Oberalp Pass

2046 m a.s.l. / Andermatt - Sedrun

The Oberalp Pass leads from Andermatt through the Surselva region to Disentis. The Oberalp is the easiest pass to cross, which is why it was favoured by the first settlers on their way to Andermatt.

The gentle climb from Andermatt up to the summit of the pass at 2046 m a.s.l. offers some spectacular views over the whole of the Urseren valley and the Gemsstock. The Mattherhorn Gotthard railway line also travels over the top of the pass. It’s here that the Glacier Express panorama train reaches the highest point on its journey from St Moritz to Zermatt.

The turquoise waters of Lake Oberalp make it hard not to linger a while. Go for a walk, a short hike, or fish for fresh trout in the lake.
The top of the pass is also home to the only lighthouse in the Alps – and the highest in the world. The replica lighthouse stands as a symbol of the source of the Rhine, which lies nearby. The original lighthouse is situated at the mouth of the Rhine near Rotterdam.

On the Graubünden side, the road down is a little more winding as it passes the little village of Tschamut and carries on through Sedrun and on to Disentis. It also marks your arrival in a new language region. The Surselva region is predominantly Romansch speaking, and offers a host of culinary delights.

#

Hiking to the source of the Rhine

It’s a 90-minute hike from the Oberalp Pass to Lake Toma, the birthplace of the Rhine, situated at 2345 m a.s.l. Alpine roses, cuckoo flowers, gentians, leucanthemum and white cotton grass border the path and the lake – the water of which is clean enough
to drink.

more info

Login