Car-free mountain passes in 2026: An idyllic cycle ride on the Klausen Pass

When the road linking Linthal and Altdorf was opened to traffic in the summer of 1900, the journey by horse-drawn carriage still took one and a half days. Back then, the horses even had to be changed at Urnerboden and the passengers had to stay at a hotel.

In 1922, the first cars jolted their way over the Klausen Pass, and in the 1930s the hairpin bends were finally resurfaced with tarmac. It was during this period that the legendary Klausen races, attracting tens of thousands of spectators, were already taking place. At the time, it was one of the best-known and most gruelling hill climbs in Europe. To this day, the ‘Klausen Race Memorial’ is held from time to time, with hundreds of vintage cars and motorbikes rattling their way up to the pass each time. Still in front of thousands of spectators.

Just not on 13 September 2026. On that day, the Klausen Pass will be closed to all motorised vehicles for the 12th time and open only to cyclists. It’s an event that attracts thousands of participants every year. Participation is free of charge, but online pre-registration is recommended.

You just have to decide whether you’d rather set off from the shore of Lake Lucerne or from the eastern side, which is, after all, a bit more scenic:

A comparison of the two access roads

The eastern approach to Linthal

Visually speaking, the bends on the eastern approach have been more attractively integrated into the mountainside. Immediately on leaving Linthal, the road climbs steadily through a series of hairpin bends. The lower hairpin bends surprise you with their cobblestones, after which the road is in very good condition. It’s only the gradients that start to take their toll on your legs. After a few kilometres, you reach Urnerboden, Switzerland’s largest high-altitude alpine pasture. Here, you can stretch your legs again on a four-kilometre stretch of flat road and let your gaze wander: to the right, the rocky peaks of the Jägerstöcke soar into the sky, whilst to the left the majestic Claridenstock towers above.

At the end of the Urnerboden, things really get going: numerous hairpin bends have been carved into the rock, one after the other. It’s almost a work of art in road construction, particularly bend number 7, which winds its way through a narrow rocky basin. After the small hamlet of Vorfrutt, the road finally climbs straight up through a trough-like valley towards the pass. Once you reach the top of the pass, you can stop off at one of the two snack bars.

Western approach from Altdorf (Uri):

The climb from Altdorf gets off to a much more leisurely start. The road stretches for nine kilometres, with a gradient of just 6 per cent, towards Bürglen (birthplace of William Tell) and on to Spiringen. Here, the first series of hairpin bends begin to cluster as the road climbs up into the Schächental valley. Even from a distance, you can see a spectacular waterfall thundering into its pool. Just before Unterschächen, you’ll even see a few metres of elevation gain tick by on the speedometer again. You’d do well to make the most of this momentum, because, obviously, at some point the climb to the 1,948-metre-high pass has to begin. And these metres are now concentrated over the final 12 kilometres. First, a 9.5 per cent gradient looms up, then the gradient levels off at 7 per cent. One kilometre before the top of the pass, you can stop for a bite to eat at the Hotel Klausenpasshöhe or grab a snack from the food stalls at the pass.

Information about the Klausen Monument

Date: Sunday, 13 September 2026

Time: 10 am–4 pm

Registration: klausen-monument.ch

Autumn edition of the Sellaronda Bike Day