Location: Switzerland

At the foot of the Bernina group, the Morteratsch Glacier is one of the most easily accessible glaciers in the Alps. From Morteratsch station on the Bernina line, a flat glacier trail leads to the ice tongue; signs along the way show the dramatic retreat of recent decades. In the background rises the Piz Bernina.HighlightsEasily reached glacier trailMarkers show the glacier retreatView of the Piz…

Leukerbad is the largest thermal-bath 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 faces frames the village.HighlightsLargest alpine thermal-bath offeringAround 51 °C warm…

The Flims-Laax region is one of the largest ski areas in Switzerland and in summer is known for the turquoise-green Caumasee, one of the most beautiful bathing lakes in the Alps. Nearby runs the Rhine Gorge Ruinaulta, an impressive canyon of the Vorderrhein.HighlightsOne of the largest ski areas in SwitzerlandTurquoise-green bathing lake CaumaseeRhine Gorge Ruinaulta (Swiss Grand Canyon)Known for freestyle and snowparksGood to…

The Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m is home to the highest railway station in Europe, reached by the Jungfrau Railway, which since 1912 climbs largely through a tunnel inside the Eiger and Mönch. At the top await the Sphinx viewpoint, the Ice Palace and the view of the Aletsch Glacier. The Top of Europe is one of the most visited high-mountain destinations in the Alps.HighlightsHighest railway station…

Lake Maggiore stretches from Ticino into Italy; its Swiss northern end around Locarno and Ascona is known for its mild, almost Mediterranean climate, palm-lined promenades and camellia blossom. At the lake’s surface, Locarno holds the lowest point in Switzerland at around 197 m. Above the town towers the pilgrimage church Madonna del Sasso, reachable by…

The Eiger (3,967 m) is famous above all for its roughly 1,800 m high north face, one of the largest and most storied rock walls in the Alps. Its first ascent in 1938 and numerous dramas made it the epitome of extreme alpinism. From the valley near Grindelwald and from Kleine Scheidegg the wall can be admired comfortably…