ViaFrancigena
Overview
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-
Distance 20 km
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Duration 6 h
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Ascent 950 m
Intro
The route leaves Aigle via the vineyard to reach Gryonne and later the Rhone, which it crosses at Massongex, the old capital of Celtic Valais. At St-Maurice, pilgrims have covered exactly half the distance from Canterbury to Rome.
Detour / Closure
There are detours or closures along this route, for more information see https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/route-70/stage-8
Description
Martigny is a small town with southern panache and a cultural heritage from Celtic and Roman times. In addition to the 2,000-year history, the town on the Rhone bend is also well-known for its cuisine. Surrounded by vineyards and orchards, personalities such as Rousseau, Goethe, Stendhal and Liszt have been seduced by its culinary delights. The previous Swiss stages of the Via Francigena to Lake Geneva are fairly flat or downhill, but the section from Martigny marks the beginning of the ascent towards the Great St. Bernard Pass.
Once through the small town, you encounter the first upward part straight away from Martigny-Croix. The gravel road soon turns into a path. You cross the Dranse on a bridge and after about two hours you reach Les Valettes. You pass the Durnand Gorge. This is one of the most attractive gorges in Europe and offers a unique backdrop with its footbridges and steps made of wood, which tower over the fourteen waterfalls of the wild river.
The diverse path meanders through an enchanted coniferous forest past moss-covered stones, large rocks that can be climbed and mighty old tree roots. Once in Sembrancher, two thirds of the hike is complete. You leave the village through the medieval centre to go towards Orsières. The route alternates between paths, gravel tracks and a few asphalt roads as you approach the destination for this stage. Orsières is the centre of the Val Ferret tributary valley, and is characterised by the unspoilt heart of its village and a church with a bell tower from the 11th century.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Martigny
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Orsières
|
| Direction |
One way
|
| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
450 m
|
| Ascent |
950 m
|
| Descent |
520 m
|
| Distance |
20 km
|
| Duration |
6 h
|
| Duration back |
5 h 45 min
|
| Technical requirements |
Easy
|
| Physical requirements |
Difficult
|
| Season |
March - October
|
| Theme |
Through a gorge
|
| More information | https://schweizmobil.ch/en/hiking-in-switzerland/r... |
Quick Facts
Route number
