Rutli Meadow

The Rutli is a sloping meadow above the western shore of Lake Uri, and tradition places here the oath by which representatives of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden bound themselves together - the founding act of the Swiss Confederation, dated to 1291 by the surviving Federal Charter though the meadow scene itself comes from later chronicle and from Schiller's play. Its modern status was settled in 1859, when the land came up for sale and a national collection among schoolchildren bought it for the Confederation, so it is owned by the country rather than any canton. It is deliberately kept as a plain field with a farmhouse and a flagpole; there is no monument. The national day address is given here each August.

History

The meadow became a symbol of Swiss identity in the early 18th century, and Friedrich Schiller's William Tell of 1804 gave the oath scene its lasting form. In 1859 the Swiss Society for Public Utility bought the meadow, partly to stop a hotel being built there, and handed it to the Confederation as inalienable national property; since 1991 it has been the start of the Swiss Path (Wikipedia, Rütli).

What's there

• A plain meadow with no monument - kept deliberately undeveloped.
• Bought by schoolchildren in 1859 - a national collection secured it.
• Owned by the Confederation - not by any single canton.
• A boat-and-path approach - no road reaches the meadow.

When to go

April to October. Half a day on the boat timetable.

Before you go

There is nothing built here by design - visitors expecting a monument are often let down. Access is by boat plus a climb; the last sailings are early. The 1 August ceremony closes it to casual visitors. The Federal Charter itself is in Schwyz.

Nearby

The Tellskapelle is across the lake; Brunnen and Seelisberg are close.

Key facts