Key moments

A Sunday walk on January 29 on frozen Lake Pfäffikon, near Zurich (Keystone/ Alessandro Della Bella) swissinfo.ch
The Rhine Falls, the biggest waterfall in Europe, dried up in February; instead of the normal 700 cubic metres of water, just 142 m3 fell every second. (Keystone/Alessandro Della Bella) Keystone
On March 12 thousands of crosscountry skiers had to contend with wind and icy temperatures as they took part in the Engadine ski marathon. (Keystone/ Alessandro Della Bella) Keystone
The maximum period asylum seekers can be held in reception centres doubled to 60 days from April 1. The Federal Migration Office hopes the extra time will allow it to deal with as many asylum cases as possible in border reception centres. (Keystone/Gaetan Bally) Keystone
On May 31 a rockfall at Gurtnellen killed two people and injured two others on the busy Gotthard road. (Keystone/Sigi Tischler) Keystone
On June 6 seven houses and stalls burned right down in the historic centre of Flims, canton Graubünden. A 16-year-old was convicted of arson. (Keystone/Arno Balzarini) Keystone
The football World Cup in Germany: parliamentarians celebrate Switzerland's second goal against Togo on June 19. (Keystone/Yoshiko Kusano) Keystone
Disappointed faces when Switzerland crashed out of the World Cup after losing to Ukraine. (Keystone/Alessandro Della Bella) Keystone
During the Cabinet summer outing of July 6 President Moritz Leuenberger bows to schoolchildren in Wetzikon. (Keystone/Steffen Schmidt) Keystone
During his holidays in Italy's Aosta valley Pope Benedict XVI made an unexpected stopover in Switzerland; he visited a monastery in the vicinity of Martigny where they breed St Bernard dogs. (Keystone/AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano/Arturo Mari) Keystone
On Sunday September 24 Justice Minister Christoph Blocher spoke at a news conference after a new law on asylum and foreigners received the support of the people in a nationwide vote. (Keystone/Monika Flückiger) Keystone
The Benedictine nuns of the Maria Rickenbach convent in canton Nidwalden enjoy the autumn sun on October 10. (Keystone/Urs Flüeler) Keystone
Heinz Spoerli staged the ballet Don Quichote at the Zurich Opera House with Anastasia Matvienko in the leading role. (Keystone/Alessandro Della Bella) Keystone
On December 4 workers on a new railway tunnel in Faido celebrated a Mass to honour St Barbara, the patron saint of miners. (Keystone/Martin Rütschi) Keystone
On November 30 the snow cannon were not in operation on the ski World Cup run at Kuonisbärgli in Adelboden; it was too warm even to create artificial snow. (Keystone/Peter Schneider) Keystone