History to come alive on new footpath

The "Morgarten 2015 - 700 Years of Adventurous History" committee has big plans for next year’s anniversary. A historian congress, a Youth Day, a three-day festival, a musical spectacle, a medieval festival and a light show. But the organizing committee, in which the cantonal governments of Zug and Schwyz, the Morgarten Foundation and the IG Morgarten are represented, also wants to create something that will last beyond next year’s festivities.
 
In addition to the information centre and the rebuilt Schwyzerhaus from 1176, there will also be a Morgarten Trail. The planning application for the four footpath locations on Zug territory has been submitted to local government of Oberägeri. Four other locations on Schwyz territory have already been approved.
 
The approximately 5 km long adventure trail starts at Morgarten, and follows the existing footpath over the Wart to Schornen, Letziturm and the battle chapel. From there it climbs to Figlen, where you have the best view of the former battlefield. According to legend, this is where the Schwyzer stood in 1315 and waited for the Habsburg army. The footpath then descends to Schafstetten and then climbs to the church at Sattel.
 
But the Morgarten Trail should be more than just a scenic experience: it should also educate and link the numerous legends with the original location, both audibly and interactively, explains Edgar Gwerder, project manager of the anniversary activities. An audio installation is planned for each of the eight locations. "In four languages," emphasized Gwerder. Hikers can rest on benches and listen to the stories of the respective key figures. For example, at the station in Zug, the court jester, Kuoni von Stocken, the knight Heinrich von Hünenberg, Habsburg soldiers and Duke Leopold of Habsburg explain their view of the battle.
 
The Schwyzers have their turn in Sattel. Farmers, the local pastor, soldiers and Werner Stauffacher, who allegedly observed the hostile army from Figlenflueh, talk about their everyday life. The content can be studied in more detail via an app and a website. There’s also a lot to discover. At the Hünenberghelm location, for example, children (and adults) can look through a knight's helmet and experience for themselves how difficult it is to recognize anything through the narrow slit. The turmoil of the battle can be experienced at the Lanzenfeld, and the wanderer can see the perspective of the Schwyzers from the Stauffacherkanzel, a new viewing platform, which is the most expensive element of the whole path. It may, in fact, be reduced in size for cost reasons, says Gwerder. The total proposed cost for the eight locations, the homepage, and ten years maintenance is around CHF 900,000. The opening date of the path is not yet decided, says the project manager, "But just about everything should be ready by next spring."