Gemeinde Bellwald

Bellwald (in Valais German: Beuwaud [ˈbeuˌɑud]) is located north of Brig, high above the Rhône Valley in Valais at an altitude of 1,560 metres above sea level, making it the highest municipality in the Goms region. The village, situated on a south-facing slope, has been accessible since 1962 via a winding road or since 1956 by aerial cable car from the Fürgangen-Bellwald railway station (opened in 1915) of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB).
Since 2007, Bellwald has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch.

The village of Bellwald has mainly expanded on the ridge towards the northeast, where the valley station of the chairlift to Alp Richene or Richinen is also located. Here, it has gradually merged with the hamlet of Ried. Along the road descending towards Fieschertal are the hamlets of Egga and Bodma. Southwest below Bellwald, slightly above the Rhône River, lies the hamlet of Fürgangen with its railway station. The settlements of Schlettere and Nessulschliecht to the east are no longer inhabited; in the latter, a chapel remains alongside a few agricultural buildings. The settlement of Mutti above the village has completely merged with Bellwald due to gradual new development.

Name
There are various references regarding the oldest records of the municipality’s name: in 1273 Nicholaus de Bellewalt, Beliwalt, and in 1293 Belwalt. A document from 1374 (apun Belwalt Zblattun) suggests that the present name originally referred to the mountain ridge; it was later transferred to the main settlement and replaced its former name Zblattun.

The origin of the name Bellwald cannot be determined with certainty due to its late appearance in historical records. It is assumed to be a combination with the German noun “Wald” (forest), whereby the first part may derive either from the Latin bellum meaning “beautiful” or “lovely”, or from a Germanic personal name such as Ballo or Pallo, indicating ownership.

History
Historical aerial photograph by Werner Friedli from 1955

In the 14th century, Bellwald was inhabited by farmers who were obliged to pay taxes to the bishop. In 1404, the noble estates passed from Rudolf von Raron to Johan de Platea in Niederernen through purchase. Water regulations from the years 1371 and 1436 have been preserved, and the oldest known village statutes were drawn up in 1555. According to the old tithe system, Bellwald and Fieschertal formed one of the nine districts of the Goms region.