If you are dreaming of a beautiful high alpine world with views of the largest glacier in the Alps, then start planning your trip to the majestic Aletsch Glacier now.
The Aletsch Glacier
Part of the Unesco World Heritage Site, the Great Aletsch Glacier is the Alps’ mightiest ice flow.
Did you know that if this mass of ice were melted, every person on Earth would be able to have a liter of water every day for 4.5 years?
According to Wikipedia, a glacier is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight; it forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation) over many years, often centuries.
Impressively, the ice of the Aletsch Glacier is 900 m (2950 ft) thick. This massive layer of ice moves down with a speed of up to 50 cm per day.
Unfortunately, global warming is causing the glacier to shrink about 50 m in length per year, and it is also getting narrower.
Technical details:
Surface: 81.7 km²
Length: 22.6 km (longest in the Alps)
Depth: 900 meters (2,952 ft)
Weight: 27 billion tons (equivalent to 72.5 million jumbo jets!)
Width: 1 km wide on average
Location: Eastern Bernese Alps in the Swiss canton of Valais
Origin: Konkordiaplatz (you can view this from Jungfraujoch)
How to Get to the Aletsch Glacier:
There are 3 magical panoramic view points from which you can view the largest glacier in the Alps: Moosfluh, Bettmerhorn and Eggishorn.
We went up to Moosfluh and this is how you get there.
Take a train from Brig to Mörel.
Get off in Mörel and head to the cable car station just across the street.
Take the cable car which runs every 30 minutes up to Riederalp Mitte.
(Tip: If you have a GA or the day pass, this cable car ride is free!)
Once at Riederalp Mitte, turn right. It is a gorgeous 10 minute walk to the next cable car station that will take you up to Moosfluh where you will be treated to stunning views of the Great Aletsch Glacier and the surrounding 4’000m peaks of Valais mountains.
Things to do:
1- Have a picnic while taking in the views of the Aletsch Glacier
2- Hike along the Aletsch Glacier:
- The Swiss Glacier Trail: 14.6km, 4.5 hours, from Bettmerhorn to Fischeralp
- Suspension bridge Belalp-Riederalp: 11.4km, 4.5 hours, 124m suspension bridge
Our walk from Riederalp Mitte cable car station to Moosfluh cable car station
3-Do a guided glacier walk (if visiting in the summer)
4- Learn more about the Aletsch Glacier by visiting the multimedia exhibition at the Bettmerhorn World of Ice (which is free and opens all year round)
Get out:
If you have more time to spare, why not continue on to Zermatt, Leukerbad or swim in Thermalbad Brigerbad?
We decided to spend the afternoon at Thermalbad Brigerbad which is Switzerland’s largest outdoor thermal swimming pools (25–37 °C) with the first grotto swimming pool in Europe and the longest Alpine thermal water slide (182 metres).
There is a river pool and children’s splash pool too.
If you are looking for other travel inspiration around Switzerland, click here!
