Shortly after stepping off the train at Leuk station, a wide smile appears on my face and my eyes try to take in what they see. Beautiful, majestic mountains all around. And this is only the beginning of the experience.
Time runs incredibly fast on this trail, especially on the stretch from the train station in Leuk to the stone bridge. This is because of the attractions you pass while following the marked route.
Historic part of Leuk
We start with a walk through the old part of Leuk and buy some local bread (Walliser Roggenbrot). I recommend the one with dried fruit. Strolling through the narrow alleys, between the old wooden buildings, you can discover traces of history. The castle with its glass dome (Bischofschloss or Schlementurm) also catches the eye. It was a summer residence for bishops and a dungeon and torture chamber for scoundrels and criminals.
Swiss surveillance programme “Onyx”
Going further up the hill, one leaves the historic buildings behind and enters directly into the 21st century. Well, the next point on the map is a station with huge satellite dishes. This place makes a cosmic impression. However, it has nothing to do with space flights. The dishes are part of the Swiss “Onyx” surveillance programme, which intercepts international civilian and military communications. This programme is run by the Federal Intelligence Service – Nachrichtendienst des Bundes (NDB).
I found a lot of conspiracy theories about this place on the web. Some of the antennas are used by a private company, which gives some people pause for thought. However, I will not spread rumours, I will leave some space for your imagination.
A stone bridge with a terrifying view down
The culmination of the route is a 16th century stone bridge which connects the municipalities of Erschmatt and Leuk. Crossing it is not too difficult, but looking down can cause quite a vertigo. Today it is only accessible on foot. Between 1955 and 1956 a concrete bridge was built over the gorge for motor traffic.
After the bridge the trail heads back down to Leuk. The last section of the route is flat and follows the River Rotten. At the end you can still enjoy the view of the mountains from a different perspective.
