Bike
MTB
Take an epic ride through Swiss mountain bike heaven in Visp
The Romans didn't have mountain biking on their agenda when they built Visp, but if they had it's unlikely they'd have found a better location for this town in the Swiss canton of Valais.
Nestled in the Rhone river valley between rugged 4,000m peaks, the ancient Swiss town of Visp is a true gateway to a huge variety of epic mountain bike trails that crisscross its surrounding steep mountains and descend into the Vispa, Saaser Vispa and Matter Vispa river valleys to the south.
Time to pop a wheelie
© Dan Milner
Accessing the trails is made easy by an extensive and bike-friendly bus and train network that operates with enviable efficiency. Reaching the start of a ride or planning a one-way uplift is as simple as reading a timetable. Factor in the many funicular railways and mountain gondolas, including some of the smallest and coolest cable cars you'll ever ride, and you have the recipe for some of the most diverse mountain biking experiences you're likely to find.
Riding the Embd cablecar is an experience
© Dan Milner
If post-ride drinks are on the agenda, then look no further than Visp's bustling shopping streets and old cobbled alleyways. While the nearby Heida vineyard is the highest in Europe, Visp itself sits at just 658m and basks in 300 days of sunshine per year, meaning warm evenings to enjoy an al-fresco local beer or a traditional Valais raclette are never far away.
The riding
The area is a true paradise for mountain bikers
© Dan Milner
Visp and the surrounding villages have some 230km of mountain bike trails. About a third of those follow old, natural singletrack paths that cross the neighbouring mountainsides.
Ludo May and Yann Guigoz ride high above the Vispa valley
© Dan Milner
The trails vary from the dry, loose rock-gardens, which liven up the switchbacks down from Embd to Kalpertran, to the shady loam flow trails down from Visperterminen back to Visp.
Moosalp
Ludo May and Yann Guigoz ride the trails in Moosalp
© Dan Milner
Moosalp is a good place to start, by taking the Postbus from the Visp terminal. It takes 35 minutes and costs 24.80CHF/€21, including your bike (bike places limited to six per bus). Grab a pre-ride coffee at the Moosalp restaurant before pedalling onto an easy, undulating traverse southwest that boasts breathtaking views.
The traverse at Moosalp is a stunning trail
© Dan Milner
A mountain stop with stunning views
© Dan Milner
Moosalp fresco
© Dan Milner
Ludo May airs a trail at Moosalp
© Dan Milner
Turning towards the valley floor, this easy traverse soon becomes a playful descent to Embd on a wide singletrack.
The Embd cablecar is definitely cosy
© Dan Milner
The phone used to summon the cablecar at Embd
© Dan Milner
All the trails are well signed
© Dan Milner
Architecture and nature meld in perfect harmony here
© Dan Milner
Here you can dismantle your bikes and squeeze onto a tiny two-person gondola (6.00CHF/€5.15 per person and 5CHF/€4.30 per bike) to head back up to Schalb and back into the larch forest above.
Go on a POV run of the Moosalp to Kalpetran trail in the video below:
2 min
Valais Visp MTB trails guide: Moosalp to Kalpertran
POV video of the Valais Visp trails from Moosalp to Kalpertran in Switzerland.
Alternatively, continue the descent on an increasingly rocky trail to reach Kalpetran on the valley floor. There, another tiny lift at Kalpetran (5.20CHF/€4.50 per person and 5CHF/€4.30 per bike) can whisk you back up the 400m climb to Embd for another lap.
All aboard the tiny cable car from Kalpertran to Embd
© Dan Milner
Graechen
If you want to explore further up the Mattervispa valley, then head to Graechen, location for the 2019 Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships.
Riding the descent to Graechen
© Dan Milner
You'll need to pedal the undulating 300m climb from Kalpetran to St Niklaus along a riverside trail that forms part of the 37km Zermatt-Visp Trail Number 150. Then an uplift on another Postbus from St Niklaus brings you to the base of the Graechen-Hannigalp gondola lift (open June to October, costing 14.60CHF/€12.50) that finishes at 2,100m.
Take a ride down the Graechen descent in the below player:
2 min
Valais Visp MTB trails guide: Graechen descent
POV video of the Valais Visp trails network's Graechen descent in Switzerland.
At Hannigalp you'll want to soak up the breathtaking views across a sea of 4,000m peaks, including the Matterhorn and Weisshorn, before dropping into 1,100m of flow back to the valley floor. To return to Visp, you can pedal along the valley road or take a train.
Visperterminen
If you're looking for the ultimate in flow to be found from natural trails, then Visperterminen has it.
Riding perfect singletrack down from Visperterminen
© Dan Milner
This little village is easily reached by Postbus, and sits 700m above Visp. Jumping on the Visperterminen-Giw gondola (open June to October, costing 13CHF/€11) lets you start your singletrack smorgasbord at 2,000m elevation.
Take a POV run of the trail from Visperterminen to Visp in the video below:
2 min
Valais Visp MTB trails guide: Visperterminen to Visp
POV Clip of Valais Visp trails from Visperterminen to Visp in Switzerland.
If you resist deviating back to Visperterminen's gondola halfway down for another lap, then a full 1,400m of twisting flow trail awaits, ultimately spitting you out among Visp's ancient flagstone streets.
This way to Visperterminen
© Dan Milner
Trails in Valais are well signposted and easy to follow, but if you fancy letting someone else do the planning, then guiding is available from Purebikingand several other companies.
Where to stay
Old town rooftops
© Dan Milner
Accommodation options in Visp are plentiful and range from bike-hotels and campsites to luxury hotels. We stayed at the beautifully refurbished three-star Hotel Visperhof in the new part of town, near to the railway station. We ate from fantastic Valais menus at the nearby Restaurant Elite and the Restaurant Terrasse in the old town.
How to get there
Pure alpine trails in Moosalp
© Dan Milner
As a major transport hub, Visp is one of the most easily reached mountain bike destinations you'll find. Swiss railwaysmake it easy to connect by train to anywhere in Europe.
If driving, then Visp is 200km from Geneva, 220km from Zürich and 160km from Milan, Italy.
If you plan to use the public transport to access the trails and lifts, then the Valais Postbus Easycard is worth considering. It offers free travel on many services and discounts on numerous mountain lifts.
When to ride
You can enjoy a long riding season in the area
© Dan Milner
Visp's balmy climate makes it possible to ride trails in the Alps as early as March and as late as December. Higher altitude trails, especially above 2,000m, are susceptible to snow so are only accessible from June to October, corresponding to opening season for the mountain lifts. The village access lifts between Kalpetran and Embd operate all year.
Thanks to our partners at Valais/Wallis Promotion and Visp Tourism
