ItalySwitzerland2017_Part3_SwissAlps

To get to the Swiss Alps, one has to leave the Dolomites in Italy. Fortunately, as it turned out, we planned to take two days to drive from Compatsch to Lauterbrunnen. The fact that it is snowing as we leave Compatsch should provide a clue as to why it was a good idea.

We are on the Autostrade A22, in the pouring rain. Not a lot of fun driving and you cannot see much of the scenery.

I felt like I was back on New Jersey's Garden State Parkway on Labor Day, what with all the toll booths. Italian freeways are not free.

Further north, I was taken by a) the huge traffic back ups for miles on the southbound lanes approaching the toll plaza, and b) the fact that all commercial trucks were parked (turns out they are not allowed to drive on Sundays).

Approaching the outskirts of Innsbruck, Austria. We will be heading west into the western Tyrol.

Ah, is that a touch of blue sky? After all the rain, it was good to get even a glimmer of blue.

Susie was enthralled with these signs. It is a German idiom, meaning "Drive safely," but Susie liked another meaning.

Because of construction in 8.5 mile long Arlberg tunnel, we were detoured up into the Alps. A fair amount of traffic dumped on to relatively small roads. But better scenery than inside a tunnel.

We arrived at our hotel for the evening near Bludenz, Austria, about 155 miles and five hours from where we left. Like I mentioned, good that we planned on two days to get to Lauterbrunnen.

Dinner was a 15 minute walk from the hotel, simply because it was Sunday and few restaurants, including the one at our hotel, were open.

Ah, but this was the best Italian food we had on the entire trip, at Il Giardino's, in Bludenz. Roger is a very happy camper.

The next morning, driving thru Feldkirch on the Austrian border with Liechtenstein.

Entering Leichtenstein. There is actually a border station, but they busy inspecting in detail another vehicle, so they waved us thru.

Leichtenstein is a very small country of less than 63 square miles. But it has more incorporated businesses than it does citizens. Can you spell "tax haven?" This stretch of woods was a few hundred yards long so we took a photo.

Susie had looked on the map and decided a route other than what Google Maps was recommending would be more direct. It looked more direct, but while the recommended route was supposed to take 3 hours and 10 minutes, our route took seven hours. Anyway, we headed down to Chur, Switzerland and turned west going up a long valley to Oberal Pass. This is a neat church in Sumvitg.

A railroad viaduct along the way.

We are definitely above timberline, but still have a ways to go before getting to the pass

Oberal Pass (6752 feet) itself, complete with the usual restaurant. Not sure we EVER went thru a pass that did not have a restaurant. So much different from the USA.

Mountains near the pass. While the route was much longer, time-wise, it was away from the cities, and afterall, we were here to see the Alps, not the cities.

Looking down the valley past Oberal Pass.

Two thousand feet below the pass is the village of Andermatt, a seemingly classic Swiss village.

A very friendly cow behind a portable electric fence at the pulloff overlooking Andermatt

At Andermatt, we turned north for a few miles, and then west again, headed toward Susten Pass on Hwy 11. Clouds were still obscurring a lot of the views. Also, a road signed warned of snow and ice at the pass.

Nice rugged mountains

Ultimately, the hotel front desk person in Lauterbrunnen told me that if you can drive Sustenpass, you can drive any pass in Switzerland. Actually, the drive was not difficult, but be prepared for sharp curves and no shoulders. In many ways, it was way easier than most of the passes in the Dolomites.

One goes thru a tunnel at the pass to get to the restaurant.... er... Pass. With fresh snow, it felt pretty wintry for mid-September.

Some mountains just beyond the pass. At least we were getting a look at the Swiss Alps.

The descent from Sustenpass is long and winding. The descent is over 3000 feet to the floor of the upper valley. We still had a ways to go to get to Lauterbrunnen, but it would be all easy driving.

We arrived at our hotel about 4 pm, just in time for it to start raining. The Hotel Staubach, named after the signature waterfall of the town, is all about James Bond. It even has 007 as part of its WiFi code.