The Rally
Three days. Each begins and ends in the republic.
The format
LIBERTAS is a touring rally. A curated field, a roadbook, scoring by points. Gersau is home base for the whole weekend; at 17:45 the field returns. The signature hour carries the year of the old town hall: 1745.
17:45 · 1745
Friday — the arrival
Friday has no program around it. The cars come in; those who wish arrive as the centuries did — across the water, on the Beckenried–Gersau car ferry, the only water crossing of the Grand Tour of Switzerland.
At 17:45, the Investiture: the mayor confers on every driver the honorary citizenship of the old free republic of Gersau for the weekend — a sealed charter, and the crew's Gulden. Then the ship sets out for the Rütli. Dinner is served on the water; at the site of the oath, a local tells the story of the fight for freedom. The return runs through the night beneath the Rigi.
An evening that belongs to what matters.
Saturday — the Founding Route
Roadbook-guided over the roads of the founding cantons — the heart of Switzerland. Start at 09:30 on the village square, lunch on the route. At 17:45, the shared finish into Gersau; the cars stand on the lakefront.
In the evening, the table in the village, set by Gersau's restaurants. Three entrepreneurial families of Gersau tell their stories — five minutes each. Here, independence is lived in the present tense.
Sunday — the High Passes
In the morning, the local museum in the old town hall opens the republic's history — the same building where the weekend began. Then deeper into the Alpine network: start at 09:30, lunch on the route.
At 17:45, the final finish. The closing ceremony on the village square: the overall standings, prizes for places 1–3, the commemorative plaque for every crew.
The program at a glance
| Morning | Afternoon | Evening | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday | — | Cars arrive on the lakefront | 17:45 Investiture · Crossing to the Rütli, dinner on the water |
| Saturday | 09:30 start, Founding Route | Lunch on the route, afternoon leg | 17:45 finish · the family stories · dinner in the village |
| Sunday | Local museum in the old town hall · 09:30 start, High Passes | Lunch on the route, afternoon leg | 17:45 finish · closing ceremony with prize-giving |
The scoring
Across both days, the rally awards points — regularity and roadbook trials. Swiss road traffic law applies in full. The highest score wins; places 1–3 are honored at the closing ceremony.
The routes stay in the roadbook until the driver information — curated.
Who carries the rally
Route organization rests with an experienced event and motorsport platform: rally craft, time controls, the sweep car. The home municipality is the public partner; the Honorary Council of the Republic — three institutions of the village — carries the ceremonies.
Partners will be named as soon as agreements are in place.
Practicalities
Who takes part? A crew of two per car. All included meals cover both.
What if the car gives up? A sweep car and a mechanic service run with the field. If you break down, your crew remains a guest of the evening.
Where do the cars stand? On the Gersau lakefront. The reception tent is staffed throughout.
How do I get there? By road — or on the Beckenried–Gersau car ferry. Ferry times follow with the driver information.
Where do I stay? In the village's hotels, booked directly — deliberately: the value belongs to Gersau. The driver information names the houses.
More questions? → Contact