Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

Located in the Bernese Oberland region in Switzerland, the Aletsch Glacier is the longest glacier in Europe. The glacier stretches over 23 km from its formation in the Jungfrau region down to the Massa Gorge. It covers an area of 117,6 km² and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

We admired this beautiful river of ice from the viewing platform on the Jungfraujoch. On this spot the view of the surrounding area and the glacier is truly spectacular. But it's also possible to explore the Aletsch Glacier from up close. You can do this by taking a guided glacier walk, more info about this can be found here. If you wish to have more info about visiting the Jungfraujoch, top of Europe, have a look here.

Like all glaciers in the world, the Aletsch Glacier is also suffering the effects of global warming. Since 2000, the end of the glacier has shrunk by 1000m (0.62 miles) and lost around 300m (0.19 miles) of its thickness.

By: Jurgen Huibers

Jurgen Huibers

We're a family of five from the picturesque scenery of Belgium. Come along with us as we share stories from our journeys so far. And if you're curious about any of the places we've visited, don't hesitate to ask. Your dream European getaway is within reach, and we're here to make it extraordinary!