Which canton is a mountain canton?

Valais lies almost entirely in the Alps and has the most four-thousand-metre peaks in Switzerland. That is why it is a typical mountain canton.

Common mistakes

C: Zurich

Zurich lies in the Plateau and has no high mountains.

B: Schaffhausen

Schaffhausen lies in the north on the Rhine, not in the Alps.

Mountains and passes

The Alps shape Switzerland. Passes lead over the mountains. A pass is the lowest point where you can cross a mountain range. Well-known Alpine passes are the Gotthard, the Simplon and the Great St Bernard. For centuries they have connected the north with Italy. Today important roads and tunnels also run through there.

• Valais
• Graubünden
• Uri
• Ticino
• Gotthard
• Simplon
• Great St Bernard
• Dufourspitze 4634 m

• Alpine pass
• Mountain canton

Map data: BFS, BAFU, swisstopo

Switzerland at a glance
Landscape and climate

Sources

• zh.ch
• stadt-zuerich.ch
• aboutswitzerland.eda.admin.ch

Last checked: September 2026

Question 268 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.

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