Reckingen is the oldest mountain village in Goms. When choosing where to stay, two distinct features stand out: buildings and their historical details, and the Reckingen–Gluringen discovery trail. You can decide whether you would rather explore cultural and historical details or set aside time for a circular route. These two highlights give your stay different character without prescribing a fixed daily schedule.
Regional trains operated by the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway take 1 hour and 3 minutes to reach Reckingen from Brig. Timetable changes may affect the journey time, so check the connection for your travel date. The train journey provides a concrete reference point for planning your arrival. First decide how much time to allow for the journey, then fit your sightseeing or walking route around it.
Church, chapel and buildings open to visitors
The lovingly renovated buildings—sawmill, mill, bell foundry, bakehouse and washhouse—can be visited in Reckingen. This selection adds several craft-related buildings to the religious architecture. If you would like to take in different aspects of the village’s appearance, there is more to see than just a religious building.
The church in Reckingen dates from 1743 to 1745 and is considered the most important Baroque religious building in Upper Valais. Its interior is richly coloured: the plastered barrel vault is decorated with stucco and paintings. Two side altars and the high altar stand against the east wall of the raised choir. These specific features bring the church’s Baroque classification to life. The church is on Furkastrasse, which separates the upper village from the lower village.
The Stalen Chapel at the entrance to the Blinnen Valley offers a different kind of detail. It stands on a small plateau covered with larch trees. Inside, a niche above the entrance contains a copy of a Madonna statue by Johann Ritz. A painting on the choir’s exterior wall depicts two angels carrying a cross. The artistic features also differ: in the church, the vault, stucco and altars shape the interior; at the Stalen Chapel, the Madonna copy and painting of angels are the specific motifs.
Discovery trail: the full loop or individual sections
The Reckingen–Gluringen discovery trail is 12.2 kilometres long and follows a circular route; you can also walk individual sections. So the full length is not your only planning option: you can choose a section if it fits your day better. The trail incorporates themes into the landscape and engages the senses. The trail is open and accessible except in the Blinnen Valley. Check the current trail status before setting out, and take this exception into account when planning.
Winter activities in Gluringen
In Gluringen, the ski lift has a T-bar lift and a small rope tow or pony lift. There is also a sledging run and a winter hiking trail. You can compare different winter activities here: lifts, sledging and hiking. This focus differs from the churches and the discovery trail, and may help you choose if you are planning a stay around specific winter activities.
Discover more destinations: Bellwald, Ernen, Ulrichen, Fieschertal, Blitzingen, MĂĽnster-Geschinen, Niederwald, Obergesteln
To the main travel overview: Goms.
