Flüelen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Flüelen
Coat of arms
Flüelen Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Flüelen Location in Canton of Uri Show map of Canton of Uri
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Uri
District	n.a.
Area
• Total	12.38 km2 (4.78 sq mi)
Elevation	435 m (1,427 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	2,025
• Density	163.57/km2 (423.65/sq mi)
Postal code	6454
Surrounded by	Altdorf, Bauen, Bürglen, Isenthal, Seedorf, Sisikon

Flüelen is a small town, also called a municipality, in the canton of Uri in Switzerland. It's a beautiful place located right on the shores of Lake Lucerne.

A Look Back in Time: Flüelen's History

Flüelen harbor with light boats from the Lake Lucerne trade routes unloading, 1817

Aerial view from 300 m by Walter Mittelholzer (1922)

Flüelen was first mentioned in official records way back in 1266. Its name was written as Vluolon then.

For many centuries, Flüelen was a super important stop for travelers and goods in Switzerland. This was especially true after a path opened across the Gotthard Pass in 1230. This pass is a mountain route that connects different parts of Switzerland.

All the routes over the Gotthard Pass led to Lake Lucerne at Flüelen. Before modern roads and trains, the lake was the best way to travel further north in Switzerland.

In the 13th century, a place called the Castle of Rudenz was built in Flüelen. It was like a checkpoint where people had to pay fees for using the Gotthard route. This helped the local rulers collect money from all the trade happening there.

Where is Flüelen? Its Geography

Flüelen village and the harbor

Flüelen covers an area of about 12.42 square kilometers (4.8 square miles). A big part of this land, about 58.1%, is covered by forests. About 23.9% is used for farming, like fields and pastures for animals.

Around 6.4% of the land has buildings or roads on it. The rest, about 11.6%, is land that can't be used for farming or building, like rocky areas.

The town is right on the edge of Lake Lucerne. Because of its location, it became a key spot for moving goods from the Gotthard pass trade routes onto boats on the lake.

Flüelen includes the main village itself. It also has smaller settlements outside the village and scattered farmhouses in the valley and up the mountainsides.

Who Lives in Flüelen? Its People

Aerial view of Flüelen

Flüelen has a population of about 1,972 people, based on numbers from December 2015.

In 2014, about 13.3% of the people living in Flüelen were foreign nationals. This means they were from other countries.

The population has changed a little bit over the years. Between 2010 and 2014, it grew by about 0.46%.

In 2014, for every 1,000 residents, about 7 babies were born. During the same year, about 10 people passed away for every 1,000 residents.

Age Groups in Flüelen

As of 2014, here's how the population was divided by age:

• Children and teenagers (0–19 years old) made up 21.7% of the population.
• Adults (20–64 years old) were 59.2% of the population.
• Seniors (over 64 years old) made up 19.1% of the population.

Family Life and Homes

In 2015, there were 844 single people living in Flüelen. There were 901 people who were married or in a civil partnership. A civil partnership is a legal relationship similar to marriage.

Also, 113 people were widows or widowers (meaning their spouse had passed away). And 114 residents were divorced.

In 2014, there were 823 private homes in Flüelen. On average, about 2.35 people lived in each home.

Most people in Flüelen speak German, which is 93.6% of the population. Italian is the second most common language, spoken by 2.0% of residents. Albanian is third, spoken by 1.6%.

How Many People Lived Here Before?

Here's a look at how Flüelen's population has changed over many years:

What Do People Do for Work? Flüelen's Economy

Flüelen is a municipality where most jobs are in industry and services. Farming and manufacturing are smaller parts of the economy here. It's also part of the larger Altdorf area, which means it's connected to a bigger group of towns.

In 2014, a total of 841 people had jobs in Flüelen.

• About 59 people worked in 14 businesses related to the primary economic sector. This includes things like farming and forestry.
• The secondary sector employed 291 workers in 24 businesses. This sector includes manufacturing and construction.
• The tertiary sector provided 491 jobs in 91 businesses. This sector includes services like shops, hotels, and offices.

In 2014, a small number of people, about 2.5% of the population, received social assistance. This is help from the government for people who need support.

In 2015, hotels in Flüelen had over 12,000 overnight stays. Most of these visitors, about 74.8%, were from other countries. This shows that tourism is important to Flüelen's economy.

Learning in Flüelen: Education

In Flüelen, many adults have continued their education beyond basic schooling. About 65.8% of people aged 25-64 have completed either:

• Non-mandatory upper secondary education: This is like high school or vocational training that isn't required but helps you get a job.
• Additional higher education: This means they went to a university or a Fachhochschule, which is a type of college for applied sciences.

Getting Around Flüelen: Transport

Flüelen railway station

Flüelen has its own Flüelen railway station. It's on the Gotthard railway line. Trains called InterRegio trains stop here every hour.

There's also a local train, line S2 of the Stadtbahn Zug, which runs hourly. It connects Flüelen to places like Zug, Arth-Goldau, and Erstfeld.

Right next to the train station is a steamer pier. This is where boats, or steamers, arrive and depart from Lucerne. These boat services are run by the Schifffahrtsgesellschaft des Vierwaldstättersees, which is the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company.

A long time ago, in 1906, a tramway was built. This was like a streetcar line that connected the center of Altdorf to the Flüelen railway station. This electric tramway operated until 1951. After that, buses took over the service.

See also

In Spanish: Flüelen para niños