Belalp and the Aletschji

Wallis · Schweiz · Natural site

Above the Aletsch Glacier, the burned witch of Belalp is said to roam still – the woman condemned for flying as a raven.

Legend tells of a farmer's wife from Hegdorn above Naters who was accused of flying to her lover in the shape of a raven – and of causing her hated husband's death mid-flight, when he fell from a cherry-picking ladder and broke his neck. The woman was tortured until she confessed and was burned at the stake, in a Valais that lay at the very heart of Europe's witch persecutions. She was said to spend her summers in the Aletschji at the glacier's edge, where witches traditionally gathered. Since 1983 her memory has been honoured – and exorcised – by the Belalp Hexe ski race, when thousands of costumed witches hurtle down the mountain.

FAQ

Where is Belalp and the Aletschji located?

Belalp and the Aletschji is in Wallis, Schweiz.