The steepest municipalities in Switzerland
Swiss municipality rankings →Santa Maria in Calanca (GR) is the steepest municipality in Switzerland: its terrain averages 38.4° of slope. Next come Mergoscia (38.4°) and Niederried bei Interlaken (37.6°). This is the average gradient over the whole municipal area — not where people live — measured on a 40 m elevation grid, so it is reliable for ranking but slightly gentler than a finer grid would show. Source: swisstopo swissALTIRegio 2025.
Top 100
swisstopo · swissALTIRegio 2025| Rank | Municipality | Mean slope | Canton | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Maria in Calanca | 38.4° | GR | 119 |
| 2 | Mergoscia | 38.4° | TI | 203 |
| 3 | Niederried bei Interlaken | 37.6° | BE | 375 |
| 4 | Muralto | 36.9° | TI | 2'587 |
| 5 | Verzasca | 36.9° | TI | 786 |
| 6 | Felsberg | 36.6° | GR | 2'833 |
| 7 | Personico | 36.6° | TI | 309 |
| 8 | Brione sopra Minusio | 36.5° | TI | 442 |
| 9 | Lavertezzo | 36.3° | TI | 1'238 |
| 10 | Cama | 36.1° | GR | 691 |
| 11 | Grono | 35.6° | GR | 1'556 |
| 12 | Jenins | 35.5° | GR | 948 |
| 13 | Castaneda | 35.4° | GR | 262 |
| 14 | Biasca | 35.3° | TI | 6'136 |
| 15 | Gurtnellen | 35° | UR | 505 |
| 16 | Lostallo | 35° | GR | 850 |
| 17 | Cugnasco-Gerra | 34.8° | TI | 2'862 |
| 18 | Avegno Gordevio | 34.7° | TI | 1'568 |
| 19 | Bitsch | 34.6° | VS | 1'116 |
| 20 | Cerentino | 34.4° | TI | 38 |
| 21 | Cevio | 34.4° | TI | 1'109 |
| 22 | Steg-Hohtenn | 34.4° | VS | 1'691 |
| 23 | Randa | 34.3° | VS | 461 |
| 24 | Tamins | 34.2° | GR | 1'215 |
| 25 | Rossa | 34.2° | GR | 161 |
| 26 | Stalden | 34.2° | VS | 1'112 |
| 27 | Lütschental | 34.1° | BE | 226 |
| 28 | Riviera | 34.1° | TI | 4'262 |
| 29 | San Vittore | 34° | GR | 912 |
| 30 | Maggia | 34° | TI | 2'688 |
| 31 | Linescio | 33.7° | TI | 42 |
| 32 | Wassen | 33.5° | UR | 428 |
| 33 | Onsernone | 33.5° | TI | 663 |
| 34 | Bovernier | 33.5° | VS | 924 |
| 35 | Soazza | 33.4° | GR | 332 |
| 36 | Eggerberg | 33.4° | VS | 329 |
| 37 | Baltschieder | 33.4° | VS | 1'367 |
| 38 | Eisten | 33.4° | VS | 191 |
| 39 | St. Niklaus | 33.4° | VS | 2'268 |
| 40 | Calanca | 33.3° | GR | 211 |
| 41 | Bister | 33.3° | VS | 39 |
| 42 | Collonges | 33.2° | VS | 865 |
| 43 | Giornico | 33.1° | TI | 795 |
| 44 | Buseno | 32.9° | GR | 91 |
| 45 | Scharans | 32.8° | GR | 838 |
| 46 | Silenen | 32.7° | UR | 2'040 |
| 47 | Centovalli | 32.7° | TI | 1'098 |
| 48 | Inden | 32.7° | VS | 118 |
| 49 | Ausserberg | 32.6° | VS | 637 |
| 50 | Erstfeld | 32.5° | UR | 3'950 |
| 51 | Lavizzara | 32.5° | TI | 487 |
| 52 | Zwischbergen | 32.5° | VS | 81 |
| 53 | Salvan | 32.5° | VS | 1'483 |
| 54 | Ponte Capriasca | 32.3° | TI | 1'926 |
| 55 | Lauterbrunnen | 32.2° | BE | 2'315 |
| 56 | Kandersteg | 32.1° | BE | 1'308 |
| 57 | Lavey-Morcles | 32.1° | VD | 1'022 |
| 58 | Gsteigwiler | 32° | BE | 434 |
| 59 | Göschenen | 32° | UR | 452 |
| 60 | Isenthal | 31.9° | UR | 457 |
| 61 | Orselina | 31.8° | TI | 699 |
| 62 | Martigny-Combe | 31.8° | VS | 2'332 |
| 63 | Weesen | 31.7° | SG | 1'871 |
| 64 | Guttannen | 31.6° | BE | 247 |
| 65 | Lumino | 31.5° | TI | 1'614 |
| 66 | Gordola | 31.5° | TI | 4'814 |
| 67 | Naters | 31.5° | VS | 10'605 |
| 68 | Orsières | 31.5° | VS | 3'292 |
| 69 | Oberried am Brienzersee | 31.4° | BE | 469 |
| 70 | Serravalle | 31.4° | TI | 2'066 |
| 71 | Terre di Pedemonte | 31.4° | TI | 2'673 |
| 72 | Grengiols | 31.4° | VS | 424 |
| 73 | Miglieglia | 31.3° | TI | 301 |
| 74 | Innertkirchen | 31.2° | BE | 1'075 |
| 75 | Campo (Vallemaggia) | 31.2° | TI | 49 |
| 76 | Isérables | 31.2° | VS | 809 |
| 77 | Embd | 31.2° | VS | 294 |
| 78 | Roveredo | 31.1° | GR | 2'625 |
| 79 | Raron | 31.1° | VS | 2'002 |
| 80 | Mörel-Filet | 31.1° | VS | 745 |
| 81 | Ringgenberg | 30.9° | BE | 2'651 |
| 82 | Schwanden bei Brienz | 30.9° | BE | 657 |
| 83 | Trient | 30.9° | VS | 160 |
| 84 | Täsch | 30.8° | VS | 1'366 |
| 85 | Kandergrund | 30.7° | BE | 821 |
| 86 | Trin | 30.7° | GR | 1'525 |
| 87 | Alto Malcantone | 30.7° | TI | 1'386 |
| 88 | Sembrancher | 30.7° | VS | 1'093 |
| 89 | Morbio Inferiore | 30.6° | TI | 4'419 |
| 90 | Ferden | 30.6° | VS | 253 |
| 91 | Dorénaz | 30.6° | VS | 1'103 |
| 92 | Saxeten | 30.5° | BE | 91 |
| 93 | Minusio | 30.4° | TI | 7'365 |
| 94 | Blatten | 30.3° | VS | 303 |
| 95 | Gams | 30.2° | SG | 3'711 |
| 96 | Saas-Balen | 30.2° | VS | 362 |
| 97 | Staldenried | 30.1° | VS | 541 |
| 98 | Zillis-Reischen | 30° | GR | 419 |
| 99 | Prato | 30° | TI | 381 |
| 100 | Samnaun | 29.9° | GR | 755 |
How we measure this
swisstopoThe mean slope of the terrain in degrees, averaged over the whole municipal area from the swisstopo swissALTIRegio digital elevation model at 40 m resolution (swissALTIRegio 2025). Two caveats matter. First, it describes the entire territory, not the inhabited settlement — a municipality can be steep overall while its village sits on flat ground. Second, slope depends on the grid it is measured at: at 40 m the figures run a few percent gentler than a 10 m grid, so use them to order municipalities, not as an absolute gradient. Steep terrain and large vertical range tend to coincide; see the greatest-vertical-range ranking.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is the slope measured at 40 m?
- Slope depends on the resolution of the elevation grid it is computed from. These figures use the swisstopo 40 m grid, which is stable and comparable across all municipalities; a finer 10 m grid would read a few percent steeper. The ranking order is reliable, but the degree value is not an absolute gradient.