Göschenen walks

If you want to hike in the high mountains and discover a beautiful Swiss glacial lake, this is for you: Tour of the Göscheneralpsee (lake with dam) and overnight stay at the Dammahütte, a small, friendly refuge with 20 beds at an altitude of 2,440 metres. .

The first stage of this two-day circuit involves climbing up to the Damahütte via a path on the southern shore of the lake.

The second stage of this circuit starts at the Dammahütte and follows a "Panorama" trail through a glacial cirque, then continues along the northern shore of the lake.

This second stage will take you to the charming village of Andermatt. Descending from the Passo Gottardo, you will follow the Gotthardreuss to Hospental, which joins the Furkareuss to form the Reuss. You will quickly leave theItalian-speaking canton of Ticinoand enter the German-speaking canton of Uri. Andermatt is a renowned winter sports resort.

A superb route that crosses the famous St Gotthard Pass. You will set off from Airolo, a pretty Italian-speaking village, and arrive at the famous German-speaking resort of Andermatt. You will spend a night at the Ospizio del San Gottardo. This pass, which is very busy during the day with numerous tourists, quickly returns to calm and tranquillity in the evening.

This first stage will take you to the St Gotthard Pass. The village of Airolo is located at the foot of two major Swiss passes: the Nufenen Pass and the Gottardo Passo. The climb to St Gotthard is challenging, with an elevation gain of nearly 1,000 metres over less than seven kilometres. At times, the trail follows the old St Gotthard road, which is entirely paved all the way to the pass.

This loop can be completed in a day, but it is more comfortable to spend the night in the welcoming Windgällenhütte. A beautiful balcony trail once you have crossed the very steep Bockistock corridor. The steep climb is then rewarded. Swimming is possible in the charming little Golzerensee lake.

This two-day route will give you a glimpse of the beauty of Lake Lucerne. The route offers numerous viewpoints overlooking the lake. You will admire the Glockspiel de Tellsplatte, Switzerland's largest carillon. You will end this hike in Vitznau, a charming village and the starting point for the little train that climbs to the top of the Rigi.

This first stage will take you from Flüelen to Morschach. Flüelen is located at the southern end of Lake Uri at the mouth of the Reuss. This route offers numerous views of the lake and the mountain ranges bordering it. On this route, you will discover the Glockspiel de Tellsplatte, the largest carillon in Switzerland. You will also admire the Tellskapelle chapel on the lake shore.

A magnificent hike in Val Bavona, dotted with typical stone houses. Park at the beautiful spot called Ritorto. Follow the small forest path along the Bavona for about 1 km before arriving at the very picturesque and authentic village of Foroglio, which you cross in the direction of Calneggia. You then climb very quickly up the 100 metres of the waterfall via a path consisting of numerous stone steps. You will then arrive in Val Calneggia, where you will pass a few small stone houses and cross a small bridge. The hike then follows the stream to the alpine village of Calneggia, surrounded by a cirque. Return by the same route, accompanied by the sound of the crystal-clear stream. Magnificent!

This third stage is very wild and not very busy. After Lago Vannino and Passo Busin, you will discover another lake, Lago Busin Inferiore. During the descent to Salecchio, you will notice the Walser habitat as you pass through hamlets such as Case Francoli and Salecchio Superiore. The dormitory at Rifugio Zum Gora dates back to the 17th century.

This second stage will take you from Morschach to Vitznau. As you cross Morschach, you can admire the Mythen, the two legendary peaks of the canton of Schwitz. This route offers many more views of the lake and the mountain ranges that surround it. At Brunnen, you will leave Lake Uri and follow the shores of Lake Lucerne. You will stop in the charming village of Vitznau, the departure point for the little train that climbs to the famous summit of the Rigi.

Starting from Stansstad railway station, you go straight up above the motorway, thus tackling the steepest part. Then, along the ridge overview of the Alpnachersee lake for a good third of the way, glimpses of views and appreciating the 400-500m ascent: Probably a good time to rest for a lunch break before the Renggpass. The final part is downhill all the way to the village and train station of Hergiswil, passing through fields of cows, farms & green pasture.

This second stage crosses the Italian-Swiss border at the Albrunpass. You will enter the Val Formazza. The highest point of the day is at Scatta Minoïa. After the Ettore Conti bivouac, the descent to Lake Vannino is very pleasant and easy. The Rifugio Margaroli is located at the end of the lake. This relatively short stage gives you the opportunity to climb up to Lake Sruer at 2,351 m. (Absolute tranquillity guaranteed and magnificent views of Lake Vannino).

Starting in Vitznau, climb to the summit of the Vitznauerstock/Gersauerstock for a superb view of Lake Lucerne.

At the edge of the village, follow the path towards Cerentino. Descend to the village of Cerentino, then follow the road to Cevio for about 2.7 km. As a guide, about 2 km along, in a 180° bend, a sign indicates a path to Niva, and about 700 m further on, on the right, at a bus stop, the path to Capanna Alzasca begins. The path is shaded (chestnut, oak, hazel and other deciduous trees), but the climb is quite steep up to Alpe Orsalii. The climb to Bocchetta di Cansgei is more pleasant and well marked. The bochetta offers a magnificent view of Lago Alzasca. Descend to the sheepfold (Cortic di Cima) and follow the signs for Capanna Alzasaca. From the capanna, Lago Alzasca is about 20 minutes away. Lago Alzasca is considered the most beautiful natural lake in Ticino.Markings: White-Red-White.

This fourth stage is marked by the crossing of two passes, the Passo Muretto and the Bocchetta di Scarpia. You will also cross several mountain pastures such as Alpe de Salecchio, Alpe de Pojola and Alpe de Sangiatto. In the evening, upon arrival in Crampiolo, you will have the opportunity to visit Lago Devero.

Return to Switzerland, in Ticino via the Guriner Furka. From Salecchio, take the same path as the day before to Alpi di Vova and follow the signs for Antillone and Fondovalle. Shortly after Altillone, the path joins the road, which you follow for 500 metres to the village of Fondovalle. A good path through the woods climbs towards the Guriner Furka via Alpe Stavello. Finally, a pass appears, the Passo della Foglia, but this is not the Guriner Furka. It takes another quarter of an hour to reach it via the path that branches off to the left. From Guriner Furka, you can see the chalets of Grossalp and the village of Bosco/Gurin. The descent is easy and pleasant. Bosco/Gurin is a Walser village, and German is commonly spoken there, even though it is located inTicino Markings: White-Red-White.

This third stage will take you to the Fieschergletcher, which runs parallel to the Aletschgletcher. On the Aspi Titter suspension bridge, you will be impressed by the depth of the Weisswasser river gorges. This fairly technical end of the route ends in the beautiful village of Bellwad, which has preserved its traditional chalets.

After a night at the summit of Mount Pilatus and a last look at the Bernese Alps, you will descend towards the Alpenpanorama Weg. Before reaching the Petite Emme valley, you will have several more opportunities to admire the Pilatus massif.

This fifth stage crosses the Devero and Veglia Natural Parks. During the day, you will cross two more passes, the Scatta d'Orogna and the Passo di Valtendra. After the second pass, the landscape becomes more harmonious. A pretty little stream and a long passage through the woods accompany the descent to Alpe de Veglia. Alpe de Veglia is a group of small hamlets located close to each other at the bottom of a very steep valley. Major peaks such as Monte Leone (3,553 m) and Bortelhorn (3,194 m) surround these peaceful hamlets.

At Crampiolo, the path to Bochetta della Valle is signposted and initially follows the left bank of Lago Dévéro. The path then continues towards the Alpi della Valle and Naga mountain pastures. Further up, a sign indicates the direction of Bocchetta della Valle. Walk along the Busin Superiore lakes and descend to the Busin Inferiore lake dam. The trail resumes below the dam (red markings) and the descent is quite steep to Alpe di Vova. From there, a balcony path leads to Salecchio Superiore via Casa Francoli. Crampiolo and Salecchio Superiore: two magnificent Walser-style villages.Markings: White-Red-White.

This stage is common to both the Mineralien Tour and the Walser Tour. The Geisspfadpass marks the border between Switzerland and Italy. In Binn, cross the small bridge over the Binna, follow the road to Fäld for about 1 km, and a sign on the right indicates the path to Geisspfadsee and Mässersee. This path joins the one coming from Fäld at the Mässerchäller chalet (1,879 m). Follow the signs for Maniboden. The climb to the Geisspfadpass is then very easy. The descent to Piano della Rossa is through large scree, with passages equipped with chains and ladders, but no particular difficulty. The descent to Crampiolo is very pleasant.Markings: White-Red-White]. Via Alpina Blue D3 and D2

This hike is inspired by the Walser Tour and the Mineralien Tour. This magnificent route crosses numerous mountain pastures, where the dwellings are very varied: from wooden chalets to stone chalets. The hamlet of Salecchio Superiore consists of magnificent wooden chalets, several centuries old, all very well preserved. The chalet that houses the dormitories of the Rifugio "Zum Gora" dates back to the 17th century. In Italy, the route at the foot of the peaks bordering Switzerland, including Monte Leone, takes us through two regional parks: the Parco Naturale dell'Alpe Veglia and the Parco Naturale dell'Alpe Devero.

This stage is common to both the Walser Tour and the Valrando Mineral Tour. A few houses line this path in Freichi and then in Blatt. The Ofenhorn can be admired all the way to the Binntal Hütte. Although this is German-speaking territory, French is surprisingly the dominant language in this hut. The Binntal Hütte belongs to the Swiss Alpine Club: Delémont section.

A trip to the Rigi: depart from Arth-Goldau to Rigi Kulm by cogwheel train, then enjoy a scenic walk from Rigi Kulm to Wolfertschen-first. From there, you can take the train back to Krabel and ascend in a cable car to Rigi Scheidegg, or descend directly by train to Arth-Goldau.

Descent to Val Maggia. The Maggia flows into Lake Maggiore between Ascona and Locarno. From Capanna Alzasca, follow the direction of Cevio. At Corte di Fondo, take the path on the right that descends to Cascata del Soladino and then Val Maggia. The trail continues on the right bank of the Maggia and passes through Lodano and Moghegno opposite the village of Maggia. On leaving Moghegno, cross the Maggia and continue on the left bank through Ronchini and finally Gordevio.Markings: White-Red-White.

More than 2,000 metres of descent are on the agenda for the day. The trail to Passo Gagnone starts just behind the Capanna d'Efra. This is the only climb of the day. From the pass, the long descent begins, first into Val Gagnone and then to Bedra. The trail then enters the woods and overlooks the torrent. A few houses along the way in Marzoch, Gallina and Monastei allow you to check your position on the map. The path continues along the torrent to Bacino Val d'Ambra. Continue downhill to reach the village of Personico. Then follow the signs for Pollegio/Biasca to the bridge that crosses the Ticino river. Continue along the path to an underpass beneath the motorway to finally enter the village of Pollegio.Markings: GR® White-Red-White. Via Alpina Red R87.

This ten-day itinerary follows the Alpenpanorama Weg from Lucerne to Schwarzsee. With Mount Pilatus within easy reach, it is well worth stopping off to enjoy the unique panorama of the Alps. You will cross the following cantons: Lucerne, Niedwalden (at Pilatus), Bern and Fribourg. This beautiful route offers numerous panoramic views of the Bernese Alps and the Jura.

Mount Pilatus, which towers over Lake Lucerne and Lucerne, quickly comes into view on the Alpenpenpanorama Weg trail. It is clearly visible from the heights as soon as you leave Lucerne. This summit is well worth a detour. You will have unforgettable memories of the panorama of the Alps and the Jura in the evening, when you can enjoy the absolute calm and a magnificent sunset over the Bernese Alps.

The day's programme includes a climb of nearly 2,000 metres. In the village of Pollegio, follow the signs for Biasca. In the centre of Biasca, at the foot of the imposing San Carlo church, signs indicate the direction for Capanna Cava via Svall. The trail passes by a few grotti (restaurants set up in caves), then climbs fairly steeply to reach an old road. The signs are still there. The path continues through a chestnut grove and leads to Svall (a few houses and a water source). Above the chalets, the climb is still quite steep until you reach an altitude of 1,900 metres. Then the trail becomes very pleasant until you reach Forcarella di Cava. Capanna Cava is now in sight. It takes just 15 minutes to reach it.Markings: White-Red-White.

This short stage will take you from Malters to Wolhusen. You will walk along the banks of the Petite Emme before arriving in Werthenstein. At the entrance to this village, you can admire the imposing cloister, a major pilgrimage site on the Via Jacobi.

This sixth stage marks the return to Switzerland. You will cross the Passo dei Gialitt and pass through the last Italian mountain pastures of "Camoscella" and "Vallescia". After the Swiss mountain pastures of "Alpjerung" and "Corvetsch", you will descend towards the Simplon Pass road and rejoin the Stockeralper Weg at Alter Kaserne. This beautiful trail will take you to Gabi and then Simplon Dorf.

Classic stage of the Mineralien Tour. In Rosswald, signs point to the Saflisch Pass trail, Binn. The climb is quite steep up to the Fleshboden chairlift station. The path is always well marked and becomes more pleasant up to the Saflisch Pass. Stay on the AlpenPässe Weg to Binna Stausee. Descend to Binn via the Via Alpina Blue. The Saflischpass is the French/German language border. Markings: White-RedBwhite. AlpenPässe Weg - Via Alpina Blue D4

This stage will take you from Wolhusen to Napf. The route climbs fairly quickly and offers several panoramic viewpoints. You will discover the important peaks of the Bernese Alps. Napf enjoys a privileged position offering a panorama of the Alps to the south and the Jura to the north. Shortly before Napf, at (15) exactly, you will leave the Canton of Lucerne and enter the Canton of Bern.