Glarus, the smallest canton in Switzerland, is tucked into a valley with dramatic peaks on either side. It’s a major family camping destination, and popular with hikers. The main road runs right through the initial towns, and then winds up over the especially scenic **Klausenpass into canton Uri.
We started with a drive up to the popular *Klöntalersee, a popular camping, hiking, and biking destination. It’s a nice lake with dirt/stone shores, fairly calm, with many hikers. It’s scenic, but not particularly unique in the Swiss context.
Mollis
Nafels and adjacent Mollis are the first major towns up the valley. Mollis in particular is lovely – a good place to wander around, with quiet side streets and grand historic homes. We really liked **Museum des Landes Glarus im Freulerpalast, which has really spectacular interiors and a small collection on the history of skiing and textiles of the region. **Restaurant Bären in Mollis has excellent schnitzel. Gasthof Löwen Mollis looked appealing as an alternative.
Glarus
Continuing up the valley, Glarus (town) twists around the central road, creating a slow parade of cars. On our visit, a market & music festival was underway, with big cheerful crowds. We enjoyed **Gastrorollbar, a fancy pop-up bar in the park.
We stayed at the impressive **Hotel Landvogthaus, a historic house of the region. The owner was lovely, made a good meal and gave us a very interesting tour of the house. Quite expensive but worth it for fans of historic architecture. It’s outside of town, heading towards the pass.
The pass itself over to Uri, the **Klausenpass, is one of the prettier drives in Switzerland, mostly below tree line. You can camp near the top. The road surface itself is a bit rough, not a great choice for more delicate vehicles. Not open in winter.
Elm
Elm is on a pretty spur off the main valley, at the entrance to Panix Pass, with occupation dating back at least to the year 1000. At various points in its history, it has been known for natural baths, slate quarrying, and today, iron-rich water. We came for the skiing and famous sled run (neither of which were in their best form, as it was mid-March and the snow nearly gone).
Elm is well known for its “Martin Hole” in the mountain (Tschingelhoren). Twice a year, roughly in March and late September, the sun shines through a hole for about one minute onto the area around the church. It was foggy and we couldn’t see it on our 2026 trip – perhaps another time!
If you continue to the end of the valley (another 10 minutes or so by car), there’s a military ‘Panzerpark,’ where they store tanks, and train tank drivers. It’s a beautiful spot with multiple hiking trains out into the surrounding mountains.
Despite a less than stellar ski experience, we really liked the remote quaintness of Elm and the beautiful surroundings. The architecture is historic, everything is very walkable, and the people are quite friendly.
Hotels and Dining:
- **Hotel Bergführer was a very good choice – redone with some taste and consideration. The rooms are very comfortable, the family running it helpful, and the food very good – emphasis on Cordon Bleu options. Easy parking and walking distance to town.
- **Hotel Elmer has a rather nice sauna area you can access for a fee ($30). Finnish sauna, hay sauna, and lounge areas with a view of the mountains. We liked it.
- **Restaurant Pizzeria Sternen had very good pizza. It’s a large space, room for a crowd.
Ski Report: Cute, very small, south facing, and low elevation – top is around 2000 meters. Two lifts and two T-bars. Partially in the trees, and the groomers are actually pretty steep and fast. Great for children, very local, lots of ski racers – clear a place where you grow up skiing. **Munggä Hütte was clearly the local restaurant of choice, with a huge patio, good looking menu, and cheerful staff.
URI
Amsteg
Galen and I debated how to categorize **Hotel Stern und Post (almost ***). One of the oldest inns in central Switzerland, there are documented records of it as far back as 1357. The current building dates to 1788. I think it’s unlikely this is a destination for anyone but people seeking a great drive over an Alpen pass – but if that’s you, it’s a great choice. It’s not fancy (though the food leans that way), but it’s thoughtful, comfortable, well maintained. The owners are extremely nice, and it’s a friendly atmosphere. Good breakfast.
The guests were a mix of drivers, road bikers, and hikers – and the place was full, so book in advance. If you’re looking to drive the passes around Andermatt, this is the place to stay (don’t stay in Andermatt).
Up the road, *Restaurant Grund was not great. Very nice people, food wasn’t horrible, but it was in a sports center and the Stern und Post restaurant is much better.
Susten Pass
The pass road, built from 1938–1945, connects Innertkirchen in the canton of Bern with Wassen in the canton of Uri. In great shape, lovely smooth driving conditions over dramatic passes. It combines everything amazing about the Grimsel Pass and adds elevation change (2260 m.). It also adds glaciers. Better than Stelvio.
**Rösti Restaurant Terrasse is on the lower Susten Pass. Excellent Rösti restaurant with a terrace to watch all the fun cars go by. Lovely owner. Simple but good food and beer.
Unterschächen
Coming down the Klausenpass from Glarus, Hotel Posthaus Urigen looks appealing for a meal stop – another historic option for a future trip. We did look into staying there and decided to skip, a bit communal and rustic for our tastes (shared rooms, bathrooms).
Known for the **Stäubifall, a very impressive year-round waterfall in a bucolic countryside setting (also visible from the Klausenpass). The moderate walk in takes about 30 minutes – on a well maintained, but fairly uphill trail. There’s a small cafe/restaurant at the end for snacks.
