🇨🇭 Canton guide
Nidwalden: living, going out and working in the canton
Everything about the canton of Nidwalden: institutions, tax for cross-border workers (outside the 1983 agreement), the Stanserhorn, the Bürgenstock, Lake Lucerne, the Culinarium Alpinum, and an interactive map.
Photo (cropped): H.Helmlechner, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- residents at the end of 2025 (Federal Statistical Office)
- 45,664
- of the population are foreign nationals (calculated, end of 2025)
- 18.1%
- in Switzerland: the canton is not in the 1983 agreement
- At source
- each forming a constituency for the Landrat (Constitution, art. 58)
- 11 communes
10 sections≈ 12 min readSources checked on November 6, 2026
The interactive map
32 places marked: landmarks, museums, transport, restaurants, nights out and events. Tap a point to learn more.
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Places on the map (32)
Base map © swisstopo · Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors. When the map appears, your browser loads the tiles from the servers of the Swiss Confederation (swisstopo), which can see your IP address.
Nidwalden is a small canton in Central Switzerland of 45,664 inhabitants, between Lake Lucerne and the mountains: the Stanserhorn, the Bürgenstock, the Klewenalp. Its capital is Stans and it has eleven municipalities. It has no border with France and is not one of the eight cantons of the 1983 agreement: for a French cross-border worker this means being taxed at source in Switzerland, at the ordinary rates, and not in France as in Basel or Neuchâtel.
This page gathers what you need to know to live, go out and work in the canton of Nidwalden: language, institutions, tax, transport, food and specialities, museums, nature, traditions. The figures come from official sources listed at the bottom of the page. Venues open, close and change their hours: always check with them before you travel. The interactive map further down shows the eleven municipalities and about thirty places, from Stans to the Bürgenstock. The cantonal tourism site and the website of the municipality of Stans did not respond: we rely on the Constitution, the tax administration's site, the institutions' sites and the Lucerne tourist board's place pages.
1. Nidwalden at a glance
| Marker | What to know |
|---|---|
| Population | 45,664 inhabitants at the end of 2025 (permanent resident population) |
| Foreign nationals | 8,279 people, i.e. 18.1%; 37,385 Swiss |
| Capital | Stans (8,565 inhabitants, 18.3% foreign), seat of the authorities (art. 49) |
| Municipalities | Stans (8,565), Hergiswil (6,316; 25.1% foreign, the highest share), Buochs (5,607), Ennetbürgen (5,361), Stansstad (4,916), Beckenried (3,770), Oberdorf (3,095), Ennetmoos (2,313), Wolfenschiessen (2,174), Dallenwil (1,856), Emmetten (1,691) |
| Parliament | Landrat of 60 members; each municipality is a constituency with at least two seats (art. 57 and 58) |
| Government | Regierungsrat of 7 members, each heading a department (art. 62a and 63); the Landrat elects the Landammann and the Landesstatthalter from among them every year (art. 59a) |
| Tax of the French cross-border worker | At source in Switzerland (outside the 1983 agreement) |
| Places that come up often | Stans, Stanserhorn, Bürgenstock, Hergiswil, Beckenried, Klewenalp |
The percentage of foreign nationals is calculated from the figures in the Federal Statistical Office table "Resident population" (2025); the figures by municipality come from the same table. The Constitution is dated 10 October 1965; the version read is the one published as of 1 January 2026.
2. Language
The Constitution we read contains no article on the official language: we therefore do not claim one. The official texts we read (Constitution, state pages, institutions' sites) are in German, and the contract, payslip and forms generally are too; Swiss German is spoken. No main-language statistic was read: we therefore give no percentage of French speakers. For formalities, count on German or English; an employer in hospitality or lakeside tourism may be used to guests of all languages, but this is not a rule.
3. How the canton is governed
| Institution | What the Constitution says |
|---|---|
| Right to vote | Swiss citizens aged 18 and over legally settled in the canton (art. 8); voting is exercised in the municipalities (art. 50) |
| Elections | Voters elect the Landrat, the Regierungsrat and the delegation to the Council of States (art. 51) |
| Landrat | 60 members (art. 57); each municipality is a constituency, with at least two seats, distributed according to population (art. 58); president elected for one year, not re-electable the next year (art. 59) |
| Regierungsrat | 7 members, each heading a department (art. 62a and 63); the Landammann and the Landesstatthalter are elected by the Landrat for one year from among them (art. 59a) |
| Term of office | Four years for the authorities (art. 45) |
| Initiative ("Antrag") | 1,000 voters for a total revision of the Constitution, 500 for a partial revision, 250 for a law or a financial decision; signatures to be handed in within two months (art. 54); a counter-proposal is possible with 250 signatures against a law (art. 54a) |
| Mandatory vote | Amendments to the Constitution, initiatives rejected by the Landrat, one-off spending of more than CHF 5 million or recurring spending of more than CHF 500,000 (art. 52) |
| Municipalities | Each political municipality is a constituency; the municipal assembly meets at least twice a year (art. 75) |
A cross-border worker has no right to vote in the canton: they vote in neither cantonal nor municipal elections or ballots.
4. Working in Nidwalden as a cross-border worker
| Point | What we read |
|---|---|
| 1983 agreement | The Federal Council signed it on behalf of Bern, Solothurn, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel and Jura: Nidwalden is not one of them |
| Fribourg tax office | According to its instructions, the agreement "concerns only" these eight cantons |
| Aargau | Its tax office describes the situation of a canton outside the agreement: French cross-border workers taxed at the ordinary rates (A, B, C, H), with a tax credit in France |
| Nidwalden tax administration | "Kantonales Steueramt", Bahnhofplatz 3, 6371 Stans; "Quellensteuer" page with information, forms and tariffs; telephone +41 41 618 71 50 |
| Who is taxed at source | Mainly: foreign nationals without a settlement permit (permit C) living in the canton (art. 111), cross-border and weekly workers (art. 120), artists and sportspeople resident abroad, directors, and recipients of pension benefits |
| News for 2026 | New tariffs and deductions on 1 January 2026; statement through a web platform (QST) since 2025, or through ELM every month (otherwise every quarter); the employer reports entries, exits and changes in circumstances within 8 days |
| Part-time work | The rate-determining income is calculated according to federal circular no. 45 (ESTV, 12 June 2019) |
| Cantonal minimum wage | Not read; check the collective agreement of your sector (see our guide on the CCNT) |
| Number of cross-border workers | Not read |
The detail of your case (tax scale, deduction, 45 days, telework, health insurance) depends on your situation: follow our guides rather than this page.
5. Getting around
| Means | What we read |
|---|---|
| Passepartout | Fare network of the cantons of Lucerne, Obwalden and Nidwalden: one ticket for bus and train across the whole region |
| Boat | From Lucerne, a shuttle boat to Kehrsiten-Bürgenstock, then a funicular up to the Bürgenstock Resort |
| Stanserhorn | Funicular of 1893 from the Stansstaderstrasse (Stans) and the open-top "CabriO" cable car (2012) from Kälti, the only one of its kind in the world |
| Stansstad station | 650 metres on foot from the lido, the Schnitzturm and the landing stage |
| Klewenalp | Lifts of the Bergbahnen Beckenried-Emmetten; they join the Magic Pass from the 2026 summer season |
| Hammetschwand Lift | The 2.2 km Felsenweg leads to its valley station; walkable roughly from May to October |
We did not read a detailed line map, timetables or fares. Check your journey on the SBB website before choosing where to live; at the Stanserhorn, hours depend on the season (last operating day in 2026: 22 November).
6. Eating and drinking
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| Culinarium Alpinum (Mürgstrasse 18, Stans) | Competence centre for Alpine cuisine in the former Capuchin monastery: a restaurant using local produce, a hotel, courses, a garden and an indoor market of more than 50 producers |
| "Kochen im Kloster" courses | Carnival pastries, Good Friday fish, Easter brunch, apple tarts, a Christmas tavolata, offered by the Culinarium (via the Lucerne tourist board) |
| Drehrestaurant Stanserhorn | Revolving restaurant and sunny terrace at the summit, serving among other things Älplermagronen |
| Badirestaurants (Hergiswil, Stansstad) | Lido restaurants, open without admission in Stansstad; Hergiswil open 9 am to 7:30 pm (10 pm in fine weather) |
| PanoramaBar (Klewenalp-Stockhütte) | Zmorge-Brättli in the morning; on certain winter Fridays, fondue or raclette evenings |
| Speciality | Älplermagronen (according to the Stanserhorn restaurant) |
No list of restaurants was read for this canton: we give only the addresses whose page we read.
7. What to see and do
Stans and the museums
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| Winkelriedhaus (Engelbergstrasse 54a) | Nidwaldner Museum: works from the collection; 7 November 2026 to 30 May 2027, Augustina Flüeler (nun, artist, textile entrepreneur) and Anton Flüeler (dancer, artist, designer) |
| Salzmagazin (Stansstaderstrasse 23) | Permanent exhibition "Mutig, Trotzig, Selbstbestimmt" on Nidwalden's path into modernity |
| Festung Fürigen (Kehrsitenstrasse, Stansstad) | Permanent exhibition on the state of emergency and everyday life inside the mountain, from 1941 to today |
| Culinarium Alpinum (Mürgstrasse 18) | Former Capuchin monastery of Stans, now a centre for Alpine cuisine |
| Winkelrieddenkmal (Rathausplatz) | Monument in the village centre; historical description not read |
| Glasi Hergiswil (Seestrasse 12) | Glassworks since 1817, on the lakeshore, with attractions and exhibitions |
| Schnitzturm (Stansstad) | Tower next to the lido and the landing stage |
The Nidwaldner Museum's administration is at Mürgstrasse 12 (Stans); the museum's reception answers on 041 610 96 06 (museum site).
Lake and mountains
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| Stanserhorn | 1,900 m, a 30-minute summit trail, a view of ten lakes; 2026: folk-music evening on 14 November, last evening on the 21st, last operating day on 22 November; more than 40,000 km covered with guests this season, "once around the globe" according to the operator |
| Bürgenstock | Spectacular ridge above the lake, the Bürgenstock Resort; Felsenweg built 1900 to 1905, 2.2 km |
| Klewenalp-Stockhütte | Easy hike for everyone above Beckenried |
| Risletenschlucht (Beckenried) | A hike through forest and under rock bands to Treib |
| Lake baths | Strandbad Beckenried (free admission), Strandbad Buochs-Ennetbürgen, Badi Hergiswil (raft, 2 m and 5 m diving boards), Strandbad Stansstad (25 m pool heated to 24 °C) |
| Kanuwelt (Seefeld 8, Buochs) | Sea kayak or canoe on the lake |
8. Bars, evenings and stages
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| PanoramaBar (Klewenalp-Stockhütte) | Mountain bar, "one of the most popular meeting places"; fondue or raclette evenings on certain Fridays |
| Folk-music evening (Stanserhorn) | 14 November 2026, seasonal cooking |
| Last evening of the season (Stanserhorn) | 21 November 2026: dancing above the lights of Central Switzerland |
| "Hiänderhuit im Chloschtr" | Evening of Central Swiss legends, Schwyzerörgeli music and a hearty supper, back at the Capuchin monastery; date not read |
No list of bars, clubs or venues was read for this canton, and no nightlife opening hours either: we kept only the places whose site we read.
9. Traditions and highlights
| Event | When | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| ALP'26 | 7 and 8 November 2026 | Indoor market at the Culinarium Alpinum: more than 50 producers from the Alpine region |
| Winkelriedhaus exhibitions | 7 November 2026 to 30 May 2027 | Augustina Flüeler and Anton Flüeler |
| Stanserhorn, folk-music evening | 14 November 2026 | Folk music and seasonal cooking at altitude |
| Stanserhorn, end of season | 21 and 22 November 2026 | Last dance evening, then the last operating day |
| Hiänderhuit im Chloschtr | Date not read | Legends, music and supper at the Capuchin monastery in Stans |
| Magic Pass at the Klewenalp | From 14 May 2026 | The Beckenried-Emmetten lifts join the Magic Pass |
Sources
- Constitution of the canton of Nidwalden (111): version of 1 January 2026; art. 8, 45, 49, 50 to 52, 54, 54a, 57 to 59a, 62a, 63, 75. Text in German.
- Federal Statistical Office: resident population (table px-x-0102010000_101, 2025): population, foreign nationals, municipalities.
- Agreement of 11 April 1983 on the taxation of cross-border workers; Fribourg tax office: "source tax" instructions; Aargau tax office: memo on the taxation of cross-border workers.
- Nidwalden tax administration: source tax; information on the procedure from 2026.
- Site guides, checked against official sources: G permit, contract and salary (CCNT).
- Nidwaldner Museum; Culinarium Alpinum; Stanserhorn; Klewenalp; Glasi Hergiswil; Passepartout.
- Luzern Tourismus: lake baths, Bürgenstock, Klewenalp, Risletenschlucht, Stanserhorn (published addresses and positions).
- Map coordinates: addresses and positions published by Luzern Tourismus, completed by © OpenStreetMap contributors; base map © swisstopo.
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