North-South Route
Overview
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Distance 39 km
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Ascent 1150 m
Intro
The Urnerland, an incessant, nervously pulsating transit corridor, where the wild Reuss plunges down through the Schöllenenschlucht (gorge), subdued only by sheer mountain walls and the Teufels Brücke (Devil’s Bridge).
Description
Altdorf is the starting-point of the Gotthard road, which explains why the capital of Uri canton was already important in the Middle Ages. The town hall square is home to what is probably Switzerland's most famous Tell monument: the bronze statue by sculptor Richard Kissling was unveiled in 1895. Standing almost 4 meters high and weighing nearly 100 hundredweight, this artwork portrays the national hero with his crossbow shouldered, together with his son Walter. Before Erstfeld, a visitor centre offers information about the construction of the Gotthard Tunnel. However, the hoard of gold discovered here in 1962, the most important Celtic find in Switzerland, is on show in the Swiss National Museum in Zurich.
Unusual mineral and crystal deposits from the Central Alps are exhibited in the Uri Mineral Museum in Seedorf. It is some distance away from the cycle route (note the opening times). In Erstfeld, look across the bend in the river Reuss and you will spot the Jagdmatt Chapel. First mentioned in 1339, it now ranks as a national pilgrimage chapel and is popular for weddings. You can glimpse pretty irises beside the path as you pass through rock walls that tower ever higher. It’s no surprise that 5,000 to 15,000 m3 of gravel are extracted each year at the Butzen inert substances disposal site just before Amsteg.
Amsteg is the location of one of the two large power plants that supply electricity for the Gotthard line. 90% of the hydroelectric power plant is owned by SBB; it was commissioned in 1922 after four years of construction work. The second facility is the storage power plant at Ritom near Piotta, supplied with water from Lake Ritom. Surely an iconic landmark of the Gotthard railway: the pretty baroque church at Wassen. Thanks to the loops of the tunnel system, you can see the village church three times from different angles. It is protected by St Gallus – and also, just a little perhaps, by the mighty Devil's Stone that had to be shifted over 100 meters up the valley for the construction of the road tunnel. High above wild Schöllenen Gorge, a cycle path leads towards the mountains, across the lower Devil's Bridge dating from 1830. Motorbikes and cars roar through the awesome landscape of mountains and gorges above, but their noise is almost drowned out by the river Reuss as it crashes into the depths. After just a few hundred meters, you reach Andermatt.
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 |
Flüelen
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Andermatt
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| Ascent |
1150 m
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| Descent |
140 m
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| Distance |
39 km
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| Distance on tarred ways |
29 km
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| Distance on natural surface |
10 km
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| Physical requirements |
Difficult
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| Theme |
Through a gorge, Along Water
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Quick Facts
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