Birgisch: Hiking Trails and Valais Village Culture

Birgisch Between Village and Hillside Settlement

Birgisch is a locality in the municipality of Naters, in the district of Brig, in the German-speaking part of the canton of Valais, Switzerland. Located on the hillside above the Rhône’s right bank, it comprises numerous hamlets. For planning your trip, there are two perspectives to consider: routes with specific distances and estimated times, and a village landscape where traditional wooden houses, chapels and former uses come together.

Hikes with Different Route Profiles

The Lötschberg South Ramp hiking route, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, runs from Ausserberg via Eggerberg, Mund, Birgisch and Rossegga to Naters. It can generally be hiked year-round, although individual sections may be closed seasonally. So before setting out, check whether the relevant section is open. Another route is the Old Mule Track from Naters to Birgisch, which offers views of the Rhône Valley, Belalp and the Simplon region.

The Birgisch–Geimen–Blindtälli–Blatten bei Naters hike starts in Birgisch village square and ends in Blatten bei Naters. It is 6.65 kilometres long, rated moderate and takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Near Moos, it follows a bisse before joining the mule track. The shorter Hoffnungspur Naters (valley) trail offers another option: it covers 3.5 kilometres and is listed as taking 1 to 1.5 hours. This lets you compare the two routes by distance and time required.

Old Village and Cultural Heritage

A walk through Birgisch’s old village takes you past traditional Valais wooden houses, built mostly from larch. The village landscape also includes Spycher—granaries raised on pillars that were once used to store food. A walk around the village therefore offers a glimpse of both the construction methods and the former use of these buildings. You can also see a former gondola in Birgisch.

The “Living Cooperatives” project documents the intangible cultural heritage of the municipality of Naters, especially in the villages of Blatten, Mund and Birgisch. The digital museum makes collected knowledge, stories and memories accessible, along with photographs, documents and films. In addition to the preserved buildings, you can explore stories and materials about local culture.

Chapel and Historical Traces

The Chapel of St John the Baptist in Birgisch was built in 1687 and renovated in 2011. It is available for religious services. Its furnishings include a 14th-century crucifix, a Baroque altar and various 18th-century relics.

Older connections also shape the chapel’s history: in 1379, it belonged to the Knights Hospitaller and was associated with a hermitage. Remains of a medieval castle can be found at the so-called Kocherbiel by the chapel. The chapel’s construction history and furnishings, along with the castle remains, reflect different historical periods.

Bisses, Landscape and Climbing

Around Birgisch, trails along historic irrigation channels, known as bisses, invite you to go hiking. These bisses are fed by glacier streams. The landscape is therefore linked to a specific form of water management from the past: along the trails, you’ll encounter both the channels and the water supplied by glacier streams.

Another activity is offered by the Birgisch climbing area below the hamlet of Bodmuachre. There is a black rock face with three steep routes for athletic climbing. Hiking along the bisses and climbing the rock face therefore offer different ways to spend time outdoors.

Getting to Birgisch

You can reach Birgisch by train to Brig, followed by PostBus 624. As transport connections may change when timetables are revised, check the current timetable before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Simplon, Simplon Hospice, Rosswald, Rothwald, Belalp, Mund, Brig, Zwischbergen.

Back to the main travel overview: Brig.