The original wooden bridge of 1230 was replaced by a stone arch in 1595, which collapsed in 1888.
According to local folklore, the devil built the first bridge in exchange for the soul of the first living creature to cross it, a challenge thwarted when villagers sent a goat across instead.
The 1707 Urnerloch tunnel was one of the earliest instances of using gunpowder for tunnel excavation in European mountain transit.
The location was a strategic bottleneck for military campaigns during the Napoleonic Wars, specifically the 1799 Suvorov retreat.
The site is part of the Gotthard historical axis, which revolutionized trans-Alpine trade in the Middle Ages.
The Teufelsbrücke, or Devil's Bridge, spans the Reuss River within the narrow, granite-walled Schöllenen Gorge near Andermatt. The current bridge, completed in 1958, is the third structure to bear this name at this location. It serves as a historical gateway on the Gotthard Pass route, which has been a primary transit path through the Alps since the 13th century. The bridge sits adjacent to the sheer rock face where the 'Urnerloch' tunnel was blasted in 1707, representing the first tunnel ever constructed through an Alpine mountain. Nearby, a monument commemorates the 1799 battle between Russian General Suvorov’s forces and Napoleon’s French army. The river below features dramatic rapids that have carved deep, vertical channels into the bedrock. Visitors can view the old masonry bridge segments alongside the modern concrete and steel infrastructure. The site remains a pivotal point of civil engineering history in the Swiss Canton of Uri.
The viewing platform near the Suvorov monument offers the clearest angle of both the modern bridge and the deep, vertical drop of the gorge.
Wear sturdy, non-slip footwear due to the damp and uneven stone paths in the gorge.
Bring a light jacket as the narrow gorge creates a microclimate that is significantly cooler than the surrounding Andermatt valley.
Use the viewing platforms located on the north side of the bridge for the best perspective of the rushing river below.
Do not attempt to walk along the main road shoulder, as it is narrow and features high-speed vehicular traffic; use the designated pedestrian paths.
The pedestrian paths through the gorge may be closed during winter months or extreme weather due to falling ice and rockfall hazards.
