From Münster to Niederwald—Along Valley and Pilgrimage Trails Through the Goms Valley

After creating the world, God used his thumb to carve a furrow through the mountains—that’s how people once explained the formation of the Upper Rhône Valley. The Celts likely called it “gumbeta” (a depression in the terrain)—this root has been preserved in the French word “combe” and in the Swiss German term “Chumme” (= cirque, gorge). And in the name of the valley region between the Furka Pass and Grengiols: Goms. Just how poor this area once was is still evident in the tiny fields created by the division of farmsteads. It wasn’t until the 17th century that trade across the pass (as well as the provision of mercenaries) brought a certain economic upswing, which was also used to fund the construction of some 70 Baroque churches and chapels.  

> Before the hike, you should first visit the village center of Münster 1 with its old wooden houses—from the train station, Bahnhofstrasse leads

leads uphill. St. Mary’s Church houses one of the most beautiful Gothic winged altars in Switzerland, along with rich Baroque furnishings and a truly fascinating coffered ceiling. A visit to St. Peter’s Church, St. Margaret’s Chapel, and St. John’s Chapel (ossuary) is also well worth it. On the 1,438-meter-high Biel Hill 2, above the mouth of the Minstigerbach stream, stands a chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, the patron saint who protects against storms. The detour takes about 15 minutes.

From the lower village west of the Minstigerbach, take Eyestrasse toward “Reckingen, Waldweg/Rottenweg,” cross the railroad tracks, and pass the airfield on your way to Rotten. You could hike right next to the river down the valley on the signposted Fischerweg—but even more beautiful is the trail toward “Reckingen,” which climbs briefly to the right just beyond the bridge and then runs slightly above the valley floor through meadows and sparse forest. After about 1 km, you’ll descend slightly again and reach an asphalt road closed to traffic; take the left turn here toward Reckingen 3  (1,317 m, Überrotten district). The village center, with the most impressive Baroque church in Goms and the ossuary chapel, as well as the train station, are located beyond the old, wooden-roofed bridge. 1:00 h.

Now follow the Reckingen-Gluringen nature trail and the signs for “Staalen Chapel, Niederwald,” walking briefly along the Rotten stream and then turning left toward the bridge over the Blinne. On the other side, it’s worth taking a detour to the left through the “Sand” to the next bridge and then turning right uphill to the Kreuzkapelle 4 (1,442 m), which stands 100 m above the valley floor on the Staalen—a dream location! 30 minutes.

Follow the same route back to the first bridge over the Blinne, then turn left before the bridge toward “Schwimmbad.” After passing the sports facility and the campground, follow the Rotten stream for a good 1 km downstream until you reach a power plant, where you’ll cross the Rotten Bridge to the right to reach the Gluringen 5  train station. The picturesque village center (1,334

m) is located across the cantonal road. 1:00 h.

There, follow the signs for “Ritzingen-Biel” and hike along the dirt road to the isolated Chapel of Our Lady on the Ritzingerfeld (1,357 m), the landmark of Obergoms. The trail continues to the upper part of Ritzingen (1,346 m) and on to Biel 6 (1,312 m). The train station is located slightly below the village. 30 minutes.

Between the Baroque church and the dam—which has provided protection against avalanches since 2000—turn right toward the upper part of the village to a forest road that leads through a tunnel and over the Walibach. On the other side, turn left and ascend to Biel (1,376 m). The chapel standing on this hill is dedicated to the hermit Anthony of Egypt. The descent to Selkingen  7  (1,318 m) passes the Mirakelstein and ends in one of the most beautiful villages in the Goms, where sun-bleached houses cluster around the Theodul or Markus Chapel. 30 minutes.

From the western part of the village, turn left onto the Unterer Dorfweg and hike down toward the railroad tracks and the bridge over the Rotten. On the other side, turn right onto a road that runs alongside the river and its gravel banks down the valley to the beautiful, secluded hamlet of Bodme (1,256 m) with its Chapel of the Holy Trinity. From there, it’s worth taking a short detour to the right across the Rotten to Blitzingen 8 (1,297 m, train station). 45 minutes.

The most scenic route to Niederwald continues along the left bank of the Rotten, past Olympia-Sport (Gade Bar). After 700 m, turn right over the bridge toward the railroad tracks. Before the crossing, turn left onto a path that follows the tracks down into the valley. After passing through the railroad and road tunnels, you’ll finally reach the Niederwald 9  train station (1,251 m). In the village center, across from the cantonal road, you can visit an interesting group of houses as well as the parish church of St. Theodul; the César Ritz Fountain commemorates the famous hotel pioneer who was born here

. 45 minutes.