Grisons

Grisons (grih.zonz'), German Graubünden (grow.bÜn'dûn), Italian Grigioni (gree.jo'nee), Romansh Grischun (grih.zhoon'), French Grisons (gree.zong'), is the largest and easternmost Swiss canton. It has a population of 167,000 and a surface area of 7,100 km².

Coat of Arms

The canton is entirely mountainous, comprising the highlands of the Rhine and Inn valleys. It borders on Liechtenstein (N), Austria (NW), Italy (SW), and the confederate cantons of St. Gallen (NE), Glarus, Uri (E), and Ticino (SW.) The capital city is Chur. Other towns are the world-famous resorts of Davos and St. Moritz.

The languages spoken in the Grisons are German in the NW (54%), Romansh - a language of the Ladin group - in the Engadin and around Disentis/Mustér (31%), and Italian in the valleys Mesolcina/Misox, Calanca, Bregaglia/Bergell, and Poschiavo/Puschau (15%).
The religions are Protestantism and Catholicism.

The name Graubünden means "The Gray Leagues." The Grisons were established in the 14th century from the merging of three defensive leagues, the Gray League (Grauer Bund) , the League of God's House (Cadi, Gottes Haus, Ca' di Dio), and the League of the Ten Jurisdictions (Zehngerichtebund). A "perpetual ally" of Switzerland, the country became a canton in 1803.

Also known for a lovely dried-beef delicacy called Bundnerfleisch.

Location of the canton