From new dog training rules in Zurich to major train disruptions — here are the big events and changes to know about in Switzerland in June 2025.
June 1st: Training course for Zurich dog owners will become obligatory
From this day, all Zurich dog owners must attend a training course, the cantonal government decided.
All first-time dog owners will now be required to complete a two-hour theory course, and all dog owners, old and new, will also have to attend a six-hour practical course.
The new rule extends to all breeds, regardless of size.
That is an important point because until now, only owners of “large and bulky” dogs were required to attend a course, not owners of Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, and other small breeds.
June 2nd to 22nd: Summer session of the parliament
Both chambers of the parliament will convene to discuss some issues on their agenda.
The Council of States, for instance, will tackle the motion to include ‘obsessive harassment’ — concretely, stalking — in the Criminal Code.
The deputies will also debate a proposed ban on the public use of extremist, racist, or violence-promoting symbols, along with dozens of other issues.
Among the topics treated in the National Council, will be an initiative to cut the annual TV license fee from 335 to 200 francs; as well as a move to establish a strategy to improve the resilience of society with regard to Switzerland’s defence capability.
Advertisement
June 8th: Pentecost—Whit Monday
Whit Monday, a religious observance also called Pentecost, falls on June 8 this year.
It is national holiday, except in the cantons of Neuchâtel, Solothurn, Valais, and Zug.
June 14th: Feminist strike
As in years past, women in Switzerland will take to the streets on this day to highlight the gender bias that is widespread in the country, especially regarding work, wages, as well as childcare options and conditions.
This annual event began in 2017, with women in various countries, including Switzerland, rallying for equal pay, as well as other gender and trans-gender rights.
June 21st: Summer begins
Regardless of the weather on this day, June 21at marks the astronomical first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
It will last until the first day of fall, that is, September 22nd.
Advertisement
From June 27th: Major train disruptions
The SBB will be carrying out major maintenance work on the Fribourg-Bern line — one of the most important routes in Switzerland as it connects German and French-speaking parts of the country.
This railway line will be closed from June 27th to August 25th, 2025. A replacement service will be put in place for customers, including buses every 10 minutes to replace long-distance traffic.
During the total interruption from June 27th at 10:30 pm to August 25th, 2025 at 4:00 am, the timetable changes are as follows:
- The IC1 (Geneva Airport–St. Gallen) and the IR15 (Geneva Airport–Lucerne) are cancelled between Fribourg/Freiburg and Bern;
- The RE2 is cancelled between Fribourg/Freiburg and Bern;
- The RE3 is cancelled between Fribourg/Freiburg and Düdingen;
- The S1 is cancelled between Fribourg/Freiburg and Bern. From Bern, it operates to Belp with the same stopping policy as the S31;
- The S2 is cancelled between Laupen and Bern Europaplatz.
More information about disruptions and replacements on this line can be found here.
Also, keep in mind that all through the month of June, (from May 12th and until July 6th to be exact), one track at the Zurich Airport station will be closed, affecting several long-distance trains — including an international one — that will no longer be able stop there.
More about this here:
READ ALSO: Trains to Zurich airport face weeks of disruptio
New flights
Spring has seen scores of new flights launched from Swiss airports to destinations around the world. More will begin in June including:
SWISS will add Montpellier (France) to its schedule from June 27th, Heringsdorf (Germany), from June 29th; and Niš (Serbia) from June 30th.
Among the new North American routes from Zurich is Seattle in the US which starts on June 2nd. Flights from Zurich to to Bristol in the UK will commence on June 2nd.
