Leukerbad sits high above the Rhône valley in the canton of Valais, a small spa village tucked at the head of a steep side valley under the cliffs of the Gemmi. It is a quiet, curious place, about 1,400 metres above sea level, and it is surrounded by a wall of rock on three sides, with waterfalls streaming from the heights after rain.
Leukerbad is built on hot springs. More than three million litres of water, warmed to more than fifty degrees, pour out of the ground here every day, and the village has the largest thermal bathing complex in the Alps. People have been bathing here since Roman times, and the old tradition lives on, with open-air pools where you can sit in the warm water and look at snow-covered peaks. For a rider with stiff shoulders after a long day, there are few better places to end a trip.
The road up from Leuk, in the Rhône valley, is a lively climb with a series of tight bends along the side of the Dala gorge, a deep cleft in the rock, and it takes only a few minutes to reach the village. Above Leukerbad, the old Gemmi pass trail climbs to 2,314 metres and drops to Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland, though only walkers and a cable car can use it. The cliff path, with ladders and ledges, was an important trade route for centuries, and it still looks improbable.
The Rhône valley below is warm and dry, with vineyards on the sunny slopes producing fendant and other wines, and the landscape feels more Mediterranean than Alpine in summer. The villages of the Valais are built of dark timber and stone, and the people speak German in the upper valley and French in the lower.
Fuel is easy in Leuk, a small town in the valley, and in nearby Susten. Leukerbad itself is largely car-free in the centre, with parking at the edge, and it has restaurants serving raclette, cheese and local wine. The road is open all year, but in winter, snow chains may be needed. Autumn is especially beautiful, with the vines turning gold and the first snow on the peaks.