Besides the Pfynwald, this nature park has much more to offer.

We start at Gampel-Steg railway station and use the subway to reach the ramp to the Rhône bridge towards Gampel on the other side of the road. After the bridge we then turn right immediately, the road with a little less traffic also leads into the village. In the centre we change again to the other side of the Lonza and make an interesting detour in the direction of the Lonza gorge, up to the flood retention basin with the imposing structure.

Then we drive to the valley station of the Jeizinen aerial cable car and parallel to the foot of the slope to Niedergampel. Here it is not far to the right to the small Tschingel waterfall with the water basin at the end of the gorge. In Niedergampel, by the way, there is also a great playground for those who have children with them.

It is only 1 kilometre until we cross the Rhone at Turtmann railway station. The motorway is not visible here... it passes under the area of the station. In the village of Turmann we have to cross the cantonal road - preferably at the pedestrian crossing with traffic lights! Through the village centre we reach the cable car to Oberems, from where the post bus runs to Gruben in the Turtmanntal in summer. Not far from the valley station we reach the forest gorge of the Turtmänna and suddenly discover the 42-metre-high waterfall.

Back towards the main road, we keep to the left, past the cemetery and then left before the cantonal road over the Turtmänna bridge. This allows us to cross the busy Rhone valley road at the new roundabout at the beginning of the poplar avenue and reach cycle route no. 1 at the Rhone bridge via the plain, the Leukerfeld with its beautiful ponds, passing the golf course on the right. Here we make another detour across the Rhone to the deeply cut Feschelschlucht gorge with its magnificent waterfall.

Then our route leads back on SwitzerlandMobility Route No.1 over the Rhone bridge, following the markings through the subway on the edge of Susten and to Leuk railway station.

A final detour from the subway described, but still a few extra kilometres, could be afforded if you have enough time to visit the long Bhutan suspension bridge at the exit of the imposing Illgraben. The Illgraben is a gigantic erosion funnel, one of the most active, wildest torrents in Switzerland with debris flows every year. These can carry several 10'000 tons of boulders, stones and earth, be up to 2m high and move at up to 25km/h.

Realised by Roland Baumgartner
www.bgr.ch

Pictures: Pfyn-Finges Regional Nature Park and Roland Baumgartner


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Arrival:
Regional trains to Gampel-Steg, an express train also stops in Leuk every hour in both directions. Parking spaces at both stations.

Another tip:
Pfynwald with free-flowing Rhone - perfect conditions for rare animals such as beavers, kingfishers and little ringed plovers.