Bettmeralp

Bettmeralp sits at about nineteen hundred and fifty metres on a shelf above the Rhone valley, reached only by cable car - no road climbs to it, so the village runs on electric transport and the buildings are chalets and hotels rather than through traffic. The Maria zum Schnee chapel, white against the slope with the peaks behind it, is the image the village is known for. Behind the ridge lies the Great Aletsch, the longest glacier in the Alps and part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage site; the Bettmerhorn cable car goes up to a viewpoint over it, and paths run along the moraine. The glacier's retreat is documented on marked panels at the viewpoint.

What you actually see

• A chapel on the terrace - Maria zum Schnee against the peaks.
• No road access - cable car only, electric transport in the village.
• The Great Aletsch behind - the longest glacier in the Alps, over the ridge.
• Marked retreat panels - the glacier's documented loss at the viewpoint.

When to go

June to October, or the ski season. Two days.

Honest expectations

Everything arrives by cable car, which closes in the evening and between seasons. Prices reflect that supply chain. The glacier viewpoint needs a second lift. Cloud on the ridge hides the ice on many days.

Nearby

Riederalp and Fiescheralp are along the same terrace; Brig is below.