On Braunwald’s via ferratas, the routes cross four summits and follow the ridge throughout. The Führlihaus, the Bergeten settlement site and the Alpine Museum offer a very different way to explore the area’s history. There is also a trail covering topics related to the village, as well as music weeks in July. When planning your trip, you can choose from several different priorities: mountain activities, cultural history and trails with clearly stated time requirements.
Cultural History, the Village and Music
Built in 1780, the FĂĽhrlihaus has been protected as a heritage site since 1973. Bergeten offers an older historical point of reference: inhabited in summer from the 12th to the 15th century, this settlement site lies at the foot of Ortstock at about 1,600 m above sea level. Ortstock reaches 2,716 m above sea level. Bergeten bears witness to sheep, goat and cattle farming, as well as hunting. Here, details of a former seasonal settlement meet those of a summit that is still named today.
At the Braunwald Alpine Museum, a journey through Glarus geology begins, spanning more than 300 million years. The exhibitions convey the nature, culture and stories of the Glarus mountain region. A trail in Braunwald explores ecological, historical and economic aspects of the village. The museum and trail thus have different emphases: the museum takes in the mountain region, while the trail focuses on village topics.
Music Weeks in July
Music weeks have been held in Braunwald every July since 1936. The Braunwald Music Week evolved from the once closed society of the “Musical Holiday Course” into a contemporary, professionally organised music festival for a wider audience. If you would like to include this cultural highlight in your stay, you can take the July dates into account when planning your trip and check the specific event dates in advance.
Mountain Landscapes and Trails
Via Ferratas at the Eggstöcke
The Braunwald via ferratas are located at the Eggstöcke above Gumen and can be reached by the Gumen combination lift. The routes follow the ridge throughout and offer views of the landscape to the north and south over the entire crossing. Their character thus combines a ridge route with views in two directions. The combination lift operates seasonally; if you are planning to use it to get there, check in advance that it will be running on your travel dates.
The Zwerg-Bartli Trail and Choosing How Much Time to Allow
The Zwerg-Bartli Trail leads through Braunwald’s enchanted forest to a total of eight of dwarf Bartli’s favourite fairy-tale spots. The trail is four kilometres long and takes three and a half hours to walk. There is also a stroller-friendly option from Grotzenbüel to the mountain station of the Braunwald railway; it takes an hour and a half. The stated times make the difference between the two options clear: the shorter option takes less time, while the trail visiting all eight favourite spots involves a longer time commitment. The distance and walking time offer concrete points of comparison for planning, without implying anything about the level of difficulty.
Discover more destinations: Mühlehorn, Niederurnen, Mollis, Elm, Glarus, Näfels, Nidfurn, Glarus South
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