Discover Valais, with VIDEOS and WEBCAMS

Valais is surrounded by peaks that climb to over 4000m in altitude.

Valais is a little world apart, a bit like the Aosta Valley border to the south. This Swiss canton is surrounded on all sides by the highest mountains in Europe: uplandto the north, Mont Rose, Matterhorn and Mont Blanc massif to the south, crossed from one side to the other by a powerful river, the Rhône, it is a real mountain territory which has developed.

Here too, bilingualism has become a given: French is spoken in the west, German is spoken in the east. And yet it is the same canton. This is the magic of Swiss tolerance that is manifested.

The Valais Alps, a land of contrasts and legends, is a sanctuary where the heart of the Alps beats with force, where deep valleys and dizzying peaks bear witness to the audacity and passion of mountaineering. It is a territory where history, culture and nature are woven together to create a landscape of a beauty that is both raw and captivating, a place where traditions are lived with pride and where each stone, each village tells a thousand-year-old story.

The famous valleys of the Valais Alps

From Martigny to Zermatt, passing through the Upper Valais, each valley reveals its character, its hidden treasures. Martigny, the gateway to Valais, with its Roman amphitheatre and art museums, is the starting point for exploring the terraced vineyards, where human labour blends perfectly with nature. A day trip to the Great Saint Bernard not only offers a dive into history with its thousand-year-old hospice but also breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding mountains.

Travelling up the Rhone, Sion, the capital of Valais, stands proudly with its medieval castles watching over the city. A visit to the city reveals a rich historical past, while an excursion to the Grande Dixence dam, the highest gravity dam in the world, shows human ingenuity in the face of nature's grandeur. The Valais Alps often celebrate this synergy between people and the mountains.

Further on, the Upper Valais reveals its traditional villages like Zermatt, a sanctuary of mountaineering and gateway to the mythical Matterhorn. Here, authentic architecture blends with the majesty of the mountains, offering an unparalleled setting for nature lovers. A hike or train ride to the Gornergrat reveals one of the most beautiful Alpine panoramas, where the gaze takes in a series of peaks among the highest in Europe. Saas fairy, is also a world-renowned resort at the foot of numerous glaciers flowing from peaks reaching over 4000m above sea level.

Le Val d'Anniviers, with its preserved villages like Grimentz, is a window onto the Valais soul, where sun-blackened raccards and granaries on stilts tell of centuries of mountain life. A climb to the Moiry dam, with its intense blue waters, offers a spectacular view of an alpine landscape where water and rock meet in perfect harmony.

The Bagnes Valley, with Verbier as a jewel, is a sublime blend of wilderness and modern alpine living. Verbier, renowned for its world-class skiing and cosmopolitan vibe, also offers hiking trails that wind through breathtaking alpine landscapes. The Mauvoisin Dam, higher up the valley, creates a spectacle of water and rock, a place where human ingenuity meets the brute force of nature.

The preserved valleys of Valais

In the heart of the Valais Alps, the valleys that extend beyond the beaten track continue to tell the story of a region rich in traditions, majestic landscapes and alpine adventures. These valleys, lesser known but just as captivating, offer an immersion in an authentic Valais, where every corner reveals natural and cultural wonders.

The Conches Valley, with goms as its main setting, is a jewel of authenticity. It is a land where time seems to have stood still, where villages are adorned with traditional wooden houses and baroque churches, witnesses to the religious fervor of the region. An excursion to the Furka Pass or the Rhone Glacier allows you to embrace striking alpine landscapes, where nature manifests itself in all its splendor, between vast green expanses in summer and snow-covered expanses in winter.

Le Val d'Herens, nestled in the heart of the Valais Alps, is a sanctuary of Valais nature and culture. The villages of Evolène and Arolla, surrounded by impressive peaks, are ideal starting points for hikes to crystal-clear mountain lakes and welcoming refuges. The Dent Blanche and the Matterhorn stand as sentinels, offering breathtaking panoramas. The authenticity of the Val d'Hérens is also revealed in its living traditions, particularly in the lutte des reines, an ancestral fight between cows of the Hérens breed.

The balcony on the Valais Alps

You can enjoy the best landscapes of the Alps from the resorts of Crans-Montana and Bettmeralp. On these south-facing plateaus, the paths and Nordic trails cross the forests before reaching more open slopes. The entire border chain of the Alps from Italy to France stretches out before you, crisscrossed by countless glaciers. Incidentally, this is also where the longest glacier in continental Europe is located: the from Aletsch.

In Valais, there are not only the Alps

Thermalism is also present in Valais, and you can enjoy a magnificent relaxation and well-being site in Loèche-les-Bains (leukerbad), easily accessible from Sierre.

These Valais valleys, with their traditional villages, alpine landscapes and centuries-old traditions, invite you to explore the Valais in depth. They complete the picture of a region marked by the history of mountaineering, where each peak, each glacier tells stories of daring and exploration. From the majestic silence of the high plateaus to the excitement of the ski resorts, Valais offers a multitude of experiences, a symphony of landscapes and cultures that celebrate the richness and diversity of mountain life. In these valleys, adventure is always within reach, whether through a hike in breathtaking landscapes, a tasting of local specialties or an immersion in the traditions that make the heart of Valais beat.

Valais is also a land of flavors, where gastronomy is nourished by the richness of local products, from exceptional wines to mountain cheeses, an invitation to discover the territory also through taste. From Saas-Fee to Verbier, the world-renowned ski resorts are transformed over the seasons, offering outdoor activities ranging from skiing and snowboarding to hiking and mountain biking, allowing everyone to experience the mountains at their own pace.

In Valais, each valley, each mountain, each village is a story, a journey through time and space, where the authenticity of alpine life is discovered at the bend of a path, under the benevolent gaze of the immortal peaks. It is an invitation to explore, to feel and to marvel, in a country where the grandeur of nature inspires and where the heritage of mountaineering continues to push man to surpass himself, in an eternal dialogue between earth and sky.

Valais is a bit like the Switzerland you imagine. Villages of wooden chalets, glaciers, endless nature, the accent… it’s all there. Don’t waste any time, go there!

Activities not to be missed in Valais

Take the train from Gornergrat to its terminus from Zermatt to admire the Matterhorn and the glaciers of Monte Rosa
Access to the Klein Matterhorn (Little Matterhorn) at 3883m !!! The world of ice is yours, and at the top you will be able to walk on a vast plateau and not just stay on a panoramic platform.
Take the snow metro, the Mittelallalin, in Saas Fee, pearl of the Alps, to reach 3500m! Breathtaking.
Take a break like the travelers of yesteryear at theHospice of the Great Saint Bernard, at the homonymous pass, before descending towards the Aosta Valley.
Browse the panoramic walk which crosses all of Crans Montana. Beautiful landscapes and beautiful chalets!
Admire the authenticity of the Val d'Herens around Evolène, a very well-preserved village.
Discover how the works Grande Dixence Dam of impressive size.
Admire the old ones Grimentz wooden chalets, a very authentic little village in the Val d'Anniviers.
Do a relaxing and well-being break in the spas and thermal baths of Leukerbad (Loèche les Bains). In the open air, these hot springs have been a renowned experience since Roman times.
Experiment with Silence in Bettmeralp, a small village covered in snow in winter, and without cars.
Admire the aletsch glacier, the longest in Europe. It is accessed from the Riederalp ski lifts near Brig.
Strolling in the vineyards from Valais around Sierre, along the wine trail.
Visit Sion, its medieval city center, and its castle which dominates the plain.

Discovering Valais on video

The best webcams in Valais

(click on the name of the village)

Verbier : All of Valais! This webcam on the heights of the Verbier-4 Vallées ski area allows you to observe the Rhone Valley and the Valais Alps.
Zermatt: Don't miss any of the glacial landscape around Zermatt and enjoy a sumptuous view of the Matterhorn.
Saas fairy: The Saas Valley, which includes the villages of Saas Grund and Saas Fee to the east of the Monte Rosa massif.
Bettmeralp: the view of the ski area and the Alps of southern Valais
Crans-Montana: the balcony of Valais. From this webcam, a bird's eye view of the Rhone Valley and the great peaks of the Alps on the border with Italy. Weisshorn, Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, etc.
Champéry - Gates of the Sun: the view of the Dents du Midi