Cantons of Switzerland Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jura

Jura is named after the Jura Mountains. There is a department in France that is named Jura, also after the mountains, but the two do not border. Pictured is Mont Raimeux, the canton's highest peak.

Besides the Jura Mountains, the main tourist attractions in Jura are the medieval sites in the cities. In the capital of Delemont, the old town neighborhood is considered a heritage site. Delemont is also home to the Wenger Company, which is one of two companies that makes official Swiss Army knives.

Answer: Ticino

Lugano, Ticino is the largest Italian-speaking city not located in Italy. It is located on Lake Lugano at the southern tip of the Alps. Lugano is also home to many old churches like the Church of Santa Maria degli Angioli and the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence, which dates back to the 16th century.

The other big lake in Ticino is Lake Maggiore, which is along the Italian border. The lake is surrounded by mountains on all sides. The highest of these peaks is Monte Rosa, which is also on the Swiss-Italian border.

Answer: Valais

Valais has a geographical quirk. The low parts of the canton are the driest regions of Switzerland. But the alpine regions are the wettest parts of the country since the mountain tops accumulate snow and rain.

The Matterhorn is one of the deadliest mountains on Earth, with at least 500 climbers dying there since 1865, when the mountain was first climbed. It is not the tallest peak in the Alps, but it is notoriously the most difficult to climb because of its steep faces.

Zermatt is the ski resort town at the base of the Matterhorn. Over half of the city's economy is tourism or mountaineering related. Zermatt is noted for its luxurious hotels and restaurants.

The town of Crans-Montana is another ski resort town. It is located in the French-speaking part of Valais while Zermatt is in the German-speaking part.

Answer: Zurich

The city of Zurich dominates this canton with over 85% of the canton's population living in the Zurich metropolitan area. This canton played a large part in Swiss history, especially in regards to the Protestant Reformation. During that era, Zurich was the headquarters of the Protestant reformer Ulrich Zwingli.

The Fraunmunster Church was built in 853 and at the time was connected to a convent. The word 'Fraumunster" roughly translates to "women's church". The Grossmunster Cathedral is another one of Zurich's four big cathedrals. It was ordered built by Charlemagne during the 8th century, though it was not opened until 1220. The brother and sister Saints Felix and Regula, Zurich's patrons, are buried there.

Uetliberg is a hill that overlooks Zurich. It is a popular spot for hiking and camping.

Answer: Zug

The capital of Zug is also called Zug. The city was the scene of the Zug Massacre in 2001, which saw a gunman murder 14 people in the city's parliament. It was the first mass shooting in Switzerland.

Geographically speaking, the most important places in the canton are the two large lakes: Zugersee and Agerisee. Lake Zugersee, commonly called Lake Zug, is a popular site in the canton. However, it is extremely susceptible to pollution since it has a poor water feed from the rivers that empty into it. Lake Agerisee was the site of the Battle of Morgarten (an artist's rendition is pictured) in 1315. The Swiss victory in that battle paved the way for the formation of the modern Swiss Confederacy.

Answer: Neuchatel

Neuchatel (not Neufchatel like the cheese) is one of the centers of Switzerland's wine industry. The vineyards are mostly located along Lake Neuchatel. In addition, the spirit Absinthe was created in the town of Val-de-Travers in Neuchatel.

The canton lies in the Jura Mountains with cities and towns located in the many valleys between the mountain peaks.

The Old City of the capital Neuchatel is famous worldwide for its many old buildings including Neuchatel Castle, Abbaye de Fontaine Andre (pictured), Notre-Dame Church and the Prison Tower. The city is also home to many fountains. The Rue du Pommier is a famous street that is home to many old homes and mansions.

Answer: Fribourg

Fribourg or Freiburg is located the Swiss Plateau, an elevated piece of land that makes up roughly a third of the Swiss land area. The highest peak here is Vanil Noir, which Fribourg shares with Vaud, though it is not Vaud's highest point.

The capital of Fribourg is also Fribourg. The city, whose old town is pictured, is almost evenly divided between French speakers and German speakers. Of the many museums here are the Bible and Orient Museum (which houses artifacts from Biblical sites and ruins), the Gutenberg Museum (which is a tribute to printing press inventor Johannes Gutenberg) and the Cardinal Beer Museum.

Answer: Aargau

While most of Switzerland is mountainous, Aargau is very flat. It borders Germany and the Rhine River. There are two kinds of hot springs in Aargau: sulfur and saline. Both are used for healing and relaxation purposes. The city of Baden, in particular, is very well known for the hot springs. In fact, the word Baden means baths in German.

The Konigsfelden Monastery, founded in 1306 and housing both Franciscan friars and Poor Claire Sisters, is well known for its elaborate stained glass windows dating back from the monastery's founding. Aargau is also home to the original Habsburg Castle, an 11th century fortress which was the first seat of the Habsburg Dynasty that ruled parts of Europe for centuries.

Answer: St. Gallen

St. Gallen is located in northeastern Switzerland along the border of Austria and Liechtenstein. The northern half or so is mostly flatlands with some hills in the Rhine River valley.

The capital of St. Gallen is also called St. Gallen. The most famous site there is the Abbey of Saint Gallen. This cathedral is well known for its massive library with books that date back to the 9th century. The library houses over 160,000 books with a majority of them coming from before the printing press was invented.

Answer: Glarus

The Glarus Thrust is a fault line that effects the cantons of Glarus, St. Gallen and Graubunden. The fault line is responsible for creating the Glarus Alps, of which Todi is the highest peak. The Tschingelhorner was also formed this way. Lake Walensee, which is also in St. Gallen, can be found in Glarus as well.

The canton's capital is also called Glarus. The overwhelming majority language is a dialect of German called Alemannic Swiss German. Historically, both the canton and city of Glarus were the scenes of religious strife during the Protestant Reformation. At the time, there was only one church in the city and its usage had to be split between the two groups.