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What winter used to look like in Switzerland

Snow in Swiss cities is sparse these days. This was not always the case, as historical black-and-white photographs taken between 1930 and 1970 show.

A look back into the Swiss winter wonderland of yore reveals heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures, even in major cities such as Bern, Zurich and Geneva. In the winter of 1962/1963, lakes Zurich and Constance froze over, making it possible for people to walk on the ice. Even the camels from the Knie Circus trekked across frozen Lake Zurich.

In our series #swisshistorypics we travel back in time to look at photographs which document past life and culture in Switzerland.

Translated by Susan Misicka

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR