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State :	Switzerland Switzerland
Canton :	Canton of Valais Valais (VS)
District :	West Raron
BFS no. :	6198i1 f3 f4
Postal code :	3942
Coordinates :	626 432 / 129110 coordinates: 46 ° 18 '46 " N , 7 ° 46' 54" O ; CH1903: six hundred and twenty-six thousand four hundred thirty-two / 12911046.312879 7.781776 639
Height :	639 m above sea level M.
Height range :	627–3303 m above sea level M.
Area :	17.63 km²
Residents:	710 (December 31, 2018)
Population density :	40 inhabitants per km²
Website:	www.niedergesteln.ch
Niedergesteln with the ruins of the Gestelnburg castle
Location of the municipality
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BLS Railway Bridge Lüegilchin Viaduct

Lötschberg south ramp

Suspension bridge over the Jolischlucht

Niedergesteln ( Walser German : Geschtillu [geʃdɪlˑʊ] or [geʃtilːu] , fr. Chatillon-le-Bas ) is a Munizipalgemeinde and a Burgergemeinde with a Burgerrart the district West Raron and a Parish of Dekanats Raron in Swiss Kanton Wallis .

geography

The parish covers a total area of 1746 hectares; 1213 hectares of which belong to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Area Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch . It is one of 23 communities that own land in the World Heritage region.

The village is located in the north of the Swiss Rhone Valley at the foot of the Gestelnburg, built in the 12th century by the Lords of Turn , who ruled their properties from here. Sights include the walkable and illuminated ice age cave inside the castle rock. The village image is shaped on the one hand by the village center, on the other hand by the Jolibach Gorge. Along this gorge, hiking trails, suonen and the south ramp of the BLS - Lötschberg mountain route lead into the Jolital, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

history

Aerial photo (1955)

The first documentary mentions of the place are Chastellon (1179/1184) and Castellion (1224). The place name goes back to Latin-Romanesque castelliône , which is the diminutive of Latin castellum "fortified camp, castle".