Bettmeralp & Aletsch Glacier Photo Gallery

Betten - Bettmeralp


The Swiss sure know how to build towns high in the mountains. Perched above the Rhone Valley with huge mountains surrounding it, Bettmeralp is a car-free village with the ultimate view and natural protective barrier. Further uphill is the scenic Aletsch Glacier. From Visp, it is a half-hour train ride to Betten for the cable car ride up.

The cable car station is just above the train station. Connections are timed to give ample room to slowly make your way upstairs to get your tickets. There are 2 cable cars to reach Bettmeralp. One is direct while the other has an intermediate stop at Betten Dorf.

At the top, it is an easy stroll on well-paved paths around town and towards the next cable car up to the glacier.

After a good 20-minute walk, I arrived at the next cable car. Check the webcam for the view before buying a ticket. Unfortunately, clouds were further up in the mountains so there was no point to ascend from here.

Fiesch - Eggishorn


The weather cleared out the next day and I made my way back to the glacier. Besides Bettmeralp, there are other cable cars that go up to various viewing points for Aletsch. I chose Eggishorn, which can see all the way to Jungfrau. The cable car starts from Fiesch, although the connection is not as easy with a 15-minute walk across town from the railway station with hilly sections. The bag storage and ticket office at the train station is also not open all day with a lunch hour closure.

There is a change in cable car along the way with a short outdoor section walk.

The Eggishorn viewpoint is located at 2869m. Arriving early, there weren't many people although there was construction to improve the public space. The cable car station has a heated interior section with a restaurant to warm up. Despite the sun, it was quite chilly up at this altitude.

The Aletsch Glacier is a river of ice stretching over 23km. The ice almost reached to the peaks during the last ice age around 18000 years ago. Unfortunately, the warming climate has accelerated the glacier's retreat, shrinking up to 50m each year.

To re-use these photos or notify of errors, please email me. Thank you.