Devil's Bridge (Teufelsbrücke)

For centuries, the Schöllenen Gorge was extremely difficult to cross. The steep rock walls, deep valley and the rapid Reuss River formed a natural obstacle on the important trade route through the Gotthard Pass. The first passage through the gorge was built around 1200 and led along wooden footbridges fixed in the rock walls.
The first stone Devil's Bridge was built in 1595. However, the bridge did not last forever. In 1830, a new stone bridge was built next to it to better meet the growing demands of traffic. The older structure finally collapsed in 1888.

Today's historic stone bridge dates back to 1830. Its elegant arch spans the wild Reuss and is one of the most photogenic structures in the entire gorge.

The place is remarkable not only for its wild nature, but also for its extraordinary concentration of technical and historical monuments. Here, side by side, we find an old stone bridge, a modern road, a railway line, tunnels, a military memorial and a mighty river with rapids and water cascades. The Schöllenen Gorge is actually a small open-air museum of Swiss transport engineering.

There is also a famous Swiss legend associated with the bridge. When the locals were at a loss as to how to build it, they summoned the devil himself. He promised to build the bridge, but at the cost of the soul of the first person to cross it. However, the clever residents of Uri sent the first goat across the bridge. The devil became angry and wanted to destroy the bridge with a huge stone. However, an elderly woman drew a cross on the stone, which frightened the devil and caused him to drop the stone.
This legend gave the bridge its current name.

Just a few steps from the Devil's Bridge is another extremely interesting monument – the Suvorov Monument. The monumental monument carved directly into the rock wall commemorates the dramatic events of September 25, 1799, when the Russian and French armies clashed in the gorge. The Russian army led by General Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov had to overcome the river and rock obstacles under very difficult conditions. The fighting in the Schöllenen Gorge claimed a significant number of victims.

The monument itself was unveiled in 1898. Its creation was initiated by the Russian prince Sergei Golitsyn and the monument is dedicated to the Russian soldiers who died during the Alpine campaign in 1799. The distinctive, 12-meter-high cross carved into the rock massif has a truly monumental effect in the narrow valley. The monument is interesting not only for its historical significance, but also for its unusual location right in the rock face.
Interestingly, the land under the monument was donated to the Russian state and the monument is still associated with Russian historical heritage in Switzerland.

One of the most interesting features of the entire gorge is the railway line, which bravely winds along the Reuss River. There is only a minimum of space for the railway in the narrow valley, so the builders had to build a series of bridges, galleries and tunnels. The train overcomes a significant elevation gain on a short section and uses a rack and pinion system, which allows it to overcome extremely steep climbs.

An interesting technical monument in the vicinity of the Devil's Bridge is the Urnerloch Tunnel. Its construction marked a turning point in the history of transport through the Gotthard Pass. In 1706–1707, the 60-meter-long Urnerloch Tunnel was dug into the rock massif. It was an extraordinary construction project at the time, which significantly facilitated passage through the gorge and increased the safety of the entire transport route. The Urnerloch is often referred to as one of the first Alpine road tunnels.

The natural dominant of the whole place is the wild Reuss River. The river here creates impressive rapids, smaller waterfalls and water cascades. The water flows with great energy over rock sills, crashes into boulders and disappears into deeper pools. In the narrowest parts of the gorge, the riverbed is squeezed by almost vertical rock walls. The historic Devil's Bridge spans this wild water feature. The view from the bridge down to the turbulent river is one of the most impressive experiences when visiting Schöllenen.

Above the modern road bridge, a striking red painting of the devil on the rock wall catches the eye. It was created by the Uren painter Heinrich Danioth in 1950. The painting is based on a local legend about the construction of the Devil's Bridge and depicts the devil with a goat.