- Duration:
- ~10 to 11 hours (7:30am to 6:00pm)
- Style:
- public transport + hiking
- Steps:
- ~24,000
- Spending:
- Migros snacks, water, chocolate and packed sandwiches
- Main stops:
- Sierre/Siders -> Visp -> Randa -> Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge
- Best moment:
- Crossing the 494-metre bridge alone in tranquility. Drinking mountain water from the wooden fountain in Randa.
- Verdict:
- A satisfying and joyful hiking day. Beautifully engineered, and absolutely worth it if you are comfortable with heights.
One of Europe's most dramatic alpine crossings: the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge. Here we come.
First, we got to enjoy Switzerland's luxurious public transport infrastructure. Just getting from Crans-Montana down to Sierre gave us two options: funicular or bus. This time, we chose the bus because it meant less walking.
Blue sky, mountain views and Swiss efficiency. What more can you ask for while waiting at a bus stop?
"Bonjour," we said as we hopped on and greeted our friendly bus driver. Then we sat down and enjoyed the 40-minute winding, slightly bumpy ride down the mountain, watching the landscape change from mountain to vineyard as we descended.
From Sierre, we jumped on the train and got off at Visp. A lot of school kids were boarding too, seemingly heading out on their own day trips by public transport, which we found lovely. We went to Migros near the station to pick up chocolate, sweets and two big bottles of water for the hike.
At the checkout, the staff member said something to us. We replied "merci" on autopilot, then realised what she had said sounded completely alien to us. That was the moment we suspected we might have crossed into a German-speaking part of Switzerland without noticing.
We went back to the station and caught the train from Visp to Randa. The train was smaller and busy with people heading to Zermatt. The view from the left side was beautiful.
Finally, we reached Randa.
We hopped off the train with excitement, but our cortisol levels rose sharply almost immediately. We had not expected to step off and find our faces practically pressed against the side of another train.
We were the only ones who got off.
For a moment, we were completely confused. Had we got off at the wrong stop? Were we not supposed to get off yet? Were we standing somewhere we should not be standing?
While our heads were busy playing through different disaster scenarios, the train beside us pulled away and the view opened up. Then it made sense. The two tracks are very close together, both trains can arrive at the same time, and passengers get off in the middle before crossing back to the platform once the trains have left.
Very logical in hindsight.
Slightly less logical when you are standing there wondering if you have just made a silly Swiss railway mistake.
We headed straight towards the trail and were welcomed by a lovely village, traditional alpine houses and characterful water fountains offering clear mountain water.
It was such a simple thing, but somehow it filled us with so much joy.
The start of the walk was steeper and more demanding than expected. We did not talk much. We just enjoyed each other’s company in silence while our heart rates sat constantly above 160.
Not long after, we gained some unexpected companions: flies.
A lot of them.
We kept having to swat them away while climbing and breathing hard. With the beautiful alpine backdrop behind us, we looked very much out of sync with nature. Slightly chaotic and very un-Zen. We laughed a lot at the situation, mostly because there was nothing else to do.
The path flattened out in the final third, which came as a relief.
Eventually, we reached the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge.
We had barely seen anyone until that point. A dad was sitting with his baby while the mum enjoyed the whole bridge to herself, at least until we arrived and interrupted the peace.
And there it was.
What a piece of engineering.
The bridge stood in front of us, long, steady and almost surreal, stretching 494 metres across the mountains and connecting two sides of the valley like a curved line drawn through the Alps.
We started crossing.
At its highest point, the bridge sits 85 metres above the Grabengufer ravine, so it was slightly thrilling, but much steadier than I expected. There was a lot to take in. We walked at turtle pace, partly to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and partly to take photos.
At the other end of the bridge, we found a bench with fewer flies, which by that point felt like luxury.
We sat down, ate our sandwiches and chocolate, and stared into the distance.
Not every great travel meal needs a table, a menu or a view carefully framed by a restaurant window. Sometimes it is just packed sandwiches, supermarket chocolate, tired legs and enough mountain air to make everything taste better.
After we had soaked it all in, we began making our way back down.
On the descent, we met several people asking whether the path was closed. They had seen signs lower down suggesting it might be shut, and they were unsure whether to continue. They all looked relieved when we told them the bridge was accessible from the direction we had come.
We also bumped into a French couple who asked the same question. The lady asked, in French, whether we understood French. Naturally, we completely forgot the useful reply we had learned the night before.
Typical.
A golden practice opportunity missed.
Still, she was happy to hear the bridge was open.
As we descended back into Randa village, an older couple greeted us as we walked past. We responded with a joyful "bonjour", but we could see a slight flicker of confusion on their faces.
Once again, we realised we were probably in the German-speaking part.
Back in the village, we revived ourselves at the water fountain with more delicious Swiss mountain water, then went to the train station. We were lucky and arrived just in time for the hourly train.
We headed back to Visp and decided to have a small wander around the town. At the information centre, we spoke to a lovely lady and asked about the language situation we had noticed. She explained that in Valais, the canton where both Sierre and Visp sit, there are French-speaking and German-speaking areas.
Mystery solved.
Visp itself felt like a small historic town, with old churches, quiet streets and traditional architecture. After a short stroll, we returned to the station and took the train back to Sierre.
We thought we might need to get the funicular back up to Crans-Montana, but as soon as we came out of the station, we saw the 422 bus.
It was packed with the same school kids we had seen in the morning, but we squeezed on anyway, thinking how lucky we were.
It was crowded, hot and slightly intense.
Then, as we got further along, we realised this particular 422 only stopped at Venthône and was not going all the way up to Crans-Montana.
Disastrous.
We had to get off and wait for the next 422 in the boiling heat, hiding behind the bus stop for shade. Eventually, the right bus came and we made it back home.
A lovely, eventful day.
And to finish it in a very non-Swiss way, we made burgers for dinner.