Münster is the main village in the Goms Valley. Sun-browned timber houses make a vivid contrast to the dazzling white of the churches and chapels. The area is well-known as a cross-country skiing paradise and for thrilling river rafting tours in summer.

Münster (1390m) is located in the Upper Valais on the west side of the still young and tame Rhone, known here as the Rotten. The scattered village is characterized by typical old wooden chalets that huddle together facing south. The so-called Gommer houses were built several centuries ago, combining living quarters and working area under one roof. They were built on short piles and protected by large stone slabs to keep out rodents. Over time, the larch wood has been burned by the sun to a very dark brown.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Goms and Münster experienced an economic and cultural heyday. The commercial traffic and cattle trade with Lombardy over the Grimsel, Nufenen and Gries Passes, as well as men working as mercenaries brought money into the high valley. The 70 churches and chapels in Goms bear witness to these times. In Münster-Geschinen alone, six sacral buildings have been preserved including the well-known Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church) with its splendid late-gothic high altar dating from 1509. Also remaining are several stately mansions from the baroque era as well as the famous Stadelgruppe auf dem Biel (group of barns on a hill) in Geschinen.

In the 19th century, the opening of the roads over the Simplon and Gotthard Passes and the Gotthard Railway finally brought goods transport through Goms to a halt. But in return, the development of the railway (connection to the Matterhorn-Gotthard Railway 1914) boosted tourism, which is now the main source of income for the over 400 inhabitants.


Summer


Numerous small mountain lakes are found in the municipal district of Münster-Geschinen, ideal destinations for many hiking and biking tours. Most are set in idyllic surroundings in the midst of the Gommer mountain world, at over 2000m. One exception is the Geschiner See on the valley floor, manmade within the framework of avalanche-protection measures and enhanced by renaturalization work. Part of the lake is used for swimming. The Gommer Höhenweg trail leads through an enchanting landscape and is rated as one of the most beautiful high-level trails in the Upper Valais. For the nostalgia-minded, the hike along the Sbrinz Route with a historic mule train is a memorable experience. Offers are rounded off by a small airfield, catering particularly for gliders, a 9-hole golf course, river rafting adventures on the young Rhone and recreation leisure attractions in the wetlands.


Winter


The Goms Valley is one of the best-known cross-country ski areas in Switzerland. Particularly convenient is the run that follows the narrow-gauge railway on which trains run at hourly intervals, allowing an easy return to your starting point. Downhill skiers will find family-friendly ski lifts in Münster-Geschinen. The snow-clad villages are linked by prepared winter-walking trails.

Highlights

• Geschiner See: a nearby recreational area created from a former military air field. The lake offers an invitation to bathe in summer.


• Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church) with one of Switzerland’smost beautiful late-Gothic high altars, built by Jörg Keller from Lucerne in 1509.


• Stadelgruppe in Geschinen: probably the most impressive group of barns in the Valais. The granaries are set on characteristic stone slabs as protection against rodents and stand at a vantage point above the village.


• Goms, a cross-country skiing eldorado with around 80 km of prepared classic and skating-style runs.