Gemmi Pass, Mountain pass between Leukerbad and Kandersteg, Switzerland.
The Gemmi Pass is a mountain pass in the Bernese Alps at 2,269 metres (7,444 ft) above sea level, within the canton of Valais. It lies between the Daubenhorn to the west and the Plattenhörner to the east, connecting Leukerbad in the south with Kandersteg in the north. The main trail reaches 2,322 metres (7,618 ft) west of the mountain hotel, where a cross stands.
The pass served as a trade route between northern and southern Switzerland from medieval times. In the 18th century the path was widened and improved to make it more manageable for travelers and pack animals.
Goethe described the rock wall below the pass while staying in Leukerbad on 9 November 1779; he did not cross it on foot. Guy de Maupassant set his story L'Auberge at the pass, and Mark Twain visited in August 1878 and wrote about it to his wife. The pass also appears in Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story The Final Problem.
From Leukerbad a cable car brings visitors directly to the top, while the approach from Kandersteg goes through the Sunnbüel area on foot. Mountain weather can change quickly, so solid footwear and warm layers are a good idea regardless of the season.
The Daubensee lies in the high valley north of the pass, not on the summit, and has no above-ground outlet. The pass is also the setting of Guy de Maupassant's short story "L'Auberge" and appears in the Sherlock Holmes story "The Final Problem."
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 95,016 contributors worldwide.