Muraz

Just above Sierre, an ancient village that once served as a pied-à-terre for the inhabitants of the Val d'Anniviers, who moved between vineyards on the plains and livestock and agriculture in the mountains.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Anniviards were nomads, living on the plains in spring and autumn to tend their vines.

During their transhumance, the villagers travelled as a community, taking their teacher with them. Each hamlet and village had its own stopping-off point on the plain: Noës for Saint-Jean, Mayoux and Pinsec, Muraz for Chandolin and Saint-Luc.

This nomadic lifestyle was lost with the industrialisation made possible by the opening of the Simplon rail tunnel in 1906. From 1908, the aluminium factory at Chippis, just outside Sierre, created a large number of jobs. Some of the inhabitants of the Val d'Anniviers then settled on the plains.

Today, Muraz is part of the town of Sierre, but has retained its village feel and old-world charm, with ancient barns and 20th-century buildings.