Rütli or Grütli is a mountain meadow on Lake Lucerne, in the Seelisberg municipality of the Swiss canton of Uri. Here the oath of the Rütlischwur is said to have occurred, the legendary turning-point in the pursuit of independence. Every August 1, on the Swiss National Day, the oath is re-enacted to commemorate the forming of the Old Swiss Confederacy.
Land forming the Rütli meadow was bought by the Schweizerische Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft in 1859 in order to preserve its state and, among other reasons, to prohibit the construction of a hotel at the historical site. This non-profit company turned the Rütli over to the government as an inalienable gift.
As is often the case across Switzerland, the August 1 celebrations include speeches; at the Rütli it is common for an eminent personality, such as members of the Swiss Federal Council, to speak.