Cycling in Switzerland
Alpine Panorama Route
Stage 3, Glarus–Flüelen
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Alpine Panorama Route
Stage 3, Glarus–Flüelen
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 …
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 …
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 …
Length
68 km
Roads and trails
Asphalted: 65 km
Natural surface: 3 km
Natural surface: 3 km
Ascent | Descent
1650 m | 1650 m
Fitness level
difficult
Arrival | return travel
Season
Season
Please note: pass open from approx. May to October. Info Tel 163.
More …
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.
