Can you imagine that, four
hundred years ago, the Rhone Glacier almost reached the place that is now the
car park of Gletsch? And that even in about 1850 the stream of ice reached far
down into the valley floor? The travellers of that time saw a completely
different landscape than what you see today.
When those first tourists came here, the spectacular
masses of ice were a great attraction. The extraordinary scenery drew visitors
from all over the world. As early as 1830, the first hospice was built. It was
a simple inn located only a few steps away from the tongue of the glacier.
Among its guests were celebrities from the European aristocracy, poets,
painters and scientists who came here in search of the «romantic Alpine
experience». The inn soon grew too small. It was restructured and
expanded several times, growing into the great hotel of the «Belle
Epoque» you can still see. Better roads made the Grimsel and Furka Passes
more accessible; in 1926 the FurkaOberalp Railway was opened.
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