Four Sources Trail

Tip
85.53 km long
Difficulty: difficult
Condition: difficult
Great panorama
Long distance hiking trail
  • 27:50 h
  • 85.53 km
  • 4,553 m
  • 4,326 m
  • 1,353 m
  • 2,776 m
  • 1,423 m
  • Start: Andermatt
  • Destination: Furka Pass, Belvédère
The hike in the Gotthard massif leads to the four sources Rhine, Reuss, Ticino, and Rhone. For overnight stays, mountain huts directly on the route or hotels in the nearby villages are available.

The Four Sources Trail is an alpine hiking trail of about 85 kilometers in length. Over five daily stages, hikers discover besides the sources of four significant rivers also crystal-clear mountain lakes, bubbling streams, and rocky passes into further valleys. You walk through wide plains with mossy areas or green alp pastures with grazing cows. Depending on the season, the variety of flowers around Tomasee or the colorful larch forests in Val Bedretto are impressive. But not only the landscapes change, but also the languages. The first coffee at Oberalppass is ordered in German, a little later you are greeted in Maigelshütte with a Romansh "Bien di". When hiking beyond Lucendropass, you find yourself in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland: Benvenuti in Ticino. The route ends in the canton of Valais, where hikers face one last ascent to the Belvédère at Furka Pass. The view of the Rhone Glacier is a final highlight.

Good to know

Pavements

Street
Trail
Path

Best to visit

suitable
Depends on weather

Directions

Andermatt - Oberalppass - Tomasee - Vermigelhütte - Piz Giübin - Gotthardpass - Lago Lucendro - Piansecco - Nufenenpass - Obergesteln - Rhone Glacier

Tour information

  • Cultural Interesting

  • Nature Highlight

  • Stop at an Inn

Equipment

  • Weather-appropriate clothing
  • Good footwear
  • Hiking poles are recommended

Directions & Parking facilities

Andermatt is very well accessible from all four directions in summer and is therefore a pleasant starting point. 

It is recommended to park in Andermatt or Realp. 

The starting point Andermatt is the connection point of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and is therefore very well accessible by train. Also from the end point, the Rhone Glacier, it is reachable by post bus. The timetable is as follows: SBB Timetable

Additional information

Four Sources Trail

Package offer from Eurotrek

Author

Andermatt-Urserntal Tourismus GmbH

Organization

Région de vacances Andermatt

Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author

  • Sasso San Gottardo
  • Gotthard Pass National Museum

Safety guidelines

Observe trail closures and weather forecasts. In the Alps, weather changes can occur quickly. 

Our recommendations

CC-BY |  Valentin Luthiger, Ferienregion Andermatt
CC-BY-ND |  Valentin Luthiger, Ferienregion Andermatt
© Ferienregion Andermatt

Nearby

Contact

Four Sources Trail
6490 Andermatt