The canton of Wallis, or, in French: Valais, borders on France and Italy. Therefore there is a great variety in language and culture. French is spoken in the west of Wallis, while German is spoken in the east. The language border is between the towns of Sierre and Leuk in the Rhône valley. One of the main attractions is the Grosser Aletsch glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps. Lovers of sun will feel at home in the warm Rhône valley, which is, so to speak, the 'backbone' of this beautiful canton. The Rhône valley has many side-valleys, each of which with its own charm. Many spectacular viewing points can be reached in Wallis. You will find the highest mountains in Europe here, among which the impressive Matterhorn and the Dufourspitze, 4,634 m (15,203 ft) over sea and the highest point in the country. The Mont Blanc lies just across the French/Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Western Europe (4,807 m, 15,771 ft).

Wallis borders on France and Italy and offers lots of variety in language and culture.

Wallis lies in the south of Switzerland and is almost completely surrounded by mountains. Therefore it takes quite some time to make day trips from here to other parts of the country. However, the canton itself has a lot to offer, even if you limit your trips to a single region. Depending on where you stay, you can make day trips to France, Italy, the Bernese Oberland and the Lake of Geneva (Lac Léman).

Overview of Wallis

The Grosser Aletsch glacier, seen from Hohfluh near Riederalp.

In the utmost east of Wallis, near Oberwald, the river Rhône rises. The river runs to the west and flows out in the Lake of Geneva. The valley of the Rhône is mostly V-shaped and narrow at first, but west of Brig it is a wide and flat U-shaped valley, where most cities and arterial roads are situated. This valley has many side-valleys, mainly south of the Rhône. Each of them can be seen as separate holiday regions.

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The Rhône valley is most beautiful between Oberwald and Brig, where it is narrow and relatively untouched. This is where the aforementioned Grosser Aletsch glacier can be found. This glacier, as well as the surrounding area and the mountains behind it in the Bernese Oberland, is considered as natural inheritance by UNESCO and therefore has a protected status. The Lötschental is a magnificent hiking area and is located northwest of Brig. Southwest of Brig the Matter valley begins (also referred to as Nikolai valley), a long valley which continues to the beautiful car free town of Zermatt. The Saas valley is located east of the Matter valley, with the car free tourist resort of Saas Fee at the end. There are many hiking possibilities in both these vallies as well. Many beautiful holiday regions can be found in the western French speaking part of Wallis too. In the sunny Rhône valley, for example around the cantonal capital of Sion, you will meet a southern European character; mountainsides are decorated with vineyards. Another example is the region southwest of Martigny, where breathtaking panoramas are guaranteed due to spectacular differences in height around the small river Le Trient.

Overview of Wallis. Click on the map for a larger view.

To visit the Bernese Oberland you can use the Lötschberg tunnel near Goppenstein, where the road ends. Many (freight) trains from Brig and Italy run through this tunnel. You can take your car with you by putting it on a special car-train in Goppenstein. For more information about this subject you can check the website of the BLS (Lötschbergbahn). The Lake of Geneva can be reached quickly from the west of Wallis. The first major town is Montreux, also known from the film-festival Rose d'Or (the Golden Rose). Here, the mediterranian character shows you another side of Switzerland. A bit furtheron to the west larger cities like Lausanne and Geneva can be found.