The area of the Aletsch Glacier and some surrounding valleys is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, thus it is protected and the facilities are mostly restricted to the external zones. The region between , and (which is called "Aletsch Region") in Valais gives access to the lower part of the glacier. The and are popular view points and are accessible by cable car. The river can be crossed since 2008 by a suspension bridge, thus allowing hikes between the left and the right part of the glacier.