The World's Highest Lighthouse Isn't by the Sea-It's Hidden Way Up in the Swiss Alps

"There are certain cultural, architectural, and geographic aspects you expect to see and experience when you visit Switzerland-things like fondue, chalet-style buildings, and glittering glacial lakes high up in the mountains. All three of those can be found in and around Andermatt-one of Travel + Leisure's best places to travel in 2026-but there's also one sight that's a bit out of the ordinary."

"On a recent trip to the mountain village, I joined Tina Somers, the founder of Somers Salutations Yoga Studio & Retreats, on a journey up to the highest point of the Oberalp Pass. There, standing tall at 6,713 feet above sea level, sits the Rheinquelle Lighthouse. The red-and-white structure is known as the world's highest-altitude lighthouse, with the Guinness World Record to prove it. Historically, lighthouses have served as navigational aids for boats. Not this one, located miles away from any open waters."

Andermatt combines classic Swiss features—fondue, chalet-style buildings, and glacial lakes—with the unusual Rheinquelle Lighthouse at the Oberalp Pass. The red-and-white lighthouse sits at 6,713 feet and holds the Guinness World Record as the world's highest-altitude lighthouse. The lighthouse marks the region where the Rhine originates near Lake Toma and functions as a local landmark, a canton border marker between Uri and Graubünden, and a trailhead for summer hikes and winter ski tours. Visitors reach the site from Andermatt by train, on foot, or on skis, often pausing to photograph or meet there.

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