Chemin du vignoble
Overview
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Distance 12 km
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Duration 4 h
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Ascent 400 m
Intro
A quarter of the Pinot noir produced in the Valais comes from the Leuk, Varen and Salgesch region. Pure paradise for nature lovers with always something new and surprising to discover. Fantastic views from the hill-top church at Varen.
Description
The final leg of the chemin de vignoble sets off from Venthône, which was ruled by the Bishop of Sion in the Middle Ages. Nowadays, the village is listed in the Federal Inventory of Heritage Sites, in part because of its well-preserved fortified tower dating back to around 1200 and its church.
Once you have passed through the first vineyard and the crossed the river Raspille, you will be in the Pfyn-Finges nature park: here, 13 municipalities are aiming to preserve and improve the region’s traditional cultivated and natural landscapes. The Pfynwald wood is home to one of the largest continuous Scots pine forests in the Alps, as well as important protected moorland areas, steppes, biotopes and idyllic mountain villages. The river Raspille marks the language border between the German-speaking and French-speaking parts of Valais. The river has supplied water to the Tsittoret and Planige irrigation channels, or “Suonen”, since the 16th century. After a dispute among the inhabitants in the area around Sierre and Salgesch, the Bishop of Sion ordered water rights to be divided up equally. In the 1970s, the people of Salgesch replaced the ancient “Suonen” irrigation channels with a modern, underground watering system.
Uphill from Salgesch, the route follows a gorgeous section of the old “Mengis Wasserleitu” irrigation channel. After the Second World War, this is where the transition away from agriculture in favour of winemaking began. Nowadays, Salgesch is home to 203 hectares of vineyards and over 40 winemakers. Due to the variation in microclimates and soil types, many different varieties of grape are grown here. This is due to a rockslide that happened in prehistoric times, which led to terroir rich in lime and magnesium.
Next you will continue on to Varen. At this point, you can take a detour to a hilltop church with fantastic views. Then comes a brief descent to the Dalaschlucht gorge. Due to its proximity to the Rhone Valley and Gemmi Pass, Leuk was once an important hub for traffic. The deep and narrow gorge was the perfect place for a bridge. Further into the gorge, two further bridges for rail and road traffic were built in the 20th century.
A short while later, you will arrive at Leuk, which is home to a striking castle that was restored by famous architect Mario Botta. It consists of an early Romanesque tower, attached living quarters and a curtain wall. Twenty minutes later, the 66-kilometre chemin de vignoble route comes to an end on the banks of the Rhone at Leuk railway station. Here, you can look back on the route you have walked – better yet, in a cosy spot with a glass of Pinot Noir.
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 |
Venthône
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|---|---|
| Destination |
Leuk
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| Direction |
One way
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| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
810 m
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| Ascent |
400 m
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| Descent |
580 m
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| Distance |
12 km
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| Duration |
4 h
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| Duration back |
3 h 40 min
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| Technical requirements |
Easy
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| Physical requirements |
Medium
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| Season |
All year
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| Theme |
Through a vineyard, With panoramic view
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Quick Facts
Route number
