Riederalp and Bettmeralp are two car-free villages in the German-speaking part of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. They are a few kilometres from each other at 1,900 metres.

Understand

Riederalp and Bettmeralp are on a south-facing terrace above the upper Rhone valley. They are both summer and winter resorts. In addition the smaller winter resort of Fiescheralp (not permanently inhabited) lies close but higher at 2,200 metres.

North of Riederalp and Bettmeralp lies the 23 km long Aletsch Glacier, part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO Heritage Site.

Get in

Riederalp can be reached only by cable car from Mörel. Bettmeralp is also reachable by cable car but from Betten Talstation. Mörel and Betten Talstation are located on the railway line between Brig (closest) and Andermatt. The cable cars usually operate from early in the morning until 23:00.

The same applies for Fiescheralp from Fiesch, but with a more restricted timetable.

Get around

A bus connection runs between the two villages during the summer season (from late June to late October). Moreover a 30 minutes walk is sufficient to reach the other. From Bettmeralp a cable car leads to the summit of the Bettmerhorn. The higher summit of Eggishorn can be reached by cable car from Fiescheralp (approx. 1 hours by foot from Bettmeralp).

The village of Belalp enjoys the same situation but lies on the other side of the Aletsch gorge. A footpath with an impressive bridge - the Hängebrücke - connects the two, requiring about 5 hours to cross either way.

You can hire bikes from the cable car station in Betmmeralp. Most travelling is done by foot, however there are many cable cars within a short walking distance from the centre of Bettmeralp to go up mountains like Bettmerhorn and see the magnificent Aletsch Glacier.

Free panoramic maps of the area are widely available at stations and information points. These show walking trails, cable car connections and points of interest.

See

• The Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier in the Alps, or even in Europe (23 km).
• The Aletsch Forest, a wild forest above the glacier filled with rocks carved by the glacier in colder times.
• The Villa Cassel, former residency of Winston Churchill, nowadays one of the Pro Natura centres. Hosts a permanent exhibition about the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• The Bettmerhorn which is a mountain approximately 3000 metres high, from where you can see the Aletsch glacier, accessible by cable car from Bettmeralp village.

Do

• Golf, Riederalp
• Rent a boat, paddle-board, or go for a very refreshing swim at the Bettmersee, approximately 20-25 minute walk from the cable car station at the beginning of Bettmeralp.
• Hikes, there are many hikes available; like the 2-2½ hour hike to Fiescheralp where you can take a cable car up a mountain which has views of the Aletsch Glacier.
• Walk to Villa Cassel, the former home of Winston Churchill, about a 1-1.5hr walk from Bettmeralp or 25 minutes from Riederalp.
• There is a big sports centre that has a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, water slide, tennis courts, Badminton and a restaurant.
• There are many inflatables next to the sports centre free for kids to play on.
• Rent a bike or scooter from the cable car station at the beginning of Bettmeralp and hire a bike/scooter and have a thrilling ride down the mountain or to another village further along the mountain, costs around Fr. 10.
• The tourist information centres run kids programmes at certain times of the year.

Buy

There is a variety of stores in the village, there are 2 food shops: a very well stocked Coop supermarket and another small supermarket.

Eat

There are many restaurants dotted along the main street with quality food on offer.

• 1 Bergrestaurant Bettmerhorn (At the Bettmergrat cable car station.), ☏ +41 27 928 41 91. 08:15-16:30. Self-service restaurant with a nice view. (updated Sep 2016)

Drink

There are many bars along the main street of Bettmeralp and Riederalp frequented by both the locals and tourists.

Sleep

The apartments and houses in the village are generally good value, though they are a lot more expensive in the winter than in the summer. They are usually very clean and up to the standard that one would expect.

Bettmeralp

• 1 Hotel Bettmerhof (Next to the ski lifts at the eastern edge of the village.), ☏ +41 27 928 62 10. from Fr. 91.50/167.50 for Summer/Winter. (updated Aug 2016)

Riederalp

• 2 Berghaus Toni (Next to the Hohfluh ski lifts in the western part of town.), ☏ +41 27 927 16 56. from Fr. 80/100 for non-peak/peak season. (updated Aug 2016)