Rhône-Route, Andermatt – Geneva

Arrival in the Goms, the wide valley of the young Rhône, with the remarkable, sunburnt wooden houses.

Start in the stone redoubt of the Alps, ride over the treeless alpine pastures of the Urseren Valley, a sweaty climb to the 2,430-metre Furka Pass and an indescribable whiz past the ice caves of the Rhône Glacier.

The still young Rhône, called "Rotten" in Goms, flows through an authentic natural and cultural landscape. Pretty villages with beautiful baroque churches, stone pine forests, flower meadows rich in insects and the spicy scent of resin accompany the cyclists through the sunny high valley.

The main valley of the Valais widens, the sun heats the dry mountain flanks. Between Leuk and Sierre you deviate from the Rhône route and ride through the vineyards to a winery. After a wine tasting, you continue to the castles of Sion.

The capital Sion shows off its historic castles, churches and stately homes. In the lower Rhône Valley, the Dents-du-Midi dominates the high-Alpine backdrop. It is the world of productive orchards and vineyards.

High above, a round tower guards Martigny on the Rhône bend, St-Maurice at the narrowest point in the valley guards golden church treasures. High mountains and lowlands, still hidden behind reeds, the expanse of Lac Léman, and then defiantly the fortress of Chillon Castle in the water.

Lac Léman, a small silvery sea surrounded by snowy peaks and vineyards, like the UnescoUNESCO World Heritage Site of Lavaux. Along the shore: Vevey, Montreux, and the metropolis of Lausanne, Olympic city and lifeblood of the Vaudois population.

The terraced vines between Morges and Nyon are known as "La Côte". Fruity Chasselas is pressed here and sweetens your ride. Down on the lakeshore, the market towns of Morges and Rolle pass by. Almost kitschy: the castles of Nyon and Prangins.

The free lakeshore becomes rarer, the villas and yachts larger, soon the cosmopolitan city of Geneva announces itself with boulevards and the 140-metre-high water fountain "Jet d'eau".