🇨🇭 Canton guide
Uri: living, going out and working in the canton
Everything about the canton of Uri: institutions, tax for cross-border workers (outside the 1983 agreement), William Tell, the Gotthard, the Urnersee, Andermatt, and an interactive map.
Photo (cropped): Tschubby, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- residents at the end of 2025 (Federal Statistical Office)
- 38,581
- of the population are foreign nationals (calculated, end of 2025)
- 15.8%
- in Switzerland: the canton is not in the 1983 agreement
- At source
- in the Landrat; 7 in the government (Constitution, art. 87 and 94)
- 64 members
10 sections≈ 11 min readSources checked on November 6, 2026
The interactive map
30 places marked: landmarks, museums, transport, restaurants, nights out and events. Tap a point to learn more.
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Places on the map (30)
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Uri is a mountain canton in central Switzerland with 38,581 residents, one of the founding cantons of the Confederation, stretching from the Urnersee to the glaciers of the Gotthard. Its capital is Altdorf and it has 19 municipalities. It is the land of William Tell and of a north-south transit axis: the second Gotthard road tube is being built here. 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 you are taxed at source in Switzerland, on the ordinary scales, and not in France as in Basel or Neuchâtel. The cantonal administration's site (ur.ch) could not be read: this conclusion is deduced from the law and from the list in the agreement.
This page gathers what you need to know to live, go out and work in the canton of Uri: language, institutions, tax, transport, food, 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 places fourteen municipalities and about fifteen sites, from Andermatt to Seelisberg.
1. Uri at a glance
| Marker | What to know |
|---|---|
| Population | 38,581 residents at the end of 2025 (permanent resident population) |
| Foreign nationals | 6,098 people, or 15.8% |
| Capital | Altdorf (10,618 residents, 19.8% foreign), the “Hauptort” (art. 63) |
| Municipalities on the map | Altdorf (10,618), Schattdorf (5,555), Erstfeld (3,985; 25.4%), Bürglen (3,923; 7.3%), Silenen (2,080), Seedorf (2,054), Flüelen (2,048), Attinghausen (1,781), Andermatt (1,603; 31.2%), Spiringen (872; 2.4%), Seelisberg (724), Göschenen (482; 31.1%), Wassen (425; 32.5%), Sisikon (399; 30.8%) |
| Parliament | Landrat of 64 members (art. 87), proportional representation (art. 30); each municipality elects its members (art. 88) |
| Government | Regierungsrat of 7 members (Landammann, Landesstatthalter and five members, art. 94), elected by majority vote (art. 95); at most three members from one municipality |
| Tax for a French cross-border worker | At source in Switzerland (outside the 1983 agreement), situation deduced |
| Names that come up often | Altdorf, Bürglen, Urnersee, Gotthard, Andermatt, Eggberge |
The share of foreign nationals is calculated from the Federal Statistical Office table “Permanent resident population” (2025); the figures per municipality come from the same table. The Constitution is dated 28 October 1984 and has been in force since 1 January 1985; the version we read is the one with the status of 1 June 2023.
2. Language
The Constitution we read contains no article on the official language, so we do not state one. The official texts we read (Constitution, tax law, institutions' sites) are in German, and the contract, payslip and forms generally are too; people speak the Alemannic dialect. Uri Tourismus even offers an “Urner Wanderbingo” to learn the Uri dialect while hiking. No main-language statistics were read, so we give no percentage of French speakers. For paperwork, count on German or English; with 15.8% foreign nationals (31.2% in Andermatt) you will not be the only one not speaking the dialect, but that is not a rule.
3. How the canton is governed
| Institution | What the Constitution says |
|---|---|
| Right to vote | Swiss citizens aged 18 or over living in the canton (art. 17); they vote, elect and sign referendums and initiatives |
| Elections | Voters choose the members of the Council of States, the Regierungsrat, the Landammann and the Landesstatthalter, the Landgericht and the Obergericht (art. 21); the municipalities elect the Landrat (art. 23) |
| Landrat | 64 members (art. 87); each municipality elects as many members as it is entitled to (art. 88); proportional representation at the ballot box (art. 30) |
| Regierungsrat | Landammann, Landesstatthalter and five members (art. 94), by majority vote, at most three members from the same municipality (art. 95) |
| Terms of office | Four years; two years for the Landammann and the Landesstatthalter (art. 83) |
| Popular initiative | 600 voters (art. 27 and 28); vote at the latest a year and a half after submission |
| Mandatory vote | Constitutional amendments, all cantonal laws, new spending above one million, recurring spending above CHF 100,000 for at least ten years, initiatives (art. 24) |
| Optional referendum | 450 voters (art. 25) |
| Incompatibilities | Nobody may sit in the Landrat and the Regierungsrat at the same time (art. 76) |
A cross-border worker has no right to vote in the canton: they vote neither in cantonal or municipal elections nor in votes.
4. Working in Uri 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: Uri is not one of them |
| Fribourg tax office | According to its instructions, the agreement “only concerns” these eight cantons |
| Aargau | Its tax office describes the situation in a canton outside the agreement: French cross-border workers taxed on the ordinary scales (A, B, C, H), with a tax credit in France |
| Uri tax law | Cross-border workers, weekly residents and short-stay workers resident abroad are taxed at source on employment income earned in the canton, except income covered by the simplified settlement procedure (art. 106) |
| Subsequent ordinary assessment | People taxed at source under art. 106 can request it until 31 March of the following year if the greater part of their worldwide income, spouse included, is taxable in Switzerland (art. 113a) |
| 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 |
| Employer deadlines | Not read (tax authority documents inaccessible) |
The details of your case (scale, deduction, 45 days, remote work, health insurance) depend on your situation: follow our guides rather than this page.
5. Getting around
| Means | What we read |
|---|---|
| Cable-car network | Uri presents itself as a “Seilbahn-Eldorado”: 46 public installations according to one page, “more than 30” according to another; 1,500 km of trails, more than 60 mountain lakes |
| Luftseilbahn Eggberge (Flüelerstrasse 132, Flüelen) | 9 minutes to the Eggberge; Fleschsee, hiking, climbing, paragliding; skiing in winter |
| Biel-Kinzig (Bürglen) | Luftseilbahn Brügg – Riedlig (8 people, 1,724 m, 604 m of height difference, departures at xx:00, xx:20, xx:40) then Riedlig – Biel; winter passes on pre-sale |
| Schächental | 4 cable cars and one path, the Schächentaler Höhenweg |
| Altdorf station | Bahnhofplatz; Altdorf lies on the Gotthard north-south axis |
| Göschenen | Infozentrum of the second road tube right at the station |
We did not read a detailed network map, timetables or fares. Check your journey on the SBB website before choosing where to live.
6. Eating and drinking
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| Regional recipes | Uri Tourismus publishes Altdorfer Magroonäpaschteetä, Ryys und Boor, Chabis und Schaffleisch and Brischtner Nytlä |
| Gotthard Raststätte | A2 service area 20 km before the Gotthard tunnel, near the Urnersee; modern architecture according to its site |
| Berggasthäuser and alpine pastures | The site praises the Berggasthäuser and Alpbeizli reached by cable car; no specific establishment was read |
| Altdorf Chilbi | The municipality announced “Chilbibahnen” and Chabis and Schaffleisch at the end of October 2026 |
| Andermatt dining | Andermatt Swiss Alps presents its restaurants; not detailed here |
No list of restaurants was read for this canton and no prices or hours: we only cite what appears on the sites we read.
7. What to see and do
Altdorf, Bürglen and Tell country
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| Historisches Museum Uri (Gotthardstrasse 18, Altdorf) | The most comprehensive collection of the canton's art and cultural heritage; permanent exhibition and annual special exhibitions |
| Haus für Kunst Uri (Herrengasse 4, Altdorf) | Contemporary art and the work of the Uri artist Heinrich Danioth |
| Tell-Museum Bürglen | In the Wattigwilerturm since 1966; museum society founded in 1956; Tell's “heroic story” presented anew |
| Dörflihaus-Museum (Spiringen) | Precious originals, including the foundation charter of 1196 |
| Tellspiele Altdorf | Tradition of Schiller's “Tell” since 1899; next edition in 2028 |
| Mythos Tell | Uri Tourismus places the apple scene in Altdorf |
Gotthard, lake and mountains
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| Infozentrum Zweite Röhre Gotthard (Bahnhofplatz, Göschenen) | Free admission; Wednesday 13-17 and Saturday 9-17 in winter (15 October-31 March); Friday 13-17 as well in summer; multimedia exhibition |
| Urnersee | The Uri shore of Lake Lucerne; the Gotthard project includes its renaturation |
| Göscheneralp | The Göschenen valley, named in the second-tube project |
| Eggberge and Fleschsee | Mountain lake and plateau reached by cable car |
| Andermatt | “Ferienregion Andermatt”, described as having the largest ski area in Central Switzerland |
| Korporation Uri (Gotthardstrasse 3, Altdorf) | Cantonal institution that looks after the “Urner Alpen” |
8. Bars, nights out and venues
| Place | What we read |
|---|---|
| Theater Uri (Schützengasse 11, Altdorf) | The canton's theatre; 27th Altdorfer Dezembertage (programme on the site) |
| Tellspielhaus (Altdorf) | Home of the Tellspiele |
| Uri Tourismus | “Unterhaltung” section: cinema, music, theatre; no specific venue detailed |
| Andermatt | The resort's evening offer not read |
No list of bars or clubs was read for this canton, and no going-out hours: we kept only the venues whose website we read.
9. Traditions and highlights
| Event | When | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Altdorfer Dezembertage | December 2026 (27th edition) | Cultural programme at the Theater Uri |
| Tellspiele | 2028 (“Tell28”) | Schiller's “Tell” in Altdorf, a tradition since 1899 |
| Chilbi, Schwing- und Älplerfeste | Depending on the season | Traditional festivals named by Uri Tourismus; dates not read |
| Alpsommer | Summer | Alpine life, wild haymaking (“Wildheuen”), nights on an alp |
| Göschenen Infozentrum | All year | Visits to the second-tube construction site (groups of 6 or more) |
Sources
- Constitution of the canton of Uri (1.1101): version of 1 June 2023; art. 17, 21, 23 to 25, 27, 28, 30, 63, 76, 83, 87, 88, 94, 95. Text in German.
- Law on direct taxes of the canton of Uri (3.2211): status of 1 January 2026; art. 106 and 113a.
- Federal Statistical Office: permanent 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: leaflet on taxing cross-border workers.
- Site guides, checked against official sources: G permit, contract and salary (CCNT).
- Uri Tourismus: museums, Mythos Tell, hiking, recipes, Alpsommer; Tell-Museum; Tellspiele Altdorf; Theater Uri.
- Second Gotthard tube (FEDRO); Eggberge; Biel-Kinzig; Gotthard Raststätte; Korporation Uri; Altdorf municipality; Erstfeld municipality; Andermatt.
- Map coordinates: © OpenStreetMap contributors; base map © swisstopo.
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