TRAVEL: by Eric Mackenzie Lamb
At 2,431 meters (7,992 ft) , the Furka pass is the fourth highest in Switzerland. It was here, during the summer of 1868, that Queen Victoria visited Switzerland, primarily to mentally recuperate from the death of her husband, Prince Albert.
Her visit made Furka famous and attracted thousands of visitors from around the world. Hotels, shops, restaurants, local tour guides were unexpectedly busy.
Even today, more than a century later, the area is constantly popular.
One of the major attractions is the Hotel Belvedere, built in 1882, which was featured in the 1965 James Bond movie, Goldfinger.
Only a few yards away, there’s another popular tourist attraction: the base of the Rhône river. Due to increasingly rapid climate change, the glacier which feeds the Rhône has retreated almost a kilometer during the last five years. But the surrounding scenery is still amazing.
