If you want to visit just one viewpoint in the Aletsch Arena, choose this one. It is the highest in the region, and from here you can see the full 20 kilometers of the Aletsch Glacier and, if you turn around, the Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, and the Matterhorn. You can get almost there by cable car from Fiescheralp, but then you still have to walk 400 meters to the point itself. That’s not a problem, because that walk is well worth it. At the top, the Horli-Hitta: a cozy little mountain hut with a large and sunny terrace, Valais specialties, and Mediterranean dishes. The perfect place to take a breather before the descent.

View Point Eggishorn

Between Brig and Visp, a fifteen-minute drive from the Aletsch Arena, lies the Brigerbad, the largest open-air thermal bath in the Alps. This bath has existed since Roman times. Step inside and you will understand why they stayed. Eight pools at a delightful 42 degrees, a thermal cave where the water is even warmer, loungers with massage jets in the water, a 'river bath' where you gently drift along with the current, and for those who wish: the thermal water slide: 182 meters down in warm water. The perfect way to end a day in the mountains. They are open all year round, but honestly, it is best after a day in the snow. Tip: combine it with a visit to the Stockalper Palace in Brig for a complete day.

Brigerbad

Panorama Restaurant Bettmerhorn is located at the mountain station of the gondola. Wherever you sit, you have a premium view of the Valais mountain peaks, the Matterhorn, and, on clear days, even Mont Blanc. Here, you can order Gommer Cholera, a traditional Valais pastry, and Älplermagronen, the Swiss mountain pasta.

Thursday is raclette night, but you can also book the Moonlight Dinner separately: raclette à discretion with starter and dessert, after which you descend to Bettmeralp at 8:30 PM with a burning torch, on your skis. Just your group on the slopes, by moonlight—now that is a truly special dessert.

Panorama Restaurant Bettmerhorn

The oldest family business on the sunny Valais plateau smells of wood, and that is not surprising; after all, a number of rooms are built according to the Holz100 method. Walls, ceiling, and floor of spruce, beds of Swiss pine, handles of raw tree branches. Remarkable, isn't it? And for those who think that's nonsense, it smells amazing anyway. Balcony, view of the trees and the distant Matterhorn. After a day in the mountains, you plop down in one of the comfy Armchairs in the library, next to a crackling fireplace with a good book and a cup of tea. Or you descend to the wine cellar, where the owner keeps a collection of sustainable, innovative wines. Afterwards, you finish that bottle on the sunny terrace. Plenty of skiing, a sauna, an extensive breakfast buffet, and a chef who surprises you in the evening with Swiss raclette, Chinese hotpot, or homemade apricot tart.

Holzhotel Waldhaus

A 25-minute walking path leads you to Hotel Belalp, and by the time you arrive, you understand why Winston Churchill wrote here: “I sleep like a log and feel healthier than ever.” The hotel has stood there since 1856 in a beautiful historic building, renovated in 2019 but retaining all its charm. The rooms are warm and simple, some with balconies and views of the glacier. There is a beautiful, sun-drenched terrace, a glass-enclosed restaurant giving you the feeling of sitting outside (but comfortably warm), serving Valais specialties.

Hotel Belalp

Founder Anton Arnold worked in London for many years before opening this boutique design hotel in Brig in 1884, and those British influences are reflected throughout the interior. It feels like you are staying with your hip aunt from London: colorful, warm, and really very cozy. Bright rooms with parquet floors, a Living room with library and a honesty bar which is open day and night. The hotel is located right on the pedestrian market square of Brig, within walking distance of the train station and the impressive Stockalper Castle. The best breakfast in the region, fresh, regional, and homemade, awaits you every morning.

London Hotel

Tucked away behind the market square of Brig, in a historic castle building next to the Stockalper Palace (the largest private building in the Swiss Alps from the 17th century, which is also open to visitors), sits Restaurant Schlosskeller. The cuisine is French, the details Swiss. Think lamb fillet in honey sauce, flambéed beef at the table, and a sorbet of Valais apricot schnapps to finish. The menus change seasonally, and vegetarians and vegans will also find something to their liking. It is not the cheapest option in the region, but honestly, dining in a castle just has a certain charm. Especially when it is this delicious.

Restaurant Schlosskeller

Riederfurka is an incredibly good snack bar on the slopes. Fast, honest, and tasty: perfect for a quick stop between two runs. Want to start the day off right? Then book the mountain breakfast the day before: fried eggs, bacon, and a glass of prosecco while the Valais 4000-meter peaks glisten in the rising sun. In the summer, the restaurant does things differently: a wooden kugelbaan stands next door. Buy a wooden ball for CHF 2, shoot it down, and take the ball home as a souvenir.

Restaurant Riederfurka