The Klausenrennen Revival will take place from 24 to 26 September 2027 on the Klausen Pass in Switzerland, following the historic route from Linthal (Canton of Glarus) to the summit of the Klausen Pass (Canton of Uri). The event builds on the legendary races held between 1922 and 1934 and brings a unique piece of motoring and technological history to life.
A living piece of technological history from the pioneering days of motoring
The focus is on pre-war vehicles, though a selection of more recent models will also be on the starting line. Around 250 cars and 150 motorbikes are expected – with participants from all over Europe. As a living piece of cultural heritage, the Klausenrennen Revival combines tradition, engineering and passion, and its unique atmosphere delights young and old alike.
Great interest from home and abroad
The enthusiastic response from the classic car community is particularly encouraging. Numerous drivers from Switzerland and abroad have already expressed their firm intention to take part in the Klausenrennen Revival. As some of them also want to support the event with a personal financial contribution, the Klausenrennen Association recently launched a supporters’ club. New members are very welcome.
Become a sponsor or donor of the Klausenrennen Revival
As a sponsor or donor, you will be part of the largest historic hill climb race. Your commitment will help to keep the fascination of the Klausenrennen alive and impressively underline its popularity in our time. The Klausenrennen Revival offers sponsors an attractive platform for relationship management and communication with customers, direct access to exclusive target groups and extensive media coverage. As a donor, you enjoy privileges that are reserved for them only.
Are you interested? We would be happy to provide you with further details and look forward to hearing from you.
The Klausen myth lives on
From 1922 to 1934, the Klausenrennen for cars and motorbikes on the Klausen Pass (1,948 metres above sea level) in Switzerland was regarded as the toughest mountain test in Europe. The best racing drivers of the time, such as Caracciola, Chiron, Bullus, Nuvolari, Varzi and Stuck, all came to Linthal to take on the 21.5 km gravel track. A victory in the Klausenrennen was of the greatest renown for drivers and manufacturers.
Between 1993 and 2013, five memorial races were held on the Klausen with great national and international resonance. Since then, participants and visitors have missed this highlight of historic motorsport in the unique Swiss mountain landscape. On 6 August 2022, the 100th anniversary was celebrated as part of a memorial event with show drives by several hundred classic vehicles. It brought the fascination of the „Klausenrennen“ back into the memories of many people.
From 2027, the Klausenrennen Revival will take place every two years. It will refer to traditional values such as „belief in technological progress“ and „motivation for top performance“ as well as contemporary challenges such as sustainability, environmental responsibility and current fields of science.
Impact far beyond the classic motoring community
The cantons of Uri and Glarus emphasise the great potential of the Klausenrennen Revival for tourism and the economy in the region, as well as its positive impact far beyond the classic motoring community. As the memorial events between 1993 and 2013 have already impressively demonstrated, the Klausenrennen fascinates a very broad population from young to old. People are impressed by the old technology, which is preserved by enthusiasts and can be experienced up close. In this day and age, the event acts as an antithesis to the throwaway mentality and radiates a positive vibe, characterised by value preservation and authenticity.
Historical cultural heritage sparks the joy of technology
The Klausenrennen Revival is much more than a motorsport event – it is an encounter with historical cultural heritage from the pioneering days of mobility. It is a living piece of technological history that awakens curiosity about technology and promotes young people's enthusiasm for modern engineering professions. Many strong Swiss values are associated with the Klausenrennen Revival.
The spirit of progress of the early 20th century can be experienced by young and old alike. With an event that combines the joy of technology and conviviality, the cantons of Glarus and Uri present themselves with their scenic, cultural and social values in the best light both nationally and internationally.
To achieve this, the new Klausenrennen Revival will be organised according to the following principles.
Pure: The events will be organised as sporting, historic hill climbs – with regularity, race and demonstration categories – and will be based on the original races from the pre-war era. They are clearly geared towards the needs of the drivers and their vehicles.
International: For many people around the world there is nothing quite like the „Klausen myth“, as Bernhard Brägger perfectly describes the legendary Klausenrennen in his book of the same name. The new Klausenrennen Revivals are therefore aimed at both national and international participants and audiences.
Modern: The modern means of video, streaming or GPS tracking will be utilised in order to experience the Klausenrennen Revival as closely and intensively as possible during, before and after the event.
Regional: The Klausenrennen Revival is inseparably associated with the region and becomes a festival of the people of Glarus and Uri. In addition to historic motorsport, culture, traditions and culinary delights from the region around the Klausen Pass play a key role. Anyone from the region who wants to take part will be included in the event.
Regularly: The new Klausenrennen Revival will get a permanent place on the historic motorsport agenda by holding the races regularly. By organising the Klausenrennen Revival on a regular basis, it will become a reliable, predictable part of the event calendar for the cantons of Uri and Glarus, the population and local businesses. It generates a sustainable value for the region.
Contemporary event
The Klausenrennen Revival is organised as a contemporary public event with strong regional roots. Like any event with a large public, the ecological footprint is caused to a considerable extent by visitor traffic and the festival activities. The measures to reduce the environmental impact are therefore also focussed on these and other aspects. Experience from comparable events is taken into account to avoid and neutralise environmental impacts.
Key data of the Klausenrennen Revival 2027
Date: 24 to 26 September 2027
Route: As for the historic races, from Linthal (Glarus) to the summit of the Klausen Pass (Uri)
Route profile: Length 21.5 km, difference in altitude 1,260 m, 136 curves, maximum gradient 10.5 %
Vehicles: Open to around 250 cars and 150 motorbikes, sidecars and three-wheelers built up to 1949 and special categories also for younger vehicles
Categories: Regularity categories with personal reference times, competition categories with fastest time driven and demonstration categories
Start applications: Expected from Autumn 2026
Programme:
- 24.09.2027: Vehicle exhibition and scrutineering in Glarus
- 25.09.2027: Two practice runs
- 26.09.2027: Two race runs and award ceremony
Organisational matters
The Klausen Historic GmbH was founded in July 2023 by Christian Walti and Alexander Roosdorp with the aim of organising the Klausenrennen as a regular, contemporary event. The two founders are united by their longstanding passion for classic vehicles and their conviction that the racing and sports cars of the pre-war era are both fascinating witnesses to the cutting-edge technology of the time and emotional favourites that still inspire passion for technology and progress today.
The Klausenrennen Association and its organising committee (OC) are responsible for staging the Klausenrennen Revival. The association was founded on 20 June 2025 and is registered in the Glarus Commercial Register. The association’s president is Christian Walti. The central functions in the OC are performed by Alexander Roosdorp (OC president, sub-project manager for race organisation, partnerships and marketing), Luca Tinner and Martin Huber from gl-events GmbH (sub-project managers for construction, infrastructure, safety, transport and operations).
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