St-Luc / Chandolin
St-Luc / Chandolin
Amidst native pine and larch woods, Chandolin nestles securely on the sunny side of the Val d'Anniviers and has retained all its authentic charm. This ancient village with its typical timber houses and situated at an altitude of 1936 m is among the highest, continuously inhabited settlements in Europe.
The neighbouring village of St.Luc still reflects all the past splendour of the Belle Époque in the Val d’Anniviers. The simple guesthouse, built in 1883 on the northern edge of the village of St. Luc, quickly developed into the Grand Hotel Bella Tola & St-Luc and, in 2001, it was voted the Historical Hotel of the Year.
The ultra-modern François-Xavier Bagnoud astronomical observatory in St. Luc brings the stars up close with its 60-cm telescope, and you can judge the scale of the heavenly bodies along a Planet Trail, which climbs to 2500 m.
Summer
The countryside surrounding St. Luc and Chandolin is a veritable paradise for hikers and mountain bikers. A botanical footpath passes 24 species of orchid as it wends its way to an 860-year-old giant larch tree. During the summer season there is a children’s entertainment programme based on one of the Heidi stories.
A spectacular feature of the landscape near Chandolin is the Illgraben, a gigantic rocky crater formed when a mountain collapsed as a result of erosion. It can be reached in one hour on foot from Chandolin. From the precipice you can gaze down into Illgraben crater, which has virtually no vegetation, and across into the Rhone Valley.
Another beautiful footpath leads up to the Hotel Weisshorn at 2337 m, constructed at the beginning of the last century by English entrepreneurs, with an expansive view across Val d'Anniviers to the Matterhorn.
Highlights
- The village of Chandolin: typical Valais timber houses in one of the highest villages in Switzerland to be inhabited all year round.
- Tignousa: From the mountain station (2169m) above St-Luc a three-hour climb takes you to the Bella Tola Mountain (3025m) with panoramic views of the Weisshorn, Gabelhorn, Matterhorn and Dent Blanche.
- Francois Xavier Bagnoud Observatory in St-Luc and the Planet Trail: ultra-modern observatory and a 6-km-long planet trail from 2180m to 2500m.
- Corn mills in St-Luc dating from the 18th century: these well preserved historic mills for maize, barley, rye and wheat bring the cultural heritage of the valley to life. In operation from July to September.
- ’La Lee’ copper mine in Zinal: guided tours in summer of the only copper mine in Switzerland open to the public. Its galleries stretch for 500 metres into the mountain.
- Pfyn Nature Park: a landscape of meadows and pine forest renowned throughout Europe, situated between Leuk and Siders in the main Rhone Valley.
Top Events
- Cow fights: Eringer cows are particularly belligerent, and the bloodless ‘Combats de reines’ (cow fights) are a valley tradition (June/July).
- Raid Blanc: international dog sleigh racing with about 40 teams and 120 dogs (March).
- Sierre – Zinal: famous mountain race; a marathon in which the fastest runners complete the 31 km and a considerable altitude difference in less than 3 hours.
News
The news presented here is provided and updated by regional/local tourist offices, which is why Switzerland Tourism is unable to guarantee the correctness of the contents.
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