Dalatal
The Dalatal is a right (northern) side valley of the Rhone Valley in Upper Valais , Switzerland , in which the winter sports and health resort of Leukerbad is located. The name is derived from the Dala flowing through the valley .
location
The Dalatal leads from the origin of the Dala at the southern foot of the Balmhorn massif, initially in a south-westerly direction. The Dala Gorge is located in this upper part . The upper section of the valley is bounded in the north by the Balmhorn, Rinderhorn , the Plattenhörner and the Gemmipass . The south side is formed by a chain of peaks that extends from the Ferdenrothorn over the Majinghorn to the Torrenthorn . Between Ferdenrothorn and Majinghorn lies the Ferden Pass, a high-alpine transition into the Lötschental .
In the area of the village of Leukerbad, the river turns in a more southerly direction and continues to form a very steep-walled, gorge-like valley, which is bordered in the east by the foothills of the Torrenthorn and in the west by Daubenhorn and Trubelstock.
Localities
Approximately in the middle of the valley, below the Daubenhorn and Gemmipass , lies the Leukerbad spa town, the largest settlement in the valley.
On a small plateau on the west shoulder of the lower section of the valley lies the village of Inden , a lovely clustered village with houses built close together and narrow alleys that take into account the limited space available. The village of Albinen is located opposite Inden on a steep slope .
At the exit of the Dala Valley into the Rhone Valley, the historic town of Leuk and the wine-growing village of Varen are on the east side .
history
In the Dala Valley, a significant number of ancient excavations were discovered in various places, for example near the Dala Gorge , which suggests that the valley was inhabited as early as Roman - Helvetic times. The area was most likely an attractive habitat for people back then due to its thermal springs .
The Dalatal was for a long time part of an important transport and trade route between Valais and Bern thanks to the mule track over the Gemmi .
traffic
Two road bridges lead across the lower Dala valley : an 81 m long arch bridge from the 19th century below Inden and Albinen, as well as the modern road bridge between Leuk and Varen at the valley exit. The main road 211 Susten –Leuk – Leukerbad leads into the Dala valley. The former Leuk-Leukerbad Railway connected the villages of the Dala Valley. Coordinates: 46 ° 23 ′ 0 ″ N , 7 ° 38 ′ 0 ″ E ; CH1903: 614 978 / 136,903