This secret Alpine valley will entrance you with both its beauty and
tranquillity and its spectacular and varied walking..
The Area
Equipped with a good pair of walking boots, discover the 1295 km. of marked footpaths.
From vineyards to everlasting snow there is a broad range of
walks to choose from in this beautiful valley, many with an original view of the
Matterhorn. This is our first French speaking area in Switzerland. We know that the
familiarity of the language, 
the French influenced food and the beauty of this
hidden valley will appeal to new and regular customers alike. High
above the Rhone valley, Val d'Anniviers has an excellent postal bus service linking the small
precariously perched villages, each with its own charm and history, enabling a large number of one way walks to be enjoyed.
Cable cars and a
funicular railway whisk you to over 7,500 ft. taking away uphill climbs and
allowing you to explore even higher or to gently walk down to another wooden roofed
village and return back to base by Postbus. Climb to the summit of Bella-Tola (for the
very fit) at just under 10000 ft, where you will find a panoramic table high
lighting the stunning views over the Rhone Valley and the imposing summits
of the Valaisan, Bernese, Italian and French Alps. Not surprisingly a panorama
which has been enjoyed since the beginnings of Swiss Tourism! Val d'Anniviers
enjoys wonderful weather and an above average number of sunny days for Switzerland.
The Walking
All walks can be enjoyed from directly from St. Luc or the post bus will either take you quickly a
nd efficiently to a start point or return you to
base at the end of your walk if you started from your hotel. We will provide a
booklet of walks which can be enjoyed in the area. This has been produced by a
member of our team and will give distance, average walking time,
ascent/descent figures, refreshment/loo stops, and escape routes. All walks are
graded to help you choose the most suitable from a great variety of
routes.
You can walk along glacier fed
lakes or up to a glacier itself. Take a funicular up to 2,100 metres passing
by the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud astronomical observatory and onto the 'Chemin de
Planetes' (planetary walk) up to and past the exposed Hotel Weishorn and gently
downhill to Zinal with fi
ne views of the Valaisian Alps. Walk into the Vallon
de Réchy valley lying between Val d’Anniviers and Val d’Hérens. An inaccessible valley with no road access
and an ideal location to search
for edelweiss and observe the wild life. All our routes are on
marked footpaths. There are many more in this enchanting area.
The Villages
Val d'Anniviers has a number of villages which all differ from each other and
have their own traditions and character. Some can trace their origins back
to the 13th century. Many cling to the valley sides whilst others are in a flatter
position in the valley floor. French is the language of the valley and the
cuisine has a strong French influence using fresh local ingredients including abundant game, fish, mountain
cheeses and wine.
Our hotels are located in St.Luc (1655m). A village on the side of the valley is an unspoilt typical village of the
region. It clings to the valley side and viewed from below it looks as if
it is just painted on to the side of the mountain and it is difficult to believe
that there could be sufficient level ground to build a farm shed least of all a
house.
Getting There
Val d
'Anniviers is well served by the national post bus system,
with a regular schedule from the nearest railway station at Sierre in the Rhone
valley. Sierre has regular direct trains to and from the integrated railway
station at Geneva Airport, taking just 2 hours. The journey follows the shore line of Lake Geneva
offering many spectacular views interspersed with the
internationally famous towns of Lausanne and Montreaux. The
train then enters the Valais and journeys along the floor of
this wide and spectacular valley with vineyards and orchards
just outside the window. At Sierre you transfer to the post
bus waiting in the station for a breathtaking journey around many hairpin bends up
to Vissoie then onwards to your hotel in St Luc. This journey alone
is worth the trip!
Hotels
