ONE DESTINATION – TWO WORLDS
Sierre-Anniviers
press kit
ITIES
NERY
TIV SPORTS& AC
CE WILDLIFE& S
Unwind
Summer
Winter
in a wildlife paradise
beneath the big peaks
in the mountains
Imagine a completely unspoiled valley, without any roads or buildings, offering countless different walks – that’s the Vallon de Réchy. Hiking guides will introduce you to its abundant plant life (including some rare species), and show you how to recognise the many different animals that live there. Do you know the secrets of the stag’s roar?
If you want something really «out of this world», just go hiking beneath the big peaks (over 4000 metres). The mountains of the Couronne Impériale (Bishorn 4156m, Weisshorn 4505m, Zinalrothorn 4221m, Matterhorn 4477m, Obergabelhorn 4063m and Dent Blanche 4358m) will be your companions on the walking tour of the Val d’Anniviers.
The 3 skiing areas (Grimentz-Zinal, St-Luc/ Chandolin and Vercorin) are suitable for families as well as winter-sports addicts. Their high altitude (between 1300 and 2900 metres) means that the Val d’Anniviers pistes enjoy some of the best snow conditions in the Alps. A single ski-pass gives access to the 220 km of pistes and 46 ski-lifts in these areas.
The Pfyn-Finges nature park, between Sierre and Gampel, is one of the prime examples of biodiversity in Switzerland. Here too, native species compete for space; this large pine forest is fighting for survival as oak trees begin a natural colonisation of the area. The Rhône is in its natural state here, and the Illgraben, a gigantic active erosion site, gives the region its wild, untamed aspect.
There’s so much to enjoy – the Moiry dam, for instance, with the eponymous glacier overlooking its lovely turquoise waters. The Bishorn, easily reached with the help of the Anniviers guides, could be your first 4000-metre summit. Adrenaline junkies have the Moiry Via Ferrata, the Adventure Forest at Vercorin, and paragliding and bungee jumping at Niouc to keep them happy. For everyone else, there are so many themed walks to follow (Planets Trail, Geranium Trail, etc.) and fascinating places to visit (copper mines, mills, dam, etc.) that you’ll be spoilt for choice.
The winter sports offer also includes 3 snowparks, freeride areas, the Avalanche Training Center at Zinal, 15 descents that exceed 1000 metres, and a huge area for freeskiing and off-piste skiing. Non-skiers are not left on the sidelines, as there are toboggan runs, a snowtubing run, and many kilometres of hiking and snowshoeing trails. If you want to become involved in local life, try taking part in one of the activities: make your own rye bread, go ice-climbing, or explore the ice caves in the Zinal glacier.
Two worlds in one place Sierre, Salgesch and surrounding area, and the 5 villages/resorts in the Val d’Anniviers (Chandolin, St Luc, Zinal, Grimentz and Vercorin) are linked by a nomadic way of life and wine-growing. The people of Anniviers - a name which is said to mean «on the road, all year round» - have always travelled between its high alpine pastures and the vineyards down in the Rhône valley. From the bracing air at 4000 metres, to the warmth of an evening spent over a raclette with a glass of wine: from Sierre to the Val d’Anniviers, there’s plenty to bring people together.
ÉLTAEXNATTEION E D R & & E I Y M O N GASTRO
ITION
RAD CULTURE& T
Gastronomy
Traditions
Simply
and wine
alive and well
relaxing
With over 800 hectares of vineyards, owned by 80 wine-growers and occupying more than 9000 plots of land, Sierre, Salgesch and surrounding area is one of Switzerland’s leading wine-producing regions. In fact, «Coteaux de Sierre» is the largest AOC area in Switzerland, while Salgesch was the first village in the Valais to establish the requirements for a «Grand Cru» label. For the last 20 years, the region has benefited from the activities of «Vinea», an association that organises the Swiss Wine Fair and several competitions, such as the Mondial des Pinots, the Mondial du Merlot & Assemblages and the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse.
Houses and granaries darkened by centuries of sunshine, glacier wine maturing in highaltitude cellars, cow-fights before the summer transhumance, fife-and-drum bands… Traditions are still very much alive here. The early days of the tourist industry, in the 19th century, left their mark on each village: the Hôtel Weisshorn, perched at an altitude of 2337m, built in 1882, the Grand Hôtel BellaTola & St-Luc, built in 1859, the Hôtel du Besso at Zinal (1893), and many other characterful establishments testify to the region’s history.
Sierre, «the sunshine town» is also known as «Sierre the pleasant» (Sierre l’agréable). This small town of 17,010 inhabitants has its old quarters, built in picturesque local style, but is nevertheless a youthful town. Every year, over a thousand students and researchers attend its higher education establishments. Set among hills and vineyards, the Lac de Géronde and its pools provide a superb place to swim, stroll and relax.
For an evening out enjoying the real flavours of the region, the Château de Villa at Sierre is ideal. Its wine shop offers a carefullychosen selection of 650 wines, backed by the expertise of more than 110 winemakers! Its restaurant is considered to be a mecca for lovers of raclette, its speciality being a tasting of raclettes made from 5 different raw-milk cheeses.
In the past, local people had more than one home and moved between the alpine pastures and the vineyards in Sierre, depending on the work to be done and the season. In the summer, the local Hérens cattle still battle one another on the alpine pasture – the winner becomes the «queen» (and makes her owner very proud!). Glacier wine is legendary. The larch-wood barrels are stored at altitude because of the coolness of the cellars and are never emptied, just topped up. The oldest dates back 125 years!
The bisses (irrigation channels), which hug the hillsides or run on top of vertiginously steep walls, provide routes for some easy, refreshing walks. At L’Arche des Crétillons, above Chalais, you can take a leisurely look at life on a farm, enjoying a drink or snack from the bar while your children feed the animals. You can even practise yoga at the Ponchet alpine pasture, in the mountains above Chandolin. We do all we can to ensure that by the time you leave us, you’re completely relaxed!
ES OUR VILLAG
Sierre, Salgesch and surrounding area
Grimentz
Zinal
the Sunshine Town
the geranium village
the climbing centre par excellence
Wine Museum in Salgesch and Sierre, and the Wine Trail www.museeduvin-valais.ch/en
Tour of the old village and the Bourgeoisie, plus Glacier Wine tasting
Chalet Madeleine at Ayer, a 17th-century house, kept as it was in 1960
Baking AOC rye bread in the communal oven
Old cheese cellar in which the «Fromage des morts» was kept
Château de Villa, restaurant and wine shop (650 wines, 110 winemakers) www.chateaudevilla.ch Espace Terroirs and wine-tasting room at Miège - www.espaceterroirs.ch Castel de Daval, B&B and winetourism www.collinededaval.ch Restaurant Didier de Courten www.hotel-terminus.ch Restaurant le Relais Miégeois www.relaismiegeois.ch Sierre Golf Club - www.golfsierre.ch Pfyn-Finges Nature Park www.pfyn-finges.ch Rainer Maria Rilke Foundation www.fondationrilke.ch
Claude-Eric Massy, distiller, edelweiss eau-devie etc. Hôtel de Moiry, raclette cooked over a wood fire and game dishes - www.hotel-grimentz.ch
Introduction to the myths and legends of the Val d’Anniviers by the ethnologist Bernard Crettaz «BAR e VoX» - themed bar
Ambiance Nature, mix your own body cream from natural ingredients - www.ambiance-nature.ch
Summer/Autumn Tour of the copper mine - www.grotte.ch
Summer/Autumn Tour of the Moiry dam
Tour of the ancienne maison d’habitation paysanne (former traditional farmhouse)
Cheese-making at the Moiry alpine pasture
Winter Snowshoe walk to the ice caves in the Zinal glacier - www.montagne-evasion.ch www.swissalpineemotion.com
Via Ferrata (with rope bridge and zip-wire) www.viaferrata.org Chemin des Chapelles (Chapels Trail) Chemin des Pierres à cupules (Cup-and-Ring Stones Trail) Winter Cowshed tour (local Hérens cattle)
Avalanche Training Center - training in the use of avalanche transceivers Freeride area, the first official freeride area in Switzerland Ice-climbing - www.montagne-evasion.ch
The 14 heritage trails in the Val d’Anniviers All villages and hamlets in the Anniviers area that are inhabited throughout the year have a heritage trail that takes visitors along their winding little streets and alleys, back into the valley’s fascinating past. Although they share the common history and heritage of the valley, each village has its own features, its own past, its own stories, its own special charm. The trails are described in a series of 14 booklets, which are also available as a single book.
St-Luc
Chandolin
Vercorin
the astronomy resort
2000 metres above sea-level
gateway to the Vallon de Réchy
François-Xavier Bagnoud observatory. Observe the sun during the day and the stars in the evening - www.ofxb.ch
Espace Ella Maillart - www.ellamaillart.ch
Guided tour of the old village
Village of Chandolin, at 2000m, one of the highest villages in Europe that are inhabited all year round
Espace Edouard Vallet, art exhibitions www.edvallet.com
Planets Trail, 6 km - www.ofxb.ch Hôtel Bella Tola (built 1859), classed as a «Swiss historic hotel» - www.bellatola.ch Hôtel Weisshorn, altitude 2337m, built in1882. 1½ hr walk - www.weisshorn.ch Bread Trail. Can be combined with making rye bread at the communal oven in St-Luc Summer/Autumn Tour of 18th-century mills www.lesmoulinsdest-luc.ch Biking trails below the cable car www.bikepark-stluc.ch Gillou, the centre of the Valais
Summer/Autumn Illgraben, the only erosion site of its kind in Europe - www.pfyn-finges.ch Ponchet, a range of original activities in the alpine chalet and pasture - www.ponchet.ch An 860-year-old larch tree Botany walks NEW Chandolin Boutique Hotel www.chandolinboutiquehotel.ch
Vissoie, Niouc, Fang hamlets and villages in the valley
La Boucherie de la Vallée and Les Salaisons d’Anniviers, producers of traditionalstyledried meats - www.salaisons-anniviers.ch The Tour d’Anniviers (Anniviers Tower) & Musée des Patoisants (Museum of Local Culture) www.touranniviers.ch Bungy Niouc, Bungee jumping from 190m and other exciting activities www.bungyniouc.com Bisse des Sarrasins, 9km walk from Pinsec/ Vercorin, along historic route - www.sarrasins.ch Fang, small mediaeval village, guided tour www.fang.ch
Les Mazots de la Source - www.mdls.ch Arche des Crétillons - Agritourism farm http://www.cretillons.ch Paragliding and hang-gliding from the leading site in the Valais, open all year round. Vallon de Réchy, national nature reserve www.vallonderechy.ch Summer/Autumn The 3 Bisses Circuit - Stéphane Albasini www.montagne-evasion.ch Vercorin Adventure Forest, routes through the trees, 1870 metres above sea level www.foretaventure.ch Roar of the stag in the Vallon de Réchy
TIS VINUM MON
Vinum Montis
A virtual community
Events to enjoy
an enigmatic name
for wine-lovers
throughout the year
The Latin word Vinum means «wine» and Montis is the genitive form of «mons», which means «mountain». Bringing these two words together gives «Wine from the mountain». This name aptly describes the wines of the Sierre, Salgesch and surrounding area wine-growing region, which is situated at the foot of the Val d’Anniviers with its Couronne Impériale (5 mountains over 4000 metres high).
Vinum Montis operates online, bringing together a select group of wine-lovers who are given information about winemakers and their special wines.
Vinum Montis also has an offline presence, as the organiser of wine-tasting events throughout the year. These gatherings are intended to be convivial and informal, in unusual settings that are typical of the Sierre-Salgesch wine-growing area.
The name has an enigmatic or even historic touch to it, combining culture and tradition with the world of wine.
• • • •
The members of the community take part in competitions, and find out about our wine-growers and their products through stories and anecdotes. Don’t miss out – follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest. facebook.com/vinumontis twitter.com/vinumontis youtube.com/vinumontis pinterest.com/vinumontis
www.vinumontis.ch #vinumontis
They are based on 5 themes:
ACCESS
How
to get here
By car Access to the Valais region is via the A9 motorw ay. The following alpine passes are open through out the year: Col de Forclaz, Pas de Morgins, Simplon, Grand St-Bernard tunnel (info: phone +41 (0)27 788 44 00). Only open in summer: Grimsel, Furka, Nufenen and Grand St-Bernard alpine passes. Or via the rail tunnels on vehicle transporters: Lötschbergtunnel BSL (Kandersteg-Goppens tein) - info: phone +41 (0)900 55 33 33; Furkatunnel (Realp-Oberwald) - info: phone +41 (0)27 927 77 71; Simplontunnel (Iselle-Brig) - info: phone +41 (0)900 300 300. By train Switzerland: Direct lines from Basel, Bern, Geneva airport, Lausanne and Zurich airport every 30 min. From abroad: Direct lines from Freiburg, Cologne, Wiesbaden, Hamburg, Dortmund, Luxembourg, Brussels, Florence, Rome, VeniceMilan (Cisalp ino), Strasbourg and Paris (TGV). Connections with the entire European network. Info: phone +41 (0)900 300 300 - www.rail.ch By plane Connecting flights from the international airports of Geneva-Cointrin and Zurich-Kloten or Basel-Mulhouse and Bern. Direct, charter, private flights from Sion Airport,info: phone +41 (0)27 329 06 00. Charter and private flights, Air Glaciers, info: phone +41(0)27 329 14 15. Way up, looking down through the blue azur sky over the alpine summits one can see the Sierre Anniviers immediate neighbours: Italy to the South, France to the West, the Swiss-German part to the North. Fast means of transport go through the heart of the Valais, allowing you to reach us easily from any point throughout Europe. Sierre is easy to reach by train or car - just twenty minutes from Sion’s Airport, one and three-quarter hours by road from Geneva’s International Airport and three hours from Zurich’s one. It takes less than thirty minutes by car, and an hour at most by Postal Bus to reach the picturesque villages and resorts of the Val d’Anniviers.
Summer
Summer events • Summer transhumance celebrations in the Val d’Anniviers mid-June
Points of interest Pfyn-Finges Nature Park
Golf de Sierre
Boundary of Pfyn-Finges Nature Park
Bungy Jumping de Niouc
Illgraben
Musée Ella Maillart, Chandolin
Valais Wine and Vine Museum (Salgesch - Sierre )
Bike Park de St-Luc
Sierre-Salgesch Wine Trail
Tour d’Anniviers, Vissoie
Musée Charles-Clos Olsommer, Veyras Lake Géronde, Sierre
Zinal copper mine Via ferrata de Moiry, Grimentz
Fondation Rainer Maria Rilke, Sierre
Glacier wine, Grimentz
Astronomy observatory and Planets Trail, St-Luc
Château de Villa, Sierre
Adventure Forest, Vercorin
Chalais agritourism farm
Espace Vallet, Vercorin Vallon de Réchy, Vercorin
• Weekend au bord de l’eau festival Sierre www.aubordeleau.ch/festival • Sierre Blues Festival www.sierreblues.ch/en • Sierre-Zinal mountain running race www.sierre-zinal.com •
Chandolin food market 15 August
• Grand Raid Verbier-Grimentz mountain bike race www.grand-raid.ch • Vercojazz Vercorin www.vercojazz.ch • Vercofly Vercorin www.vercofly.ch • Vinea Swiss Wine Fair 1st weekend in September Sierre www.vinea.ch • Sierre-Salgesch vineyards ramble 2nd weekend in September www.marchedescepages.ch •
Autumn transhumance celebrations in the Val d’Anniviers mid-September
Winter events • Faites du Ski Grimentz-Zinal www.rma.ch • Grimentz Christmas market www.feeries.ch • Fête des Rois (Epiphany celebration) at Chandolin Sunday closest to 6 January • GiantXTour Grimentz ski and snowboard competitions www.giantxtour.ch • Valais toboggan trophy Chandolin www.letrophee.net • First Track Freeride Chandolin freeride world qualifier http://www.firsttrackfreeride.ch • Raquettissima - snowshoe walk St-Jean www.raquettissima.ch • Zinal Freeride www.zinalfreeride.ch • Le Défi des 300 Vercorin www.defi300.ch • St Catherine’s Fair Sierre http://foire.sierre.ch
220 km Skitrails, 1 Skipass 100 Groomed Trails 5 Snowgarden 3 Freestyle Parks
Winter 1 St-Luc / Chandolin 2 Grimentz / Zinal 3 Vercorin
contact details Sierre-Anniviers Marketing Techno-pĂ´le 1 - CH-3960 Sierre T +41 27 451 71 10 info@sierre-anniviers.ch www.sierre-anniviers.ch
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