Photos

The Alps march across this image of Autumnal (early October) southern Europe. On either side of and above the Alps are the countries of (from left to right) France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Slovenia, while below the Alps is Italy. The Mediterranean and Ligurian Seas sit to the west of Italy, while to the right is the Adriatic Sea. As the season progresses, snow begins to whiten the Alps. Image courtesy of NASA.

Three of the higher peaks of the Bernese Alps are visible -Jungfrau (4,158 m), Moench (4,089 m), and Eiger (3,970 m). To the east and south of the Jungfrau is the Aletsch Glacier, clearly marked by dark medial moraines extending along the glacier's length parallel to the valley axis. Moraines are formed from rock and soil debris scoured along the sides of mountain glaciers that gradually accumulate in the middle of the glacier and are carried along the flow direction. Lake Brienz to the northwest is glacially carved. Image courtesy of NASA.

Aerial view of Zurich.

The Matterhorn towers over the roofs of Zermatt; at 4,478 m (14,688 ft), is one of the highest peaks in the Alps.

The Matterhorn is a pyramidal mountain on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 m (14,692 ft) high, making it one of the highest, most famous, and deadliest peaks in the Alps. The steep faces, oriented to each compass point, cause regular avalanches; the snow that builds up around the base forms glaciers. Mountains around the world with similar profiles frequently earn "Matterhorn" as a nickname because of the mountain's iconic shape.

The train station in Grindelwald on a sunny day. Located in the canton of Bern, this agricultural community lies 1,034 m (3,392 ft) above sea level, and attracts tourists for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter.

A charming street scene in Interlaken, Bern canton.

Overlooking the Mudac Museum for Contemporary Applied Arts in Lausanne. The Mudac opened in 2000 replacing the Museum for Decorative Arts.

Rosebuds reach for the heavens near a church in the valley town of Sion.

Way signs in Murren, a traditional mountain village in Bernese Oberland, unreachable by public road. The village features a view of the three towering mountains: Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. At an elevation of 1,650 m (5,413 ft), access to the village is via four cable cars known as Luftseilbahn-Stechelberg-Murren-Schilthorn (LSMS), which also provide access to the summit of Schilthorn, the location of a rotating restaurant with spectacular views.

Lake Lugano is a glacial lake at the border between Switzerland and Italy. At 49 sq km (19 sq mi) and an average width of approximately one kilometer (over half a mile), roughly 60% of the lake lies in Switzerland, the rest in Italy.

House overlooking an Alpine valley.