Far away in Switzerland, between the mountain areas of Bern and Valais, there’s a huge frozen wonder that looks like a giant river made of ice.
It’s called the Aletsch Glacier (say it like: Ah-letch), and it’s not just big—it’s the biggest glacier in all of Western Europe, and one of the largest in the whole world! 🌍
🏔️ Just How BIG Is It?
-
It stretches a whopping 23 kilometers long (that’s about 4,600 basketball courts in a row!).
-
It covers 81 square kilometers, which is larger than many towns!
-
It sits proudly in the Bernese Alps, one of the most famous mountain ranges in the world.
This icy giant is so special that it became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area over 20 years ago. That means it’s a place that the world has promised to protect forever.
But here’s the sad part…
⚠️ The Ice Is Melting—And Fast!
Because of global warming—which means the Earth is getting hotter—the glacier is melting more and more every year.
Even though it still looks big and strong, scientists say that the glacier is shrinking, and some parts may disappear if we don’t help fight climate change. 😢
🚞 Want to Visit? You Can Ride the “Top of Europe” Train! 🚉
If you want to see the Aletsch Glacier up close, you can take a ride on the Jungfraujoch Railway. It’s the highest train station in all of Europe at 3,454 meters high—that’s taller than many airplanes fly!
That’s why it’s called the “Top of Europe”! ❄️🇨🇭
But if you want the best views of the glacier, head to the little mountain village called Bettmeralp. From there, the views are like something out of a movie! 🎥🏞️
👀 What Else Can You See There?
From the Bettmerhorn Viewpoint, you can see:
-
The Dom, one of the highest mountains in Switzerland.
-
The Matterhorn, the mountain that looks like a giant triangle (and is also the logo of Toblerone chocolate! 🍫).
-
Mont Blanc, the tallest mountain in all of Europe!
(Fun fact: Mont Blanc is not in Switzerland—it’s on the border between France and Italy!)
There are 48 mountains in Switzerland taller than 4,000 meters, and you can see 40 of them just by standing in one place near the glacier! 🤯
🥾 Hikers, Be Careful—The Glacier Has Deep Cracks!
Some brave and experienced hikers love to explore the glacier. They can even sleep overnight in special mountain huts!
But it’s not all fun and games.
The Aletsch Glacier has giant cracks in the ice called crevasses, and some of them go as deep as 900 meters—that’s deeper than 2 Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other!
So if you’re hiking there, you must have a guide and special gear to stay safe.
💬 Why This Place Matters
The Aletsch Glacier isn’t just a beautiful tourist spot—it’s also a symbol of climate change. It shows us how fast the world is warming, and how we all need to work together to protect our planet.
Because once a glacier like this is gone… it’s gone forever. 😔
📸 This story was brought to you by Philstar.com, written independently after a trip hosted by Switzerland Tourism—but all the views and content were created by the writer following journalistic rules.
