The ‘Anniviards’ used to rest with their herds in the settlement of Zinal, with its typical houses made of Swiss pine, before continuing their journey from the valley up to the high alpine pastures. Tourism has been part of village life in Zinal for 150 years, and the village now boasts the ‘Families Welcome’ seal of quality, offering an excellent infrastructure for summer and winter sports enthusiasts.

Summer

The peak of the Weisshorn dominates the mountain landscape round Zinal. At 4506 m, it’s the fourth highest peak in Europe. No wonder that this resort is so popular with mountain climbers! Climbers march for several hours to reach four mountain huts dotted around Zinal, the starting point for climbs to the summit. Zinal also has a 300-km-network of hiking trails for keen walkers, and 150 kilometres of marked routes for sporty mountain bikers.

Children’s workshops take place in the high season, ranging from herb cookery to an introduction to Nordic walking. You can rent children’s equipment, and there is a library, a games hire facility, play- and picnic grounds, climbing wall and swimming pool, making a stay here enjoyable for both the children and their parents. On the Zau Zoura nature trail, old and young alike can learn all about local fauna and flora. You can spy on the alpine animal kingdom through a telescope at the ‘Mirador’ wildlife observation centre near the ‘Tzoucdana’ café-restaurant.

Winter

The ski resort of Zinal-Sorebois guarantees plenty of snow and comprises nine lift facilities at altitudes ranging from 1670 m to 2895 m together with 70 kilometres of pistes against a majestic backdrop of high mountain scenery. The free-ride terrain near the ‘Gardes de Bordon’ makes Zinal a popular destination for off-piste skiing and the Avalanche Training Centre will give you the opportunity to experience a simulated avalanche so you will learn how to deal with and avoid causing potentially dangerous situation. There are 19 kilometres of cross-country ski trails. One ski-pass covers admittance to the five skiing areas of the Val d'Anniviers: Zinal - Grimentz - St-Luc - Chandolin and Vercorin with more than 200 km of pistes.

• The ‘La Lee’ copper mine in Zinal: in summer there are accompanied tours inside the only copper mine in Switzerland open to the public along tunnels which extend 500 metres into the mountain. A glimpse into the industrial past when metal was mined in the Val d’Anniviers.
  
• Zinal Glacier: the highlight after a two-hour hike to the glacier above the village is a walk inside the icy glacier itself.
  
• Grimentz village: a harmonious mix of chalet hotels, grain stores and barns in this Val d'Anniviers village.
  
• Francois-Xavier-Bagnoud Observatory in St. Luc and the Planet Trail: ultra-modern observatory, and a spectacular 6 km-long planet trail from 2180m to 2500m.
  
• Sierre/Salgesch wine-growing region: the Château de Villa wine-growing museum near Sierre and numerous wine cellars will provide everything you need to know about this excellent drop of Valais wine.

• Mauler Cup: this paragliding event turns the skies above Zinal into a magnificent colourful spectacle (January).
  
• Swiss National Holiday, presenting ancient crafts and the Swiss Army Boot Throwing Championship (August)).
  
• Sierre-Zinal mountain run: world-famous mountain run from the Rhine Valley up to Zinal in the Val d'Anniviers (August).

Public Transport: Train to Sierre, then PTT postal bus Sierre - Zinal (1h) High speed trains (TGV, Pendolino, ICE)

By car: A9 motorway, Sierre-east exit. Follow direction Val d'Anniviers and then Ayer - Zinal (30 km, 30' from Sierre)