Living in Nidwalden

Lake Lucerne, Nidwalden's mountains, charming ancient villages and little towns, and beautiful countryside all conspire to produce a quality of life that is rare these days.

A great place to live
Nidwalden stands out for its attractive residential zones situated on slopes enjoying fabulous views of the lake and mountains, for its idyllic villages, and for the splendour of its natural surroundings. Demand for private residential accommodation is high, but there is plenty to go round. The standard on offer is mid to high. The market consists of properties – flats and houses – for rent and owner-occupation. For details please visit newhome.ch, Homegate and ImmoScout24.

First-class schools
Switzerland's schools continue to rank among the best in Europe. In Switzerland, state-run kindergartens, primary and middle schools are free to children resident in the respective canton. Compulsory schooling takes ten years: two years of kindergarten, six years of primary education and a three-year orientation phase at middle school level. Once a child has completed primary school, and depending on his or her ability, he or she can transfer straight to gymnasial secondary education (Kollegium Stans), something that is also possible following any one of the three orientation years in middle school. Following compulsory schooling, the young person starts an apprenticeship, continues with his or her education or joins a bridging programme. Nidwalden offers every level of education.

Switzerland also enjoys a longstanding university tradition. Depending on their area of interest, students attend universities in Basel, Berne, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Zurich, or any one of the universities of applied sciences, e.g. Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. So far as apprenticeships are concerned, Switzerland applies a dual system, where practical training is combined with attendance at a vocational college.

Good range of further training / continuous professional development opportunities
Switzerland offers a wide range of high-quality opportunities across the board. The interchangeability of the country's education and training system means that opportunity continues to expand at tertiary level.

Sporting and leisure opportunities
Canton Nidwalden's open countryside is never more than ten minutes away. Sporting and leisure opportunities are virtually unlimited, with swimming, sailing, waterskiing, windsurfing, diving, paragliding, climbing and mountain biking in the summer, and skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledging and skating in the winter – not forgetting the après-ski!

Superb health care
Health insurance: Switzerland does not offer compulsory health insurance funds. Instead, private health insurers compete with each other and premiums can differ widely. By how much depends not so much on the insured's income as on the options selected. In accordance with the Federal Law on Compulsory Health Care (KVG), residents are required to take out basic health care cover, but the choice of insurer is down to the individual. Insurers also offer a range of affordable optional extras.

Accident insurance: In Switzerland, employed persons are covered by the obligatory accident insurance for occupational accidents and occupational illness and (if working more than a minimum number of hours) non-occupational accidents as well. The premiums for occupational accident and illness cover are paid by the employer; the employee's contribution is deducted from his or her remuneration. Persons not subject to mandatory insurance under the Federal Law on Accident Insurance (UVG), such as the self-employed, etc., are free to opt for the insurer of their choice.

Canton Nidwalden has excellent medical practitioners and its own accident and emergency hospital (Nidwalden Cantonal Hospital). Other specialists and clinics can be reached within a few minutes' drive. Nidwalden is also well served when it comes to dentists and dental services.

Culture ancient and modern
Nidwalden has enjoyed a long and eventful history, which explains the distinctive regionality from which has emerged a rich cultural heritage. Living in Nidwalden, in other words, means participating in an ancient cultural tradition. Not to be forgotten, though, is the canton's contemporary cultural life, including art, music, theatre and film. Nearby is the KKL Lucerne concert hall complex, and the cultural attractions of Zurich, Basel, Berne and Lugano are also not far.