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culture

“Today it is World Heritage area. Once there, you will his wife erected a memorial on the mountain
impossible to see a distant, extravagant building with a big slope above the village, between the Villa
imagine that glass terrace, looking as if it is hanging on the and the hotel Belalp, at an elevation of 2340
the glacier cliff – the Belalp Hotel. If you go past it, you metres and in sight of the Aletsch Glacier.
will see the stone border – the Aletschboard, Both the memorial and Villa can be visited
tongue came from which the tongue of the majestic Aletsch on the ‘Tyndall trail’. His writings showed that
right up to glacier can be seen. Today it is impossible to he was attracted to the area by the glacier, the
this wall just imagine that the glacier tongue came right stunning natural scenes thereabouts and the
200-300 up to this wall just 200-300 years ago, as hospitable villagers. However, there may have
years ago, as nowadays it is so far away. The view is still been another attraction. This area is also one
nowadays fascinating, however, and in summer you can of the most legendary places in Switzerland.
see how tragically far the tongue has moved
it is so far away - since 2000, it has retreated 1 km.
away..” The historic Bealp Hotel is an unusual

building. Although today it looks very
modern with the glass terrace overlooking
the cliff, it dates back to 1856, which explains
its imposing Belle Epoque appearance. It is
a mountain hotel, receiving mainly British Witch of Belalp
guests, as well as the Irish alpinist and natural Since the Middle Ages, Belalp was known as
scientist John Tyndall (1820-1893). Despite the land of witches because of the legend of
the obvious modernization of the hotel, it a witch who took the form of a black raven
th
honours him with the original 19 century to wreak havoc across the region. To this
furnishings in the ‘Tyndall Room’, which is day there is a belief that the witch must be
available to guests who want to breathe in the chased back to the glacier before she causes
atmosphere of that time. more harm. She was accused of many local
misfortunes, as well as killing her husband,
John Tyndall and Belalp and was eventually burned at stake.
John Tyndall’s writings greatly helped develop This became part of local folklore, and at the
international Swiss Alpine tourism. He was beginning of each year people came here to
fascinated by the Aletsch Glacier, and he chase the witch to ensure that the coming year
studied glacier movements and climate change will be safe. Nowadays, the Belalp ski club has
on the Belalp. He was also a keen mountaineer an annual Witch Hunt, a week-long skiing
- on 19 August 1861, Tyndall, accompanied by event at the start of January. Skiers dress as
two mountain guides, was the first to conquer witches, wear masks, and participate in the
the difficult Weisshorn. A year later, he made 12km Witches’ Descent. With cries of “D’Häx
the first ascent of the southwest shoulder of isch los!” (“the witch is loose!”) they take part
the Matterhorn, now called the Pic Tyndall. in this almost Olympic descent. The Witch
The Matterhorn had until then been regarded Hexe is the biggest winter sporting event
as unclimbable. in Valais canton, with an official ceremony
and presentation of awards. This year it was
However, it was Belalp that captivated Tyndall, cancelled due to the pandemic, but I still
and he returned here for 44 years. Like Cassel, journeyed there at New Year, to chase the
he wanted something more than the local Belalp witch down to the glacier and ensure
hotel, so he decided to build a chalet with a nothing bad would happen this year. Whether
view of the Aletsch Glacier. Belalp became I was successful, it is up to you to judge.
his mental and spiritual home, his small
Alpine university from where he could study And the Pope in all this?
the glacier. The chalet, now called now Villa The people of the devoutly Catholic Fiesch and
Tyndall, is one of the highest mountain villas Fieschertal villages have made an the annual
in the Alps. It is at the height of Belalp and can pilgrimage here since 1676, when Europe
just about be seen from Brig. After his death, was in the grip of the Little Ice Age. Looming

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