2011 in pictures

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Some of the 12,000 people participating in the annual Engadine cross country skiing marathon on March 13. Keystone

On January 19, Rudolf Elmer, a former banker at Julius Bär, was arrested on suspicion of breaching banking secrecy by giving data to WikiLeaks. Keystone

Some of the 300 or so mountain runners taking part in the 11.5km Stanserhorn Run on July 3. The challenge involves a climb of 1,400 metres. Keystone

Protesters demonstrate against former Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in Geneva on January 15, a day after Ben Ali had left Tunisia. Keystone

The Leibstadt nuclear power plant in canton Aargau on May 28, three days earlier the Swiss cabinet said it wanted to gradually decommission Switzerland’s five nuclear power plants after the disaster at Fukushima in Japan. Keystone

Zottel, the mascot of the rightwing Swiss People's Party, waits to be unloaded for a party assembly on May 28. He was later kidnapped and covered in black paint just before the parliamentary elections in October. Keystone

Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey on September 7 after announcing her resignation for the end of the year. Keystone

Children at a traditional costume event in canton Obwalden on June 25. Keystone

Basel fans during a football match against FC Lucerne on May 25. Keystone

Going for a stroll along a partially dried out Lake Gruyere, in April. Keystone

A police officer in Geneva wears the symbol for equality of the sexes at a march on June 14. Keystone

Meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann at a press conference in July. In May he was aquitted of rape charges after trial lasting almost nine months. Keystone

Police use water cannon on September 18 to disperse hooligans running riot in Zurich to demand the right to party. Keystone

The façade of the shopping centre at Spreitenbach. The town hit the headlines in October when its mayor announced his resignation after receiving threats for saying the presence of foreign residents was an "enriching challenge". Keystone

Alphorn players head for an alphorn festival in the Sihl forest near Zurich on May 7. Keystone

Oswald Grübel, former chief executive of UBS, and Kaspar Villiger, chairman of the board, attend the bank's general assembly on April 28. Grübel stepped down following a trading scandal in September. Keystone

A protestor from Somalia waves a Swiss flag during a human rights demonstration in Bern on October 1. Keystone

Women affected by breast cancer came from 19 countries to climb the Breithorn mountain near Zermatt on September 17. Keystone

Anti-capitalism protestors demonstrate in Zurich's Paradeplatz, the symbolic heart of the Swiss banking industry, on October 15. Keystone

Children go for a dip in algae-infested Lake Neuchatel on August 24. Keystone

Embattled Fifa President Sepp Blatter leaves a press conference in Zurich on May 31. World football's governing body was mired in various corruption scandals. Keystone

An car dealer takes part in the Euro-Bonus price cutting deal in September. Keystone

Roger Federer lifts the trophy after defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals on November 27. Keystone

A Swedish Gripen fighter performs at the Sion airshow on September 16. Keystone

An alleged rogue trader with UBS bank in London was charged with fraud and false accounting on September 16. Keystone

A supporter of Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf crosses her fingers - Swiss-style - during the cabinet elections in December. Widmer-Schlumpf was re-elected. Keystone

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People and events making the news in Switzerland over the past 12 months. (All images by Keystone)