Wassen is a village you have probably seen without knowing it, because it is the star of one of the most photographed railway curiosities in Europe. The Gotthard line climbs the narrow Reuss valley in a series of spiral tunnels, and the little church of Wassen, perched on a mound, appears three times from the train window at three different heights and angles. Riders get the same trick on the road, where the old Gotthard route zigzags up the valley and the church tower comes round again and again.
The village sits at around a thousand metres in a tight, steep-sided valley, where the Reuss has cut a deep gorge between granite walls. This is the beginning of the real mountain, and the character of the road changes here: it narrows, bends sharply and gains height quickly, passing small chapels, waterfalls and avalanche galleries. Just above, at Göschenen, the gorge of the Schöllenen opens, and the famous Devil's Bridge leads over the river. A legend says the devil built the original in exchange for the first soul to cross, and was cheated when the villagers sent a goat across instead.
Wassen is also the junction for the Susten road, which turns off to the north-west and climbs steeply toward the pass of the same name. That makes the village a natural place to regroup, check the sky and decide on the day's route. There are a couple of cafes and a small shop, but fuel is not something to count on here; the bigger towns of Altdorf in the north and Andermatt in the south are safer, and Erstfeld lies in between.
Weather in the Reuss valley changes quickly. Cloud gathers on the cliffs, and rain can fall in one side valley while the next is bright. In winter the valley is prone to avalanches, and the road and rail are carefully protected. Spring and early autumn, when the rock is warm and the tourists have thinned out, give the best light, and the sound of the river below the road is the soundtrack.