Experiences along the Grand Tour in Valais

Immerse yourself in the wild Gorner Gorge. On wooden walkways and galleries you follow the thundering glacier water through 220-million-year-old rock. A natural spectacle just a 15-minute walk from the centre of Zermatt.

The glacier to the west of the Wildstrubel is flat, 200 metres thick in places, and drains mainly towards Lenk in the Bernese Oberland but also into the Rhone Valley in Valais.

As high as it gets: with its 2,429 m a.s.l. (7,969 ft), Furka Pass connects the cantons of Uri and Valais, making it the highest alpine pass on the ‘Grand Tour of Switzerland’. The European watershed between the Mediterranean and North Sea also runs along here. In summer, a ride in the lovingly restored cars of the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway or a walk to the famous Rhone glacier make for a special visit. As the name implies, the river Rhone – also known as ‘Rotten’ in Wallis – originates from here.

Calling all Robin Hood fans! In Nax one can immerse oneself in the world of the popular folklore character and go into the forest with bow and arrow.

It is said that they once lived everywhere in Oberwallis – the Gogwärgini- those hard-working dwarfs. At some point they disappeared. But the stories about the "Gogwärgini" have remained up to this day and can be discovered on the Gogwärgi theme route.

Learn how to make this famous cheese with a cheesemaker and discover their culinary secrets!

Four treasure hunt trails around Nendaz make family hikes an exciting adventure. This way of hiking is great fun for children as well.

A tropical landscape of grottos, cascades, wave pools and caves can be found at the water park in Le Bouveret, the Valais town on the Rhône delta. The park guaranteed water-based fun for the whole family all year round.

Distillerie Morand is a family business established in Martigny in 1889. It is renowned for its excellent syrups and spirits, including the famous Williamine. Guided tours of the distillery are available.

The majestic Weisshorn rises ahead: at 4,505 meters, it is among the highest Alpine peaks. It blushes pink in the morning, stands clear and strong at midday, and fades in the golden evening light.   Next to the Weisshorn, other giants in the group stretch up to the sky, from Pointe Burnaby and the Bishorn to the Brunegghorn. A true parade of three- and four-thousand-meter peaks.   Here at 2,100 meters, there’s only nature, the view, and you. Welcome to Hannigalp, Grächen’s most beautiful viewpoint.

An enjoyable way of experiencing the mountains.

The "bisses" are traditional irrigation channels which were built several centuries ago in order to bring precious glacier water to the cultivated land around Crans-Montana.

The fairy grotto near Saint-Maurice takes you 500 meters deep into the mountain. At the end of the illuminated galleries, an underground lake with a 50-meter-high waterfall awaits you. A journey into a mystical underworld in Valais.

The Münster recreational and leisure area is situated between Münster airfield and the Rhône roughly in the middle of the airfield surrounded by beautiful meadowlands. Various children’s play equipment, a natural jogging trail, tennis courts as well as a volleyball court invite to relax and play.

In the 16th century, the architect Ulrich Ruffiner built the St. Romanus fortified church on the rock spur above Raron. Almost 500 years later, the people of Raron opened the cavernous St. Michael rock church. Together with the grave of the poet Rilke, the pair of churches are a magnet for tourists in the community in Valais.

Deep in the enchanted forest of Ernen in Valais, someone has stolen Brüna the squirrel’s supply of winter nuts. Between gnarled spruce trees and moss-covered boulders, the squirrel’s story leads us through the adventure playground and inspires us with the pine cone run, swinging tree, suspension bridge, ravine trails and barbecue areas.

Eggishorn circular trail and viewpoint – a 360° panorama of the Great Aletsch Glacier, at an altitude of 2,869 metres. The nine lounges offer you a unique choice of places to sit and relax, with amazing views over the glittering world of eternal ice and the impressive giant mountains all around.

On a scale of 1:4, steam locomotives drive through Swiss Vapeur Parc, a 17,000 square meter park with model buildings. The beautiful park, which is located near the shores of Lake Geneva and the mouth of the river Rhône, attracts model railway fans from all over Europe.

Under the name «Zauberwasser» (Magic Waters), Grächen is launching an exciting new world for everyone, young and old, to work off some energy with fun and games along the famous irrigation channels.

The Alpine pass and the legendary Great St. Bernard Hospice symbolise the hospitality shown by the monks to travellers over the centuries. Barry, the large and good-natured St. Bernard dog, is famous for saving the lives of lost mountaineers – this four-legged hero has always been bred here.

Accessible to all types of hiker, this easy route takes you from the village of Saillon to the Farinet footbridge over the Salentze gorges.

The hiking routes around the resort of Zermatt – site of Switzerland’s most famous mountain, the Matterhorn – offer you breathtaking panoramic vistas, lush flowering meadows and fragrant larch forests.

On a sunny high plateau (at 1,480 meters above sea level) one finds Birkendorf Bürchen. During an easy two-hour hike from Bürchen to Zeneggen, discover the squirrel trail and the didactic forest trail, where you can learn many important and interesting things about these two topics.

As visitors enter the Valais, they are greeted by impressive mountain cliffs and a waterfall that is, unfortunately, smaller than it used to be.

The Combe d’Enfer is one of the steepest vineyards in the world, with a 200m height differential. Its grapevines are grown in the terraces, with each level supported by a dry-stone wall. Grape harvests are done on foot, since the site can only be accessed via a footpath. The Combe d’Enfer (meaning “Valley of Hell”) takes its name from its amphitheatre shape and the intense heat there. It’s the hottest vineyard in the region.

On rafts down the Rhone – big volume rafting in Switzerland! Two different sections to choose from.

In Crans-Montana even the youngest visitors are given great attention. Grown-ups too can let off steam and experience the ultimate adrenaline rush.

The five lakes trail is ideal for cyclists, hikers and water activity enthusiasts. The trail passes through the Crans Montana resort and takes in five expanses of water, the unforgettable lakes of the Haut-Plateau de Crans-Montana

Sion, called Sitten in German, is the capital of the Canton of Valais. The Old Town, which lies between the hills of Valère and Tourbillon, dates back to the Middle Ages and is home to numerous sights and attractions, such as one of the world's oldest organs that can still be played.

Less than one kilometre from the village square, a thermal source footbridge crosses the Dala Gorge at Leukerbad.