Andermatt - Furkapass

Andermatt is one of the best bases for a road cycling trip in the Swiss Alps. The village sits at around 1,450 meters in the Ursern Valley, with seven famous mountain passes within a day's ride: Gotthard, Furka, Oberalp, Susten, Grimsel, Nufenen and Lukmanier.

You start climbing almost as soon as you leave the village. Oberalp, Furka and Gotthard all begin in Andermatt or the next village down the valley, so you won't spend much time riding in the valley.

Save the Gotthard for a clear day. On the south side, the old Tremola road climbs out of Airolo on cobbles through around two dozen hairpins. It's the longest cobbled road in Switzerland and rides like nothing else in the Alps.

Further west, the Furka takes you past the Rhône Glacier and the old Hotel Belvédère before dropping into Gletsch at the foot of the Grimsel. The Nufenen tops out at 2,478 meters, the highest paved pass road inside Switzerland. The landscape changes with every climb, from green valleys and forests to rugged high mountain terrain.

The routes here suit every kind of climber. Experienced riders link Furka, Grimsel and Susten into a classic three-pass loop of around 120 kilometers. New to big mountains? Start with the Oberalp, a steady climb from the village to a red lighthouse near the source of the Rhine. With so many routes to choose from, you can explore a different legendary climb every day.