Bister: Chapel and hiking trails in Binntal Landscape Park

When planning a trip, Bister brings together a scattered hillside settlement and several routes connecting the village with a chapel, an old irrigation channel, or a tree-themed trail. The municipality is one of the four villages in Binntal Landscape Park. Bister lies on a hillside terrace west of Grengiols; its main hamlets are called Egga and Dorfji. If you are looking for a hotel in Bister, these features can help you decide what to focus on during your trip: culture, landscape, or a particular hiking route.

Settlement and landscape

Bister is located at 1,054 m above sea level. The municipality’s territory extends from the Rotten at 770 m above sea level to the Bättlihorn, which is 2,993 m high. These two figures describe different spatial scales: the first refers to Bister, while the second indicates the elevation range of the municipal territory. Most of the area consists of forest and meadows and pastures used for agriculture. The drive from Visp to Bister is 20 km and takes about 26 minutes.

St. Anne’s Chapel and the cultural trail

St. Anne’s Chapel stands in the hamlet of Bänna. It was built in 1651 and has a Baroque altar dating from 1698. The chapel and altar were built 47 years apart, giving the chapel a clearly defined historical timeline. The chapel is open during the day. As opening arrangements may change, it is advisable to check the latest information before visiting. The Grengiols–Bister cultural trail leads to the chapel, linking this cultural site with a hiking route. If the chapel is your specific destination, note that this trail is different from the circular hike, which includes Bister as one stop on a loop.

Circular trail along the Milleri irrigation channel

The Grengiols–Zenhäusern–Bister–Grengiols circular trail passes through Bister and follows the old “Milleri” irrigation channel. The return route to Grengiols goes via the Roman road or military road. The two routes therefore offer different focuses: the cultural trail is centered on the chapel, while the circular hike highlights the irrigation channel and the return route to Grengiols. Before setting out, it is worth checking current trail conditions, as they can change.

Tree walk to Bister

The Grengiols–Bister tree walk offers a third focus. This themed trail leads to Bister and from there follows a little-used path via the bird tower back to Grengiols. In the hamlet of Bächerhiischere, it passes through a birch avenue. This gives you a choice of different hiking themes: the chapel as the destination of the cultural trail, the Milleri on the circular trail, and the birch avenue on the tree walk. The tree walk is currently listed as open.

Discover more destinations: Kippel, Steg, Riederalp, Blatten, Eischoll, Ausserberg, Unterbäch, Ferden

Go to the main travel overview: Raron.