Observable tell signs of Swiss cantons/regions

  • Travel2Live
    Participant
    25 posts
    7 March 2023 at 1:20:00 #829255

    What are some tell signs that an attentive traveler can spot that differentiates one canton from another or one linguistic region from another (aside from language LOL)?

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    Anna
    Moderator
    6274 posts
    7 March 2023 at 10:47:45 #951800

    Hi Travel2Life,

    There are 26 cantons in Switzerland and I think roughly 7 distinct regions. You can find more information about the different regions here: http://www.myswissalps.com/regions

    In addition to language and dialects, there are regional differences in culture/traditions, school system, holiday calendar and sometimes the weather. You might notice the geographical differences, some regions are significantly flat than others.

    Regards,

    Anna

    JohnYorks
    Participant
    117 posts
    10 March 2023 at 19:27:32 #951801

    Hi Travel2Live

    I’m fascinated by the 26 Swiss Cantons. They’re so distinctive, and I was delighted to visit my final one – Schaffhausen – last year. None disappoint, and all have delightful towns and villages. Some are very well known and are at the centre of the tourist industry – Bern, Luzern, Graubunden. Basel is divided into two, as is the lovely Appenzell. Appenzell Innerrhoden is tiny, and its eponymous mediaeval main town a delight. Zürich and Genève are quite densely populated and largely urban. The sizes, populations and population density of the 26 vary enormously. Graubunden has 3 main languages. Jura, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Genève are essentially French speaking, while Bern, Fribourg and Valais have the imaginary ‘Röstigrauben’ running through their territories, French to the west, German to the east, and a degree of dual language in the middle. The Schaffhausen boundary dances around its Bavarian equivalent.

    Some were pioneers in the creation of Switzerland – eg Uri and Schwyz, while Jura only managed to split from Bern in the later twentieth century after a lot of voting and trying. One town, Moutier, seems to have just succeeded after many attempts, to switch separately from Bern to Jura.

    Fribourg and neighbour Bern have some weird boundaries, with several enclaves and exclaves – no doubt the reasons are steeped in historical complexity and power statements by those of influence.

    You might have to search on the map for less well known Cantons – Glarus, Solothurn, Oberwalden, Niederwalden. The Canton capital in Glarus has the most beautiful station, a real statement of regional pride.

    Each of the 26 Cantons uses a simple 2-letter identity, often used to identify towns with the same name, eg Buchs SG (St Gallen) and Buchs AG (Argau). A good game for kids (I’m a big one) is to spot different two-letter codes on vehicle registrations as you move around the country.

    Of course, the Cantons often have distinctive building styles, timber, brick, stone, steep or shallow-roofed, though these often merge into neighbouring areas. Perhaps the most distinctive is Ticino.

    John

    Anna
    Moderator
    6274 posts
    10 March 2023 at 21:57:22 #951802

    Hi John,

    Thanks for your input. Great observation and helpful insights indeed.

    Best regards,

    Anna

    Travel2Live
    Participant
    25 posts
    11 March 2023 at 2:00:50 #951803

    Most valuable info John thank you!!! Even though I no longer have tickoff lists, maybe I can make it to 20 cantons on my first trip all over Switzerland. Of course I will only have time to really appreciate 10 maybe 12 and hopefully get to recognize at first sight some of their distinctive building styles.

    JohnYorks
    Participant
    117 posts
    11 March 2023 at 7:50:11 #951804

    Sorry – minor correction to my answer to Travel2Live:

    The two neighbouring cantons with the most weird boundary exclaves and enclaves are Fribourg and Vaud. There are others too!

    John

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