Altdorf (UR)

May to October is best for the town, the lake and mountain walks. Summer is warm. Winter is cold and the valley can be foggy, but ski areas nearby have snow.

• Telldenkmal is a statue of the hero William Tell and his son on the main square.
• Historisches Museum Uri tells the history of the canton.
• Kirchenschatzmuseum shows church treasures.
• Haus für Kunst Uri shows modern art.
• St. Martinskirche is the main parish church.
• Wildheuerpfad Rophaien is a path on steep grass slopes above the town, where farmers cut wild hay.
• Naturkundesammlung is a small natural history collection.

• See the Tell statue on the main square.
• Walk the lake path towards Flüelen.
• Take a cable car into the mountains.
• Hike on the old Gotthard path.
• Go to the Tell play, which is performed in some summers.

• Lake Lucerne is just north, with boats and villages.
• Andermatt is a mountain village on the Gotthard route.
• Göschenen is at the north end of the Gotthard rail tunnel.
• Lucerne is about 1 hour away by train.

• Andermatt, Göschenen and Realp are the nearest villages in the canton of Uri.

• By air: Zurich is the main airport, about 1 hour 30 minutes away.
• By train: Altdorf is on the Gotthard line between Zurich and Ticino. Check times on SBB.
• The station is close to the centre.

• The old town is small and easy to walk.
• Local buses link the nearby villages.
• A cable car goes to the high pastures in the mountains above.

• The A2 motorway passes Altdorf on its way to the Gotthard tunnel.
• Traffic can be heavy at holidays.
• Parking in the town centre is easy.

Try Urner cheese, dried meat and cream-based dishes. Mountain restaurants serve rösti and cheese. Chocolate and baked goods are local specialities.

People speak German with a local dialect. English is widely understood.

• Altdorf is very safe.
• Rockfall and avalanches can occur on mountain roads.
• Mountain weather changes fast.
• Stay on marked paths.

Altdorf is part of the original core of the Swiss Confederation. Tradition tells that William Tell shot an apple from his son's head here, in the early 14th century. The story became a national legend.

The town was rebuilt after a fire in 1799. It is on the main route across the Alps to Italy.

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