Bremgarten
This 7,280 km (4.524 Miles) long street circuit through the woods near the
Swiss city of Bern was used for the first time in 1931 for motorcycle races.
Since 1934 also car races have been held there.
The circuit contained many fast corners, kinks and short straights. It was a
challenging circuit which was very populair by the drivers. But it was also
a very dangerous race track. One of the deadly victims was Achille Varzi.
From 1950 until 1954 the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Switzerland was an annual
event at Bremgarten. But after the grave accident during the 24 Hours of Le
Mans in 1955, where more than eighty spectators where killed, motor racing
was banned in Switzerland! In 1982 a Swiss Grand Prix was held at Dijon-Prenois
in France.
On the fifth of June 1998 racing cars came back to Bremgarten for a revival
watched by ten thousands spectators. Since than a revival is held every
three years (The 2001 revival was cancelled).
In 2007 the Swiss ban on motorsport from 1955 was finally
abolished! But there will be no reopening of the Bremgarten street circuit.
There are ambitious plans for two brand new permanent circuits in
Switzerland.
