The Rhein-Reuss-Rhone path connects the Surselva in Graubünden with the Lake of Geneva. The 13 stages from Disentis to Saint-Maurice allow us to discover age-old traces of pilgrimage as well as a rich sacred heritage in the midst of unspoiled nature.
A stunning path crosses the Swiss Alps from east to west. It is a Rhine-Rhône line, which only the Reuss divides from its ends. From the charming wooded valley of the fore-Rhine, via the Oberalp Pass over the narrow Urseren Valley, the Furka Pass to the gentle U-shaped valley of Conches, we travel through the mountains at an altitude of over 2000m. Afterwards we are in the Rhone Valley and among its sunny vineyards - close to civilization.
Linguistically, the variety is guaranteed: we start in the Rhaeto-Romanic Surselva, then cross the Oberalp Pass with the ancient Walser language of the Urseren Valley, then after the Furka we meet the upper German-speaking. Finally, we cross the language border into the French language at Finges.
As the mountain passes are closed in winter, the first three stages are only accessible during the summer months.
The 13 steps :
1. Disentis - Oberalppass, 21,14 km, 6h40 of walk
At the end of the 17th century, the convent of Disentis was the first work of Caspar Moosbrugger, who later built the monastery of Einsiedeln.
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2. Oberalppass - Realp, 21,18 km, 5h53 of walk
Hiking along the Lake of Oberalp, through flowering meadows and marshland, a diverse landscape awaits you.
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3. Realp - Gletsch, 15,12 km, 5h25
of walk
The topographic highlight is the Furka Pass at 2430 m above sea level. Gone are the days when Sean Connery shot James Bond's Goldfinger here, when Richard Long and Max Bill gave free rein to their artistic freedom.
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4. Gletsch - Münster, 15,31 km, 4h14
of walk
From Gletsch, the Rhône becomes the inseparable companion of the route to Saint-Maurice. On this itinerary, you will come across the Chapelle Saint-Nicolas as well as a magnificent view of the glacier valley.
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5. Münster - Ernen, 17,52 km, 5h11
of walk
You will cross the country below the railway line, in the direction of Reckingen. Here, in the middle of the 18th century, wood carvers, native painters, organ builders and bell founders built the Church of the Nativity of Mary, the baroque pearl of the Conches Valley. The cantonal road then leads to Gluringen, followed by the Ritzingerfeld Chapel with the Weisshorn in the background.
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6. Ernen - Brigue/Glis, 21,75 km, 6h09
of walk
In Mörel you will pass the children's cemetery in Bitsch and the "Rote Meile" to the Naters' slab of the dead. The bodies of the dead from the hinterland were placed there before the funeral in the church. At the back of St. Maurice's church there is an ossuary which is more than 500 years old. There, thousands of skulls are staring at you through a fence, which remind you this sentence.
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7. Brigue/Glis - Gampel, 27,18 km, 7h12
of walk
The route starts at Glis, which is still the most popular place of pilgrimage in the Upper Valais. Then you will pass through Visp and follow the "Kulturweg" before arriving in Gampel-Steg.
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8. Gampel - Salquenen, 19,75 km, 5h25
of walk
After crossing the Rhone again in front of the Feschel Gorge, you will take the old Gampel-Loèche parish road and arrive in front of the imposing San Sebastian Chapel. Then the destination is Salquenen, where the Knights of St. John kept a main hospice for pilgrims in Valais for 400 years.
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9. Salquenen - Saint-Léonard, 17,19 km, 4h56
of walk
The medieval "pilgrims' centre" of Salquenen is the last German-speaking village on the linguistic border. 13,000 years ago, the enormous Varneralp landslide covered what remains of the former Rhone Glacier and the remnant of the glacier transported the material to Sierre. You will arrive in Saint-Léonard where, during the last great earthquake in Valais in 1946, a cave was formed which created the present underground lake.
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10. Saint-Léonard - Sion, 10,33 km, 2h57
of walk
Dans cet itinéraire vous traverserez la vallée du Rhône et arriverez à l'ermitage de Longeborgne dans les gorges de Bramois. Ensuite, la destination est la ville de Sion où plusieurs lieux culturels et touristiques valent la peine d'y séjourner plus qu'un jour. A l‘entrée de l‘hôtel de ville Renaissance, vous déchiffrerez sur une tablette de pierre romaine, le premier signe de foi chrétienne de Suisse.
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11. Sion - Saillon, 22,55 km, 6h21 of walk
On this stage, you mainly follow the path of the vineyards of Valais. Then, you will arrive at Saint-Pierre-de-Clages where there is an ancient Carolingian-Romanesque church with three naves and an octagonal tower. This is followed by the small medieval village of Saillon, perched on a hill where pilgrims found refuge from robbers and natural dangers at the hospice Saint-Jacques.
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12. Saillon - Martigny, 15,65 km, 4h16 of walk
The penultimate stage Disentis-Saint-Maurice takes you to the end of the path through the vineyards of central Valais. You will stop in Martigny where the Roman Emperor Claudius had the Forum Claudii Vallensium built in 16 districts. Several Roman temples are nowadays in the midst of the Picasso, Matisse, Klee etc. of the Pierre Gianadda Foundation, the most famous museums of Valais.
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13. Martigny - Saint-Maurice, 17,06 km, 4h19 of walk
For this last stage, you will walk from Martigny on the Via Francigena (from Canterbury to Rome) and come across the "Pisse-Vache" waterfall, once the biggest tourist attraction in the Valais for the power of its waterfall. You will then reach the Martyrs' Field of Vérolliez where the soldiers of the Egyptian legion of Thebes, then under Maurice's command, were decimated for refusing to persecute their Christian brothers.
To crown this two-week pilgrimage, visit the abbey church of Saint-Maurice where you will see the archaeological site, the Basilica, the tomb of Maurice, the treasure and the catacombs!
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