The Swiss year 2024 in pictures

A cow stands after sunset with Lake Geneva in the background, at the Mont de Gourze above Riez, western Switzerland on October 11, 2024. Afp Or Licensors

From major international conferences to natural disasters and extreme weather, Switzerland has seen many memorable events over the past 12 months. The SWI swissinfo.ch editorial team has selected the photos that capture the essence of 2024.

The sky and the weather often offer up fascinating images. Over the past year, the northern lights have been seen in Switzerland on several occasions, a rare sight in Central Europe.

As always, the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) attracted a great deal of international attention. But for once, another conference overshadowed Davos: in June, high-level representatives from around a hundred countries met on the Bürgenstock, in the canton of Nidwalden, to discuss peace in Ukraine. However, the absence of Russia and its main ally China, diminished the importance of the meeting.

On the political front, the surprise of 2024 was undoubtedly the popular vote in favour of the introduction of a thirteenth pension payment. Even the supporters of the initiative did not necessarily expect it to be accepted, and their faces showed surprise when the first estimates came in.

Considered by some as the Iron Lady of the Swiss cabinet, Karin Keller-Sutter sometimes lets her softer side shine through, like when she shows her affection for the St Bernard dogs she is sponsoring, in the run-up to her election as the Swiss president for 2025.

Browse the gallery below to see these images and more.

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Police officers stand at the top of Kongress Hotel during the opening of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on January 15, 2024. Afp Or Licensors

Swiss freeskiing star Fabian Bösch transforms the iconic Schilthorn summit in the Bernese Alps into a unique “circus” stage on March 2, 2024. Jan Cadosch / Red Bull Content Pool

Supporters in Bern react jubilantly to the first forecast on the result of the vote regarding the 13th pension payment initiative, held on March 3, 2024. Keystone / Peter Schneider

Search operations on March 14, 2024 for the last member of a group of six cross-country skiers who went missing in the Swiss Alps. The five others were found dead. AFP

Representatives of the farmers’ movement meet with around 650 tractors for a vigil to emphasise their demands on March 22, 2024 in Ersigen in canton Bern. Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

On April 9, 2024 in Strasbourg, France, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned Switzerland for violating the Convention on Human Rights. It ruled in favour of the Senior Women for Climate Protection association, which was challenging Switzerland’s inaction in the face of climate change. Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott

A robot using artificial intelligence is displayed at a stand during the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva on May 30, 2024. Afp Or Licensors

A car drives along a road, its headlights illuminating poplars beneath the glow of the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) in the night sky over the village of Daillens, Switzerland on May 10, 2024. Keystone / Laurent Gillieron

Heads of states pose for a traditional group photo as Swiss President Viola Amherd leans forward during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, in Stansstad near Lucerne, Switzerland on June 15, 2024. Keystone / Eda / Pool / Alessandro Della Valle

Swiss singer Nemo Mettler, also known as Nemo, winner of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2024 with the song “The Code” gestures during a welcome event at his hometown in Biel/Bienne on June 17, 2024. Afp Or Licensors

Elio Biadici makes a phone call to his destroyed stable building in Piano di Peccia, in the Maggia Valley, southern Switzerland on July 3, 2024. Severe storms and torrential rain over the last weekend left five people dead in Switzerland’s Val Maggia and its side valleys in Ticino. Keystone / Michael Buholzer

Fans support their team at the stand ahead of the UEFA EURO 2024 Quarter-Final match between England and Switzerland at Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany on July 06, 2024. 2024 Anadolu

Fans, also known as “Swifties”, wait to attend the concert of US singer and songwriter Taylor Swift as part of her The Eras Tour in front of the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich on July 9. 2024. Keystone / Ennio Leanza

People jumping from the Drahtschmidlisteg into the Limmat, photographed on July 14, 2024 in Zurich. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

The Sarco death capsule developed by Exit International, with which a euthanasia patient can die within seconds at the touch of a button, presented at a press conference of The Last Resort Association at Resilient Studios in Zurich, Switzerland, on July 17, 2024. Keystone / Ennio Leanza

An overview shows US’ Gabrielle Thomas (down) crossing the finish line ahead of Jamaica’s Niesha Burgher (6), Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (3) and Canada’s Jacqueline Madogo (8) in the women’s 200m heat of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 4, 2024. Afp Or Licensors

Jewish-Orthodox guests on a walk by Lake Davos, on August 26, 2024, in Davos. The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities SIG has been running the Likrat project since 2019. The aim of the project is to promote mutual understanding between hosts and Jewish guests. Keystone / Gian Ehrenzeller

A hornusser splits the wooden edge of his stick while hitting the “Nouss” during a hornuss match at the 40th Swiss Festival on August 31, 2024 in Hoechstetten. The indigenous Swiss sport with a tradition reaching back to the 16th century gets its name from the puck which is known as a “Hornuss” (hornet) or “Nouss”. Afp Or Licensors

A visitor looks at a painting titled Composition (Les velours) (C) by French artist Henri Matisse during a press visit of the exhibition “Matisse – invitation au voyage” at the Beyeler foundation in Riehen near Basel, on September 20, 2024. Afp Or Licensors

Police officers during an operation outside an after-school care facility in Zurich Oerlikon, Switzerland, on October 1, 2024. A 23-year-old man attacked a group of children with a knife in Zurich-Oerlikon at lunchtime. Keystone / Michael Buholzer

A cyclist pushes her bike past stranded cars in heavy snowfall in the Lorraine district of Bern on November 21, 2024. The snowstorm brought long-distance evening traffic in Bern to a virtual standstill. Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

Traffic jam on the A14 motorway near Buchrain in the direction of Lucerne on November 21, 2024. Keystone / Philipp Schmidli

Cabinet minister Karin Keller-Sutter meets her goddogs, the St Bernard Zeus du Grand St Bernard, left, and his daughter Lio from the Barry Foundation, after her election as Swiss president for 2025 by parliament on December 11, 2024 at the Bernerhof in Bern. Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

Workers inspect the reinforced water pipe which leads from the Oberaarsee to the Grimsel 1 power plant under the bed of the Grimselsee, during the lake cleaning and the work for the commissioning of the new Spitallamm dam, photographed on December 17, 2024 in Guttannen, canton Bern. In winter 2024-2025, all facilities that are normally under water will be checked and repaired. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

A road junction surrounded by vineyards is covered in deep snow on December 23, 2024 near Flanthey in canton Valais. MeteoSwiss has issued a snow warning for the area. Keystone / Alessandro Della Valle

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Edited by Benjamin von Wyl. Translated from German by DeepL/ac.