Resorts in Wallis
Click on a town (not on its name) in the overview below in order to see more information, or scroll down to take a look at all resorts.
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Resorts in Wallis.
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Binntal
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The small village of Binn is located in the Binn valley, that can be reached through a narrow road from the Rhône valley near Fiesch. This quiet valley is a magnificent hiking region. Furthermore, it is well-known for the minerals that can be found here. A mineral store and a mineral museum can be found in the village. The even smaller village of Imfeld (also called Fäld) is located furtheron in the valley. The valley is relatively untouched by civilization because of its isolated location. Therefore, staying in the Binn valley is particularly suitable for people who seek peace and quiet and mainly limit their day trips to the immediate area. Day trips to other regions require a bus or car ride via a narrow mountain road to the 350 m (1150 ft) lower situated Rhône valley (12 km, 7,5 miles). There is a limited number of bus servies from Binn to Fiesch.
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More information about Binn: Binntal Tourismus.
Goms
Bettmeralp is situated 1150 m (3,770 ft) above the eastern Rhône valley (the region of Goms). It is a typical tourist resort with good winter sports facilities. But it is an attractive place to stay in summer as well, especially for people who are interested in hiking along the nearby Grosser Aletsch glacier. The glacier and the surrounding area are nature reserves. There is a gondola up to the Bettmerhorn, where you can enjoy the view of the glacier. This is also a starting point for hikes. The high altitude of Bettmeralp results in great views and a lot of sun hours. Bettmeralp has a "Families Welcome" label, meaning that entertainment, accommodation and services are particularly suitable for families with children. An alternative for staying in Bettmeralp is the similar and nearby village of Riederalp.
Bettmeralp is car free and can only be reached by gondola services from the train station of Betten, where you can park your car as well. There is a direct service (travelling time about 7 minutes) and a service that requires you to cross in the village of Betten (travelling time about 10 minutes).
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 | 446 |
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 | 1.957 m
6,421 ft |
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 | 1 |
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 | >15 |
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More information about Bettmeralp: Bettmeralp Tourismus.
Picture: PicSwiss.
Goms
Riederalp is situated 1150 m (3,770 ft) above the eastern Rhône valley (the region of Goms). It is a typical tourist resort with good winter sports facilities. But it is an attractive place to stay in summer as well, especially for people who are interested in hiking along the nearby Grosser Aletsch glacier. The glacier and the surrounding area are nature reserves. There are gondola services up to Hohfluh and Moosfluh, where you can enjoy the view of the glacier. These are also starting points for hikes. The high altitude of Riederalp results in great views and a lot of sun hours. Riederalp has a "Families Welcome" label, meaning that entertainment, accommodation and services are particularly suitable for families with children. An alternative for staying in Riederalp is the similar and nearby village of Bettmeralp.
Riederalp is car free and can only be reached by gondola from the train station of Mörel, where you can park your car as well. The gondola ride takes 10-15 minutes.
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| 315 |
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| 1.919 m
6,296 ft |
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| 2 |
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| >15 |
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More information about Riederalp: Riederalp Tourismus.
Picture: PicSwiss.
Mattertal
The popular tourist resort of Grächen is located on a woody mountain-side above the Matter valley and offers beautiful views of the Weisshorn (4506 m, 14,783 ft), the Bishorn (4135 m, 13,566 ft), the Brunegghorn (3833 m, 12,575 ft), the Bietschhorn (3934 m, 12,907 ft) and other mountain tops. Furthermore, Grächen is located in a great hiking area with forests crossed by the characteristic open water supply systems (Suonen). There are two gondolas to the higher situated hiking areas of Hannigalp and the Seetalhorn. Long hikes to the nearby Saas valley can be made from both of these sites. Grächen has a "Families Welcome" label, meaning that entertainment, accommodation and services are particularly suitable for families with children.
Grächen can be reached by bus and by car through a 8 km (5 miles) long mountain road from the 530 m (1740 ft) lower situated St. Niklaus.
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| 1367 |
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| 1.619 m
5,312 ft |
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| 2 |
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| >25 |
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More information about Grächen: Grächen Tourismus.
Mattertal
St. Niklaus is a centrally situated village in the Matter valley and is therefore a good starting point to explore this region. The Matter valley is quite narrow near St. Niklaus, and there is a view of impressive rock walls. Depending on your exact location, the sun may set behind the mountains as early as 6:00 pm. This village is not a typical tourist resort, but the basic facilities are present.
St. Niklaus is easy to be reached by both car and train. The well-known town of Zermatt with its many gondolas and hiking trails can be reached by train in about half an hour. A trip to Visp in the Rhône valley takes half an hour as well. You can travel to other parts of Wallis from Visp. The nearby Saas valley can be reached from Stalden (travelling time 20 minutes). Grächen can be reached in 25 minutes by bus or by car.
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| 2379 |
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| 1.116 m
3,661 ft |
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| 2 |
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More information about St. Niklaus: Tourismusverein St. Niklaus.
Picture: Mr. H. Heij.
Mattertal
The small and quiet village of Randa is located in the south of the Matter valley, amidst the highest mountains of Switzerland, among which the Dom (4545 m, 14,911 ft) and the Weisshorn (4506 m, 14,783 ft). From the village, there is a view of the Breithorn behind the nearby town of Zermatt. This popular tourist resort with its many gondolas and hiking trails can be reached by train in 15 minutes, which makes Randa a good (and may be cheaper) alternative for a stay Zermatt. The location of Randa, in the back of the valley, makes it less suitable as a starting point for day trips to other regions in Wallis. In that case, you need to take account of longer travelling times. A remarkable part of the local scenery is the enormous pile of rocks just outside the village, that came into being by two massive rockfalls in 1991.
The village is easy to be reached from the Rhône valley by both car and train. The trip to Visp in the Rhône valley takes about 50 minutes. You can travel to other parts of Wallis from here. The nearby Saas valley can be reached from Stalden (travelling time 45 minutes).
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More information about Randa: Randa Tourism.
Mattertal
Täsch is located in the south of the Matter valley, close to Zermatt. This popular tourist resort with its many gondolas and hiking trails can be reached by train in 10 minutes. Täsch is a tourist resort, just like Zermatt, but it is a lot smaller (and may be cheaper). The location of Täsch, in the back of the valley, makes it less suitable as a starting point for day trips to other regions in Wallis. In that case, you need to take account of longer travelling times. Täsch has a large parking lot, especially for drivers to Zermatt, since Zermatt is car free and people can change to trains in Täsch.
The village is easy to be reached from the Rhône valley by both car and train. The trip to Visp in the Rhône valley takes about an hour. You can travel to other parts of Wallis from here. The nearby Saas valley can be reached from Stalden (travelling time 50 minutes).
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More information about Täsch: Täsch Tourismus.
Mattertal
Zermatt is a popular tourist resort among both winter sports lovers and hikers/mountaineers. The reason is the beautiful surrounding area amidst the highest mountains in Switzerland. There are many gondola services up to impressive viewing points. Furthermore, there are lots of hiking and mountain bike trails in the forests and in alpine areas. This town is entirely geared towards tourism and mountaineering and hosts many hotels, restaurants and shops, that are mostly open on Sundays as well. The pretty isolated location at the end of the Matter valley makes it harder to go for day trips to other regions. In that case, you need to take account of long travelling times. However, the surrounding area has enough to offer to have very good holidays.
Zermatt is a car free town that can be reached by train only. Drivers can use a large parking lot in nearby Täsch. There are frequent train services to Zermatt from here (travelling time 10 minutes). You can park in Visp as well, which is easy to be reached by car from the Rhône valley. A train to Zermatt departs from Visp about once per hour (travelling time approximately 65 minutes). This spares you from a car ride through the Matter valley (30 km/19 miles, difference in altitude 790 m/2590 ft, travelling time about 60 minutes). You can reach the nearby Saas valley from Stalden (travelling time 55 minutes).
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| 5423 |
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| 1.616 m
5,302 ft |
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| 4 |
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| >15 |
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More information about Zermatt: Zermatt Tourismus.
Hotels in Zermatt
Western Rhône valley
Sion, or in German: Sitten, is centrally situated in Wallis and is a very good operating base for day trips throughout the canton. The historical town centre hosts a lot of museums, shops and restaurants for people who want to enjoy the comforts of city life while on holiday. As opposed to most other resorts that are being reviewed on this page, the official language here is not German but French.
The town is located in the usually warm Rhône valley and is very easy to be reached by both car and train, and also has a large bus station. The travelling time to Montreux along the Lake of Geneva is approximately 45 minutes. The travelling time to Visp (starting point for day trips to the Matter valley and the Saas valley) takes about 30 minutes.
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| 27697 |
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| 491 m
1,611 ft |
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| 6 |
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| >15 |
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More information about Sion: Sion Tourisme.
Rhône valley/Simplon
Brig is centrally situated in the Rhône valley. The historical town centre offers a wide selection of restaurants, hotels and shops. You can quickly travel to beautiful hiking areas, such as the Grosser Aletsch glacier, the Simplon pass and the hiking trails near Ausserberg, on the northern slopes of the Rhône valley.
Brig is a junction of railways from Spiez (Bernese Oberland), Lausanne, Andermatt, Zermatt and Italy. The town is easy to be reached by car as well. Its location makes Brig particularly suitable for tourists who want to explore several parts of Wallis or an even larger region.
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| 11882 |
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| 681 m
2,234 ft |
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| 7 |
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| >15 |
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More information about Brig: Brig-Belalp Tourismus.
Rhône valley/Visper valley
When you are arriving in Visp by train, it is inevitable to pay attention to the town's industrial zone. However, Visp has a surprisingly beautiful historical town centre. Furthermore, this town is attractive for tourists who are seeking a starting point to explore a large part of Wallis. Visp is situated in a wide part of the Rhône valley close to where the Matter valley and the Saas valley begin. This is one of the dryest and warmest regions in Switzerland, so it is not very surprisingly that the highest vineyards in Europe can be found here.
Visp is very easy to be reached by car and by train, and also has a large bus station. A stay in Visp allows you to travel quickly to both western (French speaking) Wallis as eastern (German speaking) Wallis. The travelling time to the well-known resort of Zermatt is 65 minutes and to Saas Fee 55 minutes. You can reach Brig, where the narrow eastern Rhône valley begins, in about 10 minutes. A trip to the Lake of Geneva takes about 1h15.
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More information about Visp: Visp Tourismus.
Saastal
Saas Fee is situated in a beautiful area in the back of the Saas Valley. The village is surrounded by the highest mountains of Switzerland, among which the Dom (4545 m, 14,911 ft). A number of ski runs around the Allalinhorn (4027 m, 13,212 ft) are open all year long. There are four gondola's from the village to viewing points. In the immediate area, there are also a gondola from Saas Almagell to Furggstalden and from Unter dem Berg (Saas Grund) to Hohsaas. Saas Fee is entirely geared towards tourism. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and shops. There are activities on a regular basis, including some activities especially for children.
Saas Fee is a car free town, but nevertheless it can be reached by car. You need to park in a large parking garage as soon as you enter the village. The town can be reached by bus as well. Note that buses depart from within the bus station, not from the square. The pretty isolated location at the end of the Saas valley makes Saas Fee particularly suitable for people who want to explore the immediate area. You can reach other regions in Wallis via Visp. Visp can be reached via a narrow road through the Saas valley (27 km/17 miles, difference in altitude 1150 m/3773 ft, travelling time about 55 minutes). The beginning of the nearby Matter valley, with the town of Zermatt at the end, can be reached via the same road from Stalden (20 km/12 miles, difference in altitude 1000 m/3280 ft, travelling time about 40 minutes). The nearest train station is in Stalden as well.
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| 1607 |
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| 1.803 m
5,915 ft |
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| 2 |
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| >25 |
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More information about Saas Fee: Saas-Fee Tourismus.
Saastal
Saas Grund is situated in the back of the beautiful Saas Valley, near the popular tourist resort of Saas Fee. There is a gondola to Hohsaas that departs from the nearby village of Unter dem Berg. There are other gondolas in the immediate area as well: four depart from Saas Fee and there is another service from Saas Almagell to Furggstalden.
Saas Grund can be reached by car and by bus via a narrow road from Stalden. The pretty isolated location makes Saas Grund particularly suitable for people who want to explore the immediate area. You can reach other regions in Wallis via Visp (23 km/14 miles, difference in altitude 900 m/2950 ft, travelling time about 40 minutes). The beginning of the nearby Matter valley, with the town of Zermatt at the end, can be reached from Stalden (19 km/12 miles, difference in altitude 750 m/2460 ft, travelling time about 30 minutes). The nearest train station is in Stalden as well.
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| 1142 |
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| 1.559 m
5,115 ft |
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| 2 |
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More information about Saas Grund: Saastal Tourismus.
Vispertal
Stalden and its surroundings are the dryest region in Switzerland, so good weather conditions are a good reason to stay in this region. In addition, the centrally situated location of this village is attractive as well; the Visper valley, the Matter valley and the Saas valley come together near Stalden. Stalden is well-known for the numerous bridges. The road to Saas Fee en Zermatt crosses a bridge over the breathtakingly deep ravine of the river of Mattervispa. The nearby village of Staldenried is a bit more geared for tourism and offers more hotels and holiday homes than Stalden. Staldenried can be reached through a narrow mountain road (7 km/4 miles, difference in altitude 350 m/1150 ft, travelling time about 10 minutes), or by gondola from the railway station in Stalden. The gondola continues from Staldenried to Gspon, which is a starting point for hiking. Another nearby hiking area is Moosalp with the viewing point of Stand, that can be reached by bus or by car in about 45 minutes.
Stalden is easy to be reached by both car and train. From Stalden, Visp is quickly to be reached, which is the starting point for day trips to other parts of Wallis. Zermatt can be reached in approximately 55 minutes and Saas Fee in about 40 minutes. There are many hiking possibilities around nearby Grächen as well. This village can be reached via St. Niklaus in about 50 minutes.
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More information about Stalden: Gemeinde Stalden.
Picture: Bernhard Bittel & German Schnidrig.
Vispertal
As in nearby Visp and Stalden, the chances of good weather are quite high in Visperterminen. Its high location on the eastern slopes of the Visper valley result in beautiful views and a good average of sun hours. There are hiking trails directly from the village and the gondola to Giw can take you to higher situated hiking areas around the Gebidem pass. You can make a perambulation here, but you can also walk to Gspon above Stalden, or a take a longer hike to the Simplon pass.
Visperterminen is easy to be reached by car and by bus through a (sometimes narrow) mountain road from Visp (9 km/6 miles, difference in altitude 730 m/2400 ft, travelling time about 25 minutes).
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| 1445 |
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| 1.380 m
4,528 ft |
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| 1 |
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| >2 |
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More information about Visperterminen: Visperterminen Tourismus.
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on December 31, 2002
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