Val d'Ernen

Val d’Ernen is the name for the high terrace and side valley around the village of Ernen, on the sunny north-facing slope of the Goms, the upper Rhone valley in the canton of Valais. The Goms is one of the most distinctive parts of the Alps, a long, flat-bottomed valley between the Furka Pass and Brig, where the Rhone is still a small stream running through meadows, and its villages are dark timber settlements strung out along the road and railway. Ernen, at about 1,200 metres, is the most attractive of them, and it was the administrative seat of the Goms for centuries, a role that explains the quality of its buildings.

The Walser are part of the story. German-speaking people from this part of the Valais spread in the Middle Ages to high valleys across the Alps, and the Goms was the home from which many of them set out. The village architecture here is a classic example of the Valais timber tradition: houses and granaries built of dark larch logs, often on stone stilts topped with flat slabs to keep out mice, with carved dates and house marks, and the old village square, with its fountain, the former administrative building and the painted Tellenhaus, forms a harmonious whole. The village is part of the Swiss register of sites of national importance, and strict rules protect its appearance.

Culture is an important part of the valley’s modern life. The Musikfest, the Festival Musikdorf Ernen, brings international musicians to the village every summer, and it has made the small community known across the world of classical music. Concerts take place in the church and other historic venues. The village also has a small museum and information about local history, and a tradition of crafts and of cross-country skiing in winter.

The valley is a destination for outdoor activity, with an Alpine feel. Walkers can follow a high-level path along the slope of the valley with views of the Bernese Alps and the peaks of the Aletsch region, and many other trails lead to alpine pastures, rock gardens and villages. Mountain bikers use the roads and trails, and the Rhone cycling route, which follows the river from its source at the Rhone glacier to Lake Geneva, runs through the valley. In winter, the Goms is known for its long, groomed cross-country ski trails on the valley floor, and snowshoe routes on the slopes. Accommodation is simple, with small hotels and holiday houses, and the pace of life is slow.

The valley suits hikers, cyclists, cross-country skiers and cultural travellers. The railway through the Goms, a narrow-gauge line from Brig to Disentis, makes it easy to reach without a car. Combine a walk with a concert in summer.