EuroVelo 17 - du Rhône (Switzerland)

EuroVelo 17 in Switzerland follows the Rhone from Andermatt in the canton of Uri over the Furka Pass, down the length of the Valais and along Lake Geneva to Geneva, ending at the French border beyond Chancy. On Swiss signposts it is the Rhone Route, national cycle route 1 of the SwitzerlandMobility network (Rhone-Route in German, Route du Rhône in French). The name ViaRhôna only appears once you cross into France.

The Swiss section is the opening part of EuroVelo 17, which continues through France to the Mediterranean. It covers three very different landscapes in one trip: an Alpine pass and the high Goms valley, the wide Rhone valley of the Valais with its vineyards and orchards, and the lakeside towns and terraced vineyards of Lake Geneva. The climb from Realp to the Furka Pass is the only major ascent. From Brig onward, the valley floor is almost flat.

EuroVelo 17 in Switzerland at a glance

• Typical duration: 8 riding days following the eight official SwitzerlandMobility stages
• Difficulty: the first stage over the Furka Pass is rated difficult; the following stages are rated medium, and the final stage from Geneva to the border is rated easy
• Elevation profile: one big climb to the Furka Pass (2,429 m), a long undulating descent through the Goms to Brig, an almost flat valley to Lake Geneva, then rolling terrain through the Lavaux vineyards and towards Geneva
• Surface: mostly asphalt; the unpaved sections are concentrated in the Goms between Oberwald and Brig, with shorter natural-surface stretches between Brig and Sierre and near Verbois
• Route type: riverside cycle paths and quiet paths, combined with a mountain pass road and several sections on or beside main roads
• Recommended direction: downstream, from Andermatt to Geneva
• Recommended bike: touring or hybrid bike; the ViaRhôna operator recommends a hybrid for the unpaved track through the Verbois bird reserve
• Family suitability: not traffic-free throughout; car traffic is shared on the Furka Pass road and on several main-road sections (see Practical tips)

How is the Rhone Route signposted?

Follow the red SwitzerlandMobility signposts marked with route number 1. Switzerland's national cycle routes use red signs, and the Rhone Route carries number 1 all the way from Andermatt to the border. The ViaRhôna operator gives the same instruction for the Geneva area: on Swiss soil, follow the signs for 1 Rhône Route. Past Chancy, national route 1 ends at the French border and ViaRhôna signage takes over.

Navigation needs most attention where the official line offers alternatives. Between Verbois and Avully you can ride a winding trail through the Teppes de Verbois nature reserve or take the road via Russin, which SwitzerlandMobility suggests when the ground is wet. As of September 2026, SwitzerlandMobility lists detours or closures on four stages: Oberwald–Brig, Brig–Sierre, Sierre–Martigny and Geneva–Bois de Chancy. Check the current diversions before riding those sections. The full GPX track is available directly in VeloPlanner, so you can load the Swiss section onto your device before setting off.

Which direction and season are best for EuroVelo 17 in Switzerland?

Ride downstream, from Andermatt to Geneva. SwitzerlandMobility numbers its stages in this direction, and after the Furka Pass it turns the Goms into a long, gently undulating descent. The trade-off comes in the lower Valais. From around Sion, the valley wind blows upstream against you, and it grows stronger the better the weather and the later in the afternoon. Riding the stages around Sion and Martigny in the morning keeps you ahead of the worst of it.

The Furka Pass road sets the season for a full ride. Switzerland Tourism gives the pass season as June to October. In 2026 the road reopened on 29 May; winter closure is announced only a few days in advance and has recently fallen in late October or early November. If the pass is closed, start in Oberwald.

• June–October: the window for a full ride from Andermatt over the Furka Pass
• Spring: Morges fills with tulips, a seasonal highlight on the lake
• Summer: swimming spots along the river near Sierre and at the Les Iles lakes in Sion
• Autumn: the Lavaux vineyards turn colour between Vevey and Lutry

The eight stages from Andermatt to the French border

SwitzerlandMobility, the national route operator, divides the Rhone Route into eight official stages. They work well as a template, but the stage towns are close enough together that many riders combine or split them to suit their pace.

Andermatt – Oberwald
The route leaves Andermatt through the treeless Urseren valley, passing Hospental and Realp beside the Furkareuss river and the Glacier Express line. After Realp the road climbs to the Furka Pass at 2,429 m, with gradients of up to 11%. A fast descent follows past the Rhone Glacier to Gletsch and down to Oberwald.

Oberwald – Brig
The young Rhone, known locally as the Rotten, leads through the Goms valley, where several villages of larch houses and baroque churches are listed as national cultural heritage. Niederwald and the Binntal Nature Park reward a stop, and from Mühlebach a detour leads to the Goms Bridge, a suspension bridge 92 m above the Lamma gorge. This stage has the route's longest unpaved sections, including a steep natural path down to the Roman bridge near Grengiols.

Brig – Sierre
From Brig and its Stockalper Palace, the path follows the Rhone past Brigerbad, Lalden and Baltschieder to Raron, where the poet Rainer Maria Rilke is buried on the castle hill. Vineyards begin at Leuk, where the route enters the Pfynwald nature park on a cycle path beside a main road. Sierre marks the language border: German-speaking Upper Valais lies behind you, French-speaking Lower Valais ahead.

Sierre – Martigny
A riverside ride with vineyard views passes the small Lac de la Brèche and the Pouta Fontana marshes on the way to Sion, the cantonal capital with its two hilltop fortresses, Valère and Tourbillon. Below Sion, orchards of apricots, apples, pears and cherries line the valley to Martigny.

Martigny – Montreux
After a nature reserve near Evionnaz, the valley narrows at Saint-Maurice, whose abbey holds one of Switzerland's most important church treasuries. Through the Chablais the path runs on smooth asphalt beside the river to the Grangettes nature reserve, close to where the Rhone enters Lake Geneva at Le Bouveret. The final kilometres lead past Chillon Castle into Montreux.

Montreux – Morges
Lakeside promenades lead through La Tour-de-Peilz and Vevey before the route rises and dips through the UNESCO-listed Lavaux vineyards, passing St-Saphorin, Epesses and Lutry. After Lausanne-Ouchy, the stretch between St-Sulpice and Préverenges has beaches and lawns by the water before Morges.

Morges – Geneva
The route alternates between the lakeshore and the La Côte vineyards above it, passing the medieval centre of St-Prex, Rolle with its four-towered castle, and Nyon. After Mies, traffic builds on the approach to Geneva, where the route uses cycle lanes on main roads.

Geneva – Bois de Chancy
The route crosses the Rhone near Geneva's main station and follows the Quai des Moulins before heading out through Petit-Lancy, Onex, Confignon and Bernex into open countryside. Past the Verbois dam, choose the nature-reserve trail or the road via Russin. A last crossing of the Rhone at La Plaine leads to Avully and Chancy, the final village before the French border.

What to see along the Swiss Rhone Route

The route passes castles, abbeys and museums in almost every stage town, and several protected natural areas along the river. These are the main stops, grouped by type.

History and culture

• Stockalper Palace, Brig
• Valère and Tourbillon, the two fortified hilltops above Sion
• Saillon castle, in the Valais between Sion and Martigny
• La Bâtiaz, a 13th-century castle ruin, and the Fondation Pierre Gianadda art museum near the Roman amphitheatre, Martigny
• Abbey of Saint-Maurice and its medieval goldsmiths' work
• Château de Chillon, on the lake just before Montreux
• Charlie Chaplin statue on the Vevey lakefront
• Olympic Museum at Lausanne-Ouchy, and Lausanne's Gothic cathedral in the old town
• Castles of Rolle and Nyon on the La Côte shore
• Geneva: the old town and cathedral, the International Museum of the Reformation, the Botanical Garden and the Jet d'eau fountain, which reaches 140 m

Nature

• Rhone Glacier and its ice caves, on the descent from the Furka Pass
• Binntal Nature Park and the Goms Bridge over the Lamma gorge
• Pfynwald, Switzerland's largest pine forest, between Leuk and Sierre
• Pouta Fontana marshes near Sion, a nesting and resting area for 160 bird species
• Grangettes nature reserve at the head of Lake Geneva, nicknamed "la Petite Camargue"
• Lavaux, the UNESCO World Heritage vineyard terraces between Vevey and Lutry
• Teppes de Verbois nature reserve with bird observation posts, and the Verbois dam with Switzerland's largest fish ladder

Where to stay on the Rhone Route

Every official stage ends in a town with hotels, and Switzerland Tourism lists accommodation for each of them, including a dedicated Bike Hotels category. Camping and hostel options are listed for several stage towns, mainly at the Alpine and lakeside ends of the route.

• Hotels: listed in all stage towns, from Andermatt and Oberwald to Brig, Sierre, Martigny, Montreux, Morges and Geneva
• Campsites: listed for Andermatt, Oberwald, Sierre, the Montreux Riviera and the Geneva region
• Hostels: listed for Oberwald, Sierre, the Montreux Riviera and the Geneva region
• Luggage transfer: self-guided package tours from Andermatt to Geneva, offered by operators such as Eurotrek, include daily luggage transfer between stages

Getting to and from the Rhone Route

Getting there

Andermatt is reached by train: change at Göschenen from the Interregio service through the Gotthard onto the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway. International arrivals via Geneva Airport can take the shuttle train to Geneva Cornavin and continue by rail from there. When the Furka Pass is closed, Oberwald is the natural alternative start.

Getting back

The Swiss section ends in the forest beyond Chancy, near the French border. Pougny-Chancy station lies about 1 km from the route, and La Plaine station is close to the last Rhone crossing. Both are on the regional line from Bellegarde back to Geneva, which also stops at Russin, Satigny, Zimeysa, Vernier-Meyrin and Cointrin. Geneva Cornavin, the main station, has high-speed TGV and regional connections. If you are continuing south, the ViaRhôna picks up where route 1 ends.

Practical tips for riding the Rhone Route

The Rhone Route is well served by towns, trains and services, but a few sections need planning, especially at the start and on the approaches to the big lakeside towns.

The Furka Pass is a proper mountain crossing. The climb from Realp is sustained, and the descent on the pass road is fast enough that speed builds quickly. Expect crowds of visitors at the Rhone Glacier. Weather at 2,429 m can differ sharply from the valleys.

The descent to the Roman bridge near Grengiols is steep and unpaved. SwitzerlandMobility advises pushing the bike here depending on your bike, luggage and the weather.

Several sections share space with traffic. The route follows a main road from Mörel to the entrance of Bitsch, and through the Pfynwald between Leuk and Sierre it runs on a cycle path along a wide main road with occasional trucks. Near Chillon and Montreux, roads and paths are busy with tourists. Approaching Geneva, the cycle lanes on main roads are shared with fast e-bikes.

Plan around the Valais wind. The upstream wind in the lower valley is strongest on fine afternoons, which can slow the Sion–Martigny stretch considerably.

Places to cool off along the way:

• Brigerbad, the largest open-air thermal spa in the Alps, just after Brig
• River sandbanks where the Navisence joins the Rhone near Sierre
• Les Iles bathing lakes between Sion airport and the river
• Beaches between St-Sulpice and Préverenges, before Morges

Tourist offices in stage towns include Andermatt-Urserntal Tourismus, Brig Simplon Tourismus, Sierre Tourisme, Martigny Tourisme, Montreux-Vevey Tourisme, Morges Région Tourisme and Geneva Tourism.

Before you go

Decide early whether the Furka Pass is part of your trip. Starting in Andermatt gives you the full Alpine opening, but tour operators also run Oberwald–Geneva and Brig–Geneva itineraries, and the flat valley from Brig suits riders who want a gentler start. Check the SwitzerlandMobility detour notices a few days before you leave, since four stages currently have diversions.

The eight official stages are a starting point, not a rulebook. Open the route in the VeloPlanner planner to split it into your own stages, add the Goms Bridge or a Lavaux vineyard detour, and fit the days to your pace. And if Geneva feels too soon to stop, the ViaRhôna continues on the French side all the way to the Mediterranean.