Gemmi
High Plateau Destination
At an elevation of 2,350 meters, the Gemmi Plateau forms a natural transition between the Valais and the Bernese Oberland. Vast plains, striking rock formations, and Lake Dauben characterize this unique alpine landscape.
The Plateau
The Gemmi is located at an elevation of 2,350 meters above sea level, above Leukerbad. Here, a vast high plateau opens up between rock faces and alpine meadows. For centuries, the Gemmi Pass has connected the Bernese Oberland with the Valais, leading from Kandersteg via Sunnbüel down to the thermal springs of Leukerbad.
Karst landscapes and meadows dominate the scenery, with Lake Dauben at its center. From here, the view stretches far into the Valais Alps, with a panorama of 18 four-thousand-meter peaks opening up on the horizon. Within this mountain world, the Gemmi belongs to the Matterhorn region.
The bearded vulture is a majestic inhabitant of this landscape and can be observed here regularly. Ibex, chamois, and golden eagles are also native to the area. Between the rocks and alpine meadows, hardy plant species thrive, including edelweiss. Those who walk through the landscape with an attentive eye will experience a diverse alpine natural world.
Experience the Gemmi plateau in every season—whether actively exploring nature or quietly enjoying the sweeping panorama.
A historic transition
For centuries, the Gemmi Pass served as a vital link between the Bernese Oberland and the Valais, shaping trade and cultural exchange. With the rise of health tourism, the route gained even greater significance. Travelers crossed the Gemmi to reach the thermal springs of Leukerbad, contributing to the region’s development. To this day, the Gemmi connects the cantons of Bern and Valais. The historic mule track from Leukerbad and the Gemmi railways continue to provide access to the plateau, carrying on a long tradition of crossing the Alps. Hikers, nature lovers, and winter sports enthusiasts travel here, keeping this connection alive.
Geologically, the Gemmi Pass marks the western edge of the Aa Massif and thus separates the Bernese Limestone Alps (Wildstrubel Massif) to the west from the crystalline basement of the Balmhorn Group to the east. In the high valley north of the pass, there are numerous karst features, such as karren fields, the deep, drainless basin near the Schwarenbach mountain inn, and the surface-level Daubensee.
Literary references to the Gemmi
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe described the cliff face in front of the Gemmi Pass while staying in Leukerbad on November 9, 1779. Guy de Maupassant’s story “L’Auberge” (The Inn) is set at the Gemmi Pass. The Gemmi Pass is also mentioned right at the beginning of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story “The Final Problem” (The Final Problem), the Gemmi Pass is mentioned right at the beginning of the story. Alexandre Dumas, Jules Verne, and Mark Twain also visited Leukerbad, though the latter, on his steep journey, primarily noticed women being carried in sedan chairs who looked “seasick and pale and white as the snow of Mont Blanc.”
