ValaisValais (UK: , US: ; French:), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion. Valais is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the cantons of Vaud and Bern to the north, the cantons of Uri and Ticino to the east, as well as Italy to the south and France to the west.
LausanneLausanne ( , US also ; French:) is the capital and largest city of the Swiss French-speaking canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. The Olympic capital, it is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and facing the French town of Évian-les-Bains across the lake. Lausanne is 51.7 kilometres (32 miles) northeast of Geneva, the nearest major city.
GenevaCity in SwitzerlandMunicipality in SwitzerlandGeneva ( ; French: Genève) is the second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône leaves Lake Geneva, it is the capital of the Republic and Canton of Geneva. Geneva is a global city, an international financial centre, and a worldwide centre for diplomacy, which has led to it being called the "Peace Capital".
RhineMajor river in Western EuropeThe Rhine ( ) is one of the major rivers of Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss–Liechtenstein border, then part of the Swiss–Austrian border. From Lake Constance downstream, it forms part of the Swiss–German border. After that, the Rhine defines much of the Franco-German border. It then flows in a mostly northerly direction through the German Rhineland.
BernBern (Swiss Standard German:), or Berne (French:), is the de factocapital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city". With a population of about 146,000 (as of 2024), Bern is the fifth-most populous city in Switzerland, behind Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Lausanne. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 36 municipalities, had a population of 406,900 in 2014. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000.
Canton of UriThe canton of Uri (German: Kanton Uri; Romansh: Chantun Uri; French: Canton d'Uri; Italian: Canton Uri) is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and a founding member of the Swiss Confederation. It is located in Central Switzerland. The canton's territory covers the valley of the Reuss between the St. Gotthard Pass and Lake Lucerne. The official language of Uri is Swiss Standard German, but the main spoken dialect is the AlemannicSwiss German called .
Growth of the Old Swiss ConfederacyThe Old Swiss Confederacy began as a late medievalalliance between the communities of the valleys in the Central Alps, at the time part of the Holy Roman Empire, to facilitate the management of common interests such as free trade and to ensure the peace along the important trade routes through the mountains. The Hohenstaufen emperors had granted these valleys reichsfrei status in the early 13th century.
SchwyzSchwyz (German pronunciation:; French: Schwytz; Italian: Svitto) is a town and the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. It houses the Federal Charter of 1291 or Bundesbrief - the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland - at the Bundesbriefmuseum. NameThe earliest certain record of the name dates to 972, recorded in Medieval Latin as villa Suittes.
Cantons of SwitzerlandMember states of the Swiss ConfederationThe 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the form of the first three confederate allies used to be referred to as the Waldstätte. Two important periods in the development of the Old Swiss Confederacy are summarized by the terms Acht Orte ('Eight Cantons'; from 1353 to 1481) and Dreizehn Orte ('Thirteen Cantons', from 1513 to 1798).
UnterwaldenUnterwalden, translated from the Latin inter silvas ("between the forests"), is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or Talschaften, now two separate Swiss cantons (or two half-cantons), Obwalden and Nidwalden.
Late Middle AgesThe late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the period of European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded Early modern Europe (and in much of Europe, the Renaissance). Around 1350, centuries of prosperity and growth in Europe came to a halt.
House of HabsburgEuropean dynastic familyThe House of Habsburg (; German: Haus Habsburg, lit. 'House of the Hawk's Fortress'), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Western civilization. They were best known for ruling vast realms throughout Europe and the Americas during the Middle Ages and early modern period, including the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg monarchy and Spain.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.