Schwyz: The Birthplace of Switzerland

Spring is arriving and with it comes more coursework, studying and exams. This Wednesday afternoon I decided to take a little time out from all of that (as if I don't take enough breaks already!) and head back into the mountains for a leisurely hike. A short train ride brought me into the heart of Switzerland, canton Schwyz.

Schwyz is located in central Switzerland, around an hour away from Zurich.

Schwyz is not only the geographic heart of Switzerland, but also historically speaking too. In 1291, the canton of Schwyz signed into an alliance with the neighbouring cantons of Uri and Unterwalden, forming what would later come to grow and develop into Switzerland. Indeed Switzerland owes it's very name to the small canton (d'Schwiiz in Swiss German). However these founding cantons don't seem to have changed much in the intervening years; they're still rural, a little backward and full of Swiss charm.

A typical inhabitant of Schwyz.

There's something very refreshing about having the Alps on your doorstop. I wouldn't have it any other way. When the hustle and bustle of Zurich begins to get to you, the mountains - which are just a stone's throw away - beckon you. It's just a pity that the ski season is coming to a close.

View from the meadows of the Mythen mountains.

This will most definitely not be the last time I head into the Alps...