Oberalp Pass

The Oberalp crosses at 2,044 metres between the Urseren valley and the Surselva, and it is the high point of the Glacier Express route - the railway climbs it with a rack section and keeps running through winter when the road is closed, which is why the pass is better known to rail passengers than to drivers. Above the summit lies Lai da Tuma, the Tomasee, a small lake generally identified as the source of the Rhine; a path climbs to it in about an hour and a half to two hours from the pass, and the Senda Sursilvana trail follows the young Rhine down from there. A lighthouse stands by the summit lake - a replica of the one at Hoek van Holland, placed here to mark the two ends of the river.

The main sights

• The Glacier Express high point - 2,044 metres, crossed with a rack section.
• The Rhine's source above - Lai da Tuma, about ninety minutes on foot.
• A lighthouse on a mountain - a replica of the Dutch one at the river's mouth.
• A railway that outlasts the road - trains through winter, road closed.

When to go

Late May to October for the road; the train runs all year. Half a day.

Practical notes

The road closes in winter. The walk to the source is uphill on rough ground and holds snow into summer. Facilities at the pass are limited. The lighthouse is a marker, not a working light.

Nearby

Andermatt is west; Sedrun and Disentis are east down the Surselva.

Key facts