Riederalp and Bettmeralp are two car-free villages in the German-speaking part of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. They are a few kilometres from each other at 1,900 metres.
Riederalp and Bettmeralp are on a south-facing terrace above the upper Rhone valley. They are both summer and winter resorts. In addition the smaller winter resort of Fiescheralp (not permanently inhabited) lies close but higher at 2,200 metres.
North of Riederalp and Bettmeralp lies the 23 km long Aletsch Glacier, part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO Heritage Site.
Riederalp can be reached only by cable car from Mörel. Bettmeralp is also reachable by cable car but from Betten Talstation. Mörel and Betten Talstation are located on the railway line between Brig (closest) and Andermatt. The cable cars usually operate from early in the morning until 23:00.
The same applies for Fiescheralp from Fiesch, but with a more restricted timetable.
A bus connection runs between the two villages during the summer season (from late June to late October). Moreover a 30 minutes walk is sufficient to reach the other. From Bettmeralp a cable car leads to the summit of the Bettmerhorn. The higher summit of Eggishorn can be reached by cable car from Fiescheralp (approx. 1 hours by foot from Bettmeralp).
The village of Belalp enjoys the same situation but lies on the other side of the Aletsch gorge. A footpath with an impressive bridge - the Hängebrücke - connects the two, requiring about 5 hours to cross either way.
You can hire bikes from the cable car station in Betmmeralp. Most travelling is done by foot, however there are many cable cars within a short walking distance from the centre of Bettmeralp to go up mountains like Bettmerhorn and see the magnificent Aletsch Glacier.
Free panoramic maps of the area are widely available at stations and information points. These show walking trails, cable car connections and points of interest.
There is a variety of stores in the village, there are 2 food shops: a very well stocked Coop supermarket and another small supermarket.
There are many restaurants dotted along the main street with quality food on offer.
There are many bars along the main street of Bettmeralp and Riederalp frequented by both the locals and tourists.
The apartments and houses in the village are generally good value, though they are a lot more expensive in the winter than in the summer. They are usually very clean and up to the standard that one would expect.