Swiss skier Beat Feuz at the start of the Lauberhorn race in Wengen, January 11. (Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott)
Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott
Two of 800 dogs who took part in the international sledge race in Saignelégier, January 29. (Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott)
Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott
A crustacean on ice at the White Turf horse race in St. Moritz, February 19. (Keystone/Christian Beutler)
Keystone/Christian Beutler
The start of the Fasnacht carnival in Lucerne, February 23. (Keystone/Urs Flüeler)
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
Skiers in action during the 49th Engadine ski marathon from Maloya to S-chanf, March 12. (Keystone/EPA/Gian Ehrenzeller)
Keystone/EPA/Gian Ehrenzeller
Underwater window-cleaning of a sculpture by artist Roman Signer by Lake Zug, March 31. (Keystone/Urs Flüeler)
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
The "Böögg" goes up in flames during the Sechseläuten celebrations in Zurich, April 24. (Keystone/Ennio Leanza)
Keystone/Ennio Leanza
A windswept tree in Maienfeld, April 18. (Keystone/Gian Ehrenzeller)
Keystone/Gian Ehrenzeller
Protesting in Zurich on Labour Day, May 1. (Keystone/Ennio Leanza)
Keystone/Ennio Leanza
A snow plough clears snow off the road at the Great St. Bernard pass, May 16. (Keystone/Valentin Flauraud)
Keystone/Valentin Flauraud
A coach is checked by police in Erstfeld, June 30. (Keystone/Urs Flüeler)
Keystone/Urs Flüeler
A Swiss wrestler warms up before a bout on the Gurten in Bern, June 11. (Keystone/Peter Klaunzer)
Keystone/Peter Klaunzer
Matthias Appenzeller trains for the cliff-diving competition in the Maggia Valley in Ponte Brolla, July 21. (Keystone/Ti-Press/Francesca Agosta)
Keystone/Ti-Press/Francesca Agosta
People cross the "Europabrücke" (Europe bridge), the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge. With a length of 494 metres, it connects the villages of Zermatt and Grächen. July 29. (Keystone/Valentin Flauraud)
Keystone/Valentin Flauraud
Fireworks illuminate the sky over Neuhausen on Swiss National Day, August 1, (Keystone/Ennio Leanza)
Keystone/Ennio Leanza
A flock of alpine sheep is kept in the "Farricha", a traditional stone enclosure, before being sorted for their owners in Belalp, August 26. (Keystone/Valentin Flauraud)
Keystone/Valentin Flauraud
Aspiring athletes show what they can do at a talent event in Tenero organised by Swiss Olympic, September 25. (Keystone/Ti-Press/Gabriele Putzu)
Keystone/Ti-Press/Gabriele Putzu
A cow goes on a hike during the descent from the alp to the village of l'Etivaz, September 30. (Keystone/Valentin Flauraud)
Keystone/Valentin Flauraud
Cheers! Swiss designer Camille Scherrer poses in her augmented reality art piece in Neuchâtel entitled "Into the woods", which displays animal shadows on top of the visitor, October 18. (Keystone/Valentin Flauraud)
Keystone/Valentin Flauraud
A flock of starlings flies through the vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva, October 16. (Keystone/Valentin Flauraud)
Keystone/Valentin Flauraud
And the winner - by a neck - is Raphael Sieger. The Gansabhauet in Sursee, November 11. (Keystone/Alexandra Wey)
Keystone/Alexandra Wey
Two people prepare an image of a pig built with lanterns for the annual "Räbeliechtliumzug" lantern procession in Richterswil, November 11. (Keystone/Christian Merz)
Keystone/Christian Merz
Sunset in Uster, December 5. (Keystone/Christian Merz)
Keystone/Christian Merz
St Nicholas hands out Lebkuchen in Fribourg, December 2. (Keystone/Christian Merz)
Keystone/Christian Merz
Some stumbled, others reached new heights. The past 12 months in Switzerland have been filled with impressive images and odd scenes – from sport and traditional customs to political events. swissinfo.ch looks back at 2017 in pictures.
Things always get wild in canton Valais on the last weekend of August – that’s when up to 1,000 sheep are driven from their summer pastures over the Aletsch glacier to Belalp. The Schafscheid (sheep-sorting) then returns the sheep to their owners.
Every year on St Martin’s Day (November 11) a curious – and rather gruesome – tradition in the village of Sursee near Lucerne attracts locals and visitors: the “Gansabhauet”. A dead goose is suspended and participants – blindfolded by a pointed cap and a golden sun mask and wearing a red cloak – try to sever its neck with a blunt sabre. Whoever manages to do this can keep the mangled bird.
Some regions also host the “Räbeliechtli”, a night-time procession of lanterns made from turnips. In Fribourg, the celebrations for St Nicholas take place on the first three days of December; on a donkey and with assistants, St Nicholas winds his way through the city, blessing people and lobbing Lebkuchen (gingerbread biscuits) at them.
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.
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Switzerland in motion: 2017 in review
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Though not quite scary enough to give you goose bumps, a custom peculiar to a little town near Lucerne is haunting in its own way.
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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.