Great Aletsch Glacier

From the «Aletschbord» view point at the eastern edge of Belalp, the Aletsch glacier is a sight to behold. This gigantic ice current - the largest of the Alps - extends some 23 km from the Jungfrau massif in the canton of Bern all the way to the Massa gorge below Belalp.

The formidable impact of climate change

Even this vast sea of ice is beset by changes in our climate. The earth’s warming is having an alarming impact on the Great Aletsch Glacier. The river of ice is retreating by up to 50 meters per year.

Facts and figures

The Great Aletsch Glacier is the largest in the Alps at 23 km long and comprising 11 billion tons of ice. The convergence of the Great Aletsch, Jungfrau, Ewigschneefeld and Grünegg glaciers brings together an ice mass with a surface area of 86 km2.

Did you know?

It takes some 400 years for a snowflake that lands in the glacier catchment area of the Jungfrau or Aletch glaciers to reach the tip of the glacier tongue.

Glacier tours

A guided tour gets you up close and personal with the spectacular Great Aletsch Glacier. Not only will our qualified mountain guides get you safely home from your expedition, they will also provide an abundance of interesting information about the glacier and the local flora and fauna.
Glacier tours can be booked via the Belalp Alpin Center.

Spend the night at Hotel Belalp - you can’t stay closer to the glacier

Hotel Belalp has been writing tourism history for over 160 years. It is not only the historic witness of a pioneering spirit through the ages, it is also a favourite destination for any generation and a place to gather strength and inspiration.

Hotel Belalp is open during the summer and winter seasons and can be reserved for a variety of events, from weddings to seminars, work and client events. 

For more information: www.hotel-belalp.ch