Top 15 Places Canton Valais Switzerland – Best Attractions / Things to do [Full Travel Guide]
![Top 15 Places Canton Valais Switzerland – Best Attractions / Things to do [Full Travel Guide]](/pic/top_15_places_canton_valais_switzerland_best_attractions_-_things_to_do_full_travel_guide_/MW1wN0pDZDRmWmc_.jpeg "Top 15 Places Canton Valais Switzerland – Best Attractions / Things to do [Full Travel Guide]")
The Canton of Valais is one of Switzerland’s most visited regions! It’s a place full of surprises… some of the worlds most famous attractions are in here and yet, there is a lot more than people might have thought about. Get to meet the many gems in this very fascinating Canton; who knows? Maybe this might be your next destination for your travels. In this video, I proudly present you the Top 15 places of the Canton of Wallis. hello everyone, welcome back to my channel djemographic! indeed, the canton of Wallis. It's full of beautiful places and hidden gems, just like this one here up in Saas Fee. If you are new
to this channel, my name is Djemo. i'm a swiss traveler mostly posting videos about switzerland and southeast asia. if you like this kind of content, then you are definitely right in this channel here and you most welcome subscribe! before we're getting this video started, I would like to acknowledge today's sponsor, which is "Valais Promotion", this is the tourism office of the canton of Valais. alright, and now let's get started with the first place on this top 15 list: it's the most known among all of them and this would be Zermatt and the Gornergrat. once a small village at the upper end of the valley, Zermatt exponentially grew in size, making the village to one of the places to visit in switzerland. there are few reasons why tourists from all over the world come flocking to zermatt: The first would be to get a closer look at this iconic peak called matterhorn, one of the many wonders of the alps. the pyramid shaped tip of the mountain makes the matterhorn stand out among the others.
it's also one of the most photographed subjects of switzerland and often is dubbed as the landmark of this country. second, would be its skiing resort, which is one of the largest in the entire world... and then, third, would be the breathtaking panoramas over the four thousander mountains one can get when visiting Zermatt. when coming to Zermatt, do not limit your visit to the village but also consider going up a level by taking the train to the Gornergrat. during the 40 minutes ride,
you will experience the scenic views of zermatt and the glorious matterhorn from various angles. this is undoubtedly one of the most surreal train rides in switzerland. although it's common to directly go all the way up to the terminal station, i highly recommend first visiting the Riffelsee at Rotenboden. here, if you're in luck, you will get to see the reflections of the matterhorn, one of the most beautiful impressions you can get in switzerland. make sure to come here during the early morning, as usually by then, the Matterhorn is quite visible and there won't be much wind.
Then, you may continue your journey to the Gornergrat to fawn over the Matterhorn and the glaciers. besides the Gornergrat, there are a couple of more things to do: going for the five lakes hike, an activity with a lot of scenic views, a ride up to the Rothorn to get a perfect frontal view over the Matterhorn and then, of course, exploring the village of Zermatt, which is very charming. all in all, there are many good reasons to come up to Zermatt and you will be definitely having a great time up here.
the second place on this top 15 list is also located in the upper part of the canton of Valais. This would be the Eggishorn and the natural wonder called Aletsch glacier. first of all, the Aletsch glacier can be seen from various places. the most prominent viewpoint would be the jungfraujoch. if you were a hiker and wish to see the glacier from different perspectives, you may want to consider traveling to "Fiesch". For 49 Swiss Franks, you can get a return ticket to visit the Eggishorn. once you're there, feast
yourself with the breathtaking scenery over the glacier and the surrounding alps. the most impressive thing about the glacier is its length, which currently is 23 kilometers, making it to the largest glacier of the Alps. You can also get to see the mountains of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, as well as the station at the Jungfraujoch itself! what i can recommend in particular, is a trip up to the Eggishorn for sunrise which costs 65 Swiss Francs and includes an all-you-can-eat breakfast. when the weather is good, you would swear that this is going to be an unforgettable experience: Seeing the alps and the glacier glowing in the golden sunlight, accompanied by alporn music, is a satisfying way to begin your day. another great idea is a hike from the Eggishorn down to the Märjelensee and then to the glacier cave further down. when standing right in front of the glacier,
you will have a much better impression of how gigantic it is! the glacier can be visited during all seasons, in particular nice can be foggy cloudy days during autumn, or summer when the snow is gone, there'll be nice contrast between the rocks and the ice. all in all, it's a fantastic place surely the Aletsch glacier ranks among the top highlights of switzerland! with number three we're going more urban, and this would be the old town of Sion with its wonderful castles. Sion might not hold the same status of world famous Zürich or interlaken, but definitely it's a must visit should you decide to travel to the canton of Valais. Sion has a very charming old town that feels very southern european and its positive vibes are surely going to enchant you! while you're strolling through the old city, you'll be seeing various old houses, narrow alleys and also plenty of restaurants. in particular during Summer, Sion is very lively; a very positive mood is going to be present in this old town, which nicely adds up to the beauty of this city. what many of you might not know is that Sion is a very foodie place! there are a lot of great restaurants that serve delicious food... and do not
forget to try the local specialties, in particular the meat of the Eringer (Hérens) cattles. while the old town is very enjoyable, one shall not miss out to visit seon's landmarks the Château de Valère and Tourbillon. Sion's two castles much contribute to the city's unique appearance, during day and night! number four is located in lower part of the canton of Valais, in Martigny, and this would be the museum called "Fondation Pierre Gianadda". this is a kind of museum that you might never have visited before! founded by Léornard Gianadda, he originally purchased this land, where he intended to build his home, but then discovered the remnants of a roman temple. thus, he decided to erect a museum which should become a center of culture. to honor his late
brother Pierre Gianadda, who died at the age of 25, he decided to name the foundation after him. the museum showcases various roman artifacts that were found at the archaeological site. Besides, you may also get to see plenty of paintings of the famous artists such as Picasso, Cézanne, Matisse and Renoir. a highlight is definitely the car collection at the basement! There, you will find many cars that are over a hundred years old. what is very interesting, is that you may see how the design of the early cars has been inspired by carriages and over time evolved into modern cars.
believe it or not: back in the old days, there were a couple of swiss car manufacturers, which have produced really great masterpieces! Also, don't forget to roam around the garden with its many different trees and sculptures, it's really a great spot for relaxation and inspiration... number five is not very far from Martigny, it's located around verbier and this would be the Mont-Fort with its breathtaking 360 degrees panorama! most of you might never have heard of Mont-Fort before, but instead some of you might be familiar with the names Verbier or "Quatres Vallées". the latter is one of the largest skiing resorts in the entire world; some even name it as the best place to ski. the Mont-Fort is the highest peak that can be accessed within this resort. it can be reached from Banges, Nendaz or Sivier. If you start from Bagnes, then you will have to take five cable car rides in order to reach Mont-Fort.
the day pass costs you 49 swiss francs and the way up takes roughly 1 hour. the cabin ride is very enjoyable, especially the arrival up in Verbier is something that i found very special. once you have arrived up on Mont-Fort, which is on 3300 meters, you may enjoy a stunning 360 degrees panorama over the alps! from there, you can see over a 50 peaks: The most prominent among these would be the Matterhorn, the landmark of switzerland, the "Dents du Midi" and you even can see Mont Blanc, the tallest peak of the Alps. if you're on to add some thrill, then i highly recommend you to take the zip line down to the Col des Gentiannes. the ride costs 45 swiss francs and you need to purchase your ticket at the restaurant, where you would take the last cable car up to Mont-Fort (last cabin up at 3:30 pm).
the ride is very enjoyable, it's safe and you're going to be very properly instructed. it's europe's highest altitude zip line and it has a total length of 1.4 kilometers! once you arrive, it's going to slow down on its own... thus, a very smooth and safe arrival is guaranteed! after having been three times in this region, i can say when you arrive at the Col des Gentiannes, there is actually quite a good chance that you may spot some Capricorns. definitely that is going to be a very enjoyable moment! should have enjoyed watching this video so far, then i would greatly appreciate if you could press that SUBSCRIBE button. With that you give me a lot of support and also if you would
activate the notification bell, then you would always be up to date with the latest uploads. all right! And now, let's continue with number six. with this we're going to add some cuteness to this video! it's a very family friendly attraction located in the town of Martigny and this would be the foundation of "Barryland".
the Barry is one of switzerland's national animals. it's this cute dog that you might have met on one of the alpine pass roads or peaks in the canton of Valais. The Barry or Saint Bernhardiner played an important role in the history of swiss alpinism. it has often been used to assist in rescuing missions in the event of avalanches. they traditionally carried a small barrel of rum, from which a rescued people could drink to warm up. nowadays, the Barries are used for different purposes
such as pedagogics and therapy, which you can learn more about on the upper floor in the museum. Barryland is the place, where you can meet the dogs and see how they are being trained and taken care of. there are shows on the daily base, where you can watch their abilities. the Barries are very friendly and affectionate dogs. although my friend and i were allowed to enter, for visitors, usually they can only get to see the dogs from outside the enclosure. number seven is where i'm standing right now up here in wonderful Saas Fee! However, we're going much higher up to 3500 meters. for that, we have to take the metro alpan to visit the ice pavilion.
Saas Fee is what you could consider the brother of Zermatt, as both towns got quite a lot in common. They are typical alpine towns, there are many beautiful traditional wooden houses that the locals call Stadel and both villages are car-free (only local electric cars are allowed). although there might be no Matterhorn in Saas Fee, one can spot many glaciers, which is something one would not be able to see from Zermatt! because of this beautiful surrounding, Saas Fee is often named as the village of the glaciers. back in the 1970s, the glaciers were even that large that they reached down to the village itself! nowadays, the glaciers have retreated quite a bit, but still much of them is there and one can come up here to go for summer skiing. for that, one would have to go up to the Allalin, which is on 3500 meters. There are two cable cars that you will have to take and then, for the last bit, you'll be using the Metro Alpin, which is the highest underground funicular of the world! and by the way: that's just one of a couple of world records that Saas Fee is currently holding! once arrived up on the Allalin, you'll be having a breathtaking panorama over the alps. there is also the world's highest altitude rotating restaurant, very similar to the one on the Schilthorn. The greatest highlight awaits you
inside the Allalin glacier, where you can enter the ice pavilion: the world's largest glacier cave! it's a man-made cave carved into the glaciers, which is full of wonderful sculptures. There are some alpine ghosts that you will get to see and then, also a dragon, seahorses, the throne of the ice queen and at the "Glaciarium" there is even a church! among all the ice palaces that i have visited so far in switzerland, i found this one was the best. another plus might be that it's less visited and it's comparatively low in price! The town itself is a must to explore! the roads are less busy, which makes this town very enjoyable. do not forget to check out the old Stadel houses on the rock; my favorite photo spot within Saas Fee.
other things to do would be a trip up to the Hannig or riding the Feenblitz alpine roller coaster. All in all, there are plenty of great things to do up here in Saas Fee! with number eight we're adding some wellness to this video... and this would be the thermal bath of Leukerbad. Hiking, enjoying breathtaking views or visiting museums... but sometimes some
retreat is also needed, to ensure your holiday is going to refuel yourself with some energy! a great activity for this purpose would be a visit to the thermal baths in Leukerbad. there are in total 30 thermal bars up in Leukerbad. The most known would be the Leukerbad Therme. It was built in the 1970s and has been attracting many visitors since. there are in total 10 bassins, most of them outside, and due to its size, the thermal bath is the largest one in the alps.
the water in the pools has a temperature of roughly 35 to 36 degrees celsius, just perfect for relaxation! you may enjoy your time at the various whirlpools, waterfalls or going more wild by trying out the various slides. for those who prefer sauna or other spout treatments, the Leukerbad Therme offers more than only bathing activities. Number nine is what i consider a true hidden gem of the canton of Valais... and this would be the wonderful lake of Champex-Lac! The wonderful town called Champex-Lac charms with its lake embedded into this breathtaking environment. canada meets switzerland! This is probably the first impression you might get, when reaching this place. Te town can be visited all year. The locals say the impression is unique during every season.
there is quite a lot going on up here during summer: You may rent a pedalo or rowing boat to tour on the lake, which is surely great activity! during sunny weather, if the water is warm enough, you may also consider going for a swim! surely it's very nice to take a walk around the lake... there will be many beautiful photo spots. with the many pine trees in the background, this lake definitely feels very unique! number 10 is europe's tallest dam called Grande Dixence; it's quite an adventurous attraction... and... don't forget to try the zipline! the dam is located in the Val d'Hérémence, a side valley of the Val d'Hérens. From sion it will take you around 45 minutes to drive up there. the moment you arrive at the very bottom, you will feel how magnificent this dam is. it has a total height of 285 meters, which makes it to the tallest barrage outside of Asia. in order to reach the top, you may either take this cabin right for 5 swiss francs
or you may hike up, which will take around 15 to 20 minutes. once you have arrived at the top, you will get to see the Lac de Dix, which has a maximum volume of 400 billion liters! what is important to know is that depending on the season at which you visit this place, the water level might vary. while to many of you walking along the dam might be of sufficient thrill, some might prefer to seek for more! There is this awesome zip line right in front of the dam, with a total length of 700 meters.
for 25 swiss francs, you may enjoy this thrilling ride and slide along them back to the other side. no worries, you'll be properly instructed and the ride itself is very safe; myself saying this who is afraid of heights. just make sure to break down once you arrive at the other side! when completing your visit, i highly recommend you to take the trail down and then enter the museum at the bottom station of the cable car. in there, you can learn a lot about the history of this gigantic project of swiss hydropower. spoiler alert! the current dam is not the first one that has been erected at this site. number 11 is another natural wonder of the canton of Valais. It's located in Saint-Léonard
near Sion, and this would be the Lac Souterrain or in english called underground lake. the Lac Souterrainis peculiar and fascinating at the same time! you'll be exploring the lake on a boat, which will take you from one end to the other and then again back to the point of embarkation. during the cruise, the tour guide will be explaining you the various facts about this lake... and in particular the history about its origin. the lake is 300 meters long, 20 meters wide and 10 meters deep and thus the largest natural underground lake in europe. in the past, the water
used to nearly reach the ceiling. However, an earthquake in 1946 changed the water level dramatically, leading to a substantial decrease. This is what enabled the lake to be turned into a tourist attraction. There are three sorts of rocks present in this cave: Slate, marble and gypsum. the water enters through the ceiling by slowly eroding the gypsum, while marble and slate are not permeable and keep the water from draining. the cave furthermore provides brilliant acoustics. thus, concerts are being held here on a yearly base. number 12 is another very thrilling
attraction here in the canton of Valais. This would be the Verticalp and the dam of Emosson! this is the attraction that i thought is going to be the least interesting on this list and eventually happened to be one of the most beautiful surprises! already when having nearly reached the top, i sensed that this whole environment is in fact very special. i eventually happened to be lost in one of the most beautiful alpine panoramas in switzerland. up at Emosson, you
will get a perfect view over Mont Blanc, which is as mentioned before, the tallest peak of the Alps. the dam itself is built in a very similar way as its more famous brother in the Verzasca Valley. i believe each place is special in its own way. while the one at the Verzasca charms with its warm temperatures, james bond fame and bungee jumping, the one at Emosson hosts the steepest funicular of the world and it also provides a great view over the snow mountains. you can either arrive by traveling up here by car or bus... or you choose to enter the Verticalp
funicular at Châtelard and enjoy a very scenic train ride. the whole trip will take roughly 30 to 40 minutes and surely will be unforgettable! thus, i suggest you to go for the latter. number 13 is a rather quiet place in fact the canton of wallis is very well known for its many water irrigation systems called "Bisses" or in german "Suonen" and this one here would be the Bisse de Clavau. many of you might be familiar with the more famous Lavaux in the canton of Vaud, however, the canton of Valais also hosts kilometer long wine terraces.
due to the dry weather, the people of Valais have built large water irrigation systems, to ensure that their vineyards or other plantations are going to have sufficient supply. one of them is the Bisse de Clavau, which lays between Sion and Saint-Léonard. in modern days, there are various hiking trails that lead you along the bisses. Some of them are quite difficult... but for beginners, the Bisse de Clavau is perfect to start with. It leads you through the vineyards and you're going to have a fantastic view over the town of Sion. When hiking along the Bisse, you
soon will see it's quite an old one it dates back to 1450 and still is in use today. while the Bisse itself may look not as fancy as some other ones, it lays in one of Vlais most beautiful landscapes number fourteen is a historic place located in the town of Bris, and this would be the Stockalperschloss. this is a castle that quite differs from the ones that are typical for switzerland. the inner yard charms with its many arcades, which are very unique and much contribute to the beauty of this palace. very prominent are also the three towers that have these onion domes.
their names are Melchior, balthazar and Caspar, which is an allusion to the three biblical kings. in front of the castle is a very charming garden that is a great place for a picnic. also while being at the Stockalperschloss, don't forget to explore the center of the old town of Brig. and now, the last one on this top 15 list of the best attractions here in the canton of Valais.
it's in fact a very historic one and this would be the Furka steam railway train. this last attraction on this top 15 list allows you to travel back in time: the good old days, where trains were operating with steam. this historic railway line was built to connect the town of Brig to Disentis and later in 1930 even became part of the famous Glacier Express to connect zermatt and Sankt-Moritz.
the completion of the Furka base tunnel in 1982 has put an end to his train line, as the track then became redundant. However, many people recognized the historic significance of this track and tried to revive it. thus it was renovated and eventually reopened in 2010. nowadays, it's one of the best nostalgic tourist attractions in switzerland. the ride can either be started in Oberwald or Realp. It takes roughly 3 hours and costs 75 swiss francs, one way.
important to know: the train only operates from mid-june to early october and you need to book your ride online. For that, please check the link in the video descriptions the entire ride is very scenic: there are a few stops, where people can go in and out, and surely do not forget to take a look at the locomotive! we've reached the end of this video, i hope you've enjoyed watching it. if you did, please give this video a LIKE, leave a comment, share it to your friends... that would be really awesome! also if you're
new to this channel, then you're most welcome subscribe, i really appreciate that and well... then i would also like to take the opportunity to once again thank my sponsor Valais Promotion, which is the tourism office of the canton of Valais. Without them, it would not have been possible to produce this video. In fact, it's the longest episode ever made since i joined YouTube. Well, all in all, i'm just really proud to have presented you this video; i've really put a lot of efforts in it and i think the results not bad. if you liked it, please give this video a thumbs up. With that, you give me a lot of support. alright, so that's it from my side, we're going to see each other very soon!
2021-09-20 01:14
