Furka Pass
A compact GPX track over Furka Pass, one of Switzerland’s best-known mountain roads.
I was really looking forward to riding the Furka. Urbex is something I find genuinely fascinating, and I love digging into the stories behind why certain buildings end up abandoned like this. On top of that, the location here is a real highlight: right in the mountains, tucked into a hairpin bend.
The view of the Rhône Glacier pulled me in too, I was so curious to finally see this place with my own eyes.
Elevation profile
Based on the GPX track. Small deviations are normal.
Things to know about the Furka Pass
Hotel Belvédère
You can spot that famous hotel sitting right in a hairpin bend from far away. It’s one of the most photographed spots on the Furka Pass: an iconic, closed-down mountain hotel in the middle of a spectacular hairpin.
Rhône Glacier
Right next to the hotel lies the famous glacier where the Rhône originates. The ice used to reach much closer to the hotel, but global warming has caused the glacier to retreat significantly.
James Bond rode here in his Aston Martin
In the 1964 film Goldfinger, Sean Connery drives over the Furka Pass in his famous Aston Martin DB5. There’s even a bend known as the Goldfinger Curve.
The glacier has shrunk by almost two kilometers
Since measurements began in 1879, the Rhône Glacier has retreated by about 1.8 kilometers. Hotel guests used to be able to admire the ice almost right next to the hotel.
You can literally walk into a glacier
Near the Belvédère, an ice cave is dug out of the glacier each year. Parts of the ice are covered with white sheets to slow down melting.
From grand hotel to ghost hotel
Hotel Belvédère was built in 1882 and drew tourists for decades who came to admire the Rhône Glacier and its ice cave. Philipp Carlen took over the hotel in 1988 and reopened it in 1990, but it has been closed for good since 2015: the retreating glacier, the rise of the car, and the high cost of meeting modern fire-safety standards made reopening too expensive.
Practical info on the road
A break at the Belvédère parking area
At the parking area by Hotel Belvédère you can grab a drink and there are picnic benches to rest for a bit with a view of the glacier. There’s also a small souvenir shop, and as a keychain collector I never skip a stop like that.
Arrive early before the crowds
In summer, the area around Hotel Belvédère and the glacier gets busy fast with campers, cars, motorcycles, tour buses and cyclists. For a bit more peace and quiet, set off early in the morning, before around 9 a.m., ahead of the bigger groups.
Limited parking and pedestrians
Parking at the Belvédère and the glacier entrance is free, but the spots right by the ice cave are limited and fill up fast on weekends or in good weather. Also watch for pedestrians crossing the road from the parking area toward the viewpoint.