Maderanertal

The Maderanertal runs east from Amsteg into the Uri Alps, narrow and steep-sided, with the Chärstelenbach falling through it and side streams coming off the walls in a series of falls that give the valley its reputation. At its head stand the Oberalpstock and the Hufi glacier. The Hotel Alpenclub, opened in the 1860s, was one of the earliest purpose-built mountain hotels in Switzerland and drew British alpinists in the golden age of climbing; it still operates seasonally and is reached on foot. Because there is no through road and the valley ends in glaciers rather than a pass, it never developed - which is why it stays as quiet as it does within an hour of the Gotthard corridor.

What you actually see

• Waterfalls off both walls - side streams dropping into the main valley.
• An 1860s mountain hotel - among the first built for Alpine visitors.
• The Hufi glacier at the head - the ice closing the valley.
• No through road - a dead-end valley that never developed.

When to go

Late June to early October. A day, or overnight at the hotel or a hut.

Honest expectations

Access involves postbus and either a cable car with limited hours or a long uphill walk. The hotel is seasonal and simple, and reached on foot. There are no shops in the valley. Paths are steep and rough beyond the first stretch.

Nearby

Amsteg is at the mouth; Altdorf and Lake Lucerne are north.