Glarus is a small town with an outsized sense of its own history, tucked into a narrow valley beneath the pale bulk of the Glarner Alps. It is the capital of a canton of the same name, a tiny mountainous republic where, until recent decades, the citizens met each year in the open air to vote by raised hands on the laws of the land. The town was burned to the ground in a great fire in 1861 and rebuilt on a neat grid, which is why it has a surprisingly orderly layout for a place wedged between cliffs. With about five and a half thousand people, it has fuel, supermarkets and several bakeries.
The most famous local product is Schabziger, or Ziger, a hard, green, herb-flavoured cheese made from skimmed milk and blue fenugreek, which has been exported since the Middle Ages. You grate it onto bread, potatoes or pasta, and its smell is very much an acquired taste. The valley also has a long textile history; cotton printing made the area rich in the nineteenth century, and the big old factory buildings and merchant villas remain. Above everything stands the Tödi, the highest peak in the area at over 3,600 metres, with its glaciers visible on clear days.
The Pragel and Ibergeregg loop is for riders who like their roads narrow and mountain-sized. The Pragel Pass, at about 1,550 metres, links the Klöntal valley to the Muotatal, and the road is single-lane in places, with passing bays and steep stretches, so you need patience and a light hand on the throttle. Ibergeregg, at around 1,400 metres, is wider and quicker, running down toward Schwyz through alpine pastures. Both are closed in winter and sometimes open late in spring, so check before you go.
Along the way you ride beside the Klöntalersee, a green lake that has an almost Scandinavian look, with steep forested slopes plunging into the water. Cows wander the pastures with their bells, and the farms sell cheese and yoghurt from small shelves. Mist often drifts across the passes, and the temperature can drop quickly, so carry rain gear even on a sunny morning. Glarus is where this loop ends and you can finally sit down: pick a café, order something sweet and take your time.