Valais sits in the Swiss Alps; authorities oversee a cantonal government centered in Sion.
The Furka Pass railway has reopened sections since the 1980s, with steam trains now running as a summer tourist attraction between Realp and Oberwald. Volunteers, dubbed pioneers, maintain and operate the line, preserving a century of history and connecting Uri and Valais. A one-way journey lasts just under 2.5 hours and costs 46 Swiss francs.