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Glarus
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Explore Glarus in Switzerland for dramatic Alpine geology, historic valley towns, Klöntalersee, car-free Braunwald and enduring local traditions.

Glarus is a compact, mountainous canton in eastern Switzerland where steep limestone and gneiss ranges rise abruptly above a chain of settled valleys. The Linth valley forms its main north–south axis, while side valleys lead towards Elm, Klöntal, Braunwald and the high Alpine passes. Although close enough to Zürich for a practical excursion, Glarus feels markedly more rural and topographically dramatic than the Swiss lowlands.
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The cantonal capital, Glarus, lies on the floor of the Linth valley beneath the Glärnisch massif. Its orderly streets reflect rebuilding after the devastating fire of 1861, while the surrounding settlements retain a mixture of farmhouses, industrial buildings and grander houses associated with the region's prosperous textile past. In the northern part of the canton, Näfels and Mollis combine historic architecture with access to the Kerenzerberg and the Walensee region; farther south, the valley narrows around Schwanden, Linthal and the mountain villages of Elm and Braunwald.
Glarus is particularly rewarding for visitors interested in geology and landscape. The Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona, a UNESCO World Heritage site extending across parts of several cantons, presents an exceptionally clear example of large-scale Alpine mountain building. Around Elm, the exposed rock formation known as the Tschingelhörner and the Martinsloch provide some of the canton’s most recognisable geological scenery. Klöntalersee, enclosed by forested and rocky slopes, is one of the best-known natural landscapes within the canton, while Braunwald offers a car-free mountain setting reached by cable railway from Linthal.
The canton’s cultural identity is shaped by a striking combination of communal politics, Reformed and Catholic traditions, mountain agriculture and industrial history. The Landsgemeinde, the open-air cantonal assembly in which citizens vote by a show of hands, remains one of Switzerland’s most distinctive political traditions. Museums and historic buildings explore subjects ranging from the Glarus textile industry to local religious history and the story of Anna Göldi. Food traditions include alpine cheese, regional baking and simple dishes suited to farming communities, while walking, cycling, climbing, skiing and snowshoeing make the surrounding mountains central to contemporary travel.
Glarus is small enough to explore through linked day trips but varied enough to reward a carefully planned itinerary. The valley floor is comparatively accessible by rail, whereas many mountain destinations depend on cable cars, seasonal roads or walking routes. A visit can therefore combine the urban and industrial heritage of Glarus, the historical atmosphere of Näfels, the geological landscapes around Elm, the lake at Klöntal and the quieter high-altitude villages of the southern canton without confusing the region’s distinct local characters.

When is the best time to visit Glarus?

Best: June–August · 22–24°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January470
February560
March970
April1480
May1990
June (best)22100
July (best)24100
August (best)2390
September1980
October1480
November780
December370

Getting to and around Glarus

How to get there

Glarus is reached most conveniently by rail from Zürich via the Linth valley, usually with a change at a regional interchange such as Ziegelbrücke or another point shown on the current Swiss timetable. Trains serve Glarus and several valley settlements, including Näfels-Mollis, Schwanden and Linthal. By road, the principal approach follows the A3 corridor from the Zürich and Walensee direction before continuing into the canton; Zürich Airport is the nearest major international gateway outside Glarus. Reaching mountain destinations such as Braunwald and Elm requires a further cable-car or local transport connection.

Transportation

Rail is useful along the Linth valley, while buses and mountain railways connect the main settlements with side valleys and resorts. Braunwald is car-free and is reached from Linthal by a funicular railway; visitors should leave cars at the designated valley-side facilities. A car offers flexibility for Klöntal, smaller villages and trailheads, but mountain roads can be narrow and exposed. Cycling is rewarding on valley routes, although steep gradients and traffic on connecting roads require preparation. Cable cars and seasonal services are essential for many high-level walks, so check current operating arrangements before setting out.

Best attractions in Glarus

Glarus’s attractions are closely tied to its valleys and mountains rather than concentrated in a single urban centre. Glarus town offers museums, civic buildings and streets shaped by the nineteenth-century rebuilding after the 1861 fire, while nearby Ennenda is associated with the Anna Göldi Museum and the story of Switzerland’s last woman executed for alleged witchcraft. Näfels provides access to Freuler Palace, an important Renaissance residence, as well as commemorative sites linked to the Battle of Näfels. The canton’s natural attractions include Klöntalersee, forested walking country around the Linth valley, and the high landscapes near Elm and Braunwald. The UNESCO-listed Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona explains the geological forces that folded and thrust the Alps, with viewpoints and trails offering different levels of access. In warmer months, hiking, cycling, climbing and paragliding are prominent activities; in winter, Elm and Braunwald support skiing, snowshoeing and other snow-based pursuits. The range from industrial heritage to high mountain scenery is what gives Glarus its particular attraction profile.

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Best landmarks in Glarus

The most recognisable landmarks of Glarus range from civic architecture to dramatic Alpine formations. Glarus town’s planned streets and rebuilt nineteenth-century buildings are reminders of the 1861 fire and the canton’s industrial wealth, while the Landsgemeindeplatz represents the enduring tradition of open-air direct democracy. In Näfels, Freuler Palace is a substantial Renaissance house whose architecture reflects the influence and resources of an important local family; nearby commemorative sites evoke the Battle of Näfels. Klöntalersee is a geographical landmark as much as a leisure destination, its long waters enclosed by steep slopes and woodland. Above Elm, the Tschingelhörner and the Martinsloch form a striking geological ensemble associated with the Sardona tectonic landscape. The exposed rock layers of the UNESCO World Heritage area make the forces that built the Alps unusually legible. Braunwald’s car-free position on a high terrace is another defining feature, offering a distinct settlement pattern rather than a single monumental structure. Together these places express Glarus’s combination of political tradition, industrial history and Alpine geology.

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Best restaurants in Glarus

Dining in Glarus reflects eastern Swiss mountain cuisine, the canton’s farming traditions and its former industrial prosperity. Valley towns provide cafés, bakeries, traditional restaurants and contemporary places, while alpine restaurants serve visitors walking or skiing in areas such as Elm and Braunwald. Look for regional cheeses, alpine dairy products, rösti, soups, seasonal game and hearty meat dishes, alongside Swiss staples that are shared nationally rather than exclusive to Glarus. Glarner pastete, a sweet pastry associated with the canton, is a characteristic local speciality and is commonly found in bakeries. Farm shops and seasonal outlets offer cheese and other locally produced goods, while the larger settlements provide more varied menus. Dining patterns change with altitude and season: mountain huts and alpine restaurants may have limited or seasonal service, whereas Glarus and Näfels offer the most dependable choice in the evening. Swiss wine is available, although most production lies elsewhere in the country.

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Best bars in Glarus

Evening life in Glarus is modest and locally oriented rather than focused on a large club scene. Glarus town and Näfels have the broadest selection of pubs, cafés and restaurants for an evening out, with traditional bars, modern meeting places and occasional live music or cultural programming. In smaller valley communities, social life usually centres on village restaurants, inns and community events, while mountain resorts such as Braunwald and Elm tend to offer a quieter après-ski atmosphere during the winter season. Some breweries and specialist drinks venues may appear in the larger settlements, but opening arrangements and individual businesses change, so current local information is useful. Visitors should not expect an extensive late-night circuit; an evening meal, a local drink or a performance is generally more representative of the canton than clubbing. Public transport becomes less frequent late at night, making advance planning important when staying outside the main valley centres.

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Best nightclubs in Glarus

Evening life in Glarus is modest and locally oriented rather than focused on a large club scene. Glarus town and Näfels have the broadest selection of pubs, cafés and restaurants for an evening out, with traditional bars, modern meeting places and occasional live music or cultural programming. In smaller valley communities, social life usually centres on village restaurants, inns and community events, while mountain resorts such as Braunwald and Elm tend to offer a quieter après-ski atmosphere during the winter season. Some breweries and specialist drinks venues may appear in the larger settlements, but opening arrangements and individual businesses change, so current local information is useful. Visitors should not expect an extensive late-night circuit; an evening meal, a local drink or a performance is generally more representative of the canton than clubbing. Public transport becomes less frequent late at night, making advance planning important when staying outside the main valley centres.

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Best shops in Glarus

Shopping in Glarus is concentrated in the valley towns, where independent retailers, bakeries, cafés and practical local services are more prominent than large-scale luxury outlets. Glarus town offers the widest everyday choice and is a useful place to look for books, regional foods, gifts and goods connected with local culture. Näfels and other established settlements provide smaller high-street selections, while mountain villages focus on visitor essentials and outdoor equipment. Farm shops and alpine dairies are good sources of Glarner cheese, baked goods and other seasonal produce, although availability depends on the time of year. The canton’s textile past is an important part of its heritage, but visitors should distinguish historic manufacturing from assumptions that every shop sells locally made textiles. Markets and special sales may take place periodically rather than daily, so check local listings. For souvenirs, practical choices include regional food products, craft items, books on Glarus history and Alpine maps, all of which connect more directly with the canton than generic Swiss merchandise.

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Glarus essentials

Currency and Payment
The currency is the Swiss franc, abbreviated CHF, as throughout Switzerland. Cards and contactless payments are widely accepted in towns, hotels, shops and larger attractions, but cash remains useful for mountain restaurants, small farm outlets, unattended facilities and some rural services. Swiss francs are preferable to relying on euros, which may be accepted in limited tourist-facing businesses at an unfavourable rate. Bank machines are concentrated in settlements, so consider obtaining cash before heading into a side valley or mountain area.
Safety
Glarus is generally well organised for visitors, but Alpine conditions require sensible preparation. Check weather and trail information before walking, particularly around Elm, Braunwald, Klöntal and the Sardona landscape, where fog, thunderstorms, snow and loose ground can affect routes. Stay on marked paths, carry suitable footwear and allow more time than valley distances suggest. Take care on narrow mountain roads and when cycling. Near Klöntalersee and other steep-sided waters, follow local signs and avoid unstable slopes or exposed shore sections after heavy rain.
Emergency Situations
The Swiss emergency number 112 provides general assistance, while 117 reaches the police, 118 the fire service and 144 an ambulance. In the mountains, provide your precise location, route and the nature of the problem; the Swiss air-rescue service can be contacted on 1414 where appropriate. Mobile coverage can be inconsistent in steep side valleys, so do not rely on a phone alone for a remote walk. Download or carry route information, tell someone your plans and follow instructions from local rescue services.
Do's and Don'ts
Keep to marked paths, close gates and leave livestock, crops and alpine installations undisturbed when walking in farming areas. Observe quiet in villages and residential parts of valley towns, and follow Swiss queueing and public-transport etiquette. In churches, museums and historic buildings, ask before photographing interiors or people. Do not treat mountain roads as ordinary urban streets: give way carefully, watch for agricultural vehicles and avoid blocking passing places. Tipping is discretionary rather than compulsory, though rounding up or leaving a modest amount for good service is customary.
Local Tips
Plan by valley rather than attempting to cover the whole canton from one short stop, since side-valley journeys involve slow mountain roads or connecting lifts. Glarus town is especially useful for understanding the canton’s civic and industrial history, while Näfels offers a different historical perspective. For quieter scenery, consider an early start around Klöntalersee or Braunwald. Mountain restaurants and cableways may operate seasonally, and Sunday or public-holiday services can be less frequent, so consult the current Swiss timetable and local tourism information.
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From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloHallo[Hah-lo]
GoodbyeAuf Wiedersehen[Owf Veeder-zayn]
YesJa[Yah]
NoNein[Nine]
Please/You're welcomeBitte[Bitt-eh]
Thank youDanke[Dahn-keh]
Excuse me/SorryEntschuldigung[Ent-shool-dee-goong]
How are you?Wie geht's?[Vee gates?]
Fine. And you?Gut. Und dir?[Gooot. Oond deer?]
Do you speak English?Sprechen Sie Englisch?[Shprekh-en Zee Eng-lish?]
I don't understandIch verstehe nicht[Ikh fersh-teh-eh nikht]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseIch hätte gerne die Speisekarte, bitte[Ikh het-teh gair-neh dee Shpy-zeh-kahr-teh, bitt-eh]
I don't eat meatIch esse kein Fleisch[Ikh ess-eh kine Flysh]
Cheers!Prost![Prohst!]
I would like to pay, pleaseIch würde gerne bezahlen, bitte[Ikh vur-deh gair-neh beh-tsah-len, bitt-eh]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Hilfe![Hihl-feh!]
Go away!Geh weg![Gay vek!]
Call the Police!Rufen Sie die Polizei![Roof-en Zee dee Pol-it-zai!]
Call a doctor!Rufen Sie einen Arzt![Roof-en Zee eye-nen Artz!]
I'm lostIch bin verloren[Ikh bin fer-lo-ren]
I'm illIch bin krank[Ikh bin krank]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Ich möchte kaufen...[Ikh meur-teh kow-fen...]
I'm just lookingIch schaue nur[Ikh shau-eh noor]
How much is it?Wie viel kostet es?[Vee feel kost-et es?]
That's too expensiveDas ist zu teuer[Dahs ist tsu toy-er]
Can you lower the price?Können Sie den Preis senken?[Kern-en Zee den Price senk-en?]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Wie spät ist es?[Vee shpaht ist es?]
It's one o'clockEs ist ein Uhr[Es ist ine Oor]
Half past (10)Halb (10)[Hahlb (10)]
MorningMorgen[Mor-gen]
AfternoonNachmittag[Nahkh-mit-tahg]
EveningAbend[Ah-bend]
YesterdayGestern[Gehs-tern]
TodayHeute[Hoy-teh]
TomorrowMorgen[Mor-gen]
1Eins[Eyns]
2Zwei[Tsvi]
3Drei[Dry]
4Vier[Fear]
5Fünf[Foonf]
6Sechs[Zex]
7Sieben[Zee-ben]
8Acht[Aht]
9Neun[Noyn]
10Zehn[Tsen]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Wo ist ein/das...?[Vo ist ine/dahs...?]
What's the address?Was ist die Adresse?[Vahs ist dee Ah-dress-eh?]
Can you show me (on the map)?Können Sie mir (auf der Karte) zeigen?[Kern-en Zee meer (owf der Kar-teh) tsai-gen?]
When's the next (bus)?Wann kommt der nächste (Bus)?[Vahn kommt dair nay-steh (Boos)?]
A ticket (to ....)Ein Ticket (nach....)[Ine Ticket (nahkh....)]

History of Glarus

Early Alpine Settlement and Roman-Era Links

The Linth valley and its side valleys were settled long before the modern canton emerged. Archaeological evidence indicates prehistoric activity, while Roman influence reached the wider Linth corridor and connected Alpine communities with routes across eastern Switzerland. Later Alemannic settlement shaped many place names and farming communities. The mountainous terrain encouraged a pattern of dispersed villages, pasture use and seasonal movement between valley floors and alpine meadows, foundations that remained important long after Glarus became a recognised political territory.

Medieval Glarus and the Habsburg Connection

During the Middle Ages, Glarus developed under the influence of the Säckingen convent, whose ecclesiastical rights were significant in the valley. Habsburg power later expanded into the region, creating tensions with the local population and the emerging Swiss Confederacy. Glarus joined the Confederacy in 1352, although the political relationship was contested and temporarily altered. Medieval churches, settlement patterns and the memory of communal self-government reflect the gradual transition from ecclesiastical and dynastic authority towards a more autonomous rural canton.

The Battle of Näfels, 1388

The Battle of Näfels was the decisive episode in Glarus’s struggle against Habsburg attempts to reassert control. On 9 April 1388, Glarus forces, supported by troops from the Swiss Confederacy, defeated a substantially larger Habsburg-led army near Näfels. The victory secured the canton’s position within the Confederacy and became central to Glarus’s historical identity. The annual Näfelser Fahrt commemorates the battle through a religious and civic procession, linking medieval history with a living tradition of remembrance.

Reformation, Confessional Division and the Landsgemeinde

The Reformation reached Glarus during the sixteenth century, notably through the activity of Huldrych Zwingli, who had served as a priest in Glarus before becoming a leading reformer in Zürich. The canton became confessionally divided, with Reformed and Catholic communities living in different parts of the territory. This division influenced political and social life for centuries. At the same time, the Landsgemeinde developed as an open-air assembly through which eligible citizens exercised direct political authority, a tradition that helped define Glarus’s reputation for participatory government.

Textile Manufacturing and Industrial Transformation

From the eighteenth century onwards, linen production, cotton processing, printing and other textile activities transformed Glarus. Water power from the Linth and its tributaries supported mills, while merchants connected the valley’s products with wider European markets. Industrial growth brought wealth to some families, encouraged new housing and civic buildings, and altered the relationship between villages and surrounding farmland. Much of the canton’s nineteenth-century character, including former factory buildings and prosperous houses, is linked to this textile economy, even though the industry later declined under international competition.

The Fire of Glarus and Nineteenth-Century Rebuilding

A major fire destroyed much of Glarus town in 1861, prompting an ambitious reconstruction based on a planned street layout rather than a simple restoration of the medieval settlement. The rebuilt town incorporated wider roads, more regular building lines and improved measures against future fires. Its architecture illustrates the confidence of an industrial canton at the height of its economic development. The event also demonstrates how natural and urban risks, combined with modern planning, shaped the appearance of the present-day cantonal capital.

Modern Canton, Hydropower and Mountain Tourism

In the twentieth century, Glarus continued to adapt as textile manufacturing contracted and hydropower, engineering, services and tourism assumed greater importance. Reservoirs and power stations became part of the valley’s industrial landscape, while mountain destinations such as Braunwald and Elm developed facilities for walking, skiing and family recreation. The canton’s modern identity rests on this mixture of working valley, historic communities and protected Alpine landscapes. The recognition of the Sardona tectonic landscape as a UNESCO World Heritage site has further highlighted Glarus’s geological significance.

Glarus in Photos

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Evendo: Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Glarus, Switzerland

Discover Glarus with Evendo, a 100% free app-based travel guide covering attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, and activities.

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Make the most of your trip to Glarus, Switzerland with Evendo - your comprehensive, free travel guide app. Explore attractions, book experiences, and navigate the city with ease.

  • History of Glarus and travel essentials
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Planning a trip to Glarus, Switzerland? Look no further than Evendo, the ultimate travel guide app that ensures you experience everything this beautiful city has to offer. From the majestic **Glarus Alps** to the serene **Klöntalersee**, our app provides detailed information on all the best attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, and activities.

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Whether you want to explore the historical **Landsgemeindeplatz**, hike up to **Vrenelisgärtli**, or enjoy a night out at **Barock Bar**, Evendo has got you covered. Our 'Near Me' feature ensures you never miss out on any nearby attractions, no matter where you are in the city. With curated local tips and easy navigation, you'll experience Glarus like a local.

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