Part I - The Via Alpina Start: From Vaduz to Altdorf

From the Liechtenstein capital of Vaduz, where the Prince still sits enthroned in the castle high above the town, the Via Alpina starts through the Rhine Valley to Sargans. Here, however, the lord of the castle has long since moved out. The route now leads into the long Weisstannental valley, past the Isengrind waterfall, one of the highest waterfalls in Switzerland, and on over the Foo and Richtelipass into Glarnerland. The two lonely crossings lead through a wild mountain region and are a first Via Alpina hiking highlight. The UNESCO World Heritage Tectonic Arena Sardona is impressive. The view of the main thrust fault, which was formed during the folding of the mountains, provides both a deep insight into the history of the earth and a view through it. Namely through the Martinsloch, through which the sun sends its rays precisely onto the church of Elm once in spring and once in fall.

From the Richtelipass, there is a long descent into the Zigerschlitz, the deepest valley in Switzerland. This is where the Glarnerschabziger gets its name. The "Stöckli" of this tangy low-fat cheese is probably one of the oldest branded products in Switzerland. With a stamp of origin on the cheese, it was already possible to meet the demand for quality more than 555 years ago. It's hard to avoid beads of sweat on your forehead when you leave the Zigerschlitz. After all, you have to leave the deepest valley again. And this is only possible with effort or, if necessary, with assistance. The funicular takes you over the steep valley level to Braunwald in no time at all, from where the hike on the high-level trail leads to Urnerboden at a much more leisurely pace.

The wide and gentle plateau of Urnerboden is bordered by rugged limestone peaks to the north and south. And as the name suggests, the area has belonged to the canton of Uri for more than 700 years, although the Klausen Pass would be the logical border crossing from Glarus to Uri. According to legend, the best runner of the people of Uri and Glarus ascends from the valley with the first crowing of the rooster. The border runs where the two meet. Obviously the runner from Uri was the better athlete, but presumably the rooster in the canton of Uri also crowed much earlier at dawn and so the border came to lie "ennet der March", i.e. on the other side of the Klausen Pass.

In spring, it can happen that the masses of snow on the Klausen Pass still pile up meters high from the edge of the road and almost obscure the view towards the Central Swiss Alps and the Reuss Valley. This is where the Via Alpina leads to the cradle and soul of Switzerland. In Altdorf, the Swiss national hero Wilhelm Tell is enthroned above the town hall square as a bronze statue with his crossbow shouldered and his son Walter at his side. This is how he once resisted the Habsburg authorities and contributed to the founding of Switzerland. Tell is probably the most famous man from Uri, but not the oldest. The Föhn wind blows in from the south over the Gotthard and swirls through the Reuss valley towards the Swiss midlands. Even in winter, the fall wind causes temperatures to rise sharply and licks the snow off the slopes.