Schwyz is the village that gave Switzerland its name. The country's flag grew from the banner of this canton, and the oldest surviving federal charter, dated to 1291, is kept in a museum in town, written on parchment with seals that have survived seven centuries. If history is the thing for you, this is as close to the source as you can get, and a short walk in the old centre shows how modest the beginnings were.
The town itself is lively without being busy: a broad square with a baroque church, a town hall with painted facades showing a battle scene, and stately patrician houses built by men who had made fortunes as mercenary officers in foreign armies. Behind it all rise the Mythen, two sharp limestone peaks that look from the village like a pair of horns and dominate every photograph. The cloud sits on them often, and on a clear morning they are a fine sight with coffee in hand.
With fourteen thousand people, Schwyz has fuel, bakeries and sit-down restaurants, so as a start or a food stop it is easy. The start of the loop is the main reason to be here: from Schwyz the road climbs south and east into the hills, toward the Ibergeregg and the Pragel, a pair of passes that make a rewarding day. The first miles run through meadows dotted with fruit trees and farmhouses with deep-eaved wooden roofs, and the gradient builds gradually, so there is time to warm up the tyres and your rhythm.
Weather can be unpredictable here, because the Alps' northern edge catches the moist air coming from the lowlands, and a bright start can become grey by lunchtime. Plan accordingly, with a waterproof near the top of the luggage. The Föhn wind also blows through this region, warm and dry from the south, and on those days the air is incredibly clear but the gusts can be strong on the open stretches. In winter, the high passes close, but the town stays lively, and a bowl of something hot in a Gasthaus makes a fair reward for the effort.