Set in the forests between the north-western outskirts of Bern and the River Wohlensee, Bremgarten was a succession of quick corners without a straight worthy of the name. It had the reputation of being dangerous, and the trees overhanging the circuit made it particularly hazardous in the wet. Bremgarten asked for a special combination of skill and bravery, and only the best were quick here. Opened in 1931 for motorbikes, the first Swiss Grand Prix for cars was held in 1934. Racing continued until the sport was banned in Switzerland in the aftermath of the Le Mans disaster of 1955. There were a number of serious accidents, and Bremgarten has had more than its share of fatalities, from Hugh Hamilton in the first Swiss Grand Prix to those of Achille Varzi and Christian Kautz in the 1948 event.
