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Satellite image of Switzerland
Satellite image of Switzerland

The Swiss Alps are the central portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland, because of their central position they are also known as Central Alps. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation

The highest summit in the Swiss Alps is the Dufourspitze, at 4,634 metres (15,202 ft) near the Swiss-Italian border. Dufourspitze (4634m (in German, lit Point of Dufour Pointe Dufour (in French) Punta Dufour (in Italian) or Piz da The highest mountain which lies entirely on Swiss territory is the Dom, at 4,545 metres (14,911 ft). Other main summits can be found in the list of mountains of the Alps. This is a list of Mountains of the Alps, ordered by Elevation.

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Contents

Geography

See also: Geography of Switzerland and Valleys of the Alps

Subdivision

Like the Alps the Swiss Alps can be divided into two main parts, the Western Alps and Eastern Alps, whose division is along the Rhine from the lake Bodensee to the Splügen Pass (in Graubünden). Switzerland is a small generally mountainous and landlocked country located in the center of Europe. The main valleys of the Alps, orographically by Drainage basin. The Alps cover a large area This article describes the delimitation of the Alps as a whole and of subdivisions of the range follows the course of the main chain of the Alps and discusses Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Splügen Pass in eastern Switzerland. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Under the designation Lake Constance or Lake of Constance ( German Bodensee) one summarizes the three independent bodies of water Obersee The Splügen Pass ( German: Splügenpass; Italian: Passo dello Spluga; Latin: Cunus Aureus) (el Graubünden or Grisons ( German:, gʁaʊˈbyndən Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun) is the largest and easternmost


Western Alps

Map of the western Swiss Alps
Map of the western Swiss Alps

From west to east, south of Rhône and Rhine:

From west to east, north of Rhône and Rhine:

Eastern Alps

Map of the eastern Swiss Alps
Map of the eastern Swiss Alps

All following mountain ranges are situated in Graubünden, they are part of the Central Eastern Alps except the Ortler Alps which belong to the Southern Limestone Alps. Graubünden or Grisons ( German:, gʁaʊˈbyndən Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun) is the largest and easternmost The Central Eastern Alps are the core ranges of the Eastern Alps with the highest peaks located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern The Ortler Alps (Ortles-Cevedale are a Mountain range in the central Alps of Italy. The Southern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps.

From west to east, north of Mera and Inn river:

From west to east, south of Mera and Inn river:


(*) situated out of the main chain

Hydrography

Piz Lunghin, one of the major watersheds in Europe
Piz Lunghin, one of the major watersheds in Europe
See also: List of lakes in Switzerland and List of rivers in Switzerland

The waters flowing in the Swiss Alps can end up in the North Sea, the western Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea or in the Black Sea. Vicosoprano, Stampa, Bondo, Soglio, Castasegna in Svizzera Villa di Chiavenna, Chiavenna The Inn is a River in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right Tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km The Oberhalbstein Range is a Mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. The Plessur Range is a Mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. The Albula Range is a Mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. The Rätikon is a Mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps located at the border between Vorarlberg, Liechtenstein and Graubünden The Silvretta is a Mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps shared by Tirol, Vorarlberg (both in Austria) and Graubünden The Samnaun Alps are a Mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps, named after the Swiss municipality of Samnaun. Vicosoprano, Stampa, Bondo, Soglio, Castasegna in Svizzera Villa di Chiavenna, Chiavenna The Inn is a River in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right Tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km The Bregaglia Range (commonly the Bregaglia) is a small group of mostly Granite Mountains in Graubünden, Switzerland and The Bernina Range is a Mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. Piz Bernina (4049 m is the highest Mountain of the Eastern Alps. The Livigno Range is a Mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy, around the Italian village Livigno. The Ortler Alps (Ortles-Cevedale are a Mountain range in the central Alps of Italy. The Sesvenna Range is a Mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland, northern Italy and western Austria. The main chain of the Alps is the central line of mountains that forms the Water divide of the range Largest lakes in Switzerland There are 16 Lakes in Switzerland with a surface area larger than 10 km² Lake Geneva (Lac Léman Lac de The following is a list of rivers in Switzerland: The longest Swiss Rivers (> 100 km, only the length in Switzerland Rhine The North Sea is a marginal, Epeiric sea of the Atlantic Ocean on the European Continental shelf. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Switzerland owns 6% of Europe's fresh water, this is why it is sometimes referred as the "water tower of Europe".

Triple watersheds:


Geology

Main article: Geology of the Alps
See also: List of glaciers in Switzerland
Lauterbrunnental Valley in the Bernese Alps, one of the most remarkable examples of U-shaped valley
Lauterbrunnental Valley in the Bernese Alps, one of the most remarkable examples of U-shaped valley

With a few exceptions, the Alps north of Rhone and Rhine river are part of the Helvetic Zone and those on the south side are part of the Penninic nappes. The Alps form a part of a Tertiary orogenic belt of mountain chains called the Alpide belt, that stretches through southern Europe and Asia from the Atlantic This is a non-exhaustive list of the major Glaciers in Switzerland. The Rhone, or the Rhône is one of the major Rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge The Helvetic zone, Helvetic system or the Helveticum is is a geologic subdivision of the Alps The Penninic nappes or the Penninicum are one of three Nappe stacks and geological zones in which the Alps can be divided As first ones are generally composed of hard crystalline rocks , the second ones contains mainly metamorphic rocks. In Materials science, a crystal is a Solid in which the constituent Atoms Molecules or Ions are packed in a regularly ordered repeating Metamorphic rock is the result of the transformation of an existing rock type the protolith, in a process called Metamorphism, which means "change

The last glaciations deeply transformed Switzerland’s landscape, many valleys of the Swiss Alps are characteristically U-shaped due to the erosion of ice. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. After the maximum extension of the Würm glaciation (18,000 years ago) the glaciers retreated to remain only in high mountain areas. "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period Nowadays the Aletsch Glacier in the Bernese Alps is the largest and longest in the Alps, having a length of 23 km and a maximum depth of 900 metres (2953 ft) at Konkordia. Aletsch Glacier, the largest Glacier in the Alps, covers more than 120 square kilometres (more than 45 square miles in southern Switzerland. The Konkordiaplatz, or Concordia, is a large flat area of Snow and Ice lying just to the south of the Jungfrau in the Bernese The whole area became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.


Travel and tourism

Despite the tourism industry, Zermatt has retained much of its traditional character
Despite the tourism industry, Zermatt has retained much of its traditional character
In some large resorts, like Cran-Montana, the tourism industry deeply affected the landscape
In some large resorts, like Cran-Montana, the tourism industry deeply affected the landscape

Tourism in the Swiss Alps began with the first ascents of the main peaks of the Alps (Jungfrau in 1811, Matterhorn in 1856) by British mountain climbers accompanied by the local guides. Tourists are drawn to Switzerland 's Alpine climate and landscapes, in particular for skiing and mountaineering. The Jungfrau ( German: "maiden/virgin" is the highest peak of a mountain Massif of the same name located in the Bernese Oberland region of the Year 1811 ( MDCCCXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year "Cervino" redirects here For the Italian town see Cervino (CE. Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The construction of facilities for tourists started in the mid nineteenth century with the building of hotels and mountain huts (creation of the Swiss Alpine Club in 1863) and the opening of mountain train lines (Mount Rigi in 1873, Gornergrat in 1898). A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis A mountain hut (also known as alpine hut, mountain shelter, and mountain hostel) is a building located in the mountains intended to provide food and The Swiss Alpine Club (German Schweizer Alpen-Club, French Club Alpin Suisse, Italian Club Alpino Svizzero, Romansh Club Alpin Svizzer) is Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Mount Rigi, situated between two of the arms of Lake Lucerne is the home of two Standard gauge Rack railways the Vitznau-Rigi Bahn (VRB and the Arth-Rigi Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Gornergratbahn ( GGB) is a 9 km long gauge mountain Rack railway, with Abt rack system. Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common 1912 was the year of inauguration of the Jungfraubahn which leads to the highest train station in Europe, the Jungfraujoch. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting The Jungfraubahn (JB is an gauge Rack railway electrified at 3-phase 1125 Volts which runs 9 kilometres from Kleine Scheidegg to the highest railway Jungfraujoch (el 3471 m is a col or saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps on the boundary between the cantons

Summer tourism

Switzerland enjoys a network of 62,000 km well-maintained trails among which 23,000 are located in mountainous areas. Many mountains attract a large number of alpinists from around the world, especially the 4000 metres summits. Many tourists also love to take nature hike and photographers love the look of the Swiss Alps. The large winter resorts are also the most appreciated destinations in summer.

Winter tourism

Main article: List of ski areas and resorts in Switzerland

The major destinations for skiing and other winter sports are located in Valais, Bernese Oberland and Graubünden. This is a list of ski resorts in Switzerland. Valais and Vaud Bernese Oberland Central Switzerland Snow skiing is a group of sports utilizing Skis as primary equipment A winter sport is a Sport commonly played during Winter. As a formal term it refers to a sport played on Snow or Ice, but informally can refer The Valais ( German:) is one of the 26 Cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its The Bernese Oberland (Bernese highlands is the higher part of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland, in the south of the canton The area around Lake Thun and Graubünden or Grisons ( German:, gʁaʊˈbyndən Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun) is the largest and easternmost The most visited places are:

Other large winter resorts are:


Transportation

See also: List of mountain passes in Switzerland
The Glacier Express on the Landwasser Viaduct, Albula Range
The Glacier Express on the Landwasser Viaduct, Albula Range

The Swiss Alps and Switzerland enjoy an extensive transportation network. Davos ( Romansh: Tavau, Italian: Tavate is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Grindelwald is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. St Moritz ( German: Sankt Moritz, Romansh: San Murezzan) is an exclusive resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland Zermatt (Praborgne is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Adelboden is a municipality in the district of Frutigen in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. Crans-Montana (also known as Crans sur Sierre) is a Ski resort in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the Valais, located on a plateau above Engelberg is a municipality in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland. Flims (Flem is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Gstaad (kʃtaːd̥ (Population 2500 is a village located ( 1050 m above sea level in the German -speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland Klosters is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Saas-Fee is the main village in the Saastal or the Saas Valley and is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Verbier is a Ski resort in the Swiss Alps, in the canton of Valais. Wengen (1274 m is a village in the Bernese Oberland in central Switzerland. This is a list of Mountain passes in Switzerland. They are generally situated in the Jura Mountains or in the Swiss Alps. The Glacier Express is an express train which connect the two major mountain resorts of St Landwasser Viaduct ( German Landwasserviadukt) is a railway Viaduct on the Rhätische Bahn over the Landwasser River Every mountain village can be reached by public transport, the main companies are:

Most of mountain regions are within 3 hours of travel from Switzerland’s main cities and their respective airport. Being in the center of Europe, Switzerland has a dense network of roads and railways Swiss Federal Railways ( German: SBB Schweizerische Bundesbahnen French: CFF Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses Italian: FFS Ferrovie federali svizzere The RhB (Rhaetian Railway / Rhätische Bahn ( German) / Ferrovia Retica ( Italian) / Viafier Retica ( Romansh) has the The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB is a narrow gauge Railway in Switzerland. The Golden Pass is a train line in the Swiss Alps which connect Montreux to Lucerne. A Postbus is a public Bus service that is operated as part of local Mail delivery These are lists of cities in Switzerland. Municipalities with more than 10000 inhabitants are considered to be "cities" (in German Städte This is a list of Airports in Switzerland, sorted by location The Engadin Valley in Graubünden is usually 4 to 6 hours away from the large cities but the train travel itself with the famed Glacier Express or Bernina Express is considered as an attraction. Etymology In Romansch which is the indigenous language of the region the "Engadin" literally translates as the garden of the Inn River (Romansch En Graubünden or Grisons ( German:, gʁaʊˈbyndən Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun) is the largest and easternmost The Glacier Express is an express train which connect the two major mountain resorts of St The Bernina Express is an express train which connects Chur (or Davos) to Poschiavo and Tirano crossing the Swiss Alps from north The Samedan Airport near St. Moritz at an altitude of 1,707 metres (5,600 ft) is the highest in Europe. Samedan Airport, also known as Engadin Airport, is located at Samedan in the Engadin valley of Switzerland, just 5 km from St Moritz ( German: Sankt Moritz, Romansh: San Murezzan) is an exclusive resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland






Gallery

Northern wall of the Jungfrau, Bernese Alps

Weissmies from Hohsaas, Pennine Alps

The north face of Eiger, Bernese Alps

The classic view of Matterhorn, Pennine Alps

Ebenalp, Appenzell Alps

North of Finsteraarhorn, Bernese Alps

Unteraar Glacier, Bernese Alps

Piz Bernina, Central Eastern Alps

Aletsch Glacier, Bernese Alps

Jungfraujoch, Bernese Alps

Lauterbrunnental, Bernese Alps

Oeschinensee, Bernese Alps

Piz Badile, Bregaglia Range

Bachalpsee, Bernese Alps

Lötschental, Bernese Alps

The Klein Matterhorn cable car, Pennine Alps

Lac des Dix, Pennine Alps

The north face of Matterhorn, Pennine Alps

The Grand Combin, Pennine Alps

Stei Glacier from Susten Pass, Urner Alps

Beyond the Alps

A large number of peaks outside the Alps were named or nicknamed after Swiss mountains, as the Matterhorn Peak in California or the Wetterhorn Peak in Colorado. The Jungfrau ( German: "maiden/virgin" is the highest peak of a mountain Massif of the same name located in the Bernese Oberland region of the The Weissmies (4023 m is a Mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland near the village of Saas-Fee. Hohsaas (3'101 m is a Cable car station and a ski area in the Pennine Alps above Saas Grund in Valais. The Eiger is a notable mountain in the Swiss Alps, rising to an elevation of 3970 m (13025 ft "Cervino" redirects here For the Italian town see Cervino (CE. The Ebenalp (1640 m is the northernmost summit of the Appenzell Alps. The Finsteraarhorn is the highest Mountain in the Bernese Alps range of the Swiss Alps and the highest mountain in the Bernese Oberland. The Unteraar Glacier ( Unteraargletscher in German is the largest of the two sources of the Aare river in the Bernese Alps. Piz Bernina (4049 m is the highest Mountain of the Eastern Alps. Aletsch Glacier, the largest Glacier in the Alps, covers more than 120 square kilometres (more than 45 square miles in southern Switzerland. Jungfraujoch (el 3471 m is a col or saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau in the Bernese Alps on the boundary between the cantons Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Oeschinen Lake (German Oeschinensee) is a Lake in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, 4 km east of Kandersteg in the Oeschinen valley Piz Badile (3308 m is a Mountain in the Bregaglia range in Switzerland and Italy, the border between the two countries running along the Bachalpsee or Bachsee is a Lake with an area of 803 ha close to the First (which can be reached with a Cable car) above The Lötschental is the largest valley on the northern side of the Rhône valley in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. The Klein Matterhorn ( Pennine Alps) (marketed as the "Matterhorn Glacier Paradise" is the highest point in the Zermatt - Cervinia ski The Grande Dixence Dam, at the head of the Val d'Hérens in the canton of Valais in Switzerland, is at 285 metres (935 ft high one of "Cervino" redirects here For the Italian town see Cervino (CE. The Grand Combin is a mountain in the Pennine Alps in Switzerland. Susten Pass (German Sustenpass) (el 2224 m is a Mountain pass in the Swiss Alps. Matterhorn Peak is located in the Sierra Nevada, in the western U California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Wetterhorn Peak is a fourteen thousand foot mountain peak in the U The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. See the Matterhorn article for a list of Matterhorns in the world. "Cervino" redirects here For the Italian town see Cervino (CE.


See also


External links

Tourism
Maps
Film
Other
References


The six great north faces of the Alps (also called the six 'classic north faces' are known for their difficulty and great height The Swiss Alpine Club (German Schweizer Alpen-Club, French Club Alpin Suisse, Italian Club Alpino Svizzero, Romansh Club Alpin Svizzer) is This is a list of Cantons of Switzerland by highest point The Valleys of the Alps have been inhabited since prehistoric times The traditional economy of the Alps throughout history has been based upon rearing cattle involving seasonal migration between valley and high pastures ( German
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