Devil's Bridge and the Suvorov in Switzerland

• Devil's Bridge and the Suvorov in Switzerland

While traveling through the Alps from the Swiss Basel in the Italian Como, all the way to 300 km can be reached in just 3-4 hours. But then the fun will be over you. Through a mountain pass Gotthard dug a 17-kilometer road tunnel - the third-longest in the world. We're with the family chose another option and went to the old way of streamers, and on the advice of friends decided to spend the night in the fairy Andermatt.

The Gotthard road tunnel was opened in 1980 and at that time was the longest in the world. Thanks to his time on the road through the pass was reduced to four or five times. the tunnel travel free. But if you have time, it is best to turn off the road and ride on the serpentine through Andermatt.

In the European mountain roads is a pleasure to ride - quality coating, marking, fencing. One is bad - very few places where you can stop.

Not far from Andermatt has one more pass - Oberalp.

View towards Basel. Somewhere in the distance A2 motorway frame dives under the ground and it passes underneath us. We drive along the winding road up.

It is especially difficult to disperse such cornering buses and trucks.

Forms.

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There, where there is a bus, there is a small parking. We left the car and headed to the left leaving the trail to the very Devil's Bridge.

Water rough mountain river Reuss.

Devil's Bridge - the name of the three bridges near the village of Andermatt, 12 km to the north of the St. Gotthard Pass. Wooden bridge has existed since 1230 for 1707 and the first stone bridge spanned the gorge Reuss in 1595.

According to legend, gave the name of the bridge, the local people for a long time could not manage to build a bridge, as a raging torrent bore all the time renews the building. Then, in collusion with the builders entered hell. He offered to help in the construction of the bridge, with the proviso that take away the soul of the first man who will go over the bridge. The bridge was built, but the locals outwitted hell, dropping the bridge goat. In memory of a legend on the cliff near Devil's Bridge with red paint were painted devil and goat. These images have been preserved until now.

teufelsbrücke was a narrow stone arch length of approximately 25 meters, thrown over the gorge at a height of twenty meters above the turbulent roaring stream.

In 1799, during the Swiss campaign of Suvorov Russian troops demonstrated high tactical skill and heroism, a battle took place on the Devil's Bridge. The road along the river Reuss from the village to the Urzern teufelsbrücke passed through the narrow (width of up to 3 meters) tunnel "Urzernskaya hole" of about 60 meters in length, defended by French troops. Russian soldiers were able to bypass the tunnel through the mountains and along the gorge of the river and suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the tunnel, defeated the French squad. French troops stationed on the opposite bank, began to destroy the bridge.

"Your Imperial Majesty's troops - Suvorov wrote to Paul I of communiques, - have been through a dark mountain cave, took the bridge, the amazing nature of the game of the two mountains are named and erected Teyfelsbryukke. Shalt destroyed by the enemy. But these things do not stop winning, board bound with scarves officers, according to these boards run, they descend from the summit in the abyss, and reaching the enemy, hit him everywhere ... Drowning in the slippery mud, it had to climb against the waterfall crashes down with a roar and nizryvavshego fury scary stones and lumps of snow and earth, on which a lot of people with horses flew into the lower depths ... "

Russian troops dismantled is nearby barn. Officers headed brothers Meshchersky-Meshchersky first and third, tied the board officer scarves and covered them fail, resulting in an arch, at the time, as the huntsman skirmished with the enemy, who was on the opposite bank. The first to set foot on the bar, was Meshchersk-third. He was mortally wounded and fell into the abyss, having to say: "Friends, do not forget me in the communiques." The forced him under enemy fire teufelsbrücke Russian troops rejected the French. Then teufelsbrücke for several hours has been renovated more thorough and up to 16 hours on it began to cross the main forces Suvorov.

In 1888, the bridge stood for nearly three centuries and remembered Swiss campaign of Suvorov, collapsed.

Ten years later, in 1898, next to this place it was installed a monument to Suvorov and his soldiers to accomplish this feat.

That's the beauty of it all.

Even the tractor driver drove on the opposite, to admire the views of Andermatt.

And here he is. Andermatt (Andermatt) - a village and ski resort in central Switzerland. Its population is a little more than one thousand people.

Station NGR. If you do not have your own transport, you can easily book a tour by train.

The coat of arms of the city.

The main street in Andermatt. The houses are close to the road. So cars are not noisy wheels, across the street put the stone slabs.

The town is small, sharpened by tourists, very nice and expensive.

Pass the entire city in 15 minutes

Everything is so nice and neat, even insulting.

The wife and son approve Andermatt!

The road in the direction of the pass of St. Gotthard.