Autumn view from the Furka Pass, Switzerland.

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Furka Pass

Top choice in Valais


Marking the cantonal frontier with Uri is the vertiginous Furka Pass (2431m), the run up to which offers superlative views over the fissured Rhône glacier. From the tiny Valais village of Gletsch (1762m) the road climbs almost continuously for 10km to the pass. Generally opening about 1 June each year (depending on snowfall and weather conditions), the Furka Pass is the gateway into southeast Switzerland. From the pass it's 21km jaw-dropping drive down countless hairpin curves to Andermatt (1437m).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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1. Rhône Glacier

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Coming from Valais, the mesmerising Rhône Glacier is first seen from the tiny hamlet of Gletsch. This glacier is the source of the Rhône River, which…

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From the tiny Valais village of Gletsch (1762m; 10km to the Furka Pass), a steep 6km hairpinned road climbs north to the mighty Grimsel Pass (2164m),…

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This 15km-long tunnel, opened in 1982, plays an important part in the history of the Furka Pass. It runs from Oberwald in Valais to Realp, 8km short of…

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At Ulrichen, 21km on the Valais side of the Furka Pass, a clearly marked road turns southeast and twists its way south out of the Valais and into the…

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