Walking in Lake Geneva & Western Switzerland
£12.00
150 walks, 10 train rides and 8 car tours
by Reinhard Scholl
A guidebook to walking around Lake Geneva and western Switzerland, featuring 150 different routes.
We cover the region around Lake Geneva, including Geneva, Lausanne and Montreux; the Swiss Jura; the Bernese Uplands; and the Valais, showing trekking routes of varying difficulty, all of which are mapped in detail.
Many of the hikes are circular, taking in the famous routes and also lesser-known trails where you will hardly meet a soul.
This guide also includes eight car tours, 10 train tours and two touring maps covering the whole area.
When to go: The best time for walking here is May to October (in the highest mountain areas July to September).
Printed book: £14.99 / PDF ebook: £12.00
A country blessed with a most dramatic and spectacular landscape. Mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, gorges, and waterfalls are plentiful natural elements into which cultural influences blend.
Switzerland is a hiker’s paradise (you would expect nothing less of a country which has an article in its constitution regulating the responsibilities of those who maintain the thousands of kilometres of hiking paths), and boasts the world’s best public transport system, despite being arguably the most mountainous country in Europe.
Mountain huts and comfortable hotels sit atop summits reached by spectacular train or cable car rides, but there is still plenty of space where you will hardly meet a soul.
Essential handbook for touring Switzerland [by train or car]. This is a marvellous guide for anyone walking, using Swiss trains or driving around Western Switzerland. The descriptions are informative and accurate, providing just the right amount of guidance while allowing the reader to form their own opinions. A pull-out map in the back is conveniently annotated with reference numbers to the 32 main walking tours and 8 car tours detailed in the book. One whole chapter is devoted to those who will be using the Swiss Railroad to get around the country. Photos and topographical maps abound, complementing the written text and making this an enjoyable book to browse through even when not out hiking. (SV, Amazon)
The book includes full details of the excellent Swiss transport system, so access to a wide choice of destinations is possible wherever you stay, but Geneva or Interlaken are particularly good options.
8 car tours, 10 tours by train, 36 walks especially tailored for motorists and 32 main walks with many alternative variations — a total of 150 different walking routes.
184 pages + 2 touring maps (to cover the whole area), large-scale (1:50,000) topo maps
1st ed, 2009; ISBN 978-1-85691-356-0; UK retail price £14.99 / USA retail price $19.99
Table of contents:
Preface
Getting there and getting about
Public transport in Switzerland
Car touring
Car tour 1 (Lake Geneva):Lavaux wine route above the Swiss Riviera
Car tour 2 (Jura and Lake Geneva):Southern Jura and La Côte
Car tour 3 (Jura): Val de Travers and Lake Neuchâtel 20
Car tour 4 (Jura): Northern Jura with Mount Weissenstein 25
Car tour 5: Vaud and Fribourg Alps 29
Car tour 6 (Bernese Oberland): Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen
Car tour 7 (Valais): Wine route from Martigny to Leuk 44
Car tour 8 (Valais): Side-valleys of the Valais 51
Touring by train
Geneva-Zermatt
Jura railways
Trains in the Swiss Riviera region (Vevey, Montreux)
GoldenPass line
Chocolate train
Trains in the Chablais Region (Aigle, Bex)
Mont Blanc Express and Saint-Bernard Express (Martigny)
Railways, cable cars and gondolas in the Jungfrau region
Railways, cog railways and cable cars in Zermatt
Glacier Express;
Lötschberg Tunnel;
Lötschberg Basis Tunnel
Walking
Routes and waymarking
Grading
Seasons
Maps
Equipment
Safety
Literature and websites
THE WALKS
Lake Geneva area
Walk 1: Salève, Genevas mountain in France
Walk 2: Vineyards of Dardagny
Walk 3: Vineyards of La Côte and the Signal de Bougy
Walk 4: Lavaux Vineyard Terraces (Unesco World Heritage Site)
Walk 5: The Swiss Riviera
Walk 6: Rochers de Naye
Jura
Walk 7: La Dôle
Walk 8: Mont Tendre
Walk 9: Poëta Raisse Gorge and Le Chasseron
Walk 10: Areuse Gorge, Creux du Van and Le Soliat
Walk 11: Combe Grède and Le Chasseral
Walk 12: Mount Weissenstein
Fribourg Alps
Walk 13: Gruyères and Gruyère
Walk 14: Moléson
Vaud Alps
Walk 15: Lac Retaud and La Palette
Bernese Oberland
Walk 16: First, Faulhorn and Schynige Platte
Walk 17: Schwarzhorn
Walk 18: Eigertrail
Walk 19: Pfingstegg and Bäregg
Walk 20: Schilthorn
Valais
Walk 21: Vineyard Trail from Martigny to Leuk
Walk 22: Great St-Bernard Pass
Walk 23: Lake Mauvoisin
Walk 24: Lac de Cleuson
Walk 25: Grande Dixence Dam
Walk 26: Bisse du Ro
Walk 27: Roc de la Vache
Walk 28: Höhbalmen ridge path
Walk 29: Gornergrat
Walk 30: Mällig and Gebidum
Walk 31: Lötschen Valley ridge path
Walk 32: Aletsch Glacier (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Eggishorn
Index
Fold-out area map
Note: photographs are indicated by bold page numbers; maps are indicated by italic page numbers.
Aigle 29, 30, 56, 59
Aletsch Glacier 7, 47, 55, 178, 179, 180-1
Aran 13, 14, 87
Aubonne 16, 19, 76, 77
Ballenberg (Swiss Open-Air Museum) 38, 40
Beatenbucht 38
Beatus Caves 38, 39
Berne 6, 8
Bernese Uplands (Berner Ober-land) 6, 38-45, 63, 67, 127-41
Bettmeralp 51, 55, 179, 180, 181
Bex 59
Bisse/Suone (irrigation channel)
de Chervé 46, 151, 152
de Clavoz 46, 145
du Ro 46, 155, 156
Blatten 55, 171, 174-5
Bouveret 83, 84, 91
Brienz 38, 39
Brig 55
Broc 29, 35, 59
Caux 93-4
Chamoson 44, 45, 48, 143
Champéry 59
Château d’Oex 29, 30-1, 32
Châtelard 13, 14, 60, 86-7
Chexbres 13, 15, 78-9, 80, 82
Chillon, Château de 88-9, 90-1
Col, pass
de Bretaye 59
de Jaman 92-3, 94
de Porte 98
de la Croix 25, 27, 29, 30, 33, 36-7
des Etroits 20, 21
des Mosses 29, 30, 31
des Rangiers 25, 26
du Grand St-Bernard 7, 51, 52, 60, 146, 146, 147
du Marchairuz 16-7, 99, 100-1
du Pillon 29, 30, 37, 59, 124, 125, 126
Jaun 29, 30, 36
Jungfraujoch 6, 60, 61, 62
Passwang 25, 27
Schelten 25, 28
Weissenstein 25, 28
Combe Grède 110-1, 112-3, 112-3
Crans 155
Crans-Montana 7, 49, 51, 54, 55, 155
Creux du Van 22, 107, 108, 108-9
Cully 78-9, 81, 83, 84, 86-7, 88-9
Dams
Cleuson 47
Grande Dixence 7, 46, 47, 52, 153, 154
Mauvoisin 7, 47, 52, 149, 150, 150
Dardagny 73, 74, 74-5
Delémont 25, 26, 27, 56
Epesses 13, 15, 78-9, 81, 83, 88-9
Fafleralp 55, 171, 172, 174-5
Faldumalp 173, 175, 176, 177
Féchy 19, 77
Ferden 55, 171, 172, 174, 175, 176, 177
Fleurier 20, 21, 57, 104-5
Fully 42, 44, 143
Glion 58
Grandson 20, 24
Grandvaux 13, 14, 79, 83, 86-7
Grindelwald 6, 10, 38, 42, 60, 61, 62, 127, 130, 131, 133, 134-5, 137, 138, 139
Gruyère (region) 29, 30, 35, 66, 118, 119
Gruyères 29, 35, 59, 118-9, 120
Gruyères-Pringy 118, 119, 120
Gstaad 29, 37, 58
Gsteig 29, 37
Interlaken 38, 58, 59, 60
Iseltwald 38, 41, 42
La Chaux-de-Fonds 57
La Corraterie 70, 72, 72
La Côte 14, 16, 56, 76, 77
L’Etivaz 29, 31
Lakes
Arpitetta 1, 156, 157, 158
Brienz 38, 40, 41
Cleuson 52, 151, 152
Derborence 51, 53, 54
Dix 46, 47, 153, 154
Emosson 51, 60
Faulen 43
Fenêtre 52, 146, 147
Geneva (Lac Léman) 5, 7, 12-3, 66, 78-91 (photos: 82, 84-5, 88-9, 90-1;
maps: 78-9, 84-93)
Grauseewli 140-1, 141
Grund 173
Guggi 172, 173
Joux 16, 17, 18, 100
Léman see Geneva
Märjelen 178, 179, 181
Mauvoisin 47, 148, 149, 150
Montsalvens 34, 36, 47
Neuchâtel 7, 20, 21, 23, 24, 56, 57
Retaud 34-5, 37, 124, 125, 126
Sanetsch 51, 54
Schwarz 63
Thun 38, 42, 43
Tseuzier 51, 54
Vernex 33
Lauchernalp 172, 175, 176, 177
Lausanne-Ouchy 13, 79, 83, 84, 86-7
Lauterbrunnen 42, 60, 61, 62
Lavaux 7, 12-3, 14, 15, 78-9, 80-1, 82, 83, 87
La Sarraz 16, 19
Le Chargeur 153, 154
Le Pont 16, 18, 100
Les Pléiades 58
Leuk 44, 50, 142, 145
Leukerbad 51, 55
Leysin 59
Lötschberg Basis Tunnel 56, 63
Lötschberg Tunnel 55, 63
Lucerne 58, 59
Lutry 13, 79, 83, 84, 86-7
Martigny 44, 51, 52, 60, 142-3
Meiringen 40, 43
Moléson-Village 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123
Montbovon 29, 32, 33
Montreux 5, 56, 57, 58, 59, 81, 82-3, 84, 90-1, 94
Morges 57, 83, 84-5
Môtiers 20, 22, 57, 103, 104, 105, 106
Mountains, massifs, peaks
Allalinhorn 169
Bäregg 137, 138, 139
Bettmerhorn 179, 180
Blava 153, 154
Chapeau de Napoléon 21
Chasseral 6, 104-5, 110, 111, 112, 113
Chasseron 6, 20, 21, 102, 103, 104-5, 106
Dent de Jaman 92-3, 94-5
Dent de Vaulion 16, 19
Diablerets 29, 36-7, 59, 124-5
Dôle 6, 14, 96-7, 98, 98
Dufourspitze 6, 163
Eggishorn 178, 179, 180, 181
Eiger 6, 61, 128, 133, 134-5, 136, 139
Faulhorn 127, 128-9
First 62, 127, 128-9
Fribourg Alps 29-37, 118-23
Gebidum 168, 169, 170
Gornergrat 2, 63, 165, 166-7, 167
Grosse Scheidegg 130, 131, 132
Höhbalmen 160, 162-3, 164
Jungfrau 6-7, 60-2, 134, 140-1
Jura, Swiss 4, 5, 6, 16-28 (photo: 16-7), 56-8, 66, 96-117 (photo: 101)
Klein Allalin 169
Klein Matterhorn 63
Kleine Scheidegg 10, 60, 61, 62, 131, 133, 134-5, 136
Liskamm 166
Mällig 168, 169, 170
Männlichen 62, 133, 134-5, 135
Matterhorn 7, 63, 160, 163, 164
Mettelhorn 161
Moléson 119, 120, 121, 122-3, cover
Mont Blanc 6, 51, 60, 70-1, 98
Monte Rosa 160, 163, 165, 166-7
Oberrothorn 160, 161
Orge 49
Palette 124, 125, 126
Passwang 27, 28
Pèlerin 13, 15, 57, 88-9
Pfingstegg 137, 138, 139
Platthorn 161
Roc de la Vache 157, 155, 158-9
Rochers de Naye 58, 92-3, 94-5
Röti 25, 114, 116, 117
Salève 70-1, 72, 72
Schilt 130-1
Schilthorn 62, 140, 141
Schwarzhorn 130, 131, 132, 132
Signal de Bougy 76, 77
Soliat 107, 108, 109
Tendre 6, 17, 18-9, 99, 100-1
Teysachaux 121, 122-3
Unterrothorn 63, 160, 161
Vaud Alps 29-37, 124-6
Weissenstein 25, 114, 115, 116, 117
Moutier 25, 26
Mürren 62, 140, 141
Neuchâtel 20, 23, 56, 57
Noiraigue 20, 22-3, 107, 108, 109
Nyon 16, 19, 56, 76
Ouchy see Lausanne-Ouchy
Puidoux 58
Riex 13, 15, 78-9, 83, 88-9
Rivaz 78-9, 81, 83, 88-9
Rivers, valleys, gorges
Aare 25, 38, 40, 41, 116
Anniviers 51, 53
Areuse 20, 22, 57, 107, 108, 109
Arolla 51, 53
Bagnes 51, 52, 149, 150
Covatanne 20, 57
Entremont 51, 60
Gletscherschlucht (Glacier Gorge) 134-5, 136
Hérémence 51, 52, 153
Hérens 51, 53
Jogne 34, 35, 36, 47
Lauterbrunnen 6, 38, 42, 135
Lonza 171, 173
Lötschen 51, 54-5, 171-7 (photos 174-5, 176-7, maps 174-5, 176)
Matter 51,53, 56, 160
Moiry 51, 53
Nendaz 51, 52
Poëta Raisse 20, 22, 102, 103, 104-5
Rhône 7, 49, 51, 90-1
Saas 51, 53
Travers 20, 21, 57
Trient 51
Trift 162-3
Verena 114-5, 116, 117
Zinal 51, 53
Romainmôtier 16, 18, 19
Rossinière 29, 33
Rougement 29, 32
Saanen 29, 37
Saas Fee 53, 168, 169, 170
Saillon 44, 45, 48, 142-3
St-Cergue 16, 57
St-Imier 110, 111, 112-3
St-Léonard 44, 50, 145
St-Moritz 63
St-Pierre-de-Clages 48
St-Saphorin 78-9, 80-1, 83, 88-9
St-Ursanne 25, 26, 27
Ste-Croix 20-1, 57, 65, 103, 105
Salgesch 44, 50, 145
Schynige Platte 62, 127, 128, 128-9
Sembrancher 51, 52, 60
Sépey 59
Sierre 44, 50, 53, 54, 55, 142, 145
Sion 44, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 142, 145
Siviez (Super-Nendaz) 52, 151, 152
Solothurn 25, 28, 114, 115, 116
Spiez 38, 42, 43
Super-Nendaz see Siviez
Territet (Montreux) 58, 79, 83, 90-1
Thun 38, 43
Trient 51
Unterseen 38
Uvrier 50, 145
Valais 6, 7, 14, 29, 44-55, 56, 63, 64, 66, 67, 142-81
Varen 44, 46, 50, 145
Verbier 7, 60
Vermes 25, 28
Vétroz 44, 49, 143
Vevey 13, 15, 57, 58, 79, 83, 84, 87, 88-9, 90
Villars-sur-Ollon 29, 37, 59
Villeneuve 83, 84, 90-1
Visp 53, 56
Vuiteboeuf 20, 21
Waterfalls
Giessbach 38, 41, 42
Reichenbach 38, 40, 41, 43, 61
Simmen 36
Staubbach 7, 42
Trümmelbach 42
Wilderswil 60, 62
Wiler 55, 172, 174-5, 176, 177
Yverdon-les-Bains 20, 24, 56, 57
Zermatt 6, 7, 53, 56, 63, 64, 160-1, 162-3, 163, 164, 165, 166, 170
Zinal 53, 157, 158, 159
Zmutt 160, 161, 162-3, 164
Zweisimmen 29, 30, 36, 37, 58, 59
LAKE GENEVA AND WESTERN SWITZERLAND: WALKS AND CAR TOURS First edition, 2009, updated 01//08/2012
Updates for walks and car tours (drives) in Switzerland given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book you can “upgrade” to the latest edition at half price.)
Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably by e-mail, to info@sunflowerbooks.co.uk.
Walk 32 (Aletsch Glacier): Excellent. But the descent from Eggishorn to Fiescheralp was marred by what appears to be a newly created ski piste cutting through the path about half way down (i.e. an ugly bulldozed track) which was difficult to cross, with an associated ski lift running near the path for much of the way. The path did reappear on the other side of the piste however. Before reaching the piste there was a point where a path (marked by red paint marks) heads up and right – it’s necessary to carry on ahead as shown by a blue direction sign. It’s also worth noting that just past this point there was still a significant patch of snow (in mid-July), although that wasn’t too difficult to cross. The main signposted track to Fiescheralp could be a more pleasant walk, albeit busier and taking 30 minutes longer (according to the signpost at the top of Eggishorn). (User, 8/12)
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