Lötschental
Encyclopedia
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
valley in the canton of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It lies in the Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
, with the river Lonza running down the length of the valley from its source within the Langgletscher.
Geography
The picturesque valley extends about 27 kilometres (16.8 mi) from the Lötschenlücke (3178 m) at the top of the Langgletscher to the mouth of the valley at Steg/Gampel (630 m). It is surrounded by 3,000 meter high mountains, including the BietschhornBietschhorn
The Bietschhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. The northeast and southern slopes of the mountain are part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes the Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier...
(3,934 m), the Hockenhorn (3,293 m), the Wilerhorn
Wilerhorn
Wilerhorn is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland.-External links:*...
(3,307 m) and the Petersgrat
Petersgrat
-External links:*...
(3,205 m). The Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area
Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area
The Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area is located in south-western Switzerland between the cantons of Berne and Valais. It is a mountainous region in the easternmost side of the Bernese Alps, containing the northern wall of Jungfrau and Eiger, and the largest glaciated area in western Eurasia,...
area is the most glaciated area in the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, and was declared a Natural World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
by decision of UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
on December 13, 2001, along with southern and eastern parts of the Lötschental.
The main villages of the Lötschental are Wiler
Wiler
Wiler is a municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Wiler has an area, , of . Of this area, or 19.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 23.2% is forested...
and Kippel
Kippel
Kippel is a municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Kippel has an area, , of . Of this area, or 23.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 35.3% is forested...
, with 538 and 383 inhabitants respectively. Other villages in the valley include Ferden
Ferden
Ferden is a municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Ferden has an area, , of . Of this area, or 17.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 19.3% is forested...
and Blatten
Blatten
Blatten is a municipality in the district of Westlich Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Blatten has an area, , of . Of this area, 9.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 9.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.4% is settled and 81.1% is unproductive land.It lies...
. Altogether, the valley has approximately 1500 inhabitants.
History
The Lötschental was likely first settled during the Roman period, but remained largely cut off from the outside world until the beginning of the twentieth century. The valley remained remote and difficult to access, especially during the winters, until the construction of the Lötschbergbahn (BLSBLS
As an acronym, BLS may stand for:*BLS *Bachelor of Library Science*Bare lymphocyte syndrome*Basic life support, an emergency medical protocol*BellSouth, ticker symbol for the United States telephone company...
) (1907–1913) connected it to an international railway line.
Traditional farming, involving primarily agriculture and cattle-breeding, began to disappear with the extension of the highway to Blatten
Blatten
Blatten is a municipality in the district of Westlich Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Blatten has an area, , of . Of this area, 9.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 9.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.4% is settled and 81.1% is unproductive land.It lies...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Tourism thus increasingly came to function as the valley’s primary industry, especially since the construction of a gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
from Wiler
Wiler
Wiler is a municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Wiler has an area, , of . Of this area, or 19.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 23.2% is forested...
to Lauchernalp in 1972. The Lötschental is now a popular destination for hiking and winter sports. In November 2003, the new gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
of the Hockenhorngrat was opened, and Lauchernalp and Fischbiel now contain 1500 beds for rent, five restaurants and one hotel. The lift system supports a varied ski terrain with a vertical drop of 1000m or more in a good winter and 33 km of ski runs.
Tschäggättä
The Lötschental is famous for its unique local custom involving the so-called Tschäggättä: frightening figures wearing furs and carved wooden maskMask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
s that walk the streets during carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
tossing soot
Soot
Soot is a general term that refers to impure carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon. It is more properly restricted to the product of the gas-phase combustion process but is commonly extended to include the residual pyrolyzed fuel particles such as cenospheres,...
at their unsuspecting victims. The custom developed during the valley’s long history of relative isolation, though its exact origins are a matter of debate. The first official mention of the Tschäggättä occurs in a church chronicle of Kippel
Kippel
Kippel is a municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Kippel has an area, , of . Of this area, or 23.4% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 35.3% is forested...
dating from 1860, and witnesses the local Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
lamenting the difficulties of enforcing a ban on “the terrible misuse of the so-called Tschäggättä” http://www.sagapictures.ch/masken/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=4.