Another Section of the Via Gottardo Trail from Wassen to Meitschligen.

(This post was published on November 24, 2025, when it had already snowed quite low in many places in Switzerland, including here).

Saturday November 1, 2025 -- When the warm Föhn wind blows from the south, it usually clears up the clouds in the mountain valleys, but depending on where you go, the winds can sometimes be so strong that walking is not fun.

But we did find a good walking trail with tolerable winds (and relatively close to home), going back to Wassen in the Reuss Valley where we had watched the Alpine Cow Descent in September. (photos HERE). On that same day we walked southwards from Wassen, 6½ kilometers to Göschenen along the Via Gottardo Trail. This time we walked another section of that trail which we had not yet done, namely 8 kilometers northwards to the bus stop in the small community of Meitschligen, where we had started another northwards hike along this trail in April of 2015. 

One thing we had to be careful about is that the valley there is very narrow, with high mountains on either side, which can mean lots of shadow if you don't time it right. As it turns out, our timing was perfect, starting in Wassen at 11 a.m. just as the sun came over the mountain. It stayed past the mountain for the whole 3-hour hike, although there were enough hazy clouds once again that we didn't really have much "sunshine". Nevertheless, it was quite a nice and relatively easy walk on good mountain paths, with lots of nice farms and forests to admire. As this is also part of the Railway Adventure trail, we also learned alot about the construction of the Gotthard Railway line in the late 1800's. 

First by train to Erstfeld and then by bus to Wassen, we pass the lovely little village of Silenen with its tower, which I visited with friends in October 2023. 

Here in Amsteg the bus crosses the river at the entrance to the Brisen Ravine, behind which is the popular Maderaner Valley, which we have visited many times, including that October 2023 trip with friends. (A very narrow winding road leads up into the valley). 

Now at the start of November, the mountains are at the height of the autumn colours. The hillside there is where we passed by on the April 2015 hike we did along the section of the Via Gottardo trail from Meitschligen (where we are ending today) to Amsteg. .

A look behind us down the Reuss Valley as the bus heads southwards toward Wassen. 

Down below, we catch a glimpse of the bridge we are going to cross later. The autobahn bridge is just as magnificent as all the railway bridges here. 

After a trip of only one hour and 45 minutes, we reach the village of Wassen at 11 a.m. It is from here that we watched the cow parade on September 13th of this year, and walked southward on another section of the Via Gottardo Trail to Göschenen. 

Even though we have passed by the little church in Wassen dozens of times by train (the train makes three turns here on its way to Göschenen, so you see the church three times), we had never been up to the church, so that's where we headed to first. 

From the church grounds, this is the view southwards up the Reuss Valley. 

Details of the inside of the church on the hill in Wassen. 

This church in Wassen was completed in 1734 and is a cultural asset of national importance.  

The view down the Reuss Valley on the north side of the church where we are now headed for this day's walk. 

Zoomed view down the Reuss Valley where we are now headed. The main mountain on this view is the Windgällen, which looms over the north side of the Maderaner Valley. 

Directly to the west is the entrance to the Meien Valley, from where the cows descended in September, and the railway viaduct of the central line of the three times the train passes the village. 

Now it's 11:15 and we head down from the church back to the main road through the village, to start on our 8-kilometer walk northwards through the Valley of the Reuss River. 

The trail we followed from Wassen to Meitschligen was just over 8 kilometers, and is part of several themed trails including No.7: "Via Gottardo", No.2: "Trans-Swiss Trail", and No.55: "Via Suvorov". 

Looking down at one of many railway viaducts. 

Crossing the Reuss Bridge at Wassen. 

The autobahn bridge over the Reuss River is magnificent. Amazing that the thin posts can support all that concrete!

This trail we are on is part of three different themed trails. 

Heading northward toward Pfaffensprung, a reservoir lake created by damming the Reuss River. 

The sheep are all observing us carefully as we walk past!

A little detour off the trail down to the riverside. A cute little sandy beach! This would be nice in summer. 

Looking behind us, we can see the Wassen Church on the hill, where we started on our hike. 

Three bridges in this view... there is actually fourth bridge hidden behind the central one! The one at the back is the railway bridge we saw at the start of our hike, just below the church.

Bridges are fun. 

Walking along the lake toward the Pfaffensprung power plant. 

Another look back to the Wassen church at the other end of the lake. 

When the water is let out over the dam, it looks like a fabulous waterfall!

This farm is called Häggrigen, after which the trail passes beneath the railway tracks. 

A look up valley, before we pass under the railway tracks. 

This is an interesting "technology". The wall diverts a possible landslide to prevent damage to the railway tracks. 

This is the Häggrigen bridge, and there was an interesting "piece of technology" here: A rope across the main arch where a very steep stream passes through. If too much water comes down, or even a landslide, the rope is broken which sets off alarms on both sides of the railway bridge, so that the trains know not to pass. (Right after we passed through the tunnel, a train did pass!)

Getting close now to the village of Gurtnellen Wiler. 

Up ahead on the hillside is the little church from the mountain village of Gurtnellen, where Urs' Dad grew up. 

Close-up view of the little mountain village of Gurtnellen, where Urs' Dad grew up. 

Down below is the larger town of Gurtnellen Wiler, where we will be walking through. Urs is reading information about the unending rains of August 1987 which caused the Reuss River to flood large areas of the Uri plains here.

Bridge across the Reuss River in Gurtnellen Wiler. 

The church in the village of Gurtnellen Wiler. Weirdly enough, even though this is our third time passing through here, I have never been inside to have a look!

A look up the Reuss Valley from the stone bridge in the town. We didn't need to cross the bridge, though, as our trail continued on the west side of the river, heading north. 

What a beautiful house. 

This is the old schoolhouse in Gurtnellen, seen from the river side. (It is more impressive on the railway side). It was used as an elementary school from 1906 to 2021/22. Its construction is of the beautiful Gotthard Granite. 

About one kilometer north of Gurtnellen is another bridge, and this one we do have to cross to continue our walk on the east side of the Reuss River. 

After crossing the river, we had about another kilometer to walk to the look-out point, partially along the river, and then along the paved road for a while. 

It was another kilometer to walk to the bridges and the look-out point (which we had seen on our way up the valley by bus), and most of it was along the old vehicle road (where the bus runs). We had to cross under the freeway bridge to get to the forest trail. 

Nice path down to the river, across the river, and then up to the look-out point. 

This suspension bridge was built in 2007. 

View of the autobahn bridge from the suspension bridge. 

This is the look-out point from where you can see the river, the autobahn bridge, the train passing on the railway tracks. 

View from the look-out point. 

There I am, down on the suspension bridge. A very lovely spot. 

From the look-out point is another bridge, a steel bridge also built in 2007, from where we can reach the forest trail. 

This is about the same view we saw from the bus earlier, along the road a little further up from where we are here. 

The forest trail. 

Some very nice colours in the forest. 

Up ahead is the little hamlet called Meitschligen, and we walked parallel to the highway here, along fences which are set up to stop rocks falling down onto the road. 

Can you see the goat?

This lovely goat watched us walk past!

Heading down now to the main road where we were going to catch the 14:04 bus. (It is now 13:50, so we were early for the bus!)

Last stretch on the bridge across the Reuss River, to the bus stop near the little hut on the other side. Interesting here are the metal nets attached below the cliffs, to catch falling rocks. 

These are the sections of the Via Gottardo trail which we have done here between Göschenen and Amsteg. The section between Wassen and Meitschligen is the one we did this day. On September 13th, we did the stretch from Wassen to Göschenen. 

View of the landscape on the way back to Erstfeld by bus. Here you can see the hillside which we walked back in 2015 when we started the hike in Meitschligen (to Amsteg). The valley on the right is the entrance to the Maderaner Valley. 

Passing the entrance to the Maderaner Valley again. This is another beautiful railway bridge!!!

Lovely colours on the hillsides as the bus heads down the valley. 

Location of Wassen within Switzerland.