iCyclades - Cyclades Discovery Guide

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If you're looking for authenticity, the village of Albinen, between Leuk and Leukerbad, is for you. Not only is it one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland, it's also one of the least known, completely untouched by mass tourism and virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages.

The Aletsch Glacier (in German Aletschgletscher) is the largest glacier in the Alps, with a length of about 23 km and a surface of more than 120 sq km. It is situated in the Eastern Alps of the canton of Valais.

Clinging to the mountain slopes above the upper Rhone Valley, Bettmeralp is a car-free village, just like Saas Fee and Zermatt. You can get there by cable car... or on foot!

Highest inhabited part of Lötschental, 1540 m above the sea, this picturesque village is a Swiss Heritage Site, and the region is included in the Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area (UNESCO World Heritage site).

Brig, the last town in the Upper Valais before the Alpine passes, is a rail and road junction linking north and south as well as west and east. This position as a European crossroads has given Brig a rich history, and the old town is well worth a visit.

This natural lake lies at an altitude of 2207m north of the Gemmi Pass, in the Valais part of the Bernese Alps. Its circumference of just over 4km is covered by a beautiful hiking trail.

In the Goms Valley, at the foot of Eggishorn, a peak overlooking Aletschgletscher. Goms Valley stretches from Brig to 3 alpine passes connecting Wallis (Valais) to Tessin (Nufenen), Bern (Grimsel) and Uri (Furka). Great area for summer hikes and winter sports.

The Furka Pass, 2429 m over sea level, is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps, connecting the Goms Valley (Valais/Wallis), to Andermatt (Uri, Central Switzerland), along the Rhône Glacier. Scenes of Goldfinger, with Sean Connery as James Bond, were shot here.

The Gemmi Pass, at an altitude of 2270m, is one of the few passes that once provided a link between the Valais and the Bernese Oberland. It has never been passable by car, and its side overlooking Leukerbad was long considered impassable. Nowadays, a cable car climbs it in both summer and winter.

The Gornergrat is, together with the Matterhorn, the big star of Zermatt. It is a summit ridge at 3133 m altitude offering breathtaking views of the glaciers and the highest peaks of the Alps.

The Grimsel is a Swiss high mountain pass, 2,165 m above sea level, connecting the Haslital (upper valley of the Aar river, in Bernese Highland) to the Rhone Valley, in Valais. It is situated near the source of the Rhone River.

Many mountain passes connect north and south of the Alps, but most are not accessible by car. Loetschberg Tunnel car shuttle train, between Kandersteg and Goppenstein, is the only connection open all year long between Bern and Valais.

Between Sierre and Gampel, a satellite communication station will catch your eye. It's the big ears of the Swiss Intelligence Service. Have a look to the left: you'll see the little city of Leuk, with its castle renovated by renowned architect Mario Botta.

Leuk's Baths (Loèche-les-Bains in French), at the foot of the Gemmi. The history of the springs dates back to the Roman times and the Gemmi Pass has been an important connection between Valais and Bern in past centuries.

One of the most remote alpine valleys of Switzerland, where during carnival week, in February, the dreadful figures of Tschäggätta, clad in furs and wearing grotesque masks, streak through the valley after dusk and invade the villages to hunt down and frighten anyone who is still out of home...

Matterhorn... or, in French, Cervin... The most mythical summit of Switzerland, or even Europe! South of Zermatt, on the border between Switzerland and Italy, peaking at 4,478 m (14,691 ft) above the sea.

Dam and lake at the end of Saastal. West of the lake, there are three summits of the Mischabel Massif that peak over 4000 m: Strahlhorn (4190 m), Allalinhorn (4027 m) and Rimpfischhorn (4199 m).

Situated in the upper Rhone Valley, 10 km north-east of Brig, the small village of Mörel is the departure point for the cable cars to Riederalp and the Hohfluh and Moosfluh viewpoints on the Aletsch Glacier.

Highest mountain pass with paved road in Switzerland, 2,478 m (8,130 ft) above the sea. It connects Ulrichen (Wallis/Valais) to Airolo (Ticino/Tessin). Open June-October.

The forest of Finges (Pfynwald in German) is one of the largest pine forests in Central Europe. It is located in the Rhône Valley and marks the border between the French-speaking and German-speaking parts of Valais. It is a nature reserve of national importance, home to an exceptional wealth of species.

Spectacular geological formations rise above the torrent that marks the language border between the French-speaking Valais and the German-speaking Upper Valais.

Saas-Almagell is the last of the three villages lined up along the Saastal, the valley above which the famous destination of Saas Fee is perched.

Saas-Balen is the first of the three villages lined up along the Saastal, the valley above which the famous destination of Saas Fee is perched.

High above the Saastal, Saas Fee is like Zermatt a village without cars, at the foot of 13 mountains over 4,000 m above sea level.

When driving from Visp towards Zermatt, in Stalden the alpine valley divides in two: the right branch is the Mattertal, climbing to Zermatt and the Matterhorn, and the left branch is the Saastal, nicknamed Free Republic of Holidays.

Salgesch (Salquenen in French) is a wine-growing village on the language border to the east of Sierre and the Finges Woods (Pfynwald). It is an exceptional wine-growing region, producing some of Switzerland's finest vintages, which have won numerous international awards.

This high mountain pass connects Brig (Wallis/Valais) to Domodossola (Italy). Highest point is 2,006 m (6,578 ft) above sea level and it is open all year long.

Halfway between Sierre and Visp, the village of Turtmann goes almost unnoticed, revealing its charms only when you move away from the main road. To the south of the village, a 42m-high waterfall marks the entrance to the Turtmanntal, a wild and little-known valley.

A village in the Goms Valley (Vallée de Conches), above Fiesch. Start of the Nufenen (Novena) Pass connecting Wallis (Valais) to Ticino (Tessin).

Situated between Salgesch and Leuk, Varen (Varonne in French) is a small wine-growing village whose vintages have nothing to envy those of its famous neighbour Salgesch, even if they are much less well-known.

Visp (in French Viège) is a town in the German-speaking part of Valais, at the lower end of the Mattertal and Saastal valleys climbing to Zermatt and Saas Fee.

Probably the best known Swiss place in the whole world: situated at the foot of the Matterhorn (Cervin), the most picturesque mountain of Europe, it is an ideal starting point to discover the highest peaks of the Alps, some 4,000 m above sea level.