ViaSuworow
Overview
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Distance 12 km
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Duration 3 h 35 min
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Ascent 360 m
Intro
Several attractive churches and chapels line the route from Pigniu down into the valley of the Vorderrhein. The ViaSuworow ends at Ilanz, the first town on the Rhine, which the weakened Russian troops reached on 7 October 1799.
Description
The monarchies of England, Austria and Russia banded together against revolutionary France in the War of the Second Coalition (1798/99–1801/02). During this period, General Suvorov successfully drove the French out of northern Italy. After this, he received the order to reinforce the Russian army under General Alexander Mikhailovich towards Zurich. With 22,000 soldiers – a mixture of Russians, Kalmyks, Tatars, Cossacks and others – he crossed the Gotthard Pass against his own will. Pushed back by the French, he managed to escape over the Chinzig Pass into the Muotatal valley and, from there, over the Pragel Pass into Glarus. The French held their ground at Näfels and Mollis, forcing the Russians to flee via the Panix Pass. While retreating over the pass, around 15,000 soldiers arrived at Panix on 6 and 7 October 1799. At that time, the village had around 70 inhabitants.
This marks the start of the eleventh and final leg of the ViaSuworow. After a short stretch on surfaced road, a path branches off to the left. Around three hundred metres of elevation are covered between here and Darpagaus. This is followed by the descent to Dacla on a gravel road, before continuing on the main road to Rueun. You will walk along a combination of paths, gravel roads and surfaced roads over gentle climbs and descents until you reach your destination for this leg in Ilanz.
Of the 22,000 men who set out, only 13,000 made it here. Of the 2,000 beasts of burden they took with them, only 70 survived, and of the 25 firearms they brought, none made it over the Panix Pass to Ilanz. After the war, Suvorov fell into the Emperor’s disfavour as a result of slander and had to relinquish the Supreme Order. Once he arrived in St. Petersburg, the Emperor refused to give him an audience. The resulting grief rendered him bedridden. On 18 May 1800, he died. The Emperor only recognised the injustice of his actions after Suvorov’s death and mourned the valiant military commander. The Generalissimo was buried with princely honours that ordinarily only members of the imperial family would receive. He had his own grave inscribed with: “Here lies Suvorov”.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Pigniu
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Ilanz
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| Direction |
One way
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| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
1000 m
|
| Ascent |
360 m
|
| Descent |
1000 m
|
| Distance |
12 km
|
| Duration |
3 h 35 min
|
| Duration back |
4 h 10 min
|
| Technical requirements |
Medium
|
| Physical requirements |
Difficult
|
| Season |
May - October
|
| Theme |
With panoramic view
|
Quick Facts
Route number
