Aletsch Arena

Lying in the Bernese Alps, in the canton of Valais, the Aletsch Glacier (4,195 m) is the largest and mightiest glacier in the Alps. It covers more than 100 km² and is made up of about 27 billion tonnes of ice. Together with the Bietschhorn and Jungfrau peaks, the glacier is protected and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here too, at 2,000 m, lies the Aletschwald, one of the highest pine forests in Europe. The slopes open to skiers around the Aletsch Glacier reach as high as 3,000 m and offer ideal conditions for carving and snowboarding. At the foot of the sunny slopes lie picturesque holiday resorts, the best known of which are Rosswald, Blatten-Belalp, Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp. Cable cars carry skiers up from the valley to the Bettmeralp and Riederalp ski areas, whose easy and intermediate pistes are perfect for relaxed skiing. More challenging slopes are found in the Fiescheralp and Belalp ski areas. Yet everywhere below the Aletsch Glacier skiing can be a real pleasure, thanks to mostly wide slopes, wooded only lower down, plenty of sunshine and fantastic scenery. Cross-country skiers have almost 40 km of trails to choose from in the area, mostly intermediate and easy. An interesting alternative to cross-country skiing is the Riederalp-Bettmeralp-Fiescheralp mountain trail, one of the most scenic routes in Switzerland, or a snowshoe walk through the Aletschwald, a forest unique in the whole Alpine chain. The tourist information offices in Riederalp and Bettmeralp have details of guided tours around and on the glacier. A visit to the water complex (including hot springs) in Mörel-Breiten is a great way to relax after strenuous mountain outings. Other attractions in the villages at the foot of the Aletsch Glacier include the Pro Natura Aletsch centre and the Alpine museum in Riederalp, Ravensburger Playland in Belalp, the restaurant with a superb panorama on the Bettmerhorn, hang-gliding and paragliding in Fiesch-Fieschertal, and shopping in Brig/Naters.