Schöllenen Gorge, Mountain gorge near Andermatt, Switzerland
Schöllenen Gorge is a narrow chasm in the Swiss Alps with steep granite walls carved by the Reuss River over millennia. The passage sits at roughly 1,243 meters elevation and forms a natural corridor between the mountain slopes.
The first wooden bridge across the gorge was built in 1230, providing the first safe crossing through this remote region. The route was later rebuilt repeatedly until 1707, when the Urnerloch tunnel as the first road passage through the Alps fundamentally changed how people traveled through here.
The Devil's Bridge carries a folk tale where locals made a deal with the devil to cross the gorge, and this story remains part of how people talk about the place today. The bridge itself has become a symbol of how communities overcame impossible natural barriers.
The site is accessible via several marked hiking trails starting from Andermatt and Göschenen, with varying difficulty levels. Visitors should bring proper hiking gear, as paths go through steep terrain and along narrow passages.
The Urnerloch tunnel, completed in 1707, was Europe's first major road tunnel project and allowed horse-drawn carts to pass through instead of taking even more dangerous mountain routes. This early tunnel was technically revolutionary for its time and laid groundwork for modern Alpine roads.
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