Uri (canton)

Uri (canton)

The Uri canton is a vertical maze of granite and ice. You are in the land of the **Gotthard** where the mountains form a massive wall between the north and the south. The road is a masterpiece of engineering with hairpins like the **Tremola** that climb through narrow gorges. It feels heroic and raw like the legend of William Tell who was born in the village of **Altdorf**. You find yourself at the foot of the high passes where the winds are strong and the peaks are covered in snow year round. Villages are built of heavy stone to withstand the mountain weather and the history of the transit trade is visible in every old tavern. The **Reuss** river rushes through the valley floor carrying the meltwater from the high glaciers like the **Rhone Glacier**. The atmosphere is one of high altitude drama. You see the deep blue Urnersee meeting the steep mountain walls and the high alpine meadows filled with wild flowers. The vibe is adventurous with a focus on the journey and the heights. Uri is the gateway to the south and provides you an intense experience of the true power of the Alps.

Uri (canton) highlights

Part of these road trips

Follow the routes that cross this destination

The Scenic Route
The Heritage Drive
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History of Uri (canton)

Uri is the gatekeeper of the Alps and **the guardian of the Gotthard Pass**. Since the 12th century the people here have controlled the most important transit route in Europe. The building of the **Devils Bridge** over the roaring Reuss river was such a feat of engineering that local legends claimed the residents had to trick the devil himself into helping them. This strategic power made the people of Uri some of the most influential and wealthy peasants in history as they collected tolls from merchants. This is the legendary home of **William Tell** the hero whose refusal to bow to a tyrant hat sparked the revolution of 1291. While historians argue about his existence the spirit of Tell is baked into the very rocks of the canton. The history of the region is one of constant battle against the elements including avalanches floods and the brutal Fohn wind. This created a society of people who were famously tough pragmatic and suspicious of outside interference. The modern era was defined by the construction of the world longest railway tunnels through the base of the Gotthard turned the canton into a global engineering marvel. Yet despite the high speed trains rushing beneath the earth the surface of the land remains remarkably wild. The Ticino canton is a story about people who have spent a thousand years standing at the crossroads of a continent ensuring the path remained open.
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