Aletsch Arena
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About Aletsch Arena
The Aletsch Arena is Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp, three villages strung along a sunny, south-facing terrace at around 2,000 m above the Rhône valley. None of them can be reached by road: you leave the car at the valley stations and go up by cable car, and up top there are no cars at all, just snow, wooden chalets and a lot of silence.
What sits behind the ridge is the reason the place is on the map. The Aletsch glacier, at more than 20 km the longest in the Alps, fills the valley on the far side, and the whole area is a UNESCO World Heritage site. From the viewpoints at Eggishorn and Bettmerhorn you look down its entire length towards the Jungfrau — which is why so many people here are carrying cameras rather than skis.
The skiing is around 100 km of mostly blue and red pistes, linked along the terrace between the three villages, sunny all day and rarely crowded. It is not a mountain for experts, and it does not pretend to be.
Last reviewed 13 September 2026
Best suited to
- Families
- Beginners
- Intermediates
- Cross-country
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Where lessons start
Each of the three villages has gentle nursery slopes right beside the houses, at 2,000 m, which means good snow and a very short walk from the door for a first lesson — one of the friendliest set-ups in Switzerland for children and adult beginners. Bettmeralp, in the middle, is the most convenient base for reaching both ends. The Aletsch Arena is for families, beginners and gentle intermediates; a strong skier will run out of challenge in a couple of days and should treat it as a scenic break rather than a destination.
Resort areas
- Riederalp
- Bettmeralp
- Fiescheralp
Getting there
Take the train to Brig — around two hours from Bern, Zurich or Geneva — and then the local line up the Rhône valley to Mörel, Betten or Fiesch, each of which has a cable car to its village above. The whole journey from Zurich is about three hours. Driving works the same way: the road ends at the valley station, and the car stays there for the week. Luggage goes up by cable car and is collected at the top with an electric cart or a sledge.
Qualifications required in Switzerland
Teaching skiing or snowboarding for payment in Switzerland is a regulated profession: an instructor must hold the Snowsports instructor diploma. Instructors listed as certified on Alpine Pal have either sent theirs to us for review or are vouched for by the ski school that invited them.
Find instructors in SwitzerlandAletsch Arena: common questions
Which of the three villages should I stay in?
Bettmeralp is the middle one and the largest, with the most shops and the easiest access to both ends of the terrace. Riederalp is quieter and slightly lower, with the closest access to the Aletsch forest and its viewpoints. Fiescheralp is the highest and most snow-sure, and the starting point for the Eggishorn cable car. For a first ski week with children, Bettmeralp or Riederalp; for scenery and quiet, Fiescheralp.
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