Ursern Town Hall

The Ursern Town Hall, first mentioned in 1459, stands in the old village centre of Andermatt on the corner of Gotthardstrasse and Kirchgasse. With its tower, it still dominates the village landscape today. Opposite is a small square with the village fountain.

The building was constructed in 1583 by Johannes Schmid, destroyed in a village fire in 1766 and rebuilt just one year later. The ground floor used to serve as a Sust, i.e. a public rest and storage place for mule drivers. During the more than 600 years of mule driving, the mule drivers transported around 2,600 tonnes of trade goods across the Gotthard Pass every year. Today, it houses the Ursern power station.

In 1974, the town hall was renovated and an arcade was added along Gotthardstrasse. Today it is the seat of the Ursern Corporation and the district court.

The council chamber features a carved coat of arms ceiling from 1931, which shows the family coats of arms of the citizens of Ursern. Other historical emblems such as the valley sword, the banner from 1532 and old seals are reminders of the long history of the Ursern valley community.