Chemin du vignoble
Overview
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Distance 19 km
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Duration 5 h 15 min
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Ascent 700 m
Intro
A sea of vines encircles Sion, spilling up to the twin cliffs of Valeria and Tourbillon, both crowned by fortresses. The vineyard terraces are among the steepest in the world. Easy walking trail to Coteaux de Sierre, the largest AOC area in Switzerland.
Description
This third leg of the chemin du vignoble route starts in the bilingual capital of the canton of Valais and the sunniest city in Switzerland. You will set off from just outside Sion, right by the vineyards. Shortly after getting started, two rocky hills featuring the city’s main landmarks will come into view: the large ruin of the Tourbillon and the imposing, well-preserved Valère Basilica. The latter became the residence of canons in 1049 AD, who built a fortress there. Nowadays, it houses the Valais History Museum. The Tourbillon castle was built in 1300, but a fire destroyed parts of the building in 1788.
Flanked by bushes with red blossom and the Bisse de Clavau irrigation channel, a beautiful route leads through the vineyards and past cottages, where you can also enjoy wine tastings. Sion and all of Valais are known for their ancient irrigation channels, known as “Suonen” in German and “bisses” in French. These channels, some kilometres long, were built on the mountainsides to water the grapes in the dry and sunny valley. The hiking route is lined with information boards about local flora and fauna, or other topics such as the construction of retaining walls like the one at the Cotsetta vineyard, which is up to 16 metres tall. After around an hour and a half, you will cross the Liène stream at St. Léonard, which is known for its underground lake. At 6,000 m2, it is the largest in Europe.
The rest of this leg is almost all on surfaced road, with views over the Rhone Valley and surrounding mountain peaks. Needless to say, you will also pass through lovely vineyard villages with wineries where you can sample the local produce. Once you reach Venthône, you will immediately notice the medieval buildings, including Anchettes Castle, also known as Venthône Tower, which is considered one of the best preserved Romanesque fortifications in Valais.
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 |
Sion / Sitten
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Venthône
|
| Direction |
One way
|
| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
814 m
|
| Ascent |
700 m
|
| Descent |
460 m
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| Distance |
19 km
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| Duration |
5 h 15 min
|
| Duration back |
5 h
|
| Technical requirements |
Easy
|
| Physical requirements |
Difficult
|
| Season |
All year
|
| Theme |
Through a vineyard
|
Quick Facts
Route number
