Spectacular View Hike from Oberalp Pass to Andermatt via Lake Lutersee

Thursday July 9, 2026 -- Today we traveled to the Oberalp Pass, a favourite location for us to hike, although in the meantime we've covered almost all the hiking trails there!

Back in July 2020, we started at the pass and hiked up on the north side to a crossing called Fellilücke (Felli Gap), from where we headed westward in the direction of Andermatt, passing an alpine lake called Lutersee. At that time we had not been aware of a new cable-way having been recently built, which takes you up even higher than the Fellilücke which we had hiked up to. Additionally, a new themed trail called the "Walserweg Gottardo" has been created (a total 215 km trail which follows the exodus of the Walser peoples), a section of which passes exactly up here from the Oberalp Pass to Andermatt. As we had not yet walked this trail, that was the plan for the day.

Along the way the trail passes via the fabulous wind-turbine park at Gütsch, where there are now four more turbines than when we were last here in 2020. The new trail down to the Nätschen train station was fabulous, and although our original plan was to get the train at Nätschen, we decided last-minute to actually walk all the way down to Andermatt. Even though this was a large descent, the zigzag trail through shaded barrier forest is so well laid-out that you barely have the feeling you are descending.

This was a fantastic hike, perfect visibility and grandiose views all around! And another beat-the-heat day, not altogether too far to travel. (Well, about 3 hours to get to the Oberalp Pass, but less than two hours to get back home from Andermatt). 

Leaving home at 7:10, we had switched trains in Andermatt and were headed up toward the Oberalp Pass by 9:40. This is the view over the city of Andermatt and up the Urseren Valley, where we had also recently done a hike on June 21. 

Arriving at the Oberalp Pass at 10:00. We have started many hikes from here! Today we are going to ride the Schneehüenerstock gondola. 

The fairly new Schneehüenerstock gondola cable-way (completed in 2017 with an investment of 130 million francs to expand the Andermatt-Sedrun ski region) will take us up to an altitude of 2590 meters above sea level. 

By 10:15 we were on the way up!

View over Lake Oberalp (Oberalpsee) as we head up the mountain with the gondola cable-way. 

There is actually a middle-station at about 2400 meters where you can immediately start on the "Walserweg Gottardo" trail, but we want to ride to the top and walk down from there. We've never been up here before. 

There is a view terrace and a restaurant up here at the summit station, which we reached at 10:30

View down to the lake (Lutersee) and the trail above it, which we are now going to walk westward in the direction of Andermatt. Fantastic view over the entire Gotthard Alps from here. In this direction we are looking over Canton Uri.

Looking south to the Oberalp Pass, which is the Canton Border of Uri and Graubünden/Grisons, and these mountains we are looking at are Canton Graubünden. (Off the photo to the right is where the Rhine River has its source). 

Still some snow up here!

A walk around the site of the summit station of the Schneehüenerstock cable-way. 

And now we are headed off down the hill to join Trail no.62: "Walserweg Gottardo". It should take 25 minutes to get to the lake, and about 2½ hours to Nätschen railway station, which was our original plan, but not by the directest route. 

We love these barren, rocky, high-altitude landscapes. 

(Side note: There is another cable-way directly into the peak above here, which has to do with the military.... the mountains here are full of military tunnels). 

Starting at 10:40 at the summit station of the Schneehüenerstock Express Cable-way, we first made our way down to the high trail no.62: "Walserweg Gottardo", then walked an easy level trail to the Gütsch Wind Park, then on a very lovely zigzag trail all the way to Andermatt, which we reached at 3:30 p.m. The total descent of over 1200 meters was not at all strenuous.  

Another view into the Bündner Alps. 

This high up, the landscape is really just a pile of rocks!

There were actually quite a few people up here, so we took our first break here with a view of the lake, to let some of the people pass us by!

Actually, we had an early picnic lunch here at 11:15 a.m. 

Down below we can see the trail we recently walked on from Oberalp Pass to Andermatt in October 2025. 

Also way down below, we see the train making its way between Andermatt and the Oberalp Pass. 

Continuing on down now, always with the lake in our sights. 

Lovely to see some colour up here. 

Totally enjoying this beautiful day! It was a perfect choice to come here. 

By 11:30 we had joined the easy mountain road now, which forms part of the themed trail no.62: "Walserweg Gottardo". 

A short description of Stage 10 of the "Walserweg Gottardo" Trail, which we are walking, but in the opposite direction. (We did the section from Lake Lutersee to Oberalp via Felli Gap back in July 2020, but also in the other direction). The full themed trail which passes through part of Italy is 215km long, from Binntal in Wallis to St.Martin in Graubünden.

When we were here in 2020, we hiked down to the lake (Lutersee), walked along the south shore, then continued on a trail lower down. This time we are passing the lake on its northern side, along a wider mountain road. At that time it was also a hot day, and there were many families here picnicking and swimming in the lake.  

Next goal is the cable-car at Stöckli, 50 minutes from here. It is now 11:35. (We made it there by 12:30, but also had a long rest here near the lake!)

The easy trail (a mountain road, probably used by the military) on the north side of Lake Lutersee. 

Always a pleasure to find flowering Alpine Roses. 

Another 15-minute break to admire the view and let a group of very loud hikers pass us!

Up ahead we can see the summit station of the Gütsch-Andermatt cable-way, and a first glimpse of one of the magnificent wind turbines. 

Usually this kind of road is too monotonous for us, but we had no choice and at least it wasn't hot! (It was a 3-km stretch from where we joined this trail, to the wind park.) 

Directly to the south and down below is the alpine valley where the train from the Gotthard-Matterhorn railway makes its way between Andermatt and the Oberalp Pass. You can also see the valley trail which we have walked twice. And the mountain directly ahead is called Pazolastock, which Urs crossed with a young visitor we had in August 2018 (I did not go along). On the other side of the Pazolastock is Lake Toma, the source of the Rhine River. 

Lovely Arnica flowers. 

Looking behind us at the "bizarre" peaks of the Uri Alps. 

We reached the summit station of the Gütsch-Andermatt cable-way at 12:30. At first we thought we might stop and have lunch here at the restaurant, but Urs checked it out, and it was too fancy for us. 

From here you can hike down to the Nätschen station of the Gotthard-Matterhorn line (which is basically what we did on the July 2020 hike), but we continued westward into the wind park. 

Absolutely stunning views up here to the Uri Alps, specifically the Damma Glacier directly ahead (center of the photo). 

There were seven turbines up here, four more than when we were here in 2020. 

Magnificent structures up here where there is wind to be harnessed. The computerized turbines measure the direction of the wind, the motor then turns the propeller to the ideal position and locks it in place. There is only a slight whirring when this happens, and otherwise it's beautifully quiet!

This entire site with the seven turbines is set up with a loop trail which takes you to various information points. 

The sign off the main trail indicates that there is a view spot to the north from where we can get views into the upper Reuss Valley. So that was a good place for us to head to for our second picnic break!

We found a good spot to have our picnic lunch (second one), with superb views down into the Reuss Valley!

Upper Reuss Valley below. 

Just below us is a building which we had walked down to last time we were here. There is a actually a trail on this side of the mountain which you can walk down all the way to Göschenen. 

VIDEO:

Panorama View from our look-out point

(Shaky video because I am walking with my camera)

While observing all the mountains in our field of view, Urs spotted the Swiss Alpine Club Hostel Salbithütte, a tiny speck in the huge landscape!

And a little closer to us, in the Göschener Valley, we could also just make out the Bergseehütte, one of four mountain huts in this valley. 

Spectacular. 

Time to head on to the last part of our hike, our descent toward Nätschen and ultimately Andermatt. 

Up ahead is a brand new trail created here in the Wind Park, which we followed this day. 

Another spectacular view down into the Urseren Valley and the city of Andermatt directly below. Ultimately, we decided to hike all the way down there. And at the far back is the Furka Pass. 

A lovely and very easy new trail has been created here. 

To the south is another side valley called the Unteralp Valley. 

That mountain directly to the west is a large military site with loads of tunnels and bunkers!

A look behind us as we start on our descent. 

Directly below us is the Nätschen train station on the Gotthard-Matterhorn line, and the middle station of the Gütsch-Andermatt gondola cable-way. On our 2020 hike we had descended from the wind-park along the road below, but this time we are following the new trail more to the west. 

Zoomed view of the Glacier Express Train waiting at the Nätschen station for a regional train which is currently on its way up from Andermatt (the trains cross here as there is only a single track on each side of this station). 

Another spectacular view in the direction of the Schöllenen Gorge below, and the Damma Glacier at the back of the Göschener Valley.

So pleasant to walk through the flowering meadows up here. 

Now we have joined the older and original trail from Nätschen to Andermatt. 

Zoomed view of the Damma Glacier further to the north. 

We then reached the steep hillside above Andermatt, where there are a large number of avalanche fences, both made out of wood and steel. 

Avalanche fences to protect the town of Andermatt. 

Looking down at the new "suburb" of Andermatt, built and financed by the Egyptian businessman and billionaire Samih Sawiris, who is building luxury vacation apartments here. There are still many cranes set up here, a sign that it's not done yet. It looks awful....very tight and crowded and no views at all. 

Here we still had the option to head to the train station at Nätschen, but we would have had to hurry to make the next hourly train. So we decided to continue to Andermatt, just 20 minutes more but with better train connections!

What a fun and weird chair set up here on the mountainside!

Some of the avalanche fences are made of wood, but these deteriorate over time. 

Below the avalanche fences is a specially-planted forest called a "Bannwald", or Barrier Forest, also an "artificial" avalanche barrier. As the forest grows, the other barriers/fences can be removed, especially the ones made of wood, which deteriorate over time. 

The nice trail zigzagged down the steep hillside in such a way that you didn't really notice the descent!

Not much further to go!

The trail below was maybe the steepest section!

One single small steep section along the trail where a chain handhold was necessary. 

A hillside of high-growth meadow flowers! This might be mown eventually, but it was a treat to walk through here.

Nearing the end of our hike now . 

Above us a wild growth of meadow plants. 

At 3:30 p.m. we reached the valley bottom at Gütsch-Andermatt Gondola Station, right across the street from the railway station. We have enough time to buy refreshments, as the train for our less-than-two-hour trip back home leaves at 15:50. The end of a wonderful and successful day hike with perfect weather.

While waiting inside the train which we will take down to Göschenen through the Schöllenen Gorge, we watch a group of very exhausted Americans board the Glacier Express for the trip to Zermatt (the group at the back). We though the group of Asian tourists would also board, but they just came to take photos of the train, and then they headed back to the station again.

A favourite photo of the Devil's bridge as the train makes its way down the Schöllenen Gorge. (A 15-minute trip)

A view of the vehicle road in the Schöllenen Gorge.

Reaching Göschenen at 16:06 for the transfer to the train heading north in the direction of Zurich. We were back home by 5:45 p.m., a total trip of less than two hours!

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps

These are the hikes we have done between the Oberalp Pass and Andermatt, and the Schöllenen Gorge. In 2020 we hiked up from the Oberalp Pass (yellow trail) to the Felli Gap, then to the Luter Lake, and on a lower trail to the Gütsch wind park, and then on a "road" down to Nätschen.

Location of the Oberalp Pass within Switzerland.