Traditional Wuchunänd in Bettmeralp with Gilihüsine

At the traditional Wuchunänd festival on Bettmeralp, old customs, authentic craftsmanship, and Valais culture come back to life. Under the motto “Local food, local crafts, local traditions!” a weekend full of music, cuisine, history, and living traditions awaits you.

The event kicks off with a walking tour through the rustic village of Betten—the origin of today’s Bettmeralp. The tour is led by Edelbert Mattig, who offers fascinating insights into the history and former way of life in the area. Afterward, he invites you to a traditional Valaisan z’Abund.

On Saturday, a street festival awaits you, featuring traditional music, crafts, and delicacies from days gone by. A guest canton will be represented by a yodeling club, which will provide musical accompaniment for both the outdoor mass in the morning and the street festival.

On Sunday, Gilihüsine is on the program—the original form of Hornussen. In the past, the game-loving residents of Bettmer would head up to Bettmersee on beautiful Sunday afternoons to play Gilihüsine with great enthusiasm on the gently sloping terrain below the lake. This lovely old tradition is now being revived on Bettmeralp.

Whether young or old, expert or beginner: Everyone is cordially invited to watch this traditional game, try it out for themselves, or even participate in the tournament with their own team.ProgramFriday, September 17

6:30 p.m. | Village tour of Betten with Edelbert Mattig and storyteller Martin Nellen

Followed by | The municipality of Bettmeralp invites you to “food and drink”

Saturday, September 18

10:00 a.m. | Outdoor church service with musical accompaniment by the Urnäsch Yodeling Choir on the Säntis near the Maria zum Schnee Chapel

11:00 a.m. | Procession featuring the Brig-Glis Drum and Pipe Band, the Riederalp Challen Club, and women in traditional dress

Followed by | Opening of the festival promenade with open-air concerts, live music, crafts, and culinary delights

approx. 5:00 p.m. | Raffle drawing

9:00 p.m. | Dance evening with a dance competition at the Dancing Alpfrieden

Sunday, September 19

10:00 a.m. | Information on the Gilihüsine competition rules

10:30 a.m. | Tournament begins

Followed by | Children’s tournament

4:00 p.m. | Tournament concludes

Note:

Team registration: info@aletscharena.ch

Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.