In Ausserberg, the Suonen, still in use today, meet a vibrant rye bread tradition. The village on the Lötschberg south ramp offers a range of ways to experience the area during your stay: from the history of irrigation and guided cultural activities to an alpine route. You can also plan your journey: Ausserberg is served by train every day; check the current BLS timetable for your travel dates.
The village and its municipal area
The village lies at around 1,000 metres above sea level on the Lötschberg south ramp in Upper Valais. The municipal area extends south to the banks of the Rhône. Ausserberg includes mountain pastures near Ausserberg, Hobiel and Leiigru, extensive woodland, and the summer grazing areas of Leiggeralpa, Mederbode and Ougstchumma. At 3,000 metres, the Wiwannihorn is regarded as the municipality’s landmark and highest point. These landscape details refer to the municipal area and extend beyond the village centre.
Suonen and historic trails
The Ausserberg Suonen are historic irrigation channels that extend for more than 40 kilometres and still serve a practical purpose today. The Niwärch Suone continues to supply water to Ausserberg’s irrigation system. At the same time, Suonen are an integral part of the Valais cultural landscape and sustain the driest areas, which are mostly north of the Rhône. In this way, the history of water engineering is linked to an ongoing task.
A separate historical landmark is the historic trail, which has been an important access route to the Baltschiedertal since 1381. When planning your visit, it is worth considering this trail separately from the irrigation channels: both tell the story of how the landscape has been used, but represent different contexts.
Culture, museum and rye bread
The Ausserberg–St. German–Raron Cultural Trail Walk takes place every year on the last weekend of August. Check the exact event dates before your trip. The Ausserberg Museum can be visited as part of a guided tour lasting around 1.5 hours. Tours can be arranged on request for CHF 90 per individual or group; if you are planning a visit, it is best to enquire in advance.
Rye bread is also part of the local cultural offering. The “Bielhüs Ausserberg” baking group holds communal baking days for traditional Ausserberg rye bread; groups can enquire in advance about baking together. During the “Bake Rye Bread in Ausserberg” experience, visitors knead and shape sourdough and learn how rye is grown and processed. The experience also includes a tasting of Valais specialities. This gives you the chance to explore bread both through how it is made and through its role as a regional food.
Medicinal herbs and an alpine tour
Around 40 medicinal herbs can be seen in the Ausserberg medicinal herb garden. Naturopath Rita Huwiler Weissen offers several year-long courses and medicinal herb walking days there. The garden visit focuses on the plants, while the year-long courses and herb walks offer a different way to learn about medicinal herbs.
The Baltschieder via ferrata offers a different kind of experience. It is located in a protected landscape area and within the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage region. The route crosses steep rock faces, grassy ledges and a spectacular rock tower before reaching the WiwannihĂĽtte. Here, the focus is on travelling through alpine terrain; the route is therefore quite different from the guided tours, garden activities and cultural events in the village.
Discover more destinations: Bettmeralp, Betten, Ferden, Steg, Bitsch, Wiler (Lötschen), Riederalp, Eischoll.
For the broader travel overview: Raron.
