History of the villages of the Östlich Raron district (Valais)
The 15 documented localities of the Östlich Raron district, in the canton of Valais. Each page covers the origin of the name, the main stages of its history and its remains, with sources.
Towns and villages 13
Betten
An agricultural village above Mörel, Betten was rapidly transformed by tourism from around 1930. Its alpine pasture, Bettmeralp, became a resort.
VS · Merger 2014Bettmeralp
With 19 inhabitants, Martisberg was the smallest municipality in Valais when it merged with Betten in 2014 under the name of the Bettmeralp resort.
VSBister
A municipality of scattered farms above Mörel, hit hard by emigration to America in the 19th century: 25 people left in 1856.
VSBitsch
For centuries Bitsch shared forests and commons with Ried in a single co-ownership, before the final separation in 1889.
VSFilet
Farms and hamlets scattered on both banks of the Rhône, whose community adopted a regulation on the Gifrisch stream as early as 1477.
VSGoppisberg
Village on the northern slope of the Rhône valley at 1334 m between Greich and Betten, named in 1200, today in the municipality of Riederalp (merger of 1 November 2003).
VSGreich
Street village on the northern slope of the Rhône valley at 1350 m above Mörel, named in 1279, today in the municipality of Riederalp (merger of 1 November 2003).
VSGrengiols
The Grengiols tulip, recognised as a distinct species in 1945, grows wild nowhere but in the fields of this village.
VSMartisberg
As a castellany of the bishop of Sion from 1263 to 1798, Martisberg stayed largely outside the offices of the Östlich Raron tithing.
VSMassaboden
A site of Neolithic graves, Massaboden in the municipality of Bitsch saw a fight against the French in 1799 and has housed a power station since 1899.
VSMörel
Centre of a medieval county whose castles Peter II of Savoy had destroyed in 1260, Mörel became the gateway to the Aletsch region with the Riederalp cable car.
VSRied-Mörel
Terrace dotted with small hamlets between Mörel and the Riederalp, named in 1314, today in the municipality of Riederalp (merger of 1 November 2003).
VS · Merger 2003Riederalp
Goppisberg, Greich and Ried-Mörel have formed the municipality of Riederalp since 1 November 2003, named after their car-free resort.
Sites 2
Château de Mancapan
Seat of the lords of Mörel, Mancapan Castle was destroyed in 1260 on the orders of Count Peter II of Savoy. Its ruin overlooks Mörel, in the municipality of Riederalp.
VS · SiteVilla Cassel
Built on the Riederfurka for the London banker Sir Ernest Cassel, Villa Cassel has housed Switzerland's first nature conservation centre since 1976, in the municipality of Riederalp.