The Furka Pass leads from Realp in the Urserental to Glacier resp. Oberwald in the Goms in the Upper Valais. The Furkapassstrasse is closed in winter, like the earlier Furka railway line. With the breakthrough of the Furka Base Tunnel, a winter-safe railway connection through the Furka became possible, and motor vehicles can also cross the Furka in winter by car transport.
background
The Furkapass between the to the canton Uri belonging Urserental and the Upper Valais leads over a pass between 1 Blauberg and Furkastock resp. 2 Furkahorn. The top of the pass is at 2429 m, behind a small bump next to the road it would be 2424 m, the height of 2436 m indicated at the top of the pass is the one that was noted on the old Siegfried map.
The pass was already crossed in Roman times, at that time a connection was necessary between the Upper Valais and the Vorderrheintal, both of which belonged to the Raetia province of the Roman Empire.
In the early Middle Ages, the Furka Pass marked the border between the areas of the dioceses Chur and Manners, the area of the Urserentals belonged to the lands of the monastery Disentis and was populated by Romansh. In the 12th century wandered from the Valais the Walser, promoted the settlement of the Urserentals and soon formed a majority at the Disentis Monastery. There was a lively exchange of salt (to Valais) and wine, grain and fur in the opposite direction via the Furka, which was mentioned again and again in customs negotiations and contracts. For Central Switzerland, the traffic over the Furka was particularly important in times of war with blockages in the valley paths, all the more so when the Upper Valais turned to the Swiss Confederation around 1403/17.
From the cantons Uri and [Wallis]], the Furka crossing was expanded into a driveway in 1863/66, from 1867 stagecoaches operated here, which in 1920 were taken over by the postbus service with its distinctive yellow vehicles. Traffic was intensified in 1895 with the construction of the road connection over the Grimsel Pass. In 1830 the first guest house was built in Gletsch, and from 1956 onwards, the Seiler family, among others, built several hotels in the region.
In 1907/08 the Federal Council granted a concession for a railway between Brig and Disentis granted. In 1915 Gletsch was reached from the Valais side, and construction work had to be stopped due to financial shortages. In 1925/26, construction work on the newly founded Furka-Oberalpbahn was completed and regular rail operations began in the summer months. It was only with the construction of the Furkabasistunnel in 1982, which, thanks to the enormous cost overrun, gained inglorious fame as the expensive "Furkaloch", was a winter-safe railway connection with car transport to the Urserental and beyond Andermatt possible.
In 1964 the James Bond film "Goldfinger" was shot on the Furka Pass.
Regions
Be from the Furkapass Goms in Upper Valais and the plain Urserental connected on the northern flank of the Gotthard massif, from Glacier at the beginning of the ascent of the Furka consists of thanks to the Grimpsel Pass a connection to the Bernese Oberland.
The Furka forms a watershed between the Rhonethat flows into the Mediterranean, and the Rhinethat drains into the North Sea.
Route
On the outskirts of Oberwald The Furkapassstrasse climbs rapidly in wide hairpin bends and runs in the area of the Eischflüeh above the valley of the young Rhone. After a few more turns is Glacier reached, on the north side of the valley you can see the Seprentines of the ascent to Grimsel Pass. The Furkastrasse crosses the Rohe again after Gletsch and climbs in serpentines on the right resp. southern side of the valley and runs above the valley of the young Rhone resp. des Rotten, as the river is called in its uppermost section. At the Oberalpenstafel, the Furka mountain line crosses the former Furka-Oberalpbahn, which is still in operation as a museum line in the summer months for fans of the Furka steam train.
Now another ascent in serpentines begins, at the Hotel Belvérère there is access to the ice grotto in the Rhone glacier from which the Rhone arises. After a short distance with a rewarding vantage point at a parking space, the car park at the top of the pass is reached.
The route continues on the northern slope above the valley past the Hotel Tiefenbach. At the Berghotel Galenstock, below are military ones Fortifications in the mountain, the switchbacks of the descent begin after Realp.
Tourist Attractions
- 1 Hotel Belvedere, 3999 Belvédère / Obergoms. Tel.: 41 (0)27 973 11 29, Email: [email protected]. At the Hotel Belvédère there is a car park and a post bus stop, this is where the route to the glacier grotto, which is carved out of the ice every year, begins. During the year, the glacier ice descends 30-40 m, the glacier tongue ends in a small lake. Kiosk with souvenirs and buvette, the hotel is currently closed.Open: June - OctoberPrice: 9.00 / 6.00 Fr.
- 2 Exhibition space with a nice view over that Goms
- 3 Kurka - top of the pass, Starting point for hikes; Parking spot.
- 1 Hotel Furkablick, seasonally managed inn. Facilities used by the military on the opposite side of the street.
- 1 Mountain hotel Tiefenbach, 6491 Realp. Tel.: 41 (0)41 887 13 22, Fax: 41 (0)41 887 00 70, Email: [email protected]. Mountain hotel, telephone reservations recommended in the off-season.
- 2 Mountain hotel Galenstock, Furkapass-Strasse, 6491 Realp. Tel.: 41 (0)41 887 17 60.
activities
- Hiking and climbing in the area of the Furka and the Urserental, for example on the Vier Quellen and the Furka - Höhenweg.
- Visit of Glacier grotto at the Hotel Bevédère
security
The top of the pass is in a high alpine area, the pass road is not winter-proof; In spring and autumn, the roads are often covered with snow after snowfall and you must bring winter equipment, winter tires and, if necessary, snow chains with you.
trips
literature
- Four sources - way on the website of Wanderland Schweiz
- Furka - high trail on Switzerland as a hiking region
