Sacred Heritage in the Ursern Valley

Our 11 Churches & Alpine Chapels

From the 12th-century Romanesque valley church of St. Columban and Baroque parish churches with gilded altars by Johann Ritz to the high-alpine chapel at Tiefenbach (2,100 m): discover the sacred spaces of our three parishes.

Parish:

💍 Wedding-suitable Churches Only

AndermattPfarrkirche💍 Weddings welcome

St. Peter and Paul (Feast Day: 29 June) · 1602 / 1695 (Neubau durch Bartholomäus Schmid)

Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul

📍 Kirchgasse / Village Centre, 6490 Andermatt

The Baroque parish church of St. Peter and Paul shapes the village centre of Andermatt. Its richly gilded high altar by Johann Ritz and ornate ceiling frescoes are among the most significant sacred art treasures in the Canton of Uri.

Sacristan: Nrec Kuzhnini (Aushilfe: Sabina Zopp-Melotti) (079 230 61 17)

AndermattTalkirche💍 Weddings welcome

St. Columban (Irish missionary monk) · ca. 11./12. Jh. (Romanik, Weihe 1203 bezeugt)

Historic Valley Church of St. Columban

📍 At the foot of the Gurschen / Altkirch, northern entrance to Andermatt

The Romanesque mother church of the entire Ursern valley dates back to the Abbey of Disentis. With its serene stone architecture, it is a cherished setting for weddings, baptisms, and concerts.

Sacristan: Nrec Kuzhnini (079 230 61 17)

Pilgrimage Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Maria Hilf)

AndermattWallfahrtskapelle💍 Weddings welcome

Mary Help of Christians · 1737–1742

Pilgrimage Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Maria Hilf)

📍 On the hillside southeast above Andermatt village (Mariahilf hill)

Perched above the rooftops of Andermatt, the Baroque pilgrimage chapel of Maria Hilf (1742) was built as a place of prayer and protection against avalanches, offering sweeping views of the Ursern valley.

Sacristan: Nrec Kuzhnini (079 230 61 17)

AndermattBeinhaus / Kapelle

St. Michael the Archangel · 1696 / 1702

Chapel of St. Michael (Ossuary Chapel)

📍 Directly beside the Parish Church of St. Peter and Paul in the Andermatt cemetery

Located in the cemetery right beside the parish church, the two-storey Chapel of St. Michael is dedicated to the remembrance of the departed.

Sacristan: Nrec Kuzhnini (079 230 61 17)

AndermattKapelle

St. Wendelin (Patron saint of shepherds and farmers) · 1705

Chapel of St. Wendelin

📍 Oberalpstrasse / towards Oberalp Pass, Andermatt

Built in 1705 along the route toward the Oberalp Pass, the wayside Chapel of St. Wendelin reflects the valley’s alpine farming and mule-trading heritage.

Sacristan: Nrec Kuzhnini (079 230 61 17)

Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary (Hospental)

HospentalPfarrkirche💍 Weddings welcome

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15 August) · 1705–1706 (nach dem Dorfbrand von 1669)

Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary (Hospental)

📍 Village Centre, 6493 Hospental

Beneath the medieval tower of Hospental stands the Baroque Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary (1706), renowned for its harmonious interior and high altar by Johann Ritz.

Sacristan: Carla Fry-Cattaneo (041 887 11 81)

Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo (Hospental)

HospentalKapelle

St. Charles Borromeo (Archbishop of Milan) · 1718–1721

Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo (Hospental)

📍 Gotthardstrasse / southern exit of Hospental towards the Gotthard Pass

Standing along the historic mule trail up to the Gotthard Pass, the Baroque Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo (1721) recalls the centuries-old ties between the Ursern valley and Milan.

Sacristan: Carla Fry-Cattaneo (041 887 11 81)

HospentalKapelle💍 Weddings welcome

St. Nicholas of Myra (Patron of travellers) · 1591 / Neubau 1759 nach Lawinenzerstörung

Chapel of St. Nicholas in Zumdorf

📍 Hamlet of Zumdorf (between Hospental and Realp)

In Zumdorf, often called the smallest hamlet in Switzerland between Hospental and Realp, stands the white Rococo Chapel of St. Nicholas (1759).

Sacristan: Carla Fry-Cattaneo (041 887 11 81)

RealpPfarrkirche💍 Weddings welcome

Exaltation of the Holy Cross (14 September) · 1781 / 1882

Parish Church of the Holy Cross (Realp)

📍 Village Centre, 6491 Realp

At the foot of the Furka Pass, the Parish Church of the Holy Cross is the spiritual heart of Realp, closely tied to the Capuchin friars who served the mountain hospice and village for centuries.

Sacristan: Fritz Simmen (079 224 81 37)

Alpine Chapel of Maria Hilf at Tiefenbach (Furka Pass Road)

RealpKapelle

Mary Help of Christians · 1937

Alpine Chapel of Maria Hilf at Tiefenbach (Furka Pass Road)

📍 Tiefenbach (approx. 2,100 m above sea level) on the Furka Pass road above Realp

At 2,100 metres above sea level along the Furka Pass road, the alpine chapel at Tiefenbach is one of the highest places of worship in the Ursern valley.

Sacristan: Fritz Simmen (079 224 81 37)

Chapels of Maria in der Aegerten & St. Joseph (Realp)

RealpKapelle

Blessed Virgin Mary & St. Joseph · 18. Jahrhundert

Chapels of Maria in der Aegerten & St. Joseph (Realp)

📍 Surroundings of Realp / Lochbergstrasse

The wayside chapels of Maria in der Aegerten and St. Joseph in Realp bear witness to centuries of alpine devotion at the gateway to the Furka and Witenwasseren valleys.

Sacristan: Fritz Simmen (079 224 81 37)

💍 Weddings, Baptisms & Concerts

Reservation & Usage Regulations for Weddings, Baptisms, and Concerts

Our churches and chapels are also open to visiting couples for weddings, baptismal families, and sacred concerts. Please coordinate your preferred date early with the Parish Secretariat in Andermatt.

✓ Date Enquiry: Please contact the Parish Secretariat Seelsorge Ursern (Tel. 041 887 11 81 or sekretariat@seelsorgeursern.ch) at least 3 to 6 months in advance.
✓ Visiting Clergy: Couples from outside the valley typically arrange for their own Catholic priest or deacon (with canonical delegation from their home parish).
✓ Sacristan & Fees: Church use is free of charge for local residents. For non-resident weddings and concert organisers, the respective parish council schedule covers sacristan service, heating, and cleaning.
✓ Flowers & Confetti: Scattering rice, confetti, or artificial petals inside the churches or on cemetery grounds is not permitted.

Church Reservation & Forms

Alpine Chapel of Maria Hilf at Tiefenbach

Tiefenbach (2,100 m), Furka Pass road