Switzerland

[Andreas Hagenbach]

All mentioned areas are worth a look. I'd say, you should start in Andermatt. There you are in middle of it. To the east you'll go to Graubünden. To the west over the Furka to the Obergoms, where you might head to the Grimsel and enter the Aletsch area through that passage. Or you head down the Goms valley until Bettmerboden, where you'll take the cable car up to Bettmeralp. A very nice area is also Val d'Anniviers, you'll lodge in Grimentz or Zinal, and then you have some 4000m peaks very close. Or in the next valley in Arolla.

Other suggestion: you go around the Engadin valley, check out Diavolezza, Bernina, the neigbouring Vale di Poschiavo, Vale di Bregalio, Albulapass. I can recommend Lai di Lunghin above Maloja, but it is a steep way. In the Heutal you'll have a good chance that some mountain goats chase you around. Whereas in the Valais the Ehringer cows are already back in the stable.

The Glarner Alpen are sometimes spectacular, but a really special area is Glattalp. You go to Muotatal, continue direction Bissistal until Saliboden. There you take the cable car up to the Glattalpsee. You can walk either to Braunwald or return to Saliboden with either cable car or walk. There is a bus from Muotatal until Saliboden. And if you call the cable car and reserve a place, then you don't wait!

The idea with the Jura is nice, but you'll see everthing form very far and it really depends on the weather. There are some days which leave you speachless, but those are very few and you can't tell them to come on the snap.

[Daniel Strasshofer]

Hi, in October 2007, I spent a week in the Vale di Bregalio (Bergell). Phantastic place to photograph: the wonderful chestnut-tree forest, a park with huge trees, is located on the gently sloping terrace above Castasegna.

[joolsb]

I suspect the diversity of opinions on where to go in Switzerland is more confusing than helpful. The best suggestion, imo, is to use Google Earth - it hasn't failed me yet!

Basically, there are very few locations in Switzerland where you can't take good photographs. With a small number of exceptions, wherever you go, you'll find something nice to point your camera at.

My own preference is the Jura region around Neuchâtel (Gorges de l'Areuse, Creux du Van, Gorge du Doubs). The mountains are not so spectacular but the limestone geology makes for dramatic cliffs and deep gorges. For big mountains Wallis/Valais is the place to head for. But don't forget the slopes around Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), either. They're covered in vineyards which will look fantastic in the Autumn...

So much choice - it was 10 months you said you had available...?

Julian (a Brit at large in Switzerland )

[rezdm]

Hello.


I recently move to Switzerland and just this week ordered a LF camera (prior I did MF travel photography), and quite interested in trying the equipment. And as far as I can see, here are also photographers from Switzerland. So... may be someone is interested in going for a day? I know.. I know that November is not the best option, but... Yeap less and less colorful autumn views, but why not "semi winter"? May be in December with just snow?

Just PM me or reznitsky@gmail.com.

[Sascha Welter]

If you're not much into hiking (and therefore carrying your equipment), check out which mountains tops (or places with view on mountain tops) can be reached by cable car or train.

One such easily reached peak that already has been suggested is the Säntis. This mountain is not *that* high, but since the surrounding mountains are lower, you get a far view (on good days you can see 6 countries). The downside is that the buildings on the top are a concrete monstrosity. But then you can even stay overnight in the hotel if you want to catch the sunrise or sunset.

Don't listen to the "it's called Valais not Wallis" stuff, the canton of Valais/Wallis is multilingual just like Switzerland itself and we Swiss are very easy, not to say proud about this stuff.

(From a Swiss from San Gallo / Saint Gall / Sankt Gallen, now living in Greece)

[rezdm]

Thanks.

I'm actually ok with hiking, The only thing is that now it's short daylight and there's not that much time to do hiking and photography.

I've already been to Interlaken, Rigi, Pilatus from both sides(and made a flight from there http://rezdm.livejournal.com/149663.html ), Engelenberg but without LF

[Sascha Welter]

Oh, and given the mentioned time of year, maybe you have a chance to catch the sun shining through the Glarus thrust. Basically there's a hole in the mountain, where in spring and autumn the sun shines through for some hours, quite accessible. Some images on the German wikipedia article Martinsloch.