Ausserberg – Village on the Lötschberg South Ramp

Ausserberg lies at around 1,000 m above sea level on the Lötschberg South Ramp in Upper Valais. The municipality extends south to the banks of the Rhone. As the starting point of the Lötschberger South Ramp, Ausserberg is served by train every day. If you are planning a stay here, you can take the train connection into account when planning your journey; check the current timetable for your travel date.

Suonen: historic irrigation channels still in use

The Suonen of Ausserberg are historic irrigation channels with a combined length of more than 40 kilometres. They still serve a practical purpose today. Specifically, the Niwärch Suone continues to supply water to Ausserberg’s irrigation system. These waterworks are therefore not only part of Valais’s cultural landscape but also continue to provide a useful service.

The importance of the Suonen goes beyond individual structures: they shape a cultural landscape and sustain livelihoods in the driest areas, which lie mainly north of the Rhone. The Suonen link irrigation with the cultural landscape.

Cultural trail, museum and rye bread

The Ausserberg–St. German–Raron cultural trail hike takes place every year on the last weekend in August. If you would like to travel there for the event, check the exact dates in advance. The Ausserberg Museum offers another way to explore the local history: it can be visited as part of a guided tour lasting about 1.5 hours. Tours can be arranged on request for CHF 90 per individual or group.

Rye bread is also part of the cultural offering. During the “Baking 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. The “Bielhüs Ausserberg” baking group offers shared baking days for traditional Ausserberg rye bread. You can enquire in advance about a group baking session.

Medicinal herbs and the regional landscape

Around 40 medicinal herbs can be seen in the Ausserberg medicinal herb garden. Naturopath Rita Huwiler Weissen offers several year-long courses as well as medicinal herb hiking days there. Alongside the cultural landscape, plants and their uses are therefore another theme to explore during a stay in Ausserberg.

The municipality includes mountain pastures near Ausserberg, Hobiel and Leiigru, extensive forest areas and the alpine pasture areas of Leiggeralpa, Mederbode and Ougstchumma. At 3,000 m, the Wiwannihorn is regarded as the municipality’s landmark and highest point. These details paint a picture of a landscape that extends beyond the village on the South Ramp to the municipality’s higher-altitude areas.

Mountain trails

The Baltschieder Via Ferrata crosses steep cliffs, grassy ledges and a spectacular rock tower before reaching the Wiwannihütte. It lies in a protected landscape area and in the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage region. If you are considering this via ferrata during your stay, check the current route conditions in advance.

Another historical landmark is the path into the Baltschiedertal, which has been considered an important access route to the valley since 1381. The hamlet of Theresia lies on the BLS Höhenweg, a 20-minute walk east of the parish church of Ausserberg, at 1,032 m above sea level. These two local references serve different purposes: one is a traditional route into the valley, while the other is a named place along the high-altitude trail.

Discover more destinations: Wiler (Lötschen), Bitsch, Bister, Ferden, Unterbäch, Grengiols, Raron, Eischoll.

Go to the main travel overview: Raron.