Glacier of Aletsch

Europe’s Largest Glacier Is Losing 40 Metres a Year. Here Is How to See It While It Exists.

The Great Aletsch Glacier stretches 23 kilometres through the Swiss Alps and holds roughly 11 cubic kilometres of ice, making it the largest glacier in Europe. It has been shrinking continuously since measurements began in the 19th century, losing approximately 3.5 kilometres of length since 1870 and retreating at a current rate of around 40 to 50 metres per year. Climate projections suggest it could lose 90 percent of its volume by 2100 under median warming scenarios. Whether you regard that as an environmental catastrophe, a travel incentive, or both, the practical implication is the same: the glacier is a fundamentally different sight than it was thirty years ago, and it will be different again thirty years from now.

The ice surface visible from the main viewpoints is already substantially lower than the trimlines (the horizontal marks left on the rock walls by the former glacier surface) visible on the valley sides. That gap is one of the most visually striking things about a visit. The glacier itself is impressive; the evidence of how much it has already lost is sobering.

Where to See It

The Aletsch Glacier sits within the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Area in the Valais canton. The two main access points for non-technical visitors are the Aletsch Arena plateau villages (Bettmeralp, Riederalp, Bettmeralp-Bettmerhorn cable car route) and the Eggishorn viewpoint, reached from Fiesch.

Bettmerhorn viewpoint is reached by two cable cars: first from Betten in the valley to the car-free village of Bettmeralp, then by an eight-person gondola from Bettmeralp up to the Bettmerhorn at around 2,872 metres. From the panoramic platform here, the full curve of the Aletsch glacier is visible below. The cable car station includes the Glacier World of Bettmerhorn, an interactive exhibition on the glacier’s geology and ecology, included in the cable car ticket. The Bettmerhorn cable car operates from early June to late October, typically 8:30 to 16:30.

Eggishorn viewpoint, reached from Fiesch via cable car to Fiescheralp and then a second cable car to 2,927 metres, offers the widest panoramic view, with the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau visible on a clear day above the glacier’s upper basin. From Eggishorn, the ice field below the Konkordiaplatz junction of the glacier’s three main tributaries is fully visible. This is the view that appears in most photographs of the glacier taken from above. The Eggishorn cable car runs a similar season to Bettmerhorn, though note that from August 2026 limited service applies due to renovation work; check current schedules at aletscharena.ch before travelling.

Hiking Down to the Ice

Most visitors see the glacier from the viewpoints above it. A minority walk down to its surface, and this is significantly more rewarding if your fitness allows it.

The Aletsch Panorama Trail, a 12-kilometre route running along the southern edge of the glacier from Bettmerhorn to Fiescheralp, follows the moraine ridge with the glacier immediately below. The route takes 4 to 5 hours, involves around 400 metres of elevation loss and regain, and requires solid walking shoes. No technical equipment is needed. The trail stays on stable moraine above the glacier rather than on the ice itself, making it appropriate for fit visitors without glacier experience.

Guided glacier walks that actually put you on the ice surface are available from operators based in Fiesch and Bettmeralp. These require crampons and involve walking on the lower glacier, which is heavily crevassed in places. A half-day guided tour typically costs around 80 to 120 Swiss francs per person. Book in advance in summer, as guide slots are limited.

Ice climbing on the glacier is available through the same operators on a separate booking, and requires full climbing gear. Most courses are aimed at beginners with no prior experience.

Getting There

The base for the Aletsch Arena side is Betten (valley station below Bettmeralp) or Mörel, both served by the Matterhorn-Gotthard Bahn railway from Brig. Brig is on the main Swiss national rail network and is reached from Zurich in around 1 hour 45 minutes, from Geneva in around 1 hour 30 minutes, and from Interlaken via a connection at Visp. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the national rail network and most cable cars in the region, making it substantially cheaper than buying tickets individually.

From Betten, the cable car to Bettmeralp costs around 20 to 25 Swiss francs one way for adults. From there the Bettmerhorn gondola adds a further cost. A combined ticket for both is available and recommended if you are spending a day at the viewpoints. The Eggishorn side is accessed from Fiesch, the next valley east, reachable by train on the same line.

Bettmeralp and Riederalp are car-free. Vehicles are left in the valley. This means the plateau villages are quiet by Alpine standards, which is one of the reasons they make good bases.

Accommodation and Food

Bettmeralp has a range of hotels and apartment rentals, from simple guesthouses to more comfortable three-star hotels. The village is small enough that most accommodation is within ten minutes’ walk of the Bettmerhorn cable car base. Restaurant Alpenblick in Bettmeralp serves traditional Swiss dishes (rösti, raclette, fondue) with views across the plateau and, on clear days, toward the glacier above. A mountain restaurant also operates at the Bettmerhorn cable car upper station.

For a budget stay, the Swiss Alpine Club hut network includes the Konkordiahütte, positioned directly on the glacier’s central basin at 2,850 metres. Reaching it requires either a very long glacier walk with guide or helicopter transfer. It is not a standard tourist option but exists for those combining an Aletsch visit with alpine touring. Book months in advance.

The Broader Context

Switzerland lost 2.5 percent of its total glacier ice volume in 2024 alone, and twenty major glaciers have shed a quarter of their volume since 2015. The Aletsch is large enough that the absolute changes are enormous even when expressed as percentages. The trimlines on the valley walls at Konkordiaplatz show clearly that the ice junction point was once 200 metres higher than it is today.

That said, a visit to Aletsch is not a depressing experience. The scale of what remains is genuinely impressive, the hiking is excellent, and the Alpine infrastructure around the glacier is well organised. The Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO area protects the landscape regardless of where the glacier’s edge happens to be at any given time. The best practical advice is to see it from the ice itself, not just from the viewpoint above, because the scale of the glacier is impossible to understand until you are standing on it and looking back at cliffs of ice that are 100 metres tall.

For the most useful information, the aletscharena.ch website publishes current cable car timetables, trail conditions, and guided tour bookings, and is more reliably current than third-party booking platforms for this particular destination.