4 Alpine Panorama Route
4 Alpine Panorama Route

Cycling in Switzerland

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Alpine Panorama Route

Stage 3, Glarus–Flüelen

Route report
77 photos

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Alpine Panorama Route

On the climb to the Klausenpass, the Urnerboden, the largest Swiss alp, the other side of the 1948m pass the Schächental, a mountain landscape with the traditional farming method of moving livestock from one grazing ground to the next.
After the widespread fire in the canton’s capital of Glarus in 1861, the town was rebuilt checkerboard-style, quite an unusual sight in Switzerland. In the middle of the 19th century hydroelectric power caused an unparalleled upturn for the textile industry. One factory after the other opened up between Linthal and Ziegelbrücke. The “Glarner Industrieweg” (Glarus Industrial Path) tells the story of the Glarus region. The town where Europe’s last “legal” execution of a witch took place is surrounded by steep mountain cliffs and majestic limestone walls. There was a significant public outcry after the event. For more details, visit the modern Anna Göldi Museum.

Cruising through the corridor of the Glarus Alps, you will enjoy seeing old chimneys and you might have time for a delicious lunch of pasta (Hörnli) with Glarus sabsago cheese (Glarner Schabziger), made of skimmed cow’s milk with a special kind of herbs. Every now and then you will catch sight of an outsized factory building, a reminder of the textile industry’s boom. And the Linth, whose source is in the Mt. Tödi area, is a constant travel companion along the way. The former inexpensive lodging houses for workers in Linthal once belonged to spinning and weaving mills. And this is where the road begins to climb up to Klausen Pass. The first few turns are riddled with cobblestones and look much like the famous Tremola on the Gotthard Pass. During the week, the road is very pleasant to ride. Urnerboden, on the border between Canton Glarus and Canton Uri, is believed to be Switzerland’s largest alp with countless cows and calves grazing – simply magnificent and heart-warming.

The 1948 m Klausen Pass is another highlight, but be careful on the way down. The turns are tight and the cliffs are close. Traveling through the Schächental valley with an abundance of waterfalls is an amazing experience. Still, you’ll be just as glad to get down in one piece, to where the land is flatter. Bürglen, with the William Tell Museum and Tell’s Chapel, claims to be the birthplace of William Tell. It feels almost Mediterranean here, not just because of the palm trees. In Altdorf, the Swiss national hero is celebrated together with son Walter in the form of a statue of nearly 4 meters. Flüelen, where Reuss and Lake Uri meet, is just a hop, skip and a jump away …
On the climb to the Klausenpass, the Urnerboden, the largest Swiss alp, the other side of the 1948m pass the Schächental, a mountain landscape with the traditional farming method of moving livestock from one grazing ground to the next.
After the widespread fire in the canton’s capital of Glarus in 1861, the town was rebuilt checkerboard-style, quite an unusual sight in Switzerland. In the middle of the 19th century hydroelectric power caused an unparalleled upturn for the textile industry. One factory after the other opened up between Linthal and Ziegelbrücke. The “Glarner Industrieweg” (Glarus Industrial Path) tells the story of the Glarus region. The town where Europe’s last “legal” execution of a witch took place is surrounded by steep mountain cliffs and majestic limestone walls. There was a significant public outcry after the event. For more details, visit the modern Anna Göldi Museum.

Cruising through the corridor of the Glarus Alps, you will enjoy seeing old chimneys and you might have time for a delicious lunch of pasta (Hörnli) with Glarus sabsago cheese (Glarner Schabziger), made of skimmed cow’s milk with a special kind of herbs. Every now and then you will catch sight of an outsized factory building, a reminder of the textile industry’s boom. And the Linth, whose source is in the Mt. Tödi area, is a constant travel companion along the way. The former inexpensive lodging houses for workers in Linthal once belonged to spinning and weaving mills. And this is where the road begins to climb up to Klausen Pass. The first few turns are riddled with cobblestones and look much like the famous Tremola on the Gotthard Pass. During the week, the road is very pleasant to ride. Urnerboden, on the border between Canton Glarus and Canton Uri, is believed to be Switzerland’s largest alp with countless cows and calves grazing – simply magnificent and heart-warming.

The 1948 m Klausen Pass is another highlight, but be careful on the way down. The turns are tight and the cliffs are close. Traveling through the Schächental valley with an abundance of waterfalls is an amazing experience. Still, you’ll be just as glad to get down in one piece, to where the land is flatter. Bürglen, with the William Tell Museum and Tell’s Chapel, claims to be the birthplace of William Tell. It feels almost Mediterranean here, not just because of the palm trees. In Altdorf, the Swiss national hero is celebrated together with son Walter in the form of a statue of nearly 4 meters. Flüelen, where Reuss and Lake Uri meet, is just a hop, skip and a jump away …
68 km
Asphalted: 65 km
Natural surface: 3 km
1650 m | 1650 m
difficult

Arrival | return travel

Arrival / return travel Glarus
SBB Timetable Show stop and route on map

Season

Season
Please note: pass open from approx. May to October. Info Tel 163.

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Surface/foundation
Please note: non-asphalted stretch Glarus–Betschwanden can be avoided on the main road.
Diversion, Schwanden
Duration
21.03.2023 - 31.05.2023
Reason
Construction & maintenance work
The route is being diverted. Please follow the local signposts. See map for details.
Data source: SwitzerlandMobility / Cantonal office
Saving metres in altitude Klausenpass
There is a bus between Linthal, Bahnhof and Klausen Passhöhe that saves about 1300 metres in altitude.

Hints

Guides
There is a guide available for this route in German and French.
More

Arrival | return travel

Arrival / return travel Flüelen
SBB Timetable Show stop and route on map

Services

Accommodation

Adrenalin Backpackers Hostel
Adrenalin Backpackers Hostel
Braunwald
Hotel Restaurant Adler
Hotel Restaurant Adler
Linthal
B&B Fam. Manser-Betschart
B&B Fam. Manser-Betschart
Linthal
Hotel Restaurant Raben
Hotel Restaurant Raben
Linthal
Glattalphütte SAC
Glattalphütte SAC
Bisisthal
Gasthaus Urnerboden
Gasthaus Urnerboden
Urnerboden
Hof Ratismatt
Hof Ratismatt
Spiringen
Berggasthaus Ratzi
Berggasthaus Ratzi
Spiringen
Naturfreundehaus Rietlig
Naturfreundehaus Rietlig
Spiringen
Hotel Zum Schwarzen Löwen
Hotel Zum Schwarzen Löwen
Altdorf UR
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Bookable offers

4 Alpine Panorama Route
4 Alpine Panorama Route
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Places

Glarus
Glarus
Braunwald
Braunwald
Linthal
Linthal
Urnerboden
Urnerboden
Klausenpass
Klausenpass
Biel-Chinzig
Biel-Chinzig
Altdorf
Altdorf
Flüelen
Flüelen
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Places of interest

Mettmen-Alp climbing park
Mettmen-Alp climbing park
Rüti–Braunwald
Rüti–Braunwald
Via Ferrata climbing routes
Via Ferrata climbing routes
Tell museum
Tell museum
Pumptrack Schattdorf
Pumptrack Schattdorf
Attinghausen, Mettlen–Berg (Surenenpass)
Attinghausen, Mettlen–Berg (Surenenpass)
Monument of Wiliam Tell
Monument of Wiliam Tell
Bathing islands Lorelei Altdorf
Bathing islands Lorelei Altdorf
Axenstrasse (Flüelen–Sisikon–Brunnen)
Axenstrasse (Flüelen–Sisikon–Brunnen)
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