Self-Guided Walking Tour in Andermatt

A roughly 6 km loop from the Andermatt market square through the old village chapels, then north into the Schöllenen Gorge to the Devil's Bridge, and back to the square. Eleven stops in all. This page gives you the map, the walking time for every leg, the real hours and prices, and shorter versions.

11 Stops6.1 km~3 hours walking3–3.5 hours with stops
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Andermatt Walking Tour at a Glance

This route is built for anyone who wants both halves of Andermatt on foot: the tight cluster of baroque chapels and painted houses in the old core, and the wild Schöllenen Gorge to the north. Every interior on the walk is optional, and every one of them happens to be free, so you set your own pace and decide at each door whether to step inside. It is fully self-guided, well signed the whole way, and needs nothing more than decent shoes.

StartAndermatt Village Market
FinishAndermatt Village Market
Route typeA there-and-back loop that runs south through the village core, then climbs north along the Reuss into the gorge, then retraces the same downhill path back to the square where you started.
Realistic timePure walking is around 2 hours over 6 km. With the chapels and time lingering in the gorge, the honest total lands at 3 to 3.5 hours, and the Devil's Bridge alone deserves a good chunk of it.
DifficultyModerate. The village half is flat and easy on paved lanes, but the northern half climbs steadily on rock paths that stay slick from river spray even on dry days, at over 1,400 metres of altitude.
Cost to followFollowing the outdoor route costs nothing at all. Every chapel, the Suworow Monument, the Devil's Bridge, the gorge and the Brückenteufel statue are free, and even the Ursern Valley Museum charges no entry.
Best for:

Walkers who want alpine village history and a dramatic granite gorge in one short, cheap, self-paced outing rather than a bus window and a paid guide.

The Route

Free Walking Tour Map of Andermatt

11 stops6.1 kmabout 3 hours
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The 11 stops along this route

  1. Missing required field: waypoints[0].image
    1Andermatt Village Market
  2. St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Katholische Kirche St. Peter und Paul) in Andermatt, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Katholische Kirche St. Peter und Paul)
  3. Ursern Valley Museum (Talmuseum Ursern) in Andermatt, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Ursern Valley Museum (Talmuseum Ursern)
  4. Chapel Maria Hilf (Maria-Hilf-Kapelle) in Andermatt, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Chapel Maria Hilf (Maria-Hilf-Kapelle)
  5. Cemetery with tombs and chapel of the dead St. Michael (Friedhof mit Grabmälern und Totenkapelle St. Michael) in Andermatt, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Cemetery with tombs and chapel of the dead St. Michael (Friedhof mit Grabmälern und Totenkapelle St. Michael)
  6. St. Columban Old Church (Alte Kirche St. Kolumban) in Andermatt, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6St. Columban Old Church (Alte Kirche St. Kolumban)
  7. Suvorov monument (Suworow-Denkmal) in Andermatt, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour
    7Suvorov monument (Suworow-Denkmal)
  8. Devil's Bridge (Teufelsbrücke) in Andermatt, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour
    8Devil's Bridge (Teufelsbrücke)
  9. Schöllenen Gorge (Schöllenen) in Andermatt, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour
    9Schöllenen Gorge (Schöllenen)
  10. Missing required field: waypoints[9].image
    10Der Brückenteufel
  11. Missing required field: waypoints[10].image
    11Andermatt Village Market
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Your Andermatt Walking Tour, Stop by Stop

  1. 1

    Andermatt Village Market

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    Start in the open square at the village core, where the Gotthardstrasse and the old Hauptgasse meet. On market days you get local cheese, Alpine honey and bread from valley producers; the rest of the week it is simply the natural hub where the historic streets fan out. There is no entry fee and no fixed schedule worth banking on, so treat this as your orientation point rather than a destination. Stand here and you can already see the steeple of the parish church and the line of dark old timber houses running south. Grab a coffee from one of the cafés on the square before you move, because the next stretch through the village is where you will spend most of your reading-the-buildings time. Get your bearings: south and uphill takes you past the chapels, north along the river takes you to the gorge. You will come back here at the end.

  2. 2

    St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Katholische Kirche St. Peter und Paul)

    St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Katholische Kirche St. Peter und Paul) in Andermatt, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour

    Thirty seconds from the square the parish church rises over the rooftops, the tallest thing in the old village. St. Peter and Paul dates from 1602 and is the main Catholic church of Andermatt, with a bright baroque interior behind a plain alpine exterior. It is open and free, generally accessible during daylight, so step inside for a few minutes; the painted ceiling and gilded altar are a sharp contrast to the grey stone you have been walking past outside. This is the big one of the village churches, not to be confused with the smaller Kolumbankirche you will reach later. Keep your visit short. Five to ten minutes covers it unless a service is on, in which case stay quiet at the back or come back afterwards. From the church door, head south and slightly uphill along the Hauptgasse toward the old houses; the museum is the baroque building a short way down on your left.

    Hours
    Always open
    Price
    Free
  3. 3

    Ursern Valley Museum (Talmuseum Ursern)

    Ursern Valley Museum (Talmuseum Ursern) in Andermatt, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Talmuseum Ursern sits in a handsome baroque house on the old Hauptgasse, and it is the one indoor stop that genuinely repays the time. Inside you get the whole story of this valley: the Suvorov campaign of 1799 that you will read about again at the gorge, the centuries of transalpine mule trade over the Gotthard, and the more recent flip from quiet farming village to ski resort. Entry is free, which makes the small collection an easy yes. The catch is the hours: it opens only Wednesday to Saturday, 16:00 to 18:00. If your walk falls outside that window, do not wait around; the building is worth a look from the street regardless. If you do get in, this is the place to understand everything else on the route, so read the panels before you head to the gorge. Continue east along the lanes toward the Mariahilfkapelle at the edge of the old village.

    Hours
    We-Sa 16:00-18:00
    Price
    Free
  4. 4

    Chapel Maria Hilf (Maria-Hilf-Kapelle)

    Chapel Maria Hilf (Maria-Hilf-Kapelle) in Andermatt, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour

    A short walk east through the lanes brings you to the Maria Hilf pilgrimage chapel, built in 1735 and 1736 at the eastern edge of the old village. It is a modest white baroque chapel, the kind of small votive building that valley communities raised for protection in a place where avalanches and rockfall were constant threats. Open daily 9:00 to 17:00 and free to enter, it takes only a few minutes; the value is the quiet and the simple painted interior rather than any grand spectacle. After the noise of the square this is a calm pause. It is also a heritage-listed building, one of several protected chapels you will pass on this loop, which tells you how seriously this small place takes its religious architecture. Step in, take the calm, then head on toward the cemetery chapel of St Michael, a little further along at the edge of the burial ground.

    Hours
    Daily 9 AM - 5 PM
    Price
    Free
  5. 5

    Cemetery with tombs and chapel of the dead St. Michael (Friedhof mit Grabmälern und Totenkapelle St. Michael)

    Cemetery with tombs and chapel of the dead St. Michael (Friedhof mit Grabmälern und Totenkapelle St. Michael) in Andermatt, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour

    The Totenkapelle Sankt Michael is the cemetery chapel of St Michael, a baroque ossuary chapel beside the village graveyard. This is the most atmospheric of the small religious buildings here, with a painted interior tied to the old custom of housing the bones of the dead. It is open daily 9:00 to 17:00 and free, and like the others it needs only a few minutes. The reward is the quiet, slightly sombre mood and the detail of the paintwork, so look up and around rather than rushing through. It is a protected heritage site, fitting for a building this old and this specific in purpose. This marks roughly the eastern turn of the village section. From here you start working your way north: the route now heads up toward the Kolumbankirche, the older chapel on the northern edge of the village before the land opens out toward the gorge.

    Hours
    Daily 9 AM - 5 PM
    Price
    Free
  6. 6

    St. Columban Old Church (Alte Kirche St. Kolumban)

    St. Columban Old Church (Alte Kirche St. Kolumban) in Andermatt, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour

    On the northern edge of the village stands the Kolumbankirche, the baroque chapel of St Columban, patron saint of the Ursern valley. It is smaller and older than the parish church you saw earlier, and it sits slightly apart, which gives it a quieter feel. Open daily 9:00 to 17:00 and free, it is a quick stop of a few minutes, but worth it as the last building before the landscape changes completely. Step inside for the simple interior, then turn your attention north. From here on the village falls behind you and the walk becomes about the gorge. This is a good moment to check your water and your shoes, because the path now starts climbing along the Reuss toward the Schöllenen. Follow the signed gorge path north; within a few minutes the buildings give way to rock and rushing water, and the Suworow Monument appears carved into the cliff face ahead.

    Hours
    Daily 9 AM - 5 PM
    Price
    Free
  7. 7

    Suvorov monument (Suworow-Denkmal)

    Suvorov monument (Suworow-Denkmal) in Andermatt, stop 7 on the self-guided walking tour

    The river noise gets louder, the walls close in, and then you see it: a 12-metre cross cut directly into the granite cliff. The Suworow Monument has stood here since September 1898, marking the dead of the battle fought in this gorge on 25 September 1799, when Russian troops under General Alexander Suvorov forced their way through against Napoleon's forces under Lecourbe during the War of the Second Coalition. The ground it sits on was given to Russia, so technically you are looking at Russian territory in the middle of the Swiss Alps, a detail most people miss. It is always open and free. There is no interior; this is a stop where you stand, read the inscription, and take in the scale of the cliff and the violence of the river below. It pairs directly with everything the valley museum told you. Stay a few minutes, then continue north along the path; the Devil's Bridge is only steps further into the gorge.

    Hours
    Always open
    Price
    Free
  8. 8

    Devil's Bridge (Teufelsbrücke)

    Devil's Bridge (Teufelsbrücke) in Andermatt, stop 8 on the self-guided walking tour

    A few steps on and the path reaches the Teufelsbrücke, the Devil's Bridge, where the crossing spans the Reuss as it tears through the narrowest part of the gorge. The name comes from the medieval legend that the local people could only bridge this impossible spot with the devil's help, paying him the soul of the first to cross; they sent a goat over instead. What you actually see today are layered crossings from different eras stacked above the white water, and the spray reaches you on the bridge itself. It is always open and free. This is the single most photographed point on the whole route, and for once the hype is earned: the combination of black rock, exploding water and the old stone arches is genuinely dramatic. Hold onto your phone over the railing, the spray and the wind are real. After you have crossed and looked back, continue along the gorge path; the canyon itself opens up around you as the next stop.

    Hours
    Always open
    Price
    Free
  9. 9

    Schöllenen Gorge (Schöllenen)

    Schöllenen Gorge (Schöllenen) in Andermatt, stop 9 on the self-guided walking tour

    Past the bridge the Schöllenen Gorge is the whole landscape around you, the deep cut where the Reuss drops between Andermatt and Göschenen through sheer granite walls. For centuries this was the obstacle that made the entire Gotthard route impossible until the bridge and the rock galleries were built, and standing in it you understand why armies and traders feared this passage. The signed walking path keeps you safe above the water, and it is free and always accessible. This is the part to slow down for. The river is loud, the walls are tight, and the light changes as the gorge bends. Walk a stretch beyond the bridge to get the full sense of scale rather than turning straight back. Watch your footing where the path is wet from spray; the rock here stays slick even on dry days. When you have taken it in, look for the bronze devil figure on the path, the next stop, which closes the loop on the legend you just learned at the bridge.

    Hours
    UNKNOWN_NEEDS_MANUAL
    Price
    UNKNOWN_NEEDS_MANUAL
  10. 10

    Der Brückenteufel

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    On the path near the gorge stands the Brückenteufel, a bronze statue of the devil himself, dragging a rock, the modern marker of the bridge legend you read about a few stops back. It is a recent, playful addition that locals are fond of, and it makes the old story tangible: this is the figure who supposedly built the impossible bridge for the price of a soul. It is free and always accessible, sitting right out in the open on the route between the village and the gorge. Take the obligatory photo with the river and rock behind it. This is the northern turnaround point of the walk, so it is also a natural moment to rest, drink some water and let the gorge sink in before you head back. From here you retrace the path south, downhill all the way, back through the edge of the village to the square where you started.

  11. 11

    Andermatt Village Market

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    The walk back from the gorge is downhill and easy, and it drops you right where you began, at the village square. After the granite and the river, the cluster of cafés and the old houses feel almost cosy. This is the place to finish: sit down, order a coffee or a beer, and watch the village go by. If it is a market day you can pick up valley cheese or honey to take home. There is no fee and no schedule to mind here, so treat the return as a reward rather than a stop. You have now seen both halves of Andermatt, the quiet baroque chapels of the old core and the wild Schöllenen, on foot and in the order that makes them make sense together. From the square you are a few minutes from the train station if you are moving on, or steps from a proper alpine dinner if you are staying.

How Long Does This Walking Tour Really Take?

Two hours of actual walking, three to three and a half once you count the stops. The flat village chapels take a few minutes each; the Schöllenen Gorge and the Devil's Bridge together earn 30 to 40 minutes, because that dramatic stretch of black rock and exploding water is the reason you came.

The full loop is about 6 km. Pure walking time is roughly 2 hours, but the honest total with stops is 3 to 3.5 hours, since the gorge section invites you to linger and the village chapels each take a few minutes. The flat village half goes fast; the climb north to the Schöllenen is where the time and effort go. Give the Devil's Bridge and the gorge itself the most time, easily 30 to 40 minutes combined, because that is what you came for. The best place to break is at the very end, back at the village square, where the cafés are; alternatively, the bronze Brückenteufel at the northern turnaround makes a natural rest point with a view of the gorge before you start back down. If the Talmuseum is open during your walk, add 20 to 30 minutes for it.

Full Route, Shorter Walk or Two-Day Version?

The route is one continuous loop, but it splits naturally into a flat village half and a climbing gorge half. Depending on how much time and leg you have, here are three ways to walk it, all using the same numbered stops.

Complete

The Full Loop

Stops 1–11, about 6 km, 3 to 3.5 hours

The whole thing: market square, the four baroque chapels and the valley museum, then the climb north to the Suworow Monument, the Devil's Bridge and the depths of the Schöllenen Gorge, before retracing the path downhill to the square. Do the village chapels first while you are fresh.

Village Only

The Flat Village Loop

Stops 1–6, roughly 2 km, 1 to 1.5 hours

Skip the gorge entirely and stay in the old core: the square, St. Peter and Paul, the Ursern Valley Museum and the three small chapels. It is flat, quick and easy, ideal if the weather is poor, if the rock path is too wet, or if steep ground is a problem.

Gorge Focus

Square, Museum and the Gorge

Stops 1–3, then north to 7–11, about 4 km, 2 hours

The highlights version: get your bearings and the history at the square and the museum, skip the eastern chapels, then head straight north to the Suworow Monument, the Devil's Bridge, the gorge and the bronze devil, and walk back. This keeps the drama and trims the flat wandering.

You can walk it in reverse, starting north at the Schöllenen and finishing at the Andermatt market square, but the recommended direction is better: it puts the flat village chapels first while your legs are fresh and saves the gorge climb for when you are warmed up, then hands you an easy downhill return to the cafés on the square.

Is This Andermatt Walking Tour Right for You?

This walk suits a specific kind of day out. It is short and cheap, it mixes quiet baroque interiors with a genuinely wild landscape, and it rewards curiosity about history. Here is who it fits and how to bend it if it does not fit you exactly.

A good fit if you…

  • Travellers who want alpine history and a dramatic gorge in one outing under 6 km
  • Anyone arriving by train, since the station sits a few minutes from the market square
  • People who prefer free, self-paced sights over a paid half-day guided walk
  • Walkers comfortable on uneven, sometimes wet rock paths near a fast river

Adapt the route if you…

  • Steep or slippery ground is hard for you: do the flat Village Only loop and skip the gorge
  • You have only an hour: cut to the square, church, museum and the chapels near the core
  • The Ursern Valley Museum matters to you: plan the village half to land Wed to Sat, 16:00–18:00
  • Rain has set in: keep to the covered free chapels and save the slick gorge for a dry spell

Tickets & Skip-the-Line in Andermatt

There is nothing to book on this route: every stop is free and none of them sells tickets. The only thing that needs planning is timing, because a couple of the indoor stops keep limited hours. Here is what to know before you set out.

Ursern Valley Museum (Talmuseum Ursern)Free entry, but the catch is the hours: it opens only Wednesday to Saturday, 16:00 to 18:00. If your walk falls outside that window you cannot get in, so plan the village section around it if the museum matters to you.
St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Katholische Kirche St. Peter und Paul)Free and always open, generally accessible during daylight hours. Keep visits short if a service is on.
Chapel Maria Hilf (Maria-Hilf-Kapelle)Free entry, open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. A few minutes is enough.
Cemetery with tombs and chapel of the dead St. Michael (Friedhof mit Grabmälern und Totenkapelle St. Michael)Free entry, open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. A short, atmospheric stop.
St. Columban Old Church (Alte Kirche St. Kolumban)Free entry, open daily 9 AM to 5 PM. The last building before the landscape opens toward the gorge.
Everything elseThe Suworow Monument, the Devil's Bridge, the Schöllenen Gorge and the Brückenteufel statue are all free, open outdoor spaces with no tickets and no fixed hours.
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Tips for Walking in Andermatt

  • Arrive by train to Andermatt station, a few minutes' walk from the market square; the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and the Schöllenenbahn line both serve it, so you can skip driving and parking entirely.
  • Wear proper shoes with grip. The village streets are fine, but the gorge path is rock, often wet from river spray, and stays slick even on dry days.
  • Public restrooms are limited on the gorge stretch, so use the facilities at the train station or in a village café before you head north to the Schöllenen.
  • Eat in the village, not the gorge, where there is nothing. Grab a coffee or a slice on the market square before the climb, and save a full meal for your return.
  • For the best photo, stand on the Devil's Bridge and shoot back upstream toward the white water and the stacked stone arches; late morning light reaches into the gorge best.
  • Time the Talmuseum Ursern carefully: it opens only Wednesday to Saturday, 16:00 to 18:00, and it is free, so plan your loop to finish the village section in that window if you want to get in.
  • At over 1,400 metres the weather turns fast and the gorge is cold and shaded; carry a layer even on a warm day in the valley below.

Why Walk This Route?

Andermatt is small enough to cross on foot in fifteen minutes, which is exactly why a walk works better here than anything else. The historic core sits at 1,444 metres in the Ursern valley, ringed by peaks on every side, and the old Gotthardstrasse running through the centre is the same corridor that armies, mule trains and pilgrims used for centuries. You do not need a car. You do not need a cable car. You need decent shoes and a couple of hours.

This route is roughly 6 km and links the two things that make Andermatt worth a stop: the tight cluster of baroque chapels and the old painted houses in the village, then the wild Schöllenen Gorge to the north where the Reuss river cuts through black granite and the famous Devil's Bridge crosses it. Most visitors only see the gorge from a tour bus window. Walking it from the village, the way travellers did before the railway, is a completely different experience.

Go clockwise from the market square: chapels and museum first while you are fresh, then the climb north along the river into the gorge, then back. The village half is flat and quick. The gorge half does the climbing. Plan the order this way and you finish the hard part before lunch.

Common Questions

Is Andermatt safe to walk around?

Very. It is a small, quiet Swiss alpine village with effectively no street crime. The only real hazards are natural: the gorge path is wet and slippery near the Devil's Bridge, the river is fast and dangerous so stay behind railings, and the weather at altitude changes quickly. Mind your footing and your layers and you are fine.

What if it rains during my Andermatt tour?

The village chapels (St. Peter and Paul, Mariahilfkapelle, Totenkapelle Sankt Michael, Kolumbankirche) are all open daytime and free, giving you dry stops. The free Talmuseum Ursern is the main indoor option if it falls in its Wed, Sat 16:00–18:00 window. The gorge is still walkable in light rain, but the rock gets dangerously slick, so save the Schöllenen for a dry spell if you can.

What's the best time of day for this walking tour?

Late morning. The light reaches deepest into the gorge mid-to-late morning, which is when the Devil's Bridge and the granite walls look their best, and you beat the midday tour-bus crowds at the bridge. Starting around 10:00 also positions you to be back in the village for lunch.

How long does the Andermatt walk take?

Plan for 3 to 3.5 hours over about 6 km. The walking itself is around 2 hours, but the gorge and the Devil's Bridge pull you in, and you will want to stop. The village half is quick and flat; the climb to the Schöllenen is the only real effort.

Do I need to pay for anything on this route?

No. Every stop on this walk is free: all the chapels, the Suworow Monument, the Devil's Bridge, the gorge and the Brückenteufel statue. Even the Talmuseum Ursern is free entry. Your only costs are food, drink and the train if you arrive by rail.

Is the walk suitable for children or older walkers?

The village section is flat and easy for anyone. The gorge section involves a steady climb on rock paths with drops to the river, so keep a close eye on children near the railings and take the ascent slowly. Anyone comfortable on uneven, sometimes wet ground will manage it; if stairs and slopes are difficult, you can enjoy the village loop alone and skip the gorge.

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