The Walensee is a long, deep, intensely green lake wedged between steep mountains, and a stop above it is one of the best views on the road between Zürich and Chur. On the northern side, the seven peaks of the Churfirsten rise like a jagged wall nearly two thousand metres above the water, their limestone faces catching the light in the late afternoon. Behind you, the slopes of the Flumserberg drop to the shore, and the lake lies between the two walls like a fjord, with the wind whipping up whitecaps on a stormy day.
The lanes here are quiet and winding, climbing from the shore through meadows and forest toward the Flumserberg. The surface is generally good but narrow, with tight bends and some steep sections, and in winter it can be icy. The best time to come is on a weekday in spring or autumn, when the air is clear and there are few other visitors.
The lake is famous for its microclimate. Because the mountains shelter it, the north shore is mild enough to support figs, almonds and even a few palm trees at Quinten, a tiny village that can only be reached by boat or on foot, with no road. Visitors can take a ferry from Murg or Unterterzen and eat a long lunch in one of its two restaurants, with a view across the water, and the isolation means that the village has an air of being cut off from the modern world. The lake's colour can turn from emerald to slate in minutes as the weather shifts.
For services, Walenstadt, at the eastern end of the lake, has about five thousand people, with fuel, supermarkets and cafés. The motorway on the southern shore carries most of the traffic, and the old road, beside the water, is quieter and offers better views. Cameras monitor the main routes, so watch your speed.
Stop at the viewpoint for a few minutes and look across the lake. The peaks are best in the late afternoon, when the low sun turns the cliffs a warm gold.