Haute nature!
High level, that’s what we like. Especially when it comes to eating, drinking, staying overnight and enjoying yourself. In that respect, we are in a good position in all respects in the Aletsch Arena, a Swiss winter sports and nature reserve at an altitude of over 2000 meters. Glamial looked higher up and took a look.
A little dizzy and light-headed, I – having just arrived in our mountain village – sit down at the table. The altitude (about two kilometers into the air) and the healthy mountain air take some getting used to for a city dweller. But luckily there’s nothing a Swiss cheese fondue can’t fix. And so, 20,000 calories and a carafe of local wine later, I’m back to full health, Jan, and the great enjoyment can begin.
The best ski area in the Alps?
We are in the Aletsch Arena, voted the best ski area in the Alps in 2020. And that is not without reason, because it is breathtakingly beautiful, with a view of forty mountains that are higher than four thousand meters. Take a look, there is the famous Jungfrau and there is also the Matterhorn (4478 meters).
The high-altitude villages of Fiescheralp, Bettmeralp and Riederalp (known as the home of Saul and Amy Rose from Winter full of love) are literally between heaven and earth. They can be reached via six gondolas that take guests up from the Rhone Valley to the villages and skiing and hiking paradise of the Aletsch region.
Cars prohibited
We took the gondola to Bettmeralp. A cute, authentic Swiss village that seems to have been taken from a Heidi film. Wooden houses, the roofs covered with a thick blanket of snow, a picturesque church, and above all: no cars! These are prohibited here, so all supply for shops and restaurants also runs via the gondolas. To transport luggage (and visitors) from the gondola to the accommodation, there are some snowmobiles driving around, which also serve as taxis.
Like the two other villages, Bettmeralp is a ‘ski in – ski out’ area. From your accommodation you can zoom straight to the nearest lift. So no dragging skis on your shoulders. Such a luxury! The ski in-ski out principle works so well here that you can even do your shopping at the Coop on skis. Families with children in particular will breathe a sigh of relief, because the ski school with practice slope is also located in the middle of the village. Children and parents do not have to lug half a mountain first, but can save their energy for more fun things.
Snow guaranteed until April
And there are plenty of nicer things. First of all, of course, the skiing. Snow is guaranteed here from early December to mid-April. The slopes are perfectly prepared and when necessary (at the beginning and end of the season) artificial snow is used, made with green energy and water from a mountain lake.
The entire ski area has 104 kilometers of slopes that are easily accessible via fast lifts for which you do not have to queue for a second. A paradise for the novice and experienced skier.
Real thrill seekers would be better off performing their stunts elsewhere. This is a friendly family area. Après-ski does not play a major role, but there are many cozy restaurants where you can enjoy the regional dish cholera, for example. This deliciously filling vegetable pie tastes a lot better than it sounds.
Into the paths on the avenues
Non-skiers will also get their money’s worth. There are about seventy kilometers of paths where you can also walk in the winter (and you can also enjoy cycling in the summer). The restaurants on the slopes are easily accessible with gondolas and lifts that take you back down. So as a non-skier you can easily meet up for coffee or lunch with your skiing companions.
Giant glacier
The greatest wonder of beauty in this area is the more than twenty kilometer long Aletsch Glacier. An endless surface of snow and ice. In 2001, the area was included on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list as a landscape of extraordinary beauty. And we understand why!
There are three viewpoints (accessible by lifts) where you can admire the special natural phenomenon, but you can also ski along it, walk or – as we did – take a snowshoe hike with special ‘racquets’ under your shoes that take you off-piste. you can wander through the snow and be completely absorbed in this special and beautiful snow landscape. Our 85-year-old guide, who leads us fit as a fiddle on the steep climbs and descents, is living proof that the mountain air is indeed very healthy.
Breathe!
Towards the end of our hike in Riederfurka near Riederalp we are surprised by the sight of a beautiful ‘haunted house’ that would not be out of place in a Wes Anderson film. It is Villa Cassel, which was built in 1900 and once served as a luxury hotel. Today it is a nature conservation center and only open in summer. I would love to come back!
Hotel Waldhaus
Apartments, chalets and hotels in this area are all built in that typical, robust Alpine style with lots of wood and a very cozy appearance. Hotel Waldhaus where we are staying is also such a wonderfully homely place. In the sitting room/library you can easily spend an evening or afternoon in an easy chair by the crackling fire. Although we don’t mind at all enjoying the sunset on the roof of the hotel in the ‘hot pot’. Bathing at a very high level!
Just like the food, because from breakfast (of course with a selection of Swiss cheeses) to dinner, everything the chef puts on the table here is equally delicious. And when you go back to bed, the evening service has already closed your curtains and placed a Toblerone on your pillow. Zzzzzz….
Practical
Of course you can fly (to Zurich and then 165 km by rental car or train) or drive by car (915 km from Utrecht), but if you go by train, your holiday starts at the station.
The train to Basel is spacious, comfortable and equipped with a dining car. Or take the night train (Nightjet) and arrive well rested. Once in Switzerland you still have to change trains, but that is not a problem, because the Swiss are not known as ‘pünktlich’ for nothing. In total you will be on the road for about twelve hours.
All information about accessibility, accommodations, events and other tips can be found on myswitzerland.nl
Text: Marique de Vries | Image: Marique de Vries, Marie Louise de Kock
