Mrs. Wm.L Kingston A MONTHS TOUR THROUGH THE Alps of Switzerland. Prof. JAMES D. DANA. I ROUTE A MONTH'S TOUR THROUGH THE Alps of Switzerland. BY Prof. James D. Dana, LL.D., Yale College ; Author of Dana's Manual of Geology, Mineralogy, etc. NEW HAVEN, CONN. : ' CHARLES C. CHATFIELD & CO. 1871. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by Charles C. Chatfleld & Co., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. THE ROUTE THROUGH the ALPS OF SWITZERLAND. By the route here described the tourist (whether man or woman) may visit, in thirty or thirty-five days, the points of special interest on the principal passes of the Alps, its grandest glaciers included, besides the lakes and much of the scenery of lower Switzerland. The plan in its principal points was laid out for the writer in i860, by Prof. H. de Saussure of Geneva. Only tfye names of the passes and the prominent places are men tioned below, as all details as to excursions about each place, even to the names of hotels and expenses of horses and guides, may be learned from the guide-books, either Murray's, published in London, or Baedeker's; which is far preferable, and may be had in German, French, or English. The tour is made to commence with Cham- ouni, because this famous region does not give the same pleasure after the rest of the Alps has been seen, and also, because the journey over the Gemini is easier, and is a. source of more constant surprises and delight, when made from the Rhone northward, than when in the op- (4) posite direction. Very many travelers enter Switzer land by Basle (on the Rhine) and go direct to Inter- laken— distant from Basle by railroad and a boat ride on Lake Thun six to eight hours. But there is railway connection also through Lausanne with Geneva, and the distance is only three or four hours greater ; or one hour more than this if the steamboat on Lake Geneva is taken at Lausanne. The route is as follows : — i. From Geneva to Chainouni, the region of the Mt. Blanc glaciers, visiting Montanvert, the Flegere, etc. 2. From Chamouni, by the pass of the Tete Noire (noted for its profound gorges and rocky defiles), or the higher Col de Balme (remarkable for its one view of the Mt. Blanc glacier region, and its aiguilles), to Martigny, on the Rhone — eight to nine hours. 3. From Martigny to the Hospice of Great St. Ber nard at the summit of the pass (8,200 feet high) to Aosta — eight hours ; next day back to Martigny. 4. From Martigny up the Rhone to Visp (forty-six miles). Thence to Zermatt, the region of the Mt. Rosa glaciers — nine hours. (St. Nicolas is a half-way station where a night can be spent should circumstances make it desirable, and the next day may then terminate at the RhTelberg inn, two hours beyond Zermatt.) After one or two days of excursions in the vicinity, return to Visp. [Or substitute for 3 and 4 the following 3* and 4*, in which, the tourist avoids doubling on his track, and crosses one of the grand est of Alpine passes, the San Theodule, 10,897 feet above the sea (s) close by the towering Matterhorn, 14,705 feet high. Ladies fre quently cross, although passible part of the way only on foot. 3*. From Martigny to the Hospice of Great St. Bernard, and thence to Aosta — in all sixteen hours (or two days). 4*. From Aosta to Breuil through Chatillon (about thirty miles or one day) ; then, if the weather promises to be good, over the San Theodule Pass, to the Riffclberg inn (seven hours, or one day) ; next, a day's excursion to the Gorner Grat, etc., terminating at Zermatt. Thence to Visp — nine hours.] 5. From Visp, down the Rhone to Leuk (fifteen miles) ; and thence to Leukerbad (-j-8|m.). Then over the Gemmi (pronounced Ghemmi) to Kandersteg — seven hours ; and clown to Interlaken (between Lakes Thun and Brienz) (24^111.), a rapid and remarkably beautiful drive, the latter part of.it near the borders of Lake Thun. 6. From Interlaken to Thun and Berne, by, railroad — 2hrs.7. From Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen — 2hrs ; then, over the pass of the Wengern Alp, (directly in front of the Jungfrau) into the Grindelwald valley, into which two glaciers descend — 5hrs. ; an excursion by no means, to be neglected. 8. From Grindelwald up the Faulhorn, this summit affording a view of the whole Bernese Oberland ; the excursion should include a night at the summit inn, as a morning view is preferable. Still better, from Inter laken up the Schydige Platte, even a grander point of view than the Faulhorn : can take the Schydige Platte on the return to Interlaken or Grindelwald from the Faulhorn. (6) 9. From Grindelwald over the pass of the Great Schei- deck, by the foot of the Rosenlaui glacier (and usually in sight of some avalanches) to Meyringen— 7|hrs. Those making the ascent of the Faulhorn may descend in the morning to the Scheideck pass and Meyringen, instead of returning to Grindelwald. 10. From Meyringen up the Grimsel pass to the Grimsel Hospice — " a homely inn " — 7hrs. n. From the Grimsel Hospice to the Aar Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the Alps (the one lived on and studied for several seasons by Agassiz) — distant i|hrs. ; an excursion up the glacier may occupy a day. 12. From the Grimsel Hospice over the Furca pass, by the foot of the Rhone Glacier, a cascade glacier, to Hospenthal on the St. Gothard pass — 7^hrs. 13. Down the St. G. pass (best early in the morning or toward sunset), 6 or 7m., to its greatest wonder, the Devil's Bridge and "its savage gorge." [If there is not time to continue the tour farther east ward, descent may be made by the St. G. pass to L. Lucerne.] 14. From Hospenthal to Andermatt (2m.) and then, over the rather tame pass of the Oberalp, to Dissentis, in the valley of the Rhine (the Vorder Rhein) — 7^hrs. Then by diligence down the valley (along here, as be low Mayence, that of the "castellated " Rhine) to Reich enau (4i|m.) at the junction of the "Vorder Rhein" and "Hinter Rhein" (the latter the branch from the " south). Reichenau is the place where, in 1793, Louis (7) Phillippe, then Duke de Chartres, was in disguise as Mons. Chabot, the schoolmaster. 15. From Reichenau to Tusis and the wonderful Via Mala on the Splugen pass (a cut in the rocks made for, if not also by, the impetuous .upper Rhine, extending for three miles, and in some parts less than thirty feet wide though sixteen hundred feet deep), " perhaps the most sublime and tremendous defile in Switzerland ;" it is best seen when the sun is low and the shadows long. Return and go to Coire (Chur in German), 6m. [Or, in place of 3, the Gr. St. Bernard pass, which is one of the least interesting of the passes, and also of 14, 15, substitute (by the advice of A. Agassiz) the following : 14*, From Andermatt over the St. Gothard pass to Bellinzona (56 m.) ; and then — 15*', From Bellinzona over the Bernardino and Splugen passes to the Via Mala (60 m.) and Reichenau (-f-n m.) and thence to Coire (-(-7m.).] 16. From Coire, by railroad, to Ragatz (14m.), and thence (stopping over a train) to the hot springs and baths, gorge and dark chasm of Pfeffers (z^m.) Thence to Rorschach on Lake Constance (127m.), and St. Gall (-(-9m.) for the night, a place remarkable for its manufac tures and its thriving American look : or else keep on to Zurich (-(-53m.). 17. From Zurich to Lucerne over the Albis ; to the Rigi, Fluelen, Altorf, on Lake Lucerne. The number of traveling clays required for this series of excursions is as follows : No. 1. Geneva, Chamouni, .... 3 days. " 2. To Martigny, . . . . . r " (8) No. 3. Gt. St. Bernard, . . . , . 2 < l""s.) 1 " 4, 4* St. Nicolas, Zermatt, Riffelberg inn (7hrs.) 1 " 4* San Theodule pass, to Breuil 1 " 4*, 3* Breuil to Aosta, Gt. St. Bernard, Martigny 3 " In all 26 days ; or, omitting the part to Pfeffers, Coire, Reichenau and the Oberalp, 21 days. From Martigny a railroad ride of an hour and a half brings the tourist to the head of Lake Geneva ; and not far on, bordering the lake, are the castle of Chillon, Montreux, Lausanne. From Lausaune, there is a railroad north ward to Basle, or northeastward to Zurich, Schaffhausen, etc. The expenses of such a trip are approximately as fol lows: Steamer to and from Bremen, ist cabin, $240 gold, 2nd cabin (very comfortable), $144 ; from Bremen to Geneva, and from Switzerland to Bremen, by the routes below, $60 ; 33 days of excursions in Switzer land, if taken mostly on foot, with a guide for the prin cipal passes, not over $90. (A day at the Swiss hotels costs 8 to 10 francs.) Add for 6 days stoppiug both (10) on the way to, and' from .Bremen, $50 (exclusive of traveling expenses already estimated) ; and also 12 p. c. for difference of exchange. This estiraate makes the amount in currency required for such as, take the ist cabin to Bremen, about $500, the 2d cabin, $400, The route from Bremen to Geneva may, be that of the Rhine ; and the most important places to stop at are Cologne, Bonn, Coblenz, Frankfort, Heidelberg, Strasburg, Basle ; the journey from Cologne to Mayence should be made in a boat on the Rhine (this being the part of the river famous for its scenery), and the rest of the way in the cars. On the return from Switzerland to Bremen, the places visited may be Augsburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Dresden, and Leipzig (with Berlin, if time and money hold out) ; then to Bremen. The 2nd class cars on the continent are as good as the ordinary American, and much cheaper than the ist class — the latter answering to our palace cars. The French steamers charge for ist cabin, each way, §140 in gold ; for 2nd cabin $75. Railroad time from Havre to Paris, 6 or 7 hours ; from Paris to Geneva, 15 to 18 hours. The new White Star line of steamers to Liverpool, charges only $80 gold, for the best accommodations ; and the Inmanline, $75 ; and hence $500 in currency would enable the tourist to spend a few days in England, and visit, starting from Liverpool, Chester, Manchester, Chatsworth, Birmingham, Warwick, Kenilworth, Strat- ford-on-Avon (the last three places near one another), Oxford, London. From London to Paris the distance (") in time is only n hours. The Infflan line advertises to convey passengers from New York to Paris for $90. It is better to go by England or France and return by Bremen. Time : on the ocean, 24 days ; to and from Switzerland, after landing, 12 days ; in Switzerland, 30 to 33 days : total, 9 to 10 weeks ; or 2\A^\o-\-2$—'&xi. weeks. Take but little baggage. YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 9002 08837 0367