Bernese Alps

Bernese Alps, large massif, or mountain mass, an area of the Alps between the Upper Rhone Valley and the Swiss Plateau in Switzerland. The massif is also called the Bernese Oberland. The Bernese Alps includes most of the best-known mountains in Switzerland, and is a popular area for mountain climbing. The highest summits from east to west are the Aletschhorn, Jungfrau, Mönch, Eiger, and Finsteraarhorn, all of which have an elevation of at least 4,300 m (14,000 ft). The Aletsch Glacier, which is 18 km (11 mi) in length and is the longest valley glacier in the Alps, is found in the Bernese Alps. The area contains many resorts in the valleys and on the mountain slopes, including Interlaken, situated between the Lake of Thun and the Lake of Brienz. The Aletschhorn-Jungfrau region was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.