ViaSuworow
Overview
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Distance 21 km
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Duration 5 h 40 min
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Ascent 660 m
Intro
With the French in pursuit, Suvorov's troops marched southwards in snowfall towards Elm. The easy hike leads to Schwanden alongside the river Linth and then partly above, partly along, the river Sernf via Engi and Matt to Elm.
Description
Following the relentlessly fought battle for the villages of Näfels and Mollis on 1 October 1799, the troops of the Russian vanguard under General Bagration retreated to Netstal. During the night of 2 October, they took up a position outside Netstal while the bulk of the Russian Derfelden corps camped near Glarus, Netstal and Riedern. Meanwhile, the French under Molitor held Näfels and Mollis. While Suvorov was still holding the council of war in Glarus, Auffenberg moved on 2 October towards the Sernftal valley and onward to the Panixer Pass. Silently, taking prisoners with them, the Russians cleared the positions near Glarus and Netstal during the night of 5 October and moved towards the Sernftal.
Today the hiking trail leads along the Linth, past the town's outskirts, the industrial area and the local recreation area around Glarus. Glärnisch and Rautispitz dominate the landscape. After the old silk printing works (now a textile company) in Mitlödi, you come to the Tschachen industrial area in Schwanden, where the Sernf flows into the Linth and the Sernftal begins.
In Schwanden, at the entrance to the Sernftal valley, fierce fighting broke out between the French and the Russian rearguard in 1799. Thanks to the resistance of Russian general Bagration, however, the train was able to make its way unimpeded into the valley. An army of over 15,000 men marched up the bumpy mule track to Elm, with only shreds of their uniforms clinging to their emaciated bodies. Not even the officers had intact footwear, and much of the army went barefoot.
Today a path and, soon after, a wide gravel road lead uphill through the Sernftal to Elm. Here, the sun shines twice a year – in March and September – through the 16-metre-high Martinsloch below the Tschingelhörner onto the Elm church tower.
As even French general Molitor admitted, the Russians fought back heroically and retreated, fighting step by step. At dusk, they reached Matt and Elm. The snow swirled from the sky in thick flakes. With General Molitor breathing down his neck, the 70-year-old Suvorov took up quarters in Elm's most stately home, the residence of Glarus bailiff Freitag, who had died in August 1799.
*Background information and quotations stages 55.1-55.9: Alois Camenzind (1992), Maultiere machen Geschichte oder Suworows Krieg in den Schweizer Alpen im Jahre 1799, Luzern: Verlag Pro Libro Luzern GmbH
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Glarus
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Elm
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| Direction |
One way
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| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
700 m
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| Ascent |
660 m
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| Descent |
170 m
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| Distance |
21 km
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| Duration |
5 h 40 min
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| Duration back |
5 h 10 min
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| Technical requirements |
Easy
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| Physical requirements |
Difficult
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| Season |
April - October
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| Theme |
Along Water
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Quick Facts
Route number
