Via Alpina
Reported OSM superroute: SchweizMobil national hiking route 1, Via Alpina, Vaduz (FL) to Montreux, 379.5 km OSM 2-D. Vertical figures sampled from Copernicus GLO-30.
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Distance 379.5 km Reported · Ascent Computed · High point Computed · 20d · SAC T3 · Challenging (high alpine passes)
Cite this record
The Hiking World, Via Alpina, verified 2026-10-07, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/via-alpina-ch
How we verify · last checked 2026-10-07
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Forecast at page generation, 2026-10-26T10:10:33.000Z
Representative point on Via Alpina: 46.683°, 8.157°, about 2760 m. A forecast, not a trail-surface reading.
At generation: 1°C, Overcast.
- 2026-10-26 Overcast, -6–3°C
- 2026-10-27 Overcast, 1–7°C
- 2026-10-28 Overcast, -2–1°C
Source Open-Meteo. Mountain weather changes with elevation and aspect.
Life-safety notices on this page come from the issuer.
Border logistics
SchweizMobil / MySwitzerland stage 1 starts at Vaduz (Gaflei, Liechtenstein) and continues into Switzerland. Carry a passport. Foreign geometry beyond this record is not published here.
myswitzerland.com · verified 2026-09-09Altitude weather delta
High 2,760 m minus low 379 m is 2,381 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 15.5 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.
That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.
derived:lapse-rate · computed 2026-09-10 · provisionalISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10
Map loads when this section is on screen.
GeoJSONLine download is the stored OSM geometry, simplified. It is not a surveyed GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON
Cumulative ascent not published — stored line geometry is too coarse for a reliable DEM figure.
Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog
Challenging (high alpine passes)
- SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade)
- Mountain hiking. Continuous trail, some steep ground, sure-footedness helpful. through Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
- YDS Class 2
- Class 2. Simple scrambling, occasional use of hands.
Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 12359033 (ODbL). The mapped line and 2D length are derived from that geometry. Ascent, descent, and high/low points are sampled from Copernicus GLO-30 (copernicus-dem:glo-30) and remain provisional. Water, permits, and hazards were not taken from OSM tags and must be verified.
OSM 2D length is 379.5 km (relation 12359033; type=superroute, ref=1, network=nwn, operator=Wanderland Schweiz, from=Vaduz, to=Montreux). Numbered stages 1–20 stitched; stage 20 (Rochers de Naye→Montreux, relation 14249124) carries the official etappe URL rather than a stage= tag. lengthKm is verified: 379.5 km is within 3% of the official 390 km (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-1; https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/route/via-alpina/, 390 km / 20 stages / 23,500 m ascent, checked 2026-09-09). Official km is the ±3% cross-check, not this DataPoint. The OSM line starts in Liechtenstein (Gaflei/Vaduz); first stage crosses FL→CH.
DEM high 2,760 m is an alpine-pass sample (official stages include Hohtürli / Sefinafurgga). GLO-30 cumulative ascent 18,065 m is the same order as the official 23,500 m figure (same MySwitzerland table, checked 2026-09-09). High point left as Copernicus.
Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction). Villages and SAC/private huts exist; they were not positioned from an official named list this pass.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Permits & fees
Permits, closures, and hazards on this page are a citation, not a substitute for the issuer’s current notice.
No permit required.
Getting there
Sourced legs to the Gaflei / Vaduz (OSM line start) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.
Rail · Zurich (ZRH) → Sargans / Vaduz
Zurich Airport is the usual international air gateway for eastern Switzerland and Liechtenstein (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurich_Airport, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA). SBB continues to Sargans; stage 1 of SchweizMobil route 1 starts at Gaflei above Vaduz (https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/route/via-alpina/, checked 2026-09-09). Carry a passport: the OSM line starts in Liechtenstein.
en.wikipedia.org · verified 2026-09-09 · wikidata · official · provisionalRail · Montreux → Geneva (GVA)
The OSM line ends in Montreux. SBB serves Montreux on the Lake Geneva shore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA); Geneva Airport is the usual western air gateway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_Airport, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA).
en.wikipedia.org · verified 2026-09-09 · wikidata · official · provisional
No walking permit on the Swiss public Wanderland network (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland, checked 2026-09-09). SAC and private hut booking is logistics.
Plan from your location
Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.
Getting there car-free
- Gaflei / Vaduz (OSM line start): car-free flag unknown.
- Montreux (OSM line end): car-free flag yes.
Trailheads
- Gaflei / Vaduz (OSM line start) car-free: unknown
SchweizMobil / MySwitzerland stage 1 starts at Vaduz (Gaflei, FL) (https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/route/via-alpina/, checked 2026-09-09). Carry a passport. Sargans is the usual Swiss rail hub for the first Swiss valley.
- Montreux (OSM line end) car-free: yes
Official finish at Montreux on Lake Geneva (same MySwitzerland page, checked 2026-09-09). SBB serves Montreux (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux, checked 2026-09-09, CC BY-SA).
Hazards
- Alpine weather and high passes: official 23,500 m of ascent over 20 stages, with mountain stages in the eastern Alps and Bernese Oberland (https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/route/via-alpina/, checked 2026-09-09). Snow can linger on high passes into early summer.
- No walking permit on the Swiss public Wanderland network; SAC and private hut booking is logistics, not a trail permit (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland, checked 2026-09-09). There is no walking fee on that page.
Questions
Do I need a permit for Via Alpina?
No trail permit is listed as required on this record for Via Alpina.
When is the best time to hike Via Alpina?
On this record the best season is: May–October (MySwitzerland / SchweizMobil).
How difficult is Via Alpina?
Via Alpina is graded MySwitzerland: technical Medium, physical Difficult · SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 2. A sourced hazard on this record: Alpine weather and high passes: official 23,500 m of ascent over 20 stages, with mountain stages in the eastern Alps and Bernese Oberland (https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/experiences/route/via-alpina/, checked 2026-09-09). Snow can linger on high passes into early summer.
How long is Via Alpina?
The OSM 2-D length on this record is 379.5 km (verified). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
How do I get to Via Alpina?
The record’s base start is Gaflei / Vaduz (OSM line start). A primary gateway on the record is Zurich Airport (ZRH). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.
Related trails
- Alpine Panorama Trail · Switzerland national routes
- Trans Swiss Trail · Switzerland national routes
- ViaGottardo · Switzerland national routes
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- Au fil du Doubs · Switzerland