A visit to Switzerland is incomplete without a trip to the alps, and provided visibility is clear, a climb to one of the mountain summits is essential for spectacular views. But the question is, which mountain should you scale? The Eggishorn is one of the less well-known mountains, but makes a great place to visit. Read on to find out why!
360 Degree Views Of The Alps
Thanks to it’s location in the middle of the Canton of Valais, the Eggishorn offers spectacular 360 degree views of some of the most famous mountains in the Alps. On a clear day, you’ll be able to see as far as Mont Blanc in France, the Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch, and a brilliant view of the iconic Matterhorn, of Toblerone fame.
Keen photographers would be wise to pack their telephoto lenses. While I was able to get some great snaps with a pair of 42 and 75mm full frame equivalent lenses, a telephoto lens would have been ideal to get a clearer shot of the Matterhorn from one of it’s best sides.
See The Aletch Glacier
The Aletch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps, being about 23 miles long. Take a look on Google Maps, however, and you may be unconvinced – the huge glacier looks uncannily like a single track road, thanks to two darker ‘tracks’ running down the length of it, so from some photos, the scale of the thing is unclear, and looks as though it’s in the foreground.
Turn up in person, however, and you’ll get a true sense of the scale of the glacier. This thing is massive.
The Eggishorn is one of the more popular spots to view the glacier and offers a great view of it, plus you’ll find some hiking paths starting from the upper cable car spot if you want to have a wander and view it from other angles.
The Cable Car Is (Relatively) Cheap
It can be quite expensive to take the easy way up a mountain in Switzerland. Taking the steam railway up the Rothorn mountain, for example, can cost a whopping 92 Swiss Francs for tourists without a half price discount card for the Swiss Railways. Aside from walking, there’s no other way up aside from walking, which isn’t ideal if you’re on a tight deadline.
The Schilthorn meanwhile, of James Bond fame, can cost up to a whopping 105 Swiss Francs for a return cable car ticket. Again, discounts are available for EuRail Pass ticket holders and Swiss railways card holders, but still it’s very expensive.
Meanwhile on the Eggishorn, the highest price ticket to the top is 45 Francs, taking the cable car from the village of Fiesch right to the summit. You can also hike part way up and get a cheaper ticket from the station in the middle.
A Cosy Restaurant At The Top
Want to spend a bit more time admiring the views? Feeling a bit peckish also? Then you’re in luck, the cosy Horli-Hitta restaurant at the Eggishorn summit has you covered with traditional Swiss fondue and other local specialities. There’s room for just 35 inside, but really you’ll want to be sat outside with up to 150 seats available, provided you bring a warm jacket and gloves. And if not, you can always get your beer coat on!
…And These Peculiar Rock Piles
Are they made by man or mother nature? Who knows, but either way, they make nice photo subjects!
Getting There
To get to the Eggishorn mountain, first take the mainline train to Brig, then switch to the smaller narrow gauge train which will take you deeper into the alps. After passing through the hilariously-named town of “Bitsch” (no, really), you’ll reach Fiesh. Follow the sign posts to the cable car station and buy a ticket to the top.
One of the great things about public transport in Switzerland is that it’s all interconnected, which means there’s just enough time to change trains at Brig, and enough time at Fiesh for the short walk across town to buy a ticket for the very next cable car up.
Have you visited the Eggishorn? Or do you prefer a different mountain in the Alps for it’s views? Let us know in the comments!