
Viamala or Via Mala (
Romansh: literally, "bad path") is a narrow
gorge
A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...
along the river
Hinterrhein between
Zillis-Reischen and
Thusis in the
Canton of Graubünden,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, as well as the ancient and notorious pathway which traverses the gorge. Historically the Viamala was the most serious obstacle on the approach to the
Splügen and
San Bernardino mountain passes.
History
Antiquity
A Viamala pathway already existed in
Roman antiquity, though it is unclear whether it was only a foot and bridle path, or also passable by wagons. Two access paths met at the northern entrance to the Viamala gorge, which the Romans traversed by means of several rock galleries cut into the gorge's left walls.
The Romans also constructed a wooden bridge crossing over to the right side of the Hinterrhein, routing traffic via Reischen to Zillis. Presumably this bridge was located somewhere below today's automobile bridge near the existing Pùnt da Suransuns
pedestrian bridge.
1473 Viamala letter of intent
During the medieval period more regional traffic used the
Septimer Pass than the Splügen Pass.
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV (; ; ; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charles of Luxembourg, born Wenceslaus (, ), was H ...
, supported this arrangement. He forbade the local
Count of Werdenberg to build a new path in 1359 in order to support the loyal
Bishop of Chur; the Bishop controlled Septimer Pass.
In 1473 the then Count of Werdenberg allowed the municipalities and transport
cooperative
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomy, autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned a ...
s of Thusis,
Masein, and
Cazis to rebuild the passage, which was by then in poor condition: ''die richstrass und den waeg entzwüschend Tusis und Schams, so man nempt Fyamala zuo howen, uffzuorichten und ze machen''.
Complete text of the 1473 letter in (old) German
The cooperatives renovated the Roman part of the path. They also built ''Punt da Tgiern'', the first stone bridge on the Viamala. The Count of Werdenberg's 1473 letter required the cooperatives to design the new path for significant loads, including horses and a "chariot or sled", evincing a high level of technical sophistication. In the northern part of the gorge this new path did not follow the Roman crossing to the right of the river, but stayed on the left riverbank. This led to conflicts as the two villages at the respective ends of the path fought for access and the resulting income. In 1665 Schams
image:Schams Andeer.jpg, thumb , The Schams north of Andeer. In the top left, the ruins of Cagliatscha Castle
The Schams () is a section of the Hinterrhein (river), Hinterrhein valley in the Switzerland, Swiss canton of Graubünden.
Geograp ...
was temporarily excluded from the Grey League for supporting the path towards Fürstenau, which led to non-Grey League territory.
Modern era
Between 1738 and 1739 Davos
Davos (, ; or ; ; Old ) is an Alpine resort town and municipality in the Prättigau/Davos Region in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of (). Davos is located on the river Landwasser, in the Rhaetian ...
-based builder Christian Wildener constructed two bridges which crossed the river twice and avoided the worst part of the Roman path on the right riverbank. From 1818 to 1821 state engineer Richard La Nicca built a completely new road with tunnels connecting the three existing bridges. Access to the 1473 Punt da Tgiern bridge was destroyed in 1834, leaving the intact bridge useless and abandoned to decay. In 1836 the new ''Rania'' bridge replaced Punt da Tgiern farther north; it is still being used today for the main road.
An additional bridge called ''Premoli'' was constructed in 1936 to relieve the southern 1738-39 bridge. It is still in place as a footbridge
A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
. The northern 1738-39 bridge was replaced two years later, with no traces remaining.
In 1958 a new northern part of the road from Thusis to Rongellen was built using longer tunnels. In 1967 the new A13 expressway was opened including the San Bernardino Tunnel and allowing year-round traffic. Before this, both road passes closed in winter. This road uses a long tunnel to avoid the Viamala gorge, crossing the gorge on a long suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...
in its southern part. Notable Swiss bridge engineer Christian Menn designed this concrete suspension bridge, which is known as the Great Viamala Bridge. In 1996 the original 1958 tunnels between Thusis and Rongellen were replaced by a long tunnel called the ''Crapteig''.
To connect the visible remains of the Roman path, a pedestrian bridge named the Traversinersteg was erected in 1996. In 1999 a rockslide destroyed this first Traversinersteg. It was replaced by a new bridge—Traversinersteg II—in 2005. Swiss civil engineer Jürg Conzett designed both Traversinersteg bridges, as well as the previously-mentioned Pùnt da Suransuns.
German film director Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog (; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusu ...
filmed scenes in Viamala for his 1976 film '' Heart of Glass''.
See also
* List of highest paved roads in Europe
This is a list of the highest paved roads in Europe. It includes roads that are at least long and whose culminating point is at least above sea level. This height approximately corresponds to that of the highest settlements in Europe and to th ...
* List of mountain passes
This is a list of mountain passes.
Africa Egypt
* Halfaya Pass (near Libya)
Lesotho
* Moteng Pass
* Mahlasela pass
* Sani Pass
Morocco
* Tizi n'Tichka
South Africa
* Eastern Cape Passes
* Western Cape Passes
* Northern Cape Passes
* K ...
References
Further reading
* Armon Planta: ''Verkehrswege im alten Rätien Band 4.'' Verlag Bündner Monatsblatt, Chur 1990.
* Friedrich Pieth: ''Bündnergeschichte.'' 2. Auflage. Verlag F. Schuler, Chur 1982.
External links
Switzerland gorge Viamala, Graubünden on official tourist board
{{Authority control
Canyons and gorges of Switzerland
Landforms of Graubünden
Rhine
Tourist attractions in Graubünden