[Removed user]

20 August 2017 at 8:41:36 #813015

I visited the Hannigalp on the second day of my stay Saas-Fee in mid-September 2016.

All the mountain lifts had been closed the previous day, due to inclement weather. On this day, the rain had stopped, but it was quite cold. The highest of the local mountains, Mittelallalin, was in the clouds, so I opted for a lower mountain, the Hannigalp, as I could see from the village that it was clear up there.

A 10-minute walk through the village centre, then uphill along a lane behind it, brought me to the Hannig gondola, which took me up to the Hannigalp in about 6 minutes. From the Hannigalp (altitude 2,340 metres) there is a wonderful panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and glaciers, as well as the village well over 500 metres below.

The Hannig Mountain Restaurant has a large outdoor terrace in addition to indoor seating. Despite the icy-cold conditions up there, the outdoor seating was well patronised by people sporting warm jackets, caps and scarves.

Adjacent to the restaurant is a large, sloping, fenced field, where a number of goats were grazing. They had been there since about mid-June, but this would be their last day on the alp. The following day, they were to be led down from the alp and paraded through the village on their way to warmer winter quarters.

However, the most magical thing for me was the small colony of marmots on the mountainside slope below the restaurant terrace! There were about 6 of them, very active and not at all shy of people. It probably helped that the restaurant sells appropriate marmot food that visitors can throw down to the marmots!

After descending from the Hannigalp in the gondola, I finished off the day with another stroll through parts of the village, and managed to avoid a downpour which started just as I reached the hostel.

Attached are some photos I took on the Hannigalp, and one of the Hannigalp as seen from the village.

Alpenrose

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[Removed user]

20 August 2017 at 13:12:53 #868632

Always giving me more ideas for Swiss travel than I know what to do with! 🙂

[Adelaidean]

20 August 2017 at 21:09:38 #868633

Those marmots sure are cute.

Your reports with photos will be a great resource for travellers off the beaten path, where much less is written about.

[Removed user]

22 August 2017 at 4:00:24 #868634

Thanks for your comments Lucas and Adelaidean!

Switzerland does indeed have so many beautiful places to go to, both well-known and not so well-known, and all very accessible. That does make it rather hard to plan a holiday!

Alpenrose