In Switzerland, the context of wishing to die in end-of-life situations is inextricably linked to the legality of assisted suicide and of organisations that provide it. This liberal stance has deep historical roots and strongly shapes public attitudes on the right to die. It also differs in several respects from the situation in other liberal countries as regards euthanasia and/or assisted suicide. For one, there is little positive regulatory guidance on assisted suicide, neither for organisations nor for individual physicians. This open and widely acknowledged practice of assisted suicide is an obvious challenge for palliative care, whose philosophy is antagonistic towards active aid in dying. While in other liberal countries, palliative care is faced with definite rules for euthanasia and/or assisted suicide, the Swiss situation is much less clear. There are relatively few specific data on attitudes of the palliative care community and of patients facing choices at the end of life.