Two- and three-storey timber houses, the Landvogthaus and a dry-stone wall of regional significance provide tangible points of reference for Nidfurn’s local history. There is also a legends trail featuring stories from Glarus Süd and Urnerboden, as well as opportunities for golf and cycling. When planning your trip, it is worth considering these different interests together with how to get there.
Historic Village Layout and Houses
In Mittel-Dorf, timber houses with two or three storeys and shallow-pitched gabled roofs shape the village’s appearance. They date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Oberdorf forms a compact group of buildings on a terrace. The buildings line a narrow, slightly curved street and a branch path. These two areas illustrate different forms of historic settlement layout.
Individual groups of houses are also precisely located: Blumerhaus I, also known as “Hoschethaus,” is at Hoschet 6. The group of houses in Aecherli comprises the odd-numbered addresses from 3 to 17. Those interested in architecture and how a village is laid out will find several specific points of reference here, rather than just one historic building.
Domestic Culture and History
Built in the 16th century, the Landvogthaus Nidfurn offers insight into the domestic culture of Swiss patrician families over four centuries. The museum experience spans six floors, from the cellar to beneath the roof. The house thus complements the view of the village’s exterior layout with the history of domestic life. A visit focuses both on the development of a house and on a broader domestic culture.
The village’s history offers another perspective on its timeline: Nidfurn was first mentioned in the Habsburg land register around 1300 under the name “ze Nitfiure.” The village belonged to Säckingen Abbey until 1395; since 1528, the population has been predominantly Reformed. These milestones span the Middle Ages and the early modern period, placing the historic buildings in a broader local context.
Legends, Cycling and Golf
The “Sage vu Glarus Süd” legends trail features 41 legends spread across Glarus Süd and Urnerboden. Each stop is located where the associated legend originated or where its story takes place. At audio stations, local residents tell the legends in the Glarus dialect. The focus is therefore not only on the stories, but also on their connection to specific places and the local storytelling tradition. The trail offers a different way to discover the region from exploring Nidfurn’s village houses.
Nidfurn also has a golf practice area. The driving range has 15 hitting bays; check the current information for the facility before using it. An official cycling route passes through Nidfurn/Haslen between Leuggelbach and Schwanden.
Landscape, Location and Getting There
Nidfurn lies in a south-facing section of the valley that widens to about one kilometre. The municipality’s land area is reported as 33.3 percent agricultural land and 47.3 percent forest. These figures describe the area of the municipality, not just the built-up village centre. The dry-stone wall at Schwandner Matt is considered a landscape feature of cultural and historical significance and also serves as a biotope. Most of the wall was restored between 2022 and 2025.
The elevation depends on the reference point specified: Nidfurn-Haslen station is listed at 540 m above sea level, Hirschenbrunnen at 578 m above sea level and Bündtrain at 620 m above sea level. Nidfurn is served by the Glarus–Linthal railway line and a cantonal road for public and private transport. The village is also on the road between Schwanden, Linthal, Urnerboden and Klausen Pass.
Choose Accommodation Based on Your Interests
This lets you assess Nidfurn as a destination based on the specific themes you are interested in, rather than choosing accommodation solely by a general place name.
Discover more destinations: Niederurnen, Näfels, Mühlehorn, Engi, Matt, Elm, Glarus Süd, Filzbach.
Go to the main travel overview: Glarus.
