Zug, Switzerland

Zug (French: Zoug, Italian: Zugo; Romansch: Zug) is a city in central Switzerland. It is the capital of the eponymous canton. The city is 425 m (1,394 ft) above sea level. It covers 21.61 sq km (8.34 sq mi) and has a population of 26,000 people (2012 estimate).

Despite it being a German-speaking city, the name Zug is not derived from the German word for train, rather, it goes back to the Middle Ages, and means "pull up", in reference to fishing nets. Its history goes back to 1240, when it was known as oppidum.

Zug was primarily an agricultural community until the 19th century, when it experienced industrialization. By the second half of the 20th century, it developed as a major financial and commercial center, due in part to its proximity to Zürich. As recently as the 1960s, Zug had the highest per capita debt. It has since made an astounding turnaround, to become the richest canton in Switzerland. In 2011, Zug has an estimated GDP per capita of US$110,000.

81.8% of the people in Zug speak German as their first language, followed by 3.8% for Italian and 3.2% for Serbo-Croatian. 38.1% of the land area remains forested while 35.5% is used for agriculture.

Visiting Zug

From Zürich, take the A4 motorway heading south to reach Zug.

Sights & Attractions in Zug

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