An altitude of more than 2.165 meters above sea level, a long and winding road capable of making the most experienced driver dizzy and breathtakingly beautiful views of the Alps. With these ingredients one of the most spectacular corners of Switzerland is cooked: Grimsel mountain pass, in German grimselpass.
This road connects the towns of innertkirchen, belonging to the canton of Bern, and Glacier, of the canton of Valais. At the top of this mountain passage the dividing line is drawn between the river basins of the Rhine and the Rhone (in fact it is very close to the source of the Rhone River). A few kilometers meters before reaching the top it extends the Grimselsee glacial lake, another wonderful alpine postcard that makes almost all tourists stop the car.
But for many people, the landscapes are not Grimsel's great claim, but the road itself that leads to it. Yes, this mountain route, opened to traffic in 1894, is 33 kilometers long and has a marked slope of 10%.
Another of the most famous lakes of the ascent to the Grimselpass is located at the same top: the Totensee (Lake of the Dead), whose name comes from the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Another highlight on this excursion is the Grimsel Hospice, an inn already mentioned in ancient historical documents from the XNUMXth century that was transformed into a cozy hotel a few years ago. From its balconies you can enjoy a beautiful view of the lake and Mount Lauteraarhorn. A gift that compensates for the annoyance of the thousand and one curves of the road.