Tellskapelle

The chapel stands at the water's edge on the eastern side of Lake Uri, at the point the legend calls the Tellsplatte - the rock ledge onto which William Tell is said to have jumped from Gessler's boat during a storm, shoving the vessel back into the waves. The ledge is first named in 1470 in the White Book of Sarnen; the present chapel was built in 1879 and decorated in 1880-1882 with four large frescoes by Ernst Stuckelberg showing scenes from the story. Liszt made the leap the subject of the first piece of his Annees de pelerinage. Whether Tell existed at all is unresolved and most historians treat the figure as legend rather than record, which the site does not hide. It is reached by boat or on the Weg der Schweiz, the path built for the Confederation's 700th anniversary.

What's there

• The Tellsplatte ledge - the rock the legend places the leap onto.
• Stuckelberg's 1880s frescoes - four scenes from the story on the walls.
• A chapel recorded since the 1400s - rebuilt on the same shore point.
• The Weg der Schweiz - the anniversary path along the lake.

When to go

April to October. Two hours including the boat.

Before you go

Tell is legend, not documented history, and the site is a monument to a story. Access is by boat or a walk - there is no road parking at the chapel. Boats are seasonal. The interior is small and often locked outside season.

Nearby

Rutli meadow is across the lake; Fluelen and Brunnen are at either end.

Key facts