The canton of Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne to the west and Lake Zürich in the north, centred on and named after the town of Schwyz.
Modern wooden bridge on Obersee between Rapperswil and Hurden, near the site of the ancient bridges
The Abbey of Einsiedeln and Schwyz town were two of the major powers in Schwyz.
Schwyz valley, with Schwyz town in the center foreground, Mount Rigi in the right background, Lake Lucerne and Brunnen on the left and Lake Lauerz on the right
Pfäffikon Castle, one of the castles built by outside landlords to control their lands in Schwyz
The 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 and Dreizehn Orte.
The 22 cantonal coats of arms (all but Jura, with the half-cantons represented jointly) in stained glass set in the dome of the Federal Palace of Switzerland (c. 1900)
Caricature of the division of Basel, 1833