Second Half of the Gommer High Trail (Gommer Höhenweg)

Tuesday September 25, 2018 -- All along the Goms Valley from Oberwald at the exit of the Furka Base Tunnel to Bellwald near the Aletschglacier is a 30-km trail called the Gommer High Trail, which is done in two stages (11 km and 18 km) which you can start or end in the quaint Valais village of Münster, about half-way down the valley.

We did the shorter section in November 2016 and had always planned to do the longer section, but because it's not possible for us to do as a day-trip (the second section takes 6 hours to walk) we made it part of a two-day trip, starting in Münster and ending at a hotel in Bellwald (Day 2 was a mountain hike starting with a cable car in Bellwald).

(Here is a link to my album entry for the first half of this trail: Click Here )


We started with a 45-minute tour of the little village of Münster, where we've been several times already but only this time realized there is an "old" part of this "old village" that we had never seen before! The typical structures here are large houses made of dark wood, and loads of tiny barns on raised "mushroom posts" (prevents the mice from accessing the hay) which are currently being renovated into small homes. Some of these structures date at least as far back as 1500, and everywhere you turn, it is QUAINT. I think this has become my favourite Swiss village.

From here a half-hour uphill hike takes you to the same point where we started last time (heading North) except this time we headed South. The trails are very good, mostly narrow trails through forests with the odd view to the villages below in the valley where the young Rhone River (called Rotten here) makes its way toward Lake Geneva. There are many side valleys, and these were the highlight to walk, although each time one side was in deep shadow. And we noticed that all these side valleys were COVERED in Fireweed, but already finished blooming... what a shame! Too late for the purple fireweed, and too early for the yellow larches.

I was very proud of my achievement, 6 hours (19 km) hiking after an hour of village viewing, but a couple of times I really didn't think I could go on, especially on the last uphill stretch. I was glad for dinner and bed and looking forward to the next day, to starting early with the cable car to the lofty elevation of 2875m to look down on the Fiescher Glacier!

The excursion really starts in Andermatt with the Gotthard Matterhorn train, which first takes you through the Urseren Valley to Realp, then through the Furka Base Tunnel to the Goms Valley

Early morning traveling across the Ursuren Valley between Andermatt and Realp

This is the village of Oberwald, at the very top of the Goms Valley after exiting the Furka Base Tunnel. In the back, on the left, is the Rhone Glacier, the feeder for the Rhone River, called Rotten here.

We spent 45 minutes walking around the REAL main part of Münster, which we had not even noticed existed before!

This quaint village of Münster in the Goms Valley Canton Valais is probably my favourite Swiss Village

The sheep had just been brought down from the higher alpine pastures and were being sorted in the village... they belong to various farmers.

Strolling through the village of Münster before heading on our 19-km, 6-hour hike

From Münster it's a 30-minute uphill walk to the Gommer High Trail. Part 1 is to the NE (only 11 km), Part 2 is to the SW, 19 km. Knowing what I know now, we should have added the first side valley to Part 1

A 30-minute uphill climb from Münster to the start of the Gommer High Trail

In the back is Mount Weisshorn, which we glimpsed several times. This peak is 4506m high

The first side valley with the stream called Minstigerbach was my favourite.

Sitting in a field of fireweed, imagining how beautiful this would look all purple-pink!

Below the villages of Reckingen and Gluringen, and the Rotten River making its way toward Lake Geneva.

This is the second side valley with the stream called Reckingerbach. This is where we had our picnic lunch and a nice long break

Each side valley brought us higher from the Goms Valley

Between Gluringen and Biel in the valley bottom stands this little church all by itself

Third side valley, this stream is called Walibach, and on the other side in the shade is a tiny mountain hut called Walihütte where the owners serve drinks, cake and real raclette over an open fire which they have not been allowed to do all summer because of the fire ban here.

It's always exciting when we catch sight of marmots and other wild animals. We also saw a Golden Eagle.

More evidence of the fireweed that bloomed in August

Even though it was in shadow, we decided to stop at the Walihütte for drinks and cake at 4 p.m and a chat with the lady who is up here every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. She can drive to within 15-minutes walk to the hut

At 5 pm we are walking in shadow, but below us the village of Blitzingen still has lovely sunshine

Finally we get to Bellwald at 6 pm and the sun has just set here

This is the view from our hotel balcony in Bellwald. The peaks still in sunshine are where we want to go up the next day, with the cable car you can see through the swathe in the forest. There are actually two cable cars. The hotel gives you a guest card to ride the cable cars for free, and that was the reason we made a 2-day trip out of it.

This is the lower Goms Valley. The 19 km trail from Münster to Bellwald, took us 6 hours. The plan for the next day is to hike to the top of Mount Risihorn for a look at the Fiescher Glacier

Short Winter Walk in the Goms Region, from Münster to Biel

(This post created and published on February 6, 2026)

Saturday February 28, 2015 -- Again, following the weather... it was supposed to be a nice day in the mountains so we decided on a "Winter Walk" in the high plateau / valley called the Goms (in Canton Wallis), where the Rhône River runs down toward Lake Geneva. As it turned out, the weather was not as great as expected, and toward the end of our walk at about 4 p.m. it got quite windy and cold. 

The walk was about 8 km from Münster to Biel. This area is very popular with cross-country skiiers. There are more cross-country ski tracks than walking trails here. 

As our train heads up the Schöllenen Gorge from Göschenen to Andermatt at 11 a.m, the weather is looking quite promising. 

Looking down the Schöllenen Gorge. 

This interesting bridge at the south end of the train tunnel is called the "Devil's Bridge" (Teufelsbrücke). 

In Andermatt we have to change to another train, so we had a bit of time to peek into the snow-covered park next to the train station. With the sunshine, the snow-covered landscape looks so pretty. 

After traveling along the Urseren Valley and through the Furka Base Tunnel, the train then heads southwards along the Goms region. We are starting our walk in the village of Münster, about a third way down the valley, at about 12:30. 

At Reckingen, at about 1¼ hours after the start of our walk in Münster, we crossed the wooden covered bridge over the Rotten River, from the east side to the west side. 

A look back at the Reckingen bridge as we make our way to the train station which is close by. We then changed our minds and decided to continue along the winter trail, as it was really too short of a stretch to walk, having come this far. (About 3¼ hours each way).  

There are some very nice prepared walking trails in this region, although it is mostly popular for cross-country skiing. 

At this point near Gluringen, it is 2:30 p.m. We have come about two hours now from our start in Münster. (Winter walking takes longer than these summer signs indicate). We are walking along a trail called Rottenweg, which is a trail along the Rhone River. In this region, the river is called the Rotten. 

On the other side of the Rotten River, the little red train from the Gotthard-Matterhorn Railway travels along the valley bottom. (We came from Andermatt with such a regional train, and are also riding one on the way back). 

Another bridge crosses the Rotten (Rhone) River here, leading up to the next village called Blitzingen. We are staying on this side and continuing downstream to the next crossing near the train station in Biel.  

The popular Glacier Express train runs along this route from Zermatt to Chur (via Andermatt) and then on to St.Moritz. 

Some curious onlookers!

A typical Valais village in this valley. This one is called Selkingen, and is slightly south of Biel where we are heading to the train station now, which we reached at about 4 p.m. 

Our 8-km walk as seen on Google Satellite Maps (except with a winter landscape). Starting in Münster at about 12:30 p.m., this means we got about 3½ hours of fresh air.  

Location of the Upper Goms Region within Switzerland.