Leukerbad

Leukerbad is the largest thermal-spa village in the Alps; every day millions of litres of around 51-degree spring water bubble out of the mountain into numerous baths. Above the village the historic Gemmi Pass leads on foot or by cable car into the Bernese Oberland. A backdrop of vertical rock walls frames the village.

Highlights

• Largest alpine thermal-spa offering
• Around 51 °C warm spring water
• Gemmi Pass by cable car or on foot
• Hiking and winter sports above the village

Good to know

Practical info

Background & History

Leukerbad in the Valais is one of the oldest and highest-lying thermal baths of the Alps, whose hot springs are said to have been known even to the Romans. From the mountain bubble forth daily enormous quantities of mineral-rich water of pleasant warmth, and over the centuries this natural wealth drew the sick, pilgrims and finally spa guests from all over Europe into the high-lying valley, which is enclosed by rugged limestone walls and in winter also serves as a ski area.

Above the village rises the mighty Gemmi rock face, through which a mule path boldly hewn into the stone leads, once an important connection between the Valais and the Bernese Oberland, over which Goethe and the writer Guy de Maupassant, whom the wild solitude of the place inspired to a sombre tale, once walked. Mark Twain too described his visit to the place in his travel accounts. The position at the foot of this vertical rock barrier lends Leukerbad an almost theatrical backdrop, in which the steaming thermal water and the cold steep walls form an impressive contrast. Today the springs feed an extensive thermal bath that is among the largest of the Alps and attracts guests throughout the year. So the place unites ancient bathing culture, Alpine route history and literary memory in a quiet, high-lying valley basin.