Klausenpass - Klausenpass

The Klausen Pass leads from Altdorf in the canton Uri to Linthal in the canton Glarus. The road is served by a postbus line in the summer months, from around October to around May there is one Winter closure.

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Klausen Pass
Klausenpass route 1908
In the alpine car over the Klausen Pass, after 1922

Between the Urner Schächental, which at Altdorf flows into the Reuss valley and the pastureland in the Urnerboden a path for the cattle drive already existed in the High Middle Ages. The valley section of the, which extends beyond the top of the pass to the east towards the canton of Glarus Urnerboden has always been used by the Urners, after border disputes between Uri and Glarus the boundaries were definitely set in 1196.

In 1590 a hospital for travelers was built on the Urnerboden, around 1717 there was a chapel at the top of the pass. The construction of a road over the pass crossing failed several times because priority was given to the expansion of the Gotthard route. In 1870 a street was built up to UndercutsIn 1893/99 the road connection was built with federal funds Altdorf - Linthal. From 1900 the stagecoach line was used once a day, the duration of the journey required an overnight stay and a horse change on the Urnerboden. From 1922 postbuses ran over the Klausen Pass, and the line was mainly used for tourism.

From 1922 to 1934 a car race was held over the pass road; in memory of the historical Klausen race races with vintage vehicles have been held over the pass every few years since 1993.

Regions

The Klausenpass connects the Urner Reuss Valley with the communities Altdorf resp. Bürglen UR through the Urner Schächental with the villages Spirigen and Undercuts over the pass with the Urnerboden and the Glarnerlandwhere the pass ends in the valley of the young Linth. The canton border is well behind the pass before the last descent into the Linth valley.

Route

Spiringen
Klausenpasshöhe
View of the Urnerboden
anecdote Saga of Urnerboden
Long years ago, the people of Glarus and Uri had a dispute over the border in the valley. It was agreed to set the limit as follows: on the day of the equinox, a brave runner should start from his side early in the morning at the first crowing of the cock and the limit will be set at the point of the meeting. Each party tried to find the right cock for the task. The people of Uri let their animals go hungry and thirsty, in the expectation that the hens would wake them up as early as possible in the morning. The people of Glarus fattened their rooster in the hope that out of gratitude it would then crow particularly happily and early. So the agreed day came and the Uri rooster crowed early, the Uri runner set off in deep darkness. The people of Glarus were still standing around their slumbering rooster, the sun was already rising and he was finally crowing. The Glarner runner had not yet come high up the hill when the Urner runner came towards him from the mountain ridge. The place of the meeting was so close to Linthal that the Glarner herdsman pleaded with the Urner to let him have some of the pastureland. After a long pleading, the Urner let himself be softened and made the suggestion that he allow the border to be shifted as far as the Glarner herdsman could carry him up the mountain on his back. The brave Glarner dairy farmer covered a distance until - still with the Uri on his back - he wanted to quench his thirst by a brook and after the first sips he fell dead from the cold water. The Grenzbach, up to which the Glarner Senn was able to carry his colleague, is still shown today.

Of Altdorf the Klausenpassstrasse crosses the river Schächen and leads through in a few curves Bürglen UR. The route follows the Schächen with a moderate incline and then climbs in a few switchbacks into the village Spiringen up. Now the pass road runs on the valley flank above the Schächen; just before Undercuts the road reaches the valley floor again and then rises in wide bends upwards. After a stretch along ledges under the Geissberg, there are two hairpin bends up to the top of the pass.

After the top of the Klausen pass, the route leads down a number of serpentines by 500 m until the valley of the Fätschbach widens, in the wide area belonging to the canton of Uri Urnerboden, 1200 cows are summered on the largest alp and another 700 cattle on the neighboring Alps, and some of the milk is made into cheese on site. Since the pass crossing is only open in the summer months, the Urnerboden can only be reached from the Glarnerland, if at all, in the winter months.

At the end of the Urnerboden after the canton border, the route begins on a wooded slope in some sharp serpentine bends Linthal to descend.

Tourist Attractions

  • 1  Suworow Museum Altdorf, Schmiedgasse 8, 6460 Altdorf. Tel.: 41 (0)79 216 66 58, Email: . From January 2021, the Suworow Museum, which was previously located in Linthal Gl, will now be at home and again in Altdorf.Open: Wed, Fri-Sun 11:00 am - 5:00 pm.Price: free entry.
  • 2  Tell Museum Bürglen, Postplatz, 6463 Bürglen UR. Tel.: 41 (0)41 870 41 55, Email: . Open: mid-May - mid-October Tue-Sun 10:00 am - 11:30 am, 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm.
  • The 3 Berglistüber waterfall can be reached from a parking lot at the Bergli-Kehre.
  • That used to be secret in Linthal Suvorov Museum was opened on January 2021 by Linthal to Altdorf relocated.

activities

You can walk to the in half an hour 1 Fleschsee mountain kiosk, located on the idyllic Fleschsee.
The Alpstubli Salez is also close to the Ruogig mountain station.
2  Alpstubli Selez, 6463 Bürglen. Tel.: 41 (0)41 870 54 73. Open: mid-May - approx. Mid-November
  • 3  Biel-Kinzig AG aerial cableway, 6463 Bürglen. Tel.: 41 (0)41 870 26 35, Email: . Cable car Brügg - Riedlig, second section of cable car Riedlig - Biel. Mountain hikes can be undertaken from the mountain station in summer, the Schächentaler Höhenmweg leads past here. In winter you can ski, snowshoe and ski tours on various tow lifts.Price: 20.00 / 10.00 Fr.
1  Mountain inn Biel, 6463 Bürglen UR. Tel.: 41 (0)41 870 25 44. Guest house with Swiss and Thai cuisine, overnight stays in double rooms and dormitories.
2  Restaurant Skihaus Edelweiss, Vorderer Weissboden 4, 6463 Bürglen. Tel.: 41 (0)79 420 02 21, Email: . Restaurant, overnight in 60 beds in six dormitories.Open: winter season December-March, summer season June-November.
  • Also in Spiringen A cable car takes you up, which is used by hikers and skiers.
4  Spiringen - Ratzi cable car, 6464 Spiringen. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 12 32, Email: . The 8-seater cable cars can also be operated with a coin-operated machine or tokens outside of normal operating hours; they serve as a feeder to the hiking and skiing area. A ski lift runs from Ratzi to the Gisleralp.
3  Mountain inn Ratzi, 6464 Spiringen. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 12 30, Email: . Mountain inn, 24 overnight stays in seven double rooms and two multi-bed rooms.
  • Those who want to go on tours from Unterschächen into the Schächental can stay overnight in the village:
4  Hotel Alpina, Klausenstrasse, 6465 Unterschächen. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 11 52, Fax: 41 (0)41 879 11 91, Email: .
5  Brunnialp - Sittlisalp cable car. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 10 20. 1999 renewed cable car to the Sittlisalp, as a starting point for (mountain) hikes. On the Sittlisalp 3 Alpbeiz, Overnight accommodation in the Alps in the area.Open: mid-May - mid-September every hour or upon telephone appointment.
6  Ribi - Wannelen cable car. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 19 69. The cable car also runs on telephone registration (alternatively: mobile 079 390 43 45) or with tokens in self-drive mode. At the mountain station 4 Alpbeiz Wannelen and cheese dairy.Open: July - end of August every half hour.
7  Äsch - Oberalp cable car. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 12 81. Outside the alpine season, trips can be arranged on 079 678 58 70.Open: July - end of August, 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
  • 5  Hotel Posthaus Urigen, 6465 Unterächen. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 11 53. Historic hotel, in Urigen there was a horse changing station and later a Swiss one. Post and telephone office.
  • 4 Staublifall lookout point
  • 6  Hotel Klausenpass, Klausenstrasse 91, 6465 Unterschächen. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 11 64, Email: . Historic hotel on Klausenpass Kulm, a little south below the top of the pass, reopening after renovation in summer 2021.
  • at the top of the pass is the self-service 5 Clariden restaurant and the 5 Brother Klaus - chapel.
  • right next to that 6  Klausenpass kiosk restaurant, Klausenstrasse 98, 6465 Unterschächen. Tel.: 41 (0)41 879 11 16.

On the east side it goes quickly downhill in a number of serpentines and you get to the Urnerboden. The "largest alp" is located on the side of the Klausen Pass that is already facing the Canton of Glarus, but has always been part of the Canton of Uri.

With a small damming up of the Fätschbach, the canton border has now been reached. Soon the road begins to wind down in serpentines into the valley floor in {{Linthal]]. In the 6 Throat plate turn there is a beautiful view of the Linth valley. A few hairpin bends further down a path leads to Berglistüber waterfall.

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trips

  • to 1 Braunwald, the popular (winter sports) location is car-free and can only be reached with one 9 Rack railwaycan be achieved.
  • Wander in the footsteps of the Suvorov Army across the various alpine passes.

literature

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