Community

Gurtnellen

A village on two floors - Gurtnellen-Wiler and Gurtnellen-Dorf

The Gotthard mule track already led through Gurtnellen areas in the 14th century. The village of Gurtnellen was probably already settled several centuries before. The name comes from "Cort-in-ella", which means small farm in Romanic. Today, the municipality offers a wide range of experiences, from star cuisine to idyllic mountain excursions to the Arnisee, a centre for adventures in summer and winter alike. (Winter-) hikes, playgrounds, leisurely enjoyment of the Arni sun terrace, are just a few of the possible activities.

Description

Geographically speaking, Gurtnellen is the centre of the canton of Uri and lies at 935 m above sea level (village) and 741 m above sea level (Wiler). Numerous travellers, from traders to troops and pilgrims, have passed through the village over the centuries. Above all Gurtnellen-Wiler, which lies on the Gotthard road, has seen many people come and go. Like, among others, French troops at the end of the 18th century when Napoleon was active or later during the heyday of the quarries, when mainly Italian foreign workers mined the Aare granite. Today the Antonini quarry near Wassen can be visited. The inhabitants of Gurtnellen defied numerous avalanches and protected their houses with avalanche barriers. The theme trail on the Geissberg provides an insight into this. With its strong willpower - similar to the hardness of the granite mined here - the municipality with its 563 inhabitants has retained the authentic village character.