Mountain Paradise: The Best of West Switzerland

Although located just 25 km south of Lake Lucerne, the Alpine town founded in 1120 exists in a completely different world and is suit­able for longer stays. Mount Titlis soars above the picturesque mountain valley to the south, while Mount Hahnen dominates the skyline to the east of the town, creating a fork in the valley. Numerous cable cars and ski lifts lead up the mountain­side, espe­cially in the area around Titlis. During the summer months, a network of marked trails of various levels of diffi­culty await hikers. Other possible activ­i­ties include mountain climbing and parag­liding.

After the Furka Base Tunnel between Realp and Oberwald was completed, the cogwheel railway over the pass was deemed to be closed perma­nently. However, ideal­ists and railway enthu­siasts ensured that the historic railway line over the mountain was preserved. From May to late September steam engines depart daily needing a good two hours for the 18 kilometer route.

This mountain road winds its way elegantly up the Gotthard Pass. It has been a protected landmark since 1832 and is consid­ered one of the “great drives of the Alps.” From the Middle Ages up until the 20th century, the pass was one of the most important routes over the mountains. Coaches would use the road in the summer, and sleighs in the winter. Today, it is preferred by nostalgic visitors; those in a hurry can simply drive straight through the mountain via the Gotthard tunnel.

With an eleva­tion of 2,005 meters, this pass connects the Rhône Valley in the Swiss canton of Wallis with the Val d'Ossola in the Italian province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola. People have been using the pass since prehistoric times. It was even later used by Roman emperors. The influ­en­tial merchant Kaspar von Stockalper built the first road here in the 17th century, which is now a hiking trail. The modern road through the pass follows Napoleon Bonaparte's route. At the top of the pass there is a hospice. Coming down the southern side, you will find the Mediterranean-looking town of Simplon and the the romantically wild Gondo Gorge with the majestic, glacier-covered Fletschhorn towering above it.

The valley in the extreme northwest of Italy is an inde­pen­dent region – by far the smallest in Italy, but also one of the most beau­tiful. The valley is surrounded by the highest mountains in Europe. To the west the Mont Blanc, to the north the Matter­horn and the Monterosa group, to the south the Gran Paradiso massif. While the largest glaciers in Europe lie at the top, wine and palm trees grow at the bottom. The large and the small St.-Bernhard-Pass have been opening up the valley for many centuries. Numerous customs castles and mountain fortresses have been preserved along the medieval trade routes.

This historic town with 5,000 inhab­i­tants is situ­ated on the southern shores of the Rhone between the Bernese and the Valais Alps. A few kilome­ters to the north lies the UNESCO world heritage site of the Aletsch area with the largest glacier of the Alps. Various cable cars lead to the glacier area. The best cable car ride to Belalp, a car free village, is from Brig. Because of its loca­tion at the foot of the Simplon Pass, an important connec­tion to Italy, the site was already settled in 7 B.C.(!) Brig has a picturesque historic old quarter with the Stockalper Palace.

The mighty castle does not lie on a cliff, but only on a hill. Appar­ently it did not serve as a defense, but was from the outset the presti­gious resi­dence of the Challant family. Since the 14th century, a magnif­i­cent court­yard has been built around the keep, deco­rated with murals depicting Saint George as a dragon slayer and a group of wise men and prophets.

This ancient town lies between vine­yards and woods in the Rhone Knee. The Gallo-Roman temple of Mercury, the foun­da­tions of which were only discov­ered in 1976, bears witness to the fact that the Romans already recog­nised the strategic importance of the town at the inter­sec­tion of important roads and passes. Today the Musée Gallo Romain displays the most important archae­o­log­ical finds of the area. Also worth seeing is the Bernar­diner Museum, dedicated to the legendary rescue dogs of the Great St. Bernard.

The Romans had already founded a settle­ment called Lusona on the sunny northern shore of Lake Geneva. Today Lausanne is the centre of the “Swiss Riviera” and attracts visitors from all over the world with its enchanting old town and interna­tional flair. In a way, Lausanne is even the cradle of tourism. The hotel school is the oldest in the world. A jewel is the early Gothic cathedral Notre-Dame, which is consid­ered the most beau­tiful building from the pre-Swiss Habsburg period.

The health resort with 35,000 inhab­i­tants lies picturesquely on a terrace on the southern shore of Lake Geneva. From the spa you can see far over the lake into the Swiss Jura. All around, wine is grown that bears the designa­tion of origin Vin de Savoie. Thonon-les-Bains was the seat of the Dukes of Savoy until 1589. Their castle stood on a peninsula in the lake and has completely disap­peared today. Ripaille Castle now stands on the same site. It was bought and rebuilt by an Alsa­tian indus­trialist in 1892.

This charming village is located on the shores of Lake Geneva halfway between Geneva and Lausanne and surrounded by the vine­yards of the La Côte area. Three Corinthian columns standing on a hill in the lake­side park attest to the region's Roman history. After conquering Gaul, Julius Caesar decided to estab­lish a colony in the area which is now the city of Nyon. The colony was called Iulia Equestris and had its center in Noviodunum. This can be seen in the exca­va­tions on display in the Roman museum. In summer, the town is a paradise for nature lovers and water sports enthu­siasts.

Mürren is situ­ated in the heart of the Bernese Alps and faces the towering peaks of mounts Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The car-free town with a popu­la­tion of 450 is nestled on a sunny mountain terrace high above the spectac­ular Lauterbrunnen Valley, one of Europe’s deepest valleys lined by over 500 m steep lime­stone cliffs. Mürren can only be reached by a cable car system that cont­inues in three more stages to the peak of Mount Schilthorn (2,970 m). On a clear day the view from the top extends to Mont Blanc in the south and the Black Forest in the north. The revolving restau­rant on the summit was once used for a scene in a James Bond movie. A number of walking paths start from Mürren. A partic­u­larly scenic route leads from the Grütschalp via Winteregg to Mürren. The view of the surrounding mountain peaks is abso­lutely stunning on clear sunny after­noons.

The saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau (both mountains are 4,000 meters high), is covered with snow year-round. Around 600 meters east of the Jungfraujoch stands the Sphinx (3,454 m), a dist­inc­tive peak with an obser­va­tion deck and an obser­vatory. Since 1912, it has also been the final station of the Jungfrau railway, making it the highest train station in Europe. The railway, which runs from Schei­degg near Lauterbrunnen to the Jungfraujoch, attracts count­less visitors thanks to the pheno­m­enal view it provides of the Bernese Alps. In Summer, you can hike from the station to the Mönchsjoch hut.  

The hike starts just behind the Schilthorn cable car and leads up to the Spiel­bo­denalp. We cont­inue downhill in the direc­tion of Gimmelwald. At the next junc­tion follow the sign “Sprutz”. The descent down to the waterfall is steep and often a little slip­pery, so be careful. Since the path leads behind the waterfall, the expe­r­i­ence is often asso­ciated with a small refresh­ment. All around it drizzles, splashes and roars. With a rain jacket you will like to stay here for a little while, it is dangerous only for the camera. You won't meet the masses that gondola up to the Schilthorn here. (round trip: 6.7 kilome­ters, 3:30 hours, up and down: 456 meters)

The first section leads to Gimmelwald and provides a comfort­able start. Afterwards it descends to the Sefi­nental. In the valley the hiking trail “Sefinen Lüts­chine” leads to Flirten. From there its a cont­inual climb of around 400 metres in alti­tude, up to the Oberberg. The path cont­inues to the Rotstockhütte. After a well-deserved break, the descent needs to be tackled. There are several possi­bil­i­ties: The fastest one leads past Bryndli down to the Spiel­bo­denalp (steep). The last part however is a pleasant end to the hike. A small detour from the Spiel­bo­denalp to the waterfall “Sprutz” is worthwhile. (round trip: 15.1 kilome­ters, 5 hours, up and down: 809 meters)

In the open-air museum you can find over 100 orig­inal, centuries-old build­ings from all parts of Switz­er­land, 250 native farm animals, mainly endan­gered breeds, as well as histor­ical useful plants (vegeta­bles, herbs, cereals). In addi­tion, demon­s­tra­tions of tradi­tional crafts and special events take place, which give insight into the former life. The museum is supported by a private charity founded in 1968.

In the 7th century the Luciara monastery stood where the river Reuss leaves Lake Lucerne. A trading place grad­u­ally grew around the monastery, which was declared a town in 1178. The citi­zens and merchants benefited from the loca­tion on Gotthards­traße. When the Habsburg Duke Rudolph bought the town in 1291, the rebellious citi­zens joined forces with the orig­inal cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden to secure the survival of the young Swiss Confed­er­a­tion. Pros­perity and beauty are at home in all epochs of the city – in the medieval build­ings, the patri­cian houses of the Renais­sance, the Art Nouveau hotels and the bold build­ings of the present. The landmark is the Kapellbrück (Chapel Bridge) from the 14th century. It leads across the crystal clear lake, which reflects a magnif­i­cent mountain pano­rama.

A thou­sand steps lead to the pilgrimage chapel in Hergiswald, which was conse­crated in 1662. It is simple on the outside, but unique on the inside. The picture of the Black Madonna and a vaulted wooden ceiling with 324 sections amaze and enthuse art histo­rians. Kaspar Megglinger, the crea­tive artist, was partic­u­larly known in the Baroque period for his Marian symbolism. After all, the more than 300 images of the Virgin Mary are regarded as the only cycle in the world to have been designed in this form.

The rugged mountain massif south of Lucerne is Switz­er­land's most famous vantage point. From above you have a fantastic view of Lake Lucerne, Lucerne and the Central Alps. Earlier gener­a­tions regarded it not as a sublime local mountain, but as an uncanny place of dragons and ghosts that sent weather plunges and mudslides into the city. No wonder there are so many tales and legends about Pilatus. From Kriens a cable car leads up the mountain, from Alpnachstad a rack railway. The historic Hotel Pilatus-Kulm awaits you at the top.