The Four Springs Trail across the Gotthard massif, from the Oberalppass to the Furkapass, in its five stages: past the Tomasee, the source of the Rhine, over Piz Giübin to the Gotthard Pass, over the Lucendropass into the Val Bedretto, over the Nufenen into the Goms, and up by Gletsch to Belvédère.
Best season: About mid-June to mid-October, depending on the weather. The foundation that runs the trail gives about mid-June to mid-October, depending on the weather; the trail is not walkable in winter, and snow can lie in high places from the end of August. On 10 October 2026 it reported the whole trail walkable and recommended boots with good tread and poles. But the season for beds is ending: the Vermigel-Hütte is closed until 28 December 2026, the Piansecco-Hütte has been unguarded since 12 October, and the Camona da Maighels is guarded only until 18 October. Before you go
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Plan your days
Your dates
Checking the seasons, closures and current conditions for today…
Five stages, the foundation's own, of 12 to 19 km on our line. Two end at mountain huts, one at the hotel on the Gotthard Pass, one in the village of Obergesteln, and the last at the Belvédère bus stop on the Furkapass. In October most huts are closed or unguarded: check each night below before you go. Choose a plan, or pick your own start, finish and nights below.
Hut seasons as published. 2026: 1 of 3 huts have published dates, a season of 5 June to 11 October; outside it they stay open with less.
Each day in its own colour, numbered where it starts; the rest of the Vier-Quellen-Weg in grey. Select a day for its elevation and 3D flyover.
Make your own plan
Changing where you stay suggests a new number of days: the fewest that keep each day under 8 h of walking and in daylight, where a place to stay allows.
Choose your nights (4 nights)
Days end where the route has a stay, a camp or a village.
Day by day
Day 1
Oberalppass to Vermigel-Hütte
Stage 1 · Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg grade: sac t1 to t2
Distance
13.6 km
Climb
+810 / −835 m
Walking
5 h 50Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg time 5 h 50; measured on the mapped line 5 h 02
Stage 1: From the Oberalppass past the Tomasee, the source of the Rhine, and over the Maighelspass (2,421 m) to the Vermigel-Hütte: 14.5 km, 5 h 50, 827 m up and 831 m down, SAC T1 to T2, the foundation says; SchweizMobil gives 13.2 km and 4 h 35. The old path from the Oberalppass to the Tomasee is closed after a rock fall (SchweizMobil's record runs to 31 December 2026). Our line already follows the new, signposted path, so the closed path is off our line. The new path takes about 30 minutes longer, 2 h 20 to the Tomasee instead of 1 h 50, the foundation says; its 5 h 50 for stage 1 already includes it (raised from 5 h 20 on 10 October 2026). The Vermigel-Hütte is closed until 28 December 2026, with no winter room; the Camona da Maighels, by the path halfway, is guarded until 18 October 2026.
Overnight
Vermigel-Hütte
Staffed mountain hut · 2,042 m · Volunteer hut teams
Pick a date to check the season.
Season
2026 2026 dates not published Closed on 13 October 2026, with no winter room, until 28 December 2026; the winter season then runs to 17 April 2027, the hut says.vermigelhuette.ch, read 13 October 2026
A small hut at 2,042 m run by volunteer teams, about 0.1 km off the path. Closed until 28 December 2026, with no winter room: in late autumn sleep at the Camona da Maighels while it is guarded, or in Andermatt, 2 h on foot down from the hut.
Stage 2 · Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg grade: sac t2 to t3
Distance
12.0 km
Climb
+769 / −701 m
Walking
5 h 15Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg time 5 h 15; measured on the mapped line 4 h 29
Stage 2: Over the Sellapass and by Piz Giübin (2,776 m), the highest point of the trail, past the Lago della Sella to the Gotthard Pass: 13.0 km, 5 h 15, 832 m up and 780 m down, SAC T2 to T3; SchweizMobil gives 12.4 km and 4 h 25. The stage ends at the Ospizio, the hotel on the pass, 0.6 km before the pass signpost.
Overnight
Ospizio San Gottardo
Hotel · Gastro San Gottardo SA
Pick a date to check the season.
Season
2026 2026 dates not published The accommodation page gives no season, and the pass road closes in winter. Ask when you book.passosangottardo.ch, read 13 October 2026
Places
Number of places not published The Ospizio has 11 double rooms, 2 singles and a 5-bed room; the group hostel 3 rooms for 12 people and a double; the Albergo San Gottardo next door has room for 70 guests.
Booking
Book onlineBook online on the pass site, for the Ospizio, the Albergo or the group hostel.
Stage 2 ends at the Ospizio, the hotel on the Gotthard Pass, 0.6 km before the pass signpost; the Albergo and a group hostel stand beside it. PostAuto buses cross the pass from Uri and Ticino.
Stage 3 · Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg grade: sac t2 to t3
Distance
19.3 km
Climb
+842 / −957 m
Walking
7 h 30Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg time 7 h 30; measured on the mapped line 5 h 59
Stage 3: Over the Lucendropass (2,522 m) and down to the Piansecco-Hütte above the Val Bedretto: 21.5 km, 7 h 30, 1,030 m up and 1,144 m down, SAC T2 to T3, the longest stage; SchweizMobil gives 19.8 km and 6 h. The hut's guarded season ended on 11 October 2026: until 18 December it is guarded only now and then, by arrangement, and otherwise open unguarded with 12 places and a kitchen, booked online. All'Acqua, about an hour's walk below, has a PostAuto stop and hotels, the foundation says.
Overnight
Piansecco-Hütte
Staffed mountain hut · Swiss Alpine Club, section Bellinzona e Valli
Pick a date to check the season.
Season
2026 5 June 2026 to 11 October 2026 Guarded from 5 June to 11 October 2026.Outside the season: From 12 October to 18 December 2026 the hut is guarded only now and then, by arrangement; otherwise it is open unguarded, with 12 places and a kitchen, booked online.capannapiansecco.ch, read 13 October 20262026/27 19 December 2026 to 11 April 2027 Guarded again from 19 December 2026 to 11 April 2027.Outside the season: Between its guarded seasons the hut stays open unguarded, with 12 places and a kitchen, booked online.capannapiansecco.ch, read 13 October 2026
Places
42 places in total
Booking
Book onlineBook online only, in the guarded and the unguarded periods: not by e-mail or phone. The foundation says a booking is compulsory.
A Swiss Alpine Club hut above the Val Bedretto. Unguarded since 12 October 2026, apart from occasional days by arrangement: 12 places with a kitchen, booked online. All'Acqua, with a PostAuto stop and hotels, is about an hour's walk below.
Stage 4 · Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg grade: sac t1 to t2
Distance
18.8 km
Climb
+691 / −1,318 m
Walking
7 hStiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg time 7 h; measured on the mapped line 6 h 10
Stage 4: From the Piansecco-Hütte by Alpe di Cruina towards the Nufenenpass, then down by Ladstafel, Hosand and Kittbrigg to Obergesteln: 20.0 km, 7 h, 857 m up and 1,479 m down, SAC T1 to T2; SchweizMobil gives 19.5 km and 6 h 15. The foundation takes this stage over the Nufenenpass (2,440 m). OpenStreetMap maps the last bit up to the pass road as a spur of about 600 m, walked up and back, so our line keeps to the through path below the pass: walk the spur as a side trip. The Capanna Corno-Gries, about 0.9 km off the path near Cruina, is unguarded now; its winter room must be booked online.
Overnight
Hotel Grimsel
Hotel
Pick a date to check the season.
Season
2026 2026 dates not published Open on 13 October 2026; the restaurant closes on Wednesdays. No closing dates on its page.hotel-grimsel.ch, read 13 October 2026
Stage 4 ends in Obergesteln, in the Goms valley, with trains of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn; the foundation also names hotels in Ulrichen. Hotel Hubertus here closes after 18 October 2026, until 25 November; the Hotel Astoria in Ulrichen is closed until 27 November.
Or a room in the village. Find your own accommodation; TrailSplits has not checked what is open.
Stage 5 · Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg grade: sac t1 to t2
Distance
16.8 km
Climb
+1,251 / −337 m
Walking
7 h 15Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg time 7 h 15; measured on the mapped line 6 h 16
Stage 5: Up the Goms by Oberwald, then past Gletsch and Muttbach to the Furkapass at Belvédère (2,271 m): 17.0 km, 7 h 15, 1,309 m up and 391 m down, SAC T1 to T2; SchweizMobil gives 17.0 km and 6 h 10. The stage ends at the Belvédère bus stop. Both hotels near the end are closed: the Hotel Belvédère, the foundation says, and the Hotel Glacier du Rhône at Gletsch for all of 2026, though the foundation's page still recommends it. Hotel Furka in Oberwald, early on the stage, takes guests.
Days end at a stage end with a refuge or a village, or in a village the route passes through. Walking times are the times published by vier-quellen-weg.ch where a stage has one, with the time measured on the mapped line beside it; a day that walks part of a stage gets a share of the stage's time by distance and climb. Running times use 7.5 km/h plus one hour per 700 m of climb: a steady reference, not a prediction. Daylight is sunrise to sunset where the day starts; the time left is for breaks, meals and delays.Refuge dates come from the operator's own pages; when they are not published, we say so. For villages we count the places to stay OpenStreetMap lists; we have not checked which are open. A plan is not a booking: reserve every night before you commit to these day lengths.
Huts and stays, stage by stage
Where each stage ends, the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons the operator publishes, and how to book. Read from the operators' pages on 13 October 2026; each stage page shows the sources and the grade profile.
Loading the forecast for low point (1,350 m) and high point (2,745 m)…
Weather by month
Typical weather on this trail: at the lowest point (1,350 m) and the highest point (2,745 m). Select a month to see why it is rated as it is.
Monthly climate averages and daylight
Month
Weather
Poor
Poor
Poor
Poor
Poor
Poor
Mixed
Good
Mixed
Mixed
Poor
Poor
Stages rated good on typical weather
0/5
0/5
0/5
0/5
0/5
0/5
4/5
5/5
0/5
0/5
0/5
0/5
High point, day / night
-6°/-11°
-6°/-12°
-4°/-10°
-2°/-7°
2°/-3°
7°/2°
9°/3°
9°/3°
6°/0°
2°/-3°
-2°/-7°
-5°/-10°
Low point, day / night
2°/-5°
3°/-6°
5°/-3°
8°/0°
12°/4°
18°/8°
19°/10°
19°/10°
15°/7°
12°/4°
6°/-1°
3°/-4°
Rain, mm
92
73
101
114
128
146
142
150
130
142
147
107
Snow at high point
Likely
Likely
Likely
Likely
Likely
Likely
Likely
–
Possible
Possible
Likely
Likely
Daylight
8 h 57
10 h 18
11 h 49
13 h 31
14 h 58
15 h 48
15 h 30
14 h 15
12 h 38
11 h
9 h 27
8 h 36
Source: TerraClimate 1991–2020 monthly averages. Averages for the area at each point’s elevation (4 km grid, corrected for height). Not a forecast or a report of current trail conditions. Snow at the high point is estimated with a simple snowpack model from these temperatures and precipitation, not observed; steep islands and high summits can hold more snow than it shows. Daylight is for the 15th of each month. Hut, transport and park seasons are separate: check them for your dates.
Before you go
Prepare for the Vier-Quellen-Weg
Arrange your stays, food and travel first, then check conditions again near departure.
Book every hut, and check which are open
No permit is needed, but the Vermigel-Hütte and the Piansecco-Hütte must be booked, online only; the Camona da Maighels books online too, and hotels book direct. In October, plan each night from the operators' own pages. On 13 October 2026: the Vermigel-Hütte is closed until 28 December, with no winter room; the Piansecco-Hütte is unguarded, with 12 places and a kitchen; the Camona da Maighels is guarded until 18 October; the Hotel Belvédère and the Hotel Glacier du Rhône are closed; Hotel Hubertus in Obergesteln closes after 18 October; and the Hotel Astoria in Ulrichen is closed until 27 November. The Gotthard Pass hotels publish no season: ask when you book.
Hut seasons in October
Closed now: the Vermigel-Hütte (20 beds), until 28 December 2026, with no winter room. Unguarded now: the Piansecco-Hütte (42 beds) since 12 October, guarded only now and then by arrangement until 18 December, otherwise 12 places with a kitchen, booked online only; guarded again from 19 December. Open a few more days: the Camona da Maighels (92 beds), guarded until 18 October, then a winter room for up to 14 until its winter season starts on 5 or 6 December. The Capanna Corno-Gries near Cruina is unguarded, with a winter room booked online (the huts' own pages, read 13 October 2026).
The old mountain path from the Oberalppass to the Tomasee is closed after a rock fall, from 7 July 2026 to at least 31 December 2026. Our line already follows the new, signposted path, about 30 minutes longer. A harder route over the Pazolastock takes 3 h 50 to the Tomasee (SchweizMobil's detour record and the foundation's stage 1 page, read 13 October 2026).
The foundation takes stage 4 over the Nufenenpass at 2,440 m. Our line keeps to the through path below the pass and leaves out the spur of about 600 m up to the pass road: walk it up and back as a side trip (the foundation's stage 4 page, read 13 October 2026).
The Ospizio, the Albergo and a group hostel on the Gotthard Pass publish no season. In Obergesteln, Hotel Grimsel is open (its restaurant closes on Wednesdays) and Hotel Hubertus closes after 18 October until 25 November; the Hotel Astoria in Ulrichen is closed until 27 November. Hotel Furka in Oberwald takes guests; the Hotel Belvédère at the end and the Hotel Glacier du Rhône at Gletsch are closed (the hotels' own pages and the foundation's stage 5 page, read 13 October 2026).
On 10 October 2026 the foundation reported the whole trail walkable: wear boots with good tread and take poles. The stages are graded T1 to T3 on the SAC scale and signposted throughout; stages 2 and 3 are the hardest. SchweizMobil warns of sheepdogs with the flocks on stages 3 to 5 (the foundation's news page, read 13 October 2026).
Google Maps journey searches, not confirmed services. A mountain endpoint may need a booked transfer or an additional walk.
To the start at the Oberalppass
The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn crosses the Oberalppass between Andermatt and Sedrun and stops at the pass, from Uri or from Graubünden (the foundation's stage 1 page, read 13 October 2026).
From the Vermigel-Hütte, Andermatt is 2 h down on foot; only vehicles with a permit use the road. PostAuto buses cross the Gotthard Pass from Uri and Ticino, and reach All'Acqua and Alpe di Cruina in the Val Bedretto from Airolo station. Obergesteln has Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn trains and PostAuto buses. The pass roads close in winter.
The trail ends at the Belvédère bus stop on the Furkapass road. The PostAuto runs from there towards Valais and Uri, to Realp, Hospental and Andermatt, or down to Gletsch. It is a seasonal pass bus and we could not read its timetable: check before you set off.
Prepare each stage while you still have a connection: the signal can be weak on the passes and in the side valleys.
Keep your route and maps on your phone for places without a signal. For multi-day trips, prepare them in the installed TrailSplits app.
Open this trail in the app.Install TrailSplits, then open this trail there. On iPhone, downloads in a browser may not be available in the installed app.
Choose your route or stages. Choose Prepare offline above. Wait for the route and maps to finish downloading.
Try it before leaving coverage. Switch offline, close and reopen the app, then use My Hikes to start navigation. Repeat for every part you will need.
Saving a bookmark is not a map download. Storage can be cleared by your device; keep a backup map for remote trips.
Vier-Quellen-Weg — frequently asked questions
How long is the Vier-Quellen-Weg, and how many days does it take?
The foundation gives 86 km in five stages (its home page says about 85 km), about 32 h 50 of walking, in 5 sections on our map. The guide's day planner offers a 5-day plan on the overnight stops, and you can choose your own nights.
When is the best time to walk the Vier-Quellen-Weg?
About mid-June to mid-October, depending on the weather. The foundation that runs the trail gives about mid-June to mid-October, depending on the weather; the trail is not walkable in winter, and snow can lie in high places from the end of August.
How do you get to the start of the Vier-Quellen-Weg, and back?
The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn crosses the Oberalppass between Andermatt and Sedrun and stops at the pass, from Uri or from Graubünden (the foundation's stage 1 page, read 13 October 2026). The "Connect your journey" section has the travel details, with 2 more travel notes.
Do you need to book on the Vier-Quellen-Weg?
No permit is needed, but the Vermigel-Hütte and the Piansecco-Hütte must be booked, online only; the Camona da Maighels books online too, and hotels book direct.
Can I download the GPX of the Vier-Quellen-Weg?
Yes: the whole route and every section, free, for a GPS watch or a phone. The guide also saves your plan for offline use in the app.
Is the Vier-Quellen-Weg open? Where are closures announced?
Closures we know of are shown on the days and sections they affect, in the day planner and on the stage pages. We watch 11 official notice pages (Vier-Quellen-Weg: news; Hotel Glacier du Rhône: status; Camona da Maighels: season; Capanna Piansecco: guarding calendar; SchweizMobil: route 49 stage 1 detours; SchweizMobil: route 49 stage 2 detours; SchweizMobil: route 49 stage 3 detours; SchweizMobil: route 49 stage 4 detours; SchweizMobil: route 49 stage 5 detours; SchweizMobil: Tomasee rock-fall closure (route 49, stage 1); Vermigel-Hütte: news); the date we last read them is shown with the notices on this page. Check them again before you set off.
Route & sources
Route map & sources
The Stiftung Vier-Quellen-Weg im Gotthardmassiv, which runs the trail, and SchweizMobil (regional route 49) publish the same five stages, from the Oberalppass to the Furkapass at the Belvédère bus stop, with an official stage time for each. The figures shown beside ours on every stage are the foundation's: 14.5, 13.0, 21.5, 20.0 and 17.0 km, 86 km in all (its home page says about 85). SchweizMobil's stage lines measure 13.2, 12.4, 19.8, 19.5 and 17.0 km (82 km), closer to ours, with shorter times. The line here is the route on OpenStreetMap (relation 3094421, from the planet of 11 October 2026): 80.6 km, the whole trail, a line from one pass to another, not a loop. It is cut at the five stage ends and walked in the foundation's direction: 13.6, 12.0, 19.3, 18.8 and 16.8 km. On stage 1 it already follows the new path round the rock-fall closure below the Tomasee. On stage 4 it keeps to the through path below the Nufenenpass and leaves out the short spur up to the pass. Our climb is measured on terrain heights, so short steep steps are smoothed out.
Official guidance and mapped-source comparison checked 13 October 2026. Map data is a route reference, not confirmation of today's path, weather or accommodation availability.
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