Discover Nidfurn: History, Houses and Legends
Accommodation in Nidfurn
If you are looking for a hotel in Nidfurn, you can start by considering which themes you would like to shape your stay. Nidfurn combines a historic village setting with the Landvogthaus, a storytelling tradition and a south-facing stretch of the valley. Architecture, history, activities and landscapes each offer a different focus.
Historic Houses and Village Setting
The Blumerhaus I, also known as the “Hoschethaus”, is located at Hoschet 6. The group of houses in Aecherli comprises the odd-numbered addresses from 3 to 17. In Mittel-Dorf, two- and three-storey timber houses with shallow-pitched gabled roofs dating from the 18th and 19th centuries define the village setting. Oberdorf is a compact group of buildings on a raised terrace; the buildings line a narrow, gently curving road and a branching path. The architectural heritage is thus expressed in different forms: as a single named house, a group of houses and the spatial layout of part of the village.
Domestic Life and Local History
Built in the 16th century, the Landvogthaus Nidfurn showcases the domestic life of Swiss patrician families over four centuries. Visitors can experience a panorama of centuries of domestic life across six floors, from the cellar to just beneath the roof. The house’s construction period and the period of domestic life it presents are therefore two distinct historical perspectives: the building dates from the 16th century, while its theme of domestic life spans several centuries.
Nidfurn was first mentioned around 1300 in the Habsburg Urbar under the name “ze Nitfiure”. In the Middle Ages, the village belonged to Säckingen Abbey until 1395; since 1528, the majority of the population has been Reformed. These historical milestones complement the architectural history with earlier periods in the village’s past and add another cultural and historical dimension to a visit.
Legends Trail and Activities
The “Sage vu Glarus Süd” Legends Trail listed in Nidfurn features 41 legends spread across Glarus Süd and Urnerboden. Each station is located where the associated legend originated or where the story takes place. At audio stations, local residents tell the legends in the Glarus dialect. The location is therefore an integral part of the trail’s design, not merely the setting for a story. For travellers who want to combine local folklore with a hike, this offers a different way to experience the region than looking at historic architectural styles.
Golf is also available in Nidfurn: there is a golf teeing area, and the driving range has 15 tees. So, alongside the cultural and historical attractions, visitors will also find practical information about another activity.
Valley, Landscape and Routes
Nidfurn lies in a south-facing stretch of the valley that widens to about one kilometre. Within the municipality, 33.3 percent of the land is used for agriculture and 47.3 percent is forest. The elevation figures refer to specific points: Nidfurn-Haslen station is listed at 540 metres above sea level, Hirschenbrunnen at 578 metres and BĂĽndtrain at 620 metres. The dry-stone wall at Schwandner Matt adds a cultural and historical perspective on the landscape. It is considered a dry-stone wall of regional importance and a culturally and historically significant landscape feature with a biotope function; most of it was restored between 2022 and 2025.
Nidfurn is connected by the Glarus–Linthal railway line and a cantonal road serving both public and private transport. The village is also on the road between Schwanden, Linthal, Urnerboden and the Klausen Pass. An official cycle route passes through Nidfurn/Haslen between Leuggelbach and Schwanden. You can take these transport connections into account when planning your trip, whether you are travelling by train, car or bicycle.
Discover more destinations: Näfels, Braunwald, Engi, Mollis, Mühlehorn, Matt, Niederurnen, Glarus.
Return to the main travel overview: Glarus.
