On the Furka Pass in Switzerland, right next to the once mighty Rhone glacier, stands the Hotel Belvédère. Located on a striking bend in the mountain road, this landmark building has attracted the attention of tourists and photographers from around the world for more than a century. Although the building has remained closed since 2015, it is still recognised as one of the most recognisable hotels in the world.
Hotel Belvédère – originsand expansion
The history of the hotel dates back to 1882, when Josef Seiler erected a small inn on the site. In the following years, the building was extended, gaining a gabled roof and additional floors that gave it the distinctive shape we know today. At the turn of the 20th century, the hotel entered its heyday. The belle époque style gave it a luxurious feel, and the number of beds rose to 90.
The golden age of Alpine tourism
The hotel’s popularity grew with the development of the region’s tourist infrastructure. In the 1920s, a bus service was introduced, and in 1930 the Furka Oberalp and Glacier Express railway lines were opened. The Belvédère Hotel then became an important point on the map of Alpine excursions and an excellent base for mountain hikers. At the same time, the canton of Valais was experiencing a hotel boom. The number of hotels in the region rose from 79 in 1880 to more than 300 just before the First World War. Belvédère, located in close proximity to the Rhône glacier, was ideally suited to the fashion for mountain travel.
Famous guests and James Bond
After the Second World War, the hotel continued to attract tourists, this time thanks to the growing popularity of cars. The superb view of the glacier and the location on the scenic serpentine roads meant that famous guests, including Pope John XXIII and Sean Connery, also stayed here. It was the 1964 James Bond adventure film ‘Goldfinger’ that made the hotel world famous. In one scene, agent 007 drove an Aston Martin along the road through Furka, passing the Belvédère.
The Hotel Belvédère in 1947 and 2019. Photo: Google Maps and helveticarchives.ch
Hotel Belvédère and loss of significance
Over the years, however, the hotel lost its importance. Faster and faster cars made it possible to cover the Alpine routes in a day – without the need for overnight breaks, and the retreating Rhone glacier was no longer visible from the building’s windows. Declining interest caused the facility to close for the first time in 1980. Then, in the 1990s, the Carlen family restored it to its former glory, but maintenance costs proved too high. The hotel finally closed in 2015 and has remained empty ever since.
Heritage and symbol
Today, the Hotel Belvédère has a different role than in its heyday. It has become an icon of the Alpine landscape, a motif visible on postcards and photos circulating on social media. Although its interiors have not welcomed guests for years, the building is still one of the most recognisable symbols of the Swiss Alps and a reminder of a time when journeys through the mountain passes were full of adventure and elegance.
Source: swissinfo.ch, uniqhotels.com
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