Holiday home for max. 5 persons
Göschenen, Canton of Uri, (Schöllenen Gorge), Switzerland

Railway keeper's house Eggwald

Arrivals and departures can only take place on a Wednesday or Saturday. The carefully renovated Eggwald railway caretaker's house directly on the Gotthard mountain line can be rented as a holiday home from May to October. The listed building next to the Rohrbach bridge can only be reached on foot and is located directly on the railway line. In the kitchen with parlour on the ground floor and two chambers on the upper floor, you can experience railway flair at first hand. Take a holiday where railway keepers and their families once lived and looked after their section of track around the clock. Interior Life in the guard's house takes place on two floors in three rooms. The kitchen with parlour and the bathroom are on the ground floor, a spiral staircase leads to the upper floor with two bedrooms. Kitchen with parlour on the ground floor On the ground floor, the kitchen with parlour invites you to linger. Enjoy the view from the dining table or the cosy sofa directly onto the railway tracks and watch the trains regularly whizzing past, just like the train guard once did. The functionally equipped kitchen has a cooker and an oven, which provides additional warmth and authentic flair in cool temperatures. Washing up is done by hand in the keeper's house, just like in the old days, and biodegradable washing-up liquid is available because the waste water flows into the building's own small sewage treatment plant. An extensive inventory including a Nespresso coffee machine (coffee capsules must be brought along), coffee press filters, fondue utensils, spices, oil and vinegar is available for preparing, cooking and enjoying meals. The sofa is perfect for reading an exciting book from the home library or converting into a sofa bed for an extra person. Bathroom on the ground floor The bathroom is equipped with a walk-in shower, washbasin and toilet. A hairdryer and a first aid box are available. The waste water from the caretaker's house is connected to its own small sewage treatment plant, so only the biodegradable soap and shampoo provided may be used. Bedroom on the upper floor In the larger bedroom on the upper floor, guests sleep in a huge old wooden bed (three 90cm mattresses). An antique farmer's wardrobe provides space for the wardrobe, a desk with a wooden chair is used for sitting, reading or writing and the very youngest members of the railway keeper's family sleep in an old cradle in the parents' room. Walk-through bedroom on the upper floor The smaller bedroom on the upper floor serves as a walk-through room to the larger one and is furnished with an old wooden bed (120cm mattress). Anteroom on the upper floor On the upper floor at the end of the wooden spiral staircase, in front of the connecting bedroom, there is an anteroom with a large built-in wardrobe offering plenty of storage space. Cellar in the basement A cellar and a separate machine room are located in the basement. Exterior features Terrace and garden The wonderful terrace in front of the house offers all-day sunshine in fine weather. With the garden furniture from the outbuilding, you can enjoy warm days and prepare barbecues at the fireplace. Outbuilding The outbuilding serves as a woodshed and shelter. A garden table and chairs, a parasol and a three-legged barbecue with the necessary barbecue accessories are stored here and waiting to be used. Cable hut The history of the house and the people who lived in the warden's house is told in the publicly accessible cable hut next door with an audio installation. Location and accessibility The Eggwald caretaker's house is located in the municipality of Wassen and can only be reached on foot. It is fenced off by a fence and lies directly next to the tracks of the Gotthard mountain railway line on which trains run regularly. It is forbidden to climb over the fence or walk on the tracks. The Gottardo hiking trail, which has numerous information boards about the important railway line, runs right past the property. Arrival and departure can only take place on a Wednesday or Saturday. By the way: from May to August, SBB Historic's "San Gottardo Experience Train" runs on the second Saturday of every month along the legendary Gotthard mountain railway from Erstfeld to Lavorgo and back. Who knows, you might see the nostalgic train during your stay at the Eggwald caretaker's house or ride past your holiday home. Travelling by public transport From Flüelen or Erstfeld, take bus 1 to the "Wassen, Wattingen" bus stop. Walk along the "Wattingen-Neiselen" access road over the secured Rohrbach bridge and down a spiral staircase to reach the caretaker's house in about 30 minutes. From Wassen railway station, the walk to the Eggwald warden's lodge along the Gottardo hiking trail takes around 30 minutes. Arrival by car Leave the A2 motorway at the "Wassen" exit. Then turn right onto "Gotthardstrasse" and drive to "Wattingen". Turn right again and follow the road "Wattingen" over the Rohrbach. Turn right again and drive along the "Wattingen-Neiselen" access road to the car park by the Rohrbach bridge. The "Wattingen-Neiselen" access road leads up a winding road and is only accessible with a driving licence. The driving licence is included in the rental price and must be physically deposited in the car after arrival until departure. No driving licence is required to drive on the access road on arrival and departure. Park at the Rohrbach bridge and walk the five minutes' walk over the secured Rohrbach bridge and down a spiral staircase to the Eggwald guardhouse. The history of the railway caretaker's house In 1886, the Gotthard Railway Company built the Eggwald caretaker's house on the other side of the Rohrbach near the tunnel portal. However, this location proved to be unfavourable because the smoke from the steam locomotives from the Naxberg tunnel penetrated into the living quarters. The house was therefore dismantled in 1897 and rebuilt at its current location on the other side of the stream. Later, around 1960, the Eggwald keepers' house was given a more modern parlour with a corner window, which still offers a direct view of the tracks. Today, the Eggwald guard's house is the last railway guard's house on the Gotthard owned by SBB. In 2019 and 2020, the SBB Heritage Preservation Centre extensively renovated the listed building. It was reduced to its 1897 size, the original window openings, except for the corner window installed in 1960, were restored along with wooden shutters, the roof was re-roofed, the façade was painted, all the pipes were renewed and a new bathroom and kitchenette were installed. The Eggwald railway caretaker's house now shines in a new guise and has been made accessible as a holiday home by SBB Historic since 2021.

Excursion options: Ride on the historic San Gottardo adventure train from SBB Historic

Other living room furnishings (living room1): House library and games, sofa can be converted into a sofa bed for an extra person.

Other bedroom furnishings (bedroom1): Antique farmhouse wardrobe, a wooden chair and an old cradle

Other kitchen furnishings (kitchen1): The soapstone stove can be used for cooking and heating. An extensive inventory including Nespresso coffee machine (coffee capsules must be brought along), coffee press filter, fondue utensils, spices, oil and vinegar is available for preparing, cooking and savouring.

Sports options in the surrounding area: mountaineering, golf course, climbing, mountain biking, cycling tours, skiing (alpine)