Switzerland · Hairpins · High alpine · Loop
Furka, Grimsel & Susten Loop
Three-pass loop from Andermatt
- Length
- 120 km75 miles
- High point
- 2,429 m7,969 ft
- Driving time
- 3–4 hours
- Season
- June to October
- Toll
- Free (Swiss motorway vignette for the approach)
- Country
- Switzerland
Three of Switzerland's great passes link together into a loop of roughly 120 km: the Furka (2,429 m), the Grimsel (2,164 m) and the Susten (2,224 m). You can start anywhere, but Andermatt is the natural base. The Furka is the road from the Goldfinger chase, and the old Hotel Belvédère on its western hairpin is probably the most photographed bend in the Alps.
The drive
From Andermatt, head west through Realp and up the Furka. The eastern side is narrow in places with low stone posts instead of barriers. Over the top you drop past the Rhône glacier to Gletsch, then climb straight back up the Grimsel on a wall of wide, perfectly surfaced hairpins.
The Grimsel's north side is a long, fast descent past a chain of reservoirs to Innertkirchen. Turn right for the Susten, the newest and most flowing of the three, built for motor traffic in the 1940s with consistent radii and short tunnels. It returns you to Wassen, a few minutes below Andermatt.
In your Lotus
Each pass asks for something different, which is what makes this such a good Lotus day: precision on the narrow Furka, traction out of the Grimsel hairpins, and commitment through the Susten's sweepers. Swiss speed enforcement is strict and the fines are income-linked, so treat the limits as real. The roads are engaging well within them.
Watch out for
- Post buses have priority and sound a three-tone horn before blind corners.
- The Furka's east side has sections barely two cars wide. Mirrors in if a camper comes the other way.
- All three passes close for winter and can shut briefly after early snow in September.
