Via Alpina - the Start

Day 1 At the starting line in the main town of Vaduz, below the prince's castle, you pedal gently and off you go. The e-bike whirs off and in the group you cycle out of the pretty town to the large wooden bridge over the Rhine. Roads, forest and field paths alternate. All paths are suitable for biking and with enough space for pedestrians and bikers. Past the tunnel entrance of the Gonten iron ore mine, you reach Sargans, where a castle also awaits, and you park the bike here. (E-bike time: 2 h, distance: 16 km, up-/downhill: 350/330 meters).

Then take the shuttle bus up to the Weisstannental below Vermol. From there you hike in the shade of the Weisstannen firs and across meadows on the left side of the valley up the longest St. Gallen valley to the pretty hamlet of Weisstannen. (Walking time: 2.30 h, distance: 7.8 km, ascent/descent: 360/280 meters).

Day 2 Today you cross the first pass. But first you take the bus up into the valley basin of the rear Weisstannental to the small inn Walabitz, where the view of the Isengrindfall, with 230 m the third highest waterfall in Switzerland, will amaze you. You set off through the Foowäldli and then uphill through a wild landslide area, first along the mountain stream Seez, then the Heidelbach, to the Foopass. Here you cross the cantonal border and change from St. Gallen to Glarus. On the crossing the view opens into the Glarnerland up to the Tödi. Past the Raminer Alp and the cheese dairy you hike down into the valley and out to Elm with the view of the Martinsloch. (Walking time: 6 h, distance: 15.3 km, ascent/descent: 950/1350 meters).

Day 3 The way to Linthal drags on. To shorten it a bit the post bus takes you to the ski hut Obererbs. From the ski hut you have a great view of the "magic geological line" of the Glarus main overlap and the UNESCO Tectonic Arena Sardona. Over meadows the path winds its way up to the Erbser Stock and gives a view of the mighty valley basin below the Chärpf and the silted up Wichelsee. Across the colorful high moorland, the trail leads to the slate of the Richtelipass. Across alpine pastures and a ridge with great views you hike down into the lonely Durnachtal and further into the deepest valley of Switzerland - the Zigerschlitz - to Linthal on the Linth. (Walking time: 6 h, distance: 14.8 km, ascent/descent: 750/1800 meters).

Day 4 From Linthal the post bus takes you comfortably to the Klausenpass. The view sweeps back over the plain of the Urnerboden and the panorama of the Glarus and Uri mountain peaks. Clariden, Schärhorn and Gross Windgällen greet you high above the Schächen valley. You follow the Schächentaler Höhenweg over several alps, enjoy a coffee in the mountain inn and the view over the wide, impressive valley. At the station Biel-Kinzig you get into the small cabin and gondola down the 1000 meters of altitude to Bürglen, from where the post bus takes you to the last Via Alpina stamp and to the most famous Uri in Altdorf. No, not the Föhn, but Willhelm Tell. (Walking time: 5 h, distance: 17 km, ascent/descent: 600/860 meters).