A wild balcony road through the Chluse Gorge in Switzerland
Chluse Gorge is a very scenic canyon located in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. This passageway was used from earliest times. The road through the gorges is so narrow that cars (as well as bikes) are only allowed to drive in each direction for 20 minutes every hour.
Where is the Chluse Gorge?
Located in the southwestern part of the country, in the Swiss Alps, the gorges are the entrance to the Gasterntal Valley, an important UNESCO site and nature reserve.
When was the Chluse Gorge road built?
The first road through the gorges was built in 1912. Work on road construction was begun in the second half of the 19th century, which however only served for access to the temporary settlement in Gasteretal. Shortly before World War I it was possible to improve the road as far as Selden. The road has arched bridges, tunnels and a half gallery: incredible civil engineering feats which can still be seen today. The road has retained its original appearance for more than 100 years.
Can you drive through Chluse Gorge?
Set high west of the Jungfrau massif, the road through the gorges carved by the raging River Kander is mostly unpaved. It’s 11.4 km (7.08 miles) long, running from Gasterntal to Kandersteg.
Is the road through Chluse Gorge open?
The road is usually open from mid-May to mid-October. It is extremely narrow, impassable for 2 cars at the same time. Due its narrowness, the car traffic is restricted. 20 minutes for cars going to valley, ten minutes buffer, then 20 minutes for the cars getting out the valley. As a driver you’ll definitely feel a bit of pressure seeing the narrow road created in the mountain wall.
How long does it take to drive through Chluse Gorge?
To drive the very narrow road carved out of the cliff wall without stopping will take most people between 30 and 45 minutes.
Pic: Petra Risel