Urnerboden is Switzerland’s largest alp. Curiously, politically it belongs to the Canton Uri, although the top of the pass is a few km away. The hiking trail follows the Fätschbach creek. This is a gorgeous section across pastures to the waterfall near the forest hut (Waldhüttli). The high valley is so charming here that you won’t even notice the path going slightly uphill, but this will change after the forest hut. As soon as the road over the mountain pass has been crossed, a rather steep ascent begins. While the footpath climbs straight up, the road meanders through eight hairpin turns to the top of the pass (1948 m). The Klausen Pass road from Linthal to the Schächental valley opened in 1948 and offers lots of scenic spots. Don’t forget to look behind you during the last few hundred meters before the top. The view across Urnerboden and the surrounding mountains is amazing.

After passing the Chlausenchappeli chapel the descent begins across lush green meadows, continues below the Hotel Klausen-Passhöhe and into the Schächental valley. Right below the top of the pass you have another view of the snow-capped Clariden peaks and the rocky crags of the Windgällen. The path barely rises until Heger Wald forest. If you look to the left on the ridge path you will see Alp Aesch and the 100 m Stäuben waterfall. The views later open up to the Brunnital valley, a wildlife reserve with a lot of fascinating Alpine flora and fauna. From Heger Wald forest, the path then leads steeply downhill to Spirigen.

The trail flattens out along Schächenbach creek and leads to Bürglen. Legend has it that this is the birthplace of William Tell. A small museum in the village is dedicated to him. The Tell monument on the other hand is reached by passing through residential neighbourhoods and commercial districts and through the old town of Altdorf. The bronze statue on town hall square was created by Richard Kissling between 1882 and 1895. According to Friedrich Schiller‘s drama this is where the scene of the apple shot took place, where the Swiss national hero shoots an apple from his son’s head with his crossbow upon the order of Gessler, a Habsburg governor. Today’s section of the Via Alpina ends in this historic place.