Leukerbad is Europe's highest thermal spa resort, sitting at 1,411 metres in a dramatic bowl of mountains in the Swiss canton of Valais. Hot springs have been channelling mineral-rich water here since Roman times, and the village has been a resort destination for several centuries — Goethe came to take the waters in 1779, and Mark Twain wrote about the laborious mule-path ascent in his comic travel essay "A Tramp Abroad." Today the village consists almost entirely of thermal bath complexes, hotels, and the infrastructure to support them, but the mountain setting is magnificent.
The Gemmi Pass rises directly above the village, its vertiginous cliff face a dramatic backdrop to the outdoor thermal pools. A cable car ascends to the pass, from which trails lead to the high-alpine lake of Daubensee and, with more effort, down the other side to Kandersteg. In winter, Leukerbad has a small ski area, but it is primarily a destination for people who want to alternate between deep snow and hot water.
The two main thermal complexes — the Walliser Alpentherme and the Leukerbad Therme — are large, well-run facilities with dozens of indoor and outdoor pools at different temperatures. The outdoor pools with mountain views are the highlight: soaking in 38-degree water while snow falls around you is hard to beat. Book accommodation well in advance in winter and summer high season.