Bettmeralp Skiing: Christmas in the Swiss Alps 2023/24

⛷ BETTMERALP SKIING: CHRISTMAS IN THE ALPS 2023

Skiing in Bettmeralp is already a magical experience, and adding the opportunity to spend Christmas in the Swiss Alps makes it truly exceptional.

So, if you’re searching for a Christmas skiing getaway in Switzerland, there’s no better destination than this picturesque village nestled in the clouds — Bettmeralp.

At an altitude of 2000 metres, some days it’s hard to tell where the snow ends, and the white fluffy clouds begin.

It’s also relatively easy to get to Bettmeralp from Zurich, which gives you a great excuse to stay there on the way and explore Zurich’s four unique Christmas Markets.

For more information on Switzerland’s magical Christmas Markets, check out our dedicated blog post on Swiss Xmas Markets.

BETTMERALP SWITZERLAND

Bettmeralp is in the Valais region of Switzerland and looks across to the famous high peak of the Matterhorn.

We visited this incredible Swiss village both in the summer while motorhoming through Switzerland, and in winter for our ski trip, and both times its beauty blew us away.

Bettmeralp stands out as a great choice for a skiing holiday due to its particularly high altitude. When Switzerland sees its first snowfall, Bettmeralp is often among the first to be blanketed in its pristine beauty.

Bettmeralp village is car-free and can only be reached by cable car from Betten Tall Station in the valley. The closest village, Riederalp, also car-free is just a 30-minute walk away.

Bettmeralp is part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region, one of the first Alpine UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites.

Part of the UNESCO site is the Great Aletsch Glacier which at 23 kilometres long is the largest in the Alps.  

Fun fact: If the Aletsch Glacier melted, it could supply every single person on the Earth with a litre of water every day for 4.5 years.

Bettmeralp is just on the fringe of the Jungfrau Region, a fabulous winter holiday destination and the perfect spot to explore the beauty of the Swiss Alps — for skiers and non-skiers alike. 

BETTMERALP SKIING – FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY

Bettmeralp ski resort is particularly special at Christmas when the whole village comes alive with festivities and fun. The ski season starts just before Christmas, with plenty of winter sports available for both young and old. 

We chose our Bettmeralp skiing holiday because we were meeting up with my three sons, (all flying in from different countries), for Christmas and this was the perfect holiday to keep everyone entertained.

Although I have older boys the resort is equally suitable for younger children. As Bettmeralp is car-free, the resort is family-friendly, so no worrying about cars and traffic.

There are special kiddy slopes and activities just for the little ones as well. Checking the available facilities for your younger children is always important if booking your first skiing trip with your toddler.

There’s not only skiing in Bettmeralp. You can also snowboard, snowshoe, cross-country ski, or just enjoy the ambience and beauty of nature in the Swiss Alps.

BETTMERALP SKIING RESORT MAP

The map shows various points of interest in Bettmeralp, such as the grocery shops, ski area, ski equipment hire and gondola points for Bettmeralp.

[The map can be expanded by using the broken square in the top right-hand corner and you will then be able to view the key on the left]

CHRISTMAS SKIING IN BETTMERALP

The Swiss Alps ski season begins just before Christmas, so when we arrived, Bettmeralp was already becoming a vibrant hub of fun and festivity. The main street was abuzz with skiers, snowboarders and children being cheerily pulled along on toboggans.

Rustic and authentic Swiss chalets lined the snow paths and Christmas decorations adorned the streets, with fairy lights hanging from the chalets and restaurants.

The perfect picture postcard Christmas scene.  

The little church at Bettmeralp has a twenty-four-hour webcam pointing at it, so you can check the snow and weather conditions any time. Check out the Bettmeralp Chapel Webcam here. 

BETTERMERALP SKIING: GETTING STARTED

The only way to arrive for your skiing holiday at Betteralp is by cable car.

The view of the Swiss Alps on the gondola ride up to the village is amazing. Stepping out of the Tall Station at the top, felt like we were walking out onto a different planet. 

You can either hire a snowmobile taxi (recommended) or walk with your luggage. If walking, the best way is to hire a toboggan and load it with your luggage to tow behind you. 

Ski Equipment Hire

There are two Ski/Snowboard Equipment Hire shops in Bettmeralp:

Mattig Sport
3992 – Bettmeralp, Tel: +41 (0) 27 927 13 01, Email: [email protected]

Derby Sport AG,
3992 Bettmeralp, Tel:  +41 27 927 11 40, Email: [email protected]

Both stores sell and hire out equipment for beginners, experienced skiers or snowboarders.

With the Ski and snowboard equipment being so quick and easy to hire, we were ready to go in no time. The boys were off on the slopes snowboarding and already competing on who could handle the steepest slope.

BETTMERALP SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING VIDEO

Here’s a quick snippet of our Bettmeralp skiing and snowboarding – and you can see how accomplished we are at the end 😉 

BETTMERALP SKIING: RESORT INFORMATION

• Bettmeralp is a car-free zone with access by cable car only.
• There are 35 lift facilities providing access to the pistes and skiers can ski right to their doors.
• Bettmeralp Resort has been awarded the “Families Welcome” quality certificate and has a children’s activity programme.

BETTMERALP SKI SCHOOL

Snow Passion  (We highly recommend this Bettmeralp ski school for young and old alike) — we are not affiliated.

Chalet Schwarzbueb, CH 3992 Bettmeralp,
Tel: +41 27 927 30 39 ,
Email: [email protected],
Website: www.snow-passion.ch

BETTMERALP SKI PASS

The Aletsch Arena ski pass covers  Bettmeralp, Riederalp and Fiesch-Eggishorn. 

Tickets can be purchased at the Bergbahnen Cableway ticket offices or online.

You can purchase the following tickets for skiing in Bettmeralp:

• Four-hour passes
• Daily passes
• Multi-day passes up to 21 days
• Season passes
• Annual passes
• Valley – viewpoint single tickets (single or return)
• Baggage carts (single or return)

BETTMERALP SNOWBOARDING

On the Kanzel/Salzgäb piste, there is the TFI  Snowpark — with kicker lines, rail lines and halfpipe

PERFECT SWISS ALPS SKIING HOLIDAY

Spending Christmas skiing in Bettmeralp was a perfect family holiday. 

The boys were off having fun in no time and we … well, we were learning to ski. A feat that proved quite challenging with our not-quite-so-young muscles and limbs.

Luckily we had kept fit on our ‘Europe year in the van‘ trip, so the muscles weren’t too sore and in the main, they stood up to the test. Our technique, however, left much to be desired. 

Fortunately, we had an excellent ski instructor, Markus Rahm, from Snow Passion. He collected us daily from the chalet in his snowmobile and made us feel confident and comfortable on the slopes.

By the end of the week, we were skiing back to our apartment — well sort of. This was no mean feat, given our starting point of not even knowing how to put on our boots. 

 I would thoroughly recommend ski instructors, Markus and his wife Innes, who also speaks many European languages. They live in Bettmeralp and teach both beginners and the most experienced skiers.

WINTER SCENERY IN THE SWISS ALPS

When we weren’t skiing, we were taking beautiful walks and becoming increasingly enchanted by this mystical place.

Snowploughs regularly cleared most of the main routes but if you walk off these areas, you could find yourself knee-deep in the powdery snow. There were a few occasions we were waist-deep — such fun. 

BETTMERALP SKIING: GOOD TO KNOW

BETTMERALP SKIING: CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS 

Skiing Season Dates: Winter season 2023/2024: 8 December 2023 to 6 April 2024

The restaurants, bars and shops were open every day, including Christmas Day.

SUPERMARKETS IN BETTMERALP

There were two small supermarkets that stocked most of the foods you would need. Bear in mind, however, that the Swiss Christmas customs may be different to your own.

In our case, we could not find Christmas puddings or cranberry sauce. That’s part of the fun of travel though — adjusting to new customs. 

BETTMERALP ACCOMMODATION

We booked our Bettmeralp chalet in July for December, but surprisingly found that many were already booked.

Hence, we recommend arranging your accommodation well in advance. Chalets and hotels are reserved over a year beforehand, showing the immense popularity of Bettmeralp as a skiing destination at Christmas.

Here are a few of the best places to stay in Bettmeralp. They have great reviews and ratings from guests who’ve stayed there.

Boutique Hotel La Cabane

💫 Rating: 9.1 Superb
✔️ Buffet Breakfast
✔️ Ski lift 100 m
✔️ Sauna

Book on Booking.com

Hotel Slalom

💫 Rating: 8.9 Fabulous
✔️Excellent Breakfast
✔️ Ski lift 150 m
✔️ Panoramic Views

Book on Booking.com

Bergquelle 1.OG (Entire Apartment)

💫 Rating: 9.1 Superb
✔️Mountain Views
✔️ Ski lift 150 m
✔️ Balcony/Terrace

Book on Booking.com

Find More Deals for Bettmeralp Accommodation on Booking.com here

TRAVELLING TO BETTMERALP SWITZERLAND

TRAVELLING TO BETTMERALP BY SWISS RAIL 

 Zürich  >  Brig  > Betten Talstation > Bettmeralp

The train from Zürich to Brig takes about two and a half hours and is a comfortable ride. 

From Brig, there is a short ten-minute train ride to Betten Talstation.

From here you catch the Cable Car up to Bettmeralp,  the car-free alpine village high in the mountains. 

Note:  Booking online at SBB ( the National railway line of Switzerland) a month before we travelled and buying a ‘Saver Day Pass’, resulted in about a fifty per cent fare saving.

These tickets are only available a month prior and the earlier you buy them the cheaper they are.

With the ‘Saver Day Pass’ you can travel the whole of Switzerland on that scheduled day on all routes, whether on SBB trains or trains of other rail companies including boats, buses and trams. 

TRAVELLING TO BETTMERALP BY CAR

If you are driving to Bettmeralp  (it takes about 4 hours from Zurich) then you will need to leave your car in the parking area near Betten Talstation (Gondola).

Bettmeralp Skiing … That’s a Wrap

There are many winter destinations in Switzerland, but if you are looking for a family-friendly village high in the clouds with snow activities for all, Bettmeralp is the ideal place for a Christmas Skiing trip with the family.

Please let us know if you would like to know anything else about Bettmeralp skiing, and we’ll do our best to answer your queries.

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