Hotels in Ernen in Valais: Village History and Alpine Landscape
Accommodation in Ernen
Ernen is a village in the canton of Valais at an altitude of around 1,200 metres. It is set in an alpine environment with mountains, green meadows and clear streams; the surrounding mountains offer an alpine landscape. Ernen can be reached year-round by public transport or by car.
Culture
In the centre, Ernen’s village square is considered one of the most beautiful village squares in Switzerland. The Jost-Sigristen House, built in 1581, stands by the lower Hengert on the village square. The Tellenhaus was built in 1576 as an inn and a warehouse for goods in transit and is now Ernen’s municipal office. The most striking building on the village square is the Zendenrathaus, built between 1750 and 1762.
The parish church of St George was built between 1510 and 1518 by master builder Ulrich Ruffener. Its choir is spanned by a late Gothic star vault. Since 1999, the church museum has been located beneath the high altar in the crypt of the parish church of St George. The Schiner chasuble from around 1500 and the Schiner chalice are displayed there; the church museum can also be visited as part of guided village tours.
A guided tour of Ernen is led by a knowledgeable guide and conveys the village’s eventful past. The tour includes the Zendenrathaus with a torture chamber, two prison cells in the basement and an extensive collection of documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. Ernen received the Wakker Prize in 1979 for its efforts to preserve the village’s appearance.
The Jost-Sigristen Museum is also one of the cultural attractions. Its permanent exhibition shows how Landeshauptmann Jakob Valentin Sigristen (1733–1808) lived and worked. The museum includes a painted parlour ceiling. The programme of the Music Village of Ernen ranges from piano recitals, orchestral concerts, Baroque and chamber music, and jazz concerts to public master classes, lectures and literary events.
Landscape
Ernen is part of Binntal Landscape Park. The Zauberwald adventure playground is located between Ernen and Ausserbinn in Binntal Landscape Park. In Zauberwald, children aged between 3 and 10 accompany the squirrel BrĂĽna through the forest at more than 20 stations.
The nearby Trusera is an important Valais suone, a traditional irrigation channel. It was first mentioned in 1499, was out of service from 1994 to 2006 and was subsequently restored. As a water channel, the Trusera draws its water from the Milibach in the Rappental and carries it through Ernerwald to the fields in the Binnachra.
Hiking Trails
The Chäserstatt hike begins in Ernen, leads through the forest and the Rappental and reaches the Chäserstatt viewpoint. The hike from Ausserbinn via Binnegga to Ernen follows the Trusera above Ernen and ends in the village of Ernen. The nearby Mühlebach–Trusera–Wasen trail is 4.5 km long, takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes and follows a yellow-marked hiking trail.
The themed trail from Mühlebach via the Trusera to Wasen climbs from Mühlebach to the Trusera, follows the water channel to the Binnachra and then descends to Wasen. A short hike leads from Ernen’s old village centre over the Mosshubel to Mühlebach and back to Ernen via the panoramic trail.
The Goms Bridge crosses the Lammaschlucht gorge 92 metres above the Rotten and connects the hiking areas of Bellwald and Ernen. The Ärnergale bike route leads from Mühlebach via Chäserstatt and Galestafel into the Rappetal as far as Z'Mübach.
Discover more destinations: Fieschertal, Blitzingen, Obergesteln, Lax, Fiesch, Oberwald, Niederwald, Grafschaft.
To the higher-level travel overview: Goms.
