Hiking at the source of the Aare

The historic alpine hotel Grimsel Hospice is the starting point for this hike. After crossing the dam, you reach the mountain hiking trail on the northern shore of the Grimselsee. The path initially goes through a short tunnel and then follows the Grimselsee through narrow, rock-carved paths, raised moorlands and flower meadows. After about six kilometers, you reach the former glacier forefield of the Unteraargletscher at the end of the reservoir, where the first flora of Grimsel Hospice Lauteraar Hut Grimselsee spreads out. At point 1922, the ascent to the Lauteraar Hut begins. The SAC hut offers an impressive view of the alpine mountain world and the retreating Lauteraar and Finsteraar glaciers at the end of the varied hike.

Background: The Lauteraar Hut and its approach lie in the Grimsel nature reserve and are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. Here you are also at the source of one of the most important waters in Switzerland. The lower source of the Aare springs behind the Grimselsee at the foot of the Unteraargletscher. The source area of the Aare extends to the Finsteraarhorn, the highest peak of the Bernese Alps at 4274 meters. The water of the Aare is used for power generation in the Oberaar, Grimsel and Räterichsboden reservoirs, rushes as a tourist attraction through the Aare Gorge and flows through the cantons of Bern, Solothurn and Aargau before discharging into the Rhine near Koblenz after about 300 kilometers.