for passengers between Preglia and Domodossola, in Italy.
Swiss football boss wants crackdown on individual hooligans
This content was published on
The head of the Swiss Football League says he prefers a harsher approach to individual hooligans rather than collective punishment measures affecting all fans.
Amherd: Council of Europe is ‘as urgently needed as ever’
This content was published on
The Swiss government emphasised on Sunday the vital role of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, 75 years after it was founded.
This content was published on
From the founding of Switzerland to William Tell. Lake Lucerne is the backdrop to the most iconic legends of the Swiss Confederation.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.