Valais/Wallis (Swiss Canton)

A long valley carved out by the Rhone in the heart of the Alps between towering peaks, with wild counter-valleys, the Valais is one of the country's most fascinating cantons. A paradise for winter sports and summer hiking, it is the sunniest canton in Switzerland and is also a delight for lovers of fine wines.

It is a bilingual canton, where French is spoken in the western part (Sion, Verbier, Crans-Montana, Evolène, etc.) and an Alemannic dialect in the eastern part (Zermatt, Saas Fee, Aletsch glacier region, etc.).

To the north, the Alps range, with the Finsteraarhorn culminating at 4274m and the Aletschhorn, less than 100m lower, to mention only these two peaks. To the south, the Alps chain too, with the Dufour Peak of Monte Rosa (4634m), the Matterhorn (4478m) and many others. In between, the long Rhone valley, with all the counter-valleys descending from the peaks. This is the Valais, nicknamed the "Old Country".

Needless to say, it is a winter sports paradise, with world-famous resorts such as Zermatt, Verbier, Saas-Fee and Crans-Montana, to name only the most famous.

A reputation which somewhat obscures the fact that, from spring to autumn, the Valais is a paradise for hikers, with walks of all levels of difficulty, from a Sunday stroll with the family to the most extreme and vertiginous treks...

The Valais is also a paradise in terms of terroir. Let's skip apricots, asparagus, fondue, raclette and all the other products and specialities. This is not really where the Valais stands out from all the other cantons, it is in its viticulture.

Not only does the exceptional climate (300 days of sunshine a year!) favour the production of extraordinary wines, but the attachment of the winegrowers to old indigenous grape varieties contributes to a wealth of flavours that is absolutely unique in Switzerland.