ViaSuworow
Overview
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Distance 13 km
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Duration 3 h 20 min
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Ascent 120 m
Intro
The descent into the Urserntal valley leads through the rugged Gotthardreusstal valley, mainly along the old trading route. Suvorov set up his quarters in Hospental in the Hotel St. Gotthard (formerly Ochsen). The route continues along the valley floor to Andermatt.
Description
The second stage of the ViaSuworow takes you from the Gotthard Hospice past several lakes to the top of the pass at 2,109 metres. The hiking trail runs along the Gotthardreuss river and slightly off the Tremola road. Where Suvorov's troops could move on without much resistance to Hospental after the battles on the Gotthard Pass, you follow a beautiful path today. Surprisingly, the pass road is barely audible. Not to be overlooked, however, is the gigantic ventilation shaft of the Gotthard tunnel, which tries to blend into the magnificent countryside.
In 1799, another firefight broke out near Hospental, before the French under General Gudin retreated towards the Furka Pass. At night, the bulk of Suvorov's troops camped in what is today a typical mountain pass village with its Sust building, customs station and inns. For the population, the situation was dramatic, as the description by a local man illustrates: "Two-thirds of our inhabitants have already been reduced to beggary, their houses have been looted, their cattle killed, their stables torn down, their hay stolen. Only a few are left with more than a large family of uneducated children."*
Where Suvorov's troops marched further down the imposing high valley towards Andermatt, today, you walk along a well-tended golf course with blossoming flowers separating it from the path. At the time, the Russian General Rosenberg also advanced to Andermatt via the Oberalp Pass, where he met resistance from the French, who were waiting behind mounds of earth and boulders with pinpoint fire. However, he managed to drive them back and even capture an ammunition depot and provisions near Andermatt. The latter was crucial because the food they had brought with them was largely depleted due to a lack of mules. Although a rations plan was provided along with the attack plan in Asti (Piedmont), it already failed in Airolo because only 737 mules could be delivered out of a total of 1,344. And these animals were only enough to transport army provisions for four days. In this respect, the situation was about to get even worse …
*Background information and quotations stages 55.1-55.9: Alois Camenzind (1992), Maultiere machen Geschichte oder Suworows Krieg in den Schweizer Alpen im Jahre 1799, Luzern: Verlag Pro Libro Luzern GmbH
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 |
Gotthardpass
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Andermatt
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| Direction |
One way
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| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
2000 m
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| Ascent |
120 m
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| Descent |
780 m
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| Distance |
13 km
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| Duration |
3 h 20 min
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| Duration back |
4 h
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| Technical requirements |
Medium
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| Physical requirements |
Medium
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| Season |
June - October
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Quick Facts
Route number
