Hiking
Bellwald
Bellwald
Bellwald
Amid the peaks of Valais lies the sun terrace of Bellwald. The highest municipality in the Goms Valley is surrounded by an extensive hiking area and has its own ski resort. The well-preserved, car-free centre of the village is made up of barns and the impressive parish church with an ossuary.
Bellwald (1,560 m above sea level) stands high above the Rhone Valley, surrounded by the Valais Alps. The mountain village can be reached via a winding road or by cable car. In the car-free village centre there are typical Valais barns and mountain lodges, the first of which were built around 1273. Browned by the sun, they line the narrow streets. A striking feature on the southern edge of the village is the parish church of the Seven Joys of Mary, built from 1698 onwards, with the ossuary and cemetery alongside. In recent decades, many homes and holiday chalets have been constructed around the unspoilt centre. The numerous chapels in the hamlets of Bellwald (Egga, Ried, Bodmen, Alp Richene) are also worth a visit.
Precisely where the name of the Goms Valley’s highest municipality came from is uncertain because it is mentioned relatively recently. There are a few theories: a certificate from 1374 suggests that the name originally denoted a neighbouring hilltop and was applied to the main village later. A hamlet that still exists today is known as Biel, which would fit the name «Bielwald»; the village lies at the foot of a beautiful (or «bell») forest. Or perhaps the word «Fell» became «Bellwald» by consonant shift. After all, a lot of the forest was felled to make room for the settlement. Farmers settled in the village in the 14th century and the individual hamlets around Bellwald probably originated from single farms.
The pretty holiday resort is located in the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn UNESCO World Heritage Site and, thanks to a well-developed route network, offers plenty of options for hikers. The hiking area can be reached by cable car. Once at the top, it takes less than an hour to hike to the Risihorn (2,876 m above sea level), for example. The view from up here encompasses several 4,000-metre peaks including the Matterhorn, the Weisshorn and the Dufourspitze. In winter, the ski resort has something for everyone: steep slopes, wide carving pistes, beginner hills and a toboggan run. Those who prefer a quiet, natural setting will find it on the snowshoe or winter hiking trails.
Precisely where the name of the Goms Valley’s highest municipality came from is uncertain because it is mentioned relatively recently. There are a few theories: a certificate from 1374 suggests that the name originally denoted a neighbouring hilltop and was applied to the main village later. A hamlet that still exists today is known as Biel, which would fit the name «Bielwald»; the village lies at the foot of a beautiful (or «bell») forest. Or perhaps the word «Fell» became «Bellwald» by consonant shift. After all, a lot of the forest was felled to make room for the settlement. Farmers settled in the village in the 14th century and the individual hamlets around Bellwald probably originated from single farms.
The pretty holiday resort is located in the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn UNESCO World Heritage Site and, thanks to a well-developed route network, offers plenty of options for hikers. The hiking area can be reached by cable car. Once at the top, it takes less than an hour to hike to the Risihorn (2,876 m above sea level), for example. The view from up here encompasses several 4,000-metre peaks including the Matterhorn, the Weisshorn and the Dufourspitze. In winter, the ski resort has something for everyone: steep slopes, wide carving pistes, beginner hills and a toboggan run. Those who prefer a quiet, natural setting will find it on the snowshoe or winter hiking trails.
Highlights
- Churches and chapels: there are more than 70 chapels in the Goms Valley. The parish church in the centre of Bellwald was built from 1698 onwards. Six other chapels can be found nearby.
- Old village centre: besides the parish church, the unspoilt, car-free village centre with its narrow streets and characteristic sun-browned houses and barns is also worth a visit.
- Hiking in the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage area: the varied and extensive hiking area around Bellwald offers many mountain lakes as well as a unique summit panorama.
- Ski resort: the family-friendly resort of Bellwald stretches from 1,600 to 2,560 metres above sea level, offering more than 30 kilometres of pistes, a toboggan run and a cross-country ski trail as well as snowshoe and winter hiking trails.
Amid the peaks of Valais lies the sun terrace of Bellwald. The highest municipality in the Goms Valley is surrounded by an extensive hiking area and has its own ski resort. The well-preserved, car-free centre of the village is made up of barns and the impressive parish church with an ossuary.
Bellwald (1,560 m above sea level) stands high above the Rhone Valley, surrounded by the Valais Alps. The mountain village can be reached via a winding road or by cable car. In the car-free village centre there are typical Valais barns and mountain lodges, the first of which were built around 1273. Browned by the sun, they line the narrow streets. A striking feature on the southern edge of the village is the parish church of the Seven Joys of Mary, built from 1698 onwards, with the ossuary and cemetery alongside. In recent decades, many homes and holiday chalets have been constructed around the unspoilt centre. The numerous chapels in the hamlets of Bellwald (Egga, Ried, Bodmen, Alp Richene) are also worth a visit.
Precisely where the name of the Goms Valley’s highest municipality came from is uncertain because it is mentioned relatively recently. There are a few theories: a certificate from 1374 suggests that the name originally denoted a neighbouring hilltop and was applied to the main village later. A hamlet that still exists today is known as Biel, which would fit the name «Bielwald»; the village lies at the foot of a beautiful (or «bell») forest. Or perhaps the word «Fell» became «Bellwald» by consonant shift. After all, a lot of the forest was felled to make room for the settlement. Farmers settled in the village in the 14th century and the individual hamlets around Bellwald probably originated from single farms.
The pretty holiday resort is located in the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn UNESCO World Heritage Site and, thanks to a well-developed route network, offers plenty of options for hikers. The hiking area can be reached by cable car. Once at the top, it takes less than an hour to hike to the Risihorn (2,876 m above sea level), for example. The view from up here encompasses several 4,000-metre peaks including the Matterhorn, the Weisshorn and the Dufourspitze. In winter, the ski resort has something for everyone: steep slopes, wide carving pistes, beginner hills and a toboggan run. Those who prefer a quiet, natural setting will find it on the snowshoe or winter hiking trails.
Precisely where the name of the Goms Valley’s highest municipality came from is uncertain because it is mentioned relatively recently. There are a few theories: a certificate from 1374 suggests that the name originally denoted a neighbouring hilltop and was applied to the main village later. A hamlet that still exists today is known as Biel, which would fit the name «Bielwald»; the village lies at the foot of a beautiful (or «bell») forest. Or perhaps the word «Fell» became «Bellwald» by consonant shift. After all, a lot of the forest was felled to make room for the settlement. Farmers settled in the village in the 14th century and the individual hamlets around Bellwald probably originated from single farms.
The pretty holiday resort is located in the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn UNESCO World Heritage Site and, thanks to a well-developed route network, offers plenty of options for hikers. The hiking area can be reached by cable car. Once at the top, it takes less than an hour to hike to the Risihorn (2,876 m above sea level), for example. The view from up here encompasses several 4,000-metre peaks including the Matterhorn, the Weisshorn and the Dufourspitze. In winter, the ski resort has something for everyone: steep slopes, wide carving pistes, beginner hills and a toboggan run. Those who prefer a quiet, natural setting will find it on the snowshoe or winter hiking trails.
Highlights
- Churches and chapels: there are more than 70 chapels in the Goms Valley. The parish church in the centre of Bellwald was built from 1698 onwards. Six other chapels can be found nearby.
- Old village centre: besides the parish church, the unspoilt, car-free village centre with its narrow streets and characteristic sun-browned houses and barns is also worth a visit.
- Hiking in the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage area: the varied and extensive hiking area around Bellwald offers many mountain lakes as well as a unique summit panorama.
- Ski resort: the family-friendly resort of Bellwald stretches from 1,600 to 2,560 metres above sea level, offering more than 30 kilometres of pistes, a toboggan run and a cross-country ski trail as well as snowshoe and winter hiking trails.
