Valais is a beautiful canton that lies to the south-west of Switzerland that borders on France and Italy. Cut off on all sides by mountains, the Valais has always been a world apart. This enchanting "holiday kingdom", situated at the heart of the Alps, provides a fascinating land of contrasts blessed with an exceptionally mild climate, where the number of sunny days per year is well above the national average. The Canton of Valais has both French and German speaking areas.

This canton is home to some of Switzerland's most popular resorts including Verbier, Crans-Montana, Nendaz, Zermatt, Ovronnaz, Zinal, Vercorin, Champéry, Grimentz, Veysonnaz, Anzère, Nax and Thyon/Les Collons as well as the famous peak of the Matterhorn. The popular resorts of the Canton of Vaud, Leysin and Villars, are just a few kilometres away.

A visit to Valais promises winter sports, spas, wine and just the perfect place to relax and chill out! The repertoire is endless and includes fashionable sports resorts, a water paradise for children, courses to make golfers' dreams come true, oases of well-being and a Mecca for winter hikers.

Golf

Valais is a natural paradise full of contrasts that has become a favourite destination for golfers from all over the world. It offers four 18-hole courses at Verbier, Sion, Crans-Montana and Loeche (Leuk) as well as five 9-hole tracks at Sierre, Crans-Montana, Riederalp, Matterhorn and Source du Rhône.

As you breathe in our pure bracing air, you will marvel at the nearby-unrivaled views of snow-covered peaks.You'll never forget that your are in the very heart of the Alps, where the sun reigns supreme for more than 300 days a year

Ski

If you are a skier, snowboarder, or enjoy any kind of alpine activity, then you already know about Switzerland as the absolute nexus of world-class skiing – other ski resorts are judged by how closely they simulate the Swiss expe-rience.  The Canton of Valais gives you access to the largest winter sports arena in the world. More than 2,800 km of slopes !

Spas / Wellness

Genuine moments of total well-being are relatively rare. Valais knows the secret and is ready to reveal it to those willing to learn. The secret is that water is not just an indispensable element to every living thing on our planet, but it is also soothing, refreshing, revitalising, with the ability to improve our health, fitness and humour. Cascading down the mountains when the snows melt, gushing in abundance from numerous thermal springs, water is the life force of our holiday kingdom.

Leisure activities

If you are a skier, snowboarder, or enjoy any kind of alpine activity, then you already know about Switzerland as the absolute nexus of world-class skiing – other ski resorts are judged by how closely they simulate the Swiss experience.  The Canton of Valais gives you access to the largest winter sports arena in the world!

But the sheer variety of Swiss recreational oppor-tunities often goes over-looked.  Sailing, rowing and other water sports are extremely popular on the many pristine lakes and rivers.

You would be hard-pressed to find another compact space with the variety of climates and locales that Switzerland has on offer – an hour’s drive will take you from the central lake district to the mountains; an hour in another direction can bring you to hiking trails, rally-driving tracks, horse trails, private airports for gliders or sailplanes, or just about any other resource or activity you can imagine.  

The Canton of Valais, in the middle of the Swiss Alps, offers you an exquisite, finely-wrought gem in a wonderful natural setting : top class resorts, superb ski resorts, 47 summits over 4,000 metres high, railways that climb mountains, thermal springs and relaxing spas, the Aletsch Glacier, the longest in Europe, remote hiking trails, historic locations such as the old town of Sion, delicious speciality wines and to enhance the whole experience, fresh air and a deep blue sky. 

Climate

The Canton of Valais, located in the south-west of Switzerland, is the sunniest place of Switzerland. The weather of central Valais is always better than in the rest of the country. Statistically Sion is the sunniest places in Switzerland, with only 580 mm of rain per year. The high surrounding mountains prevent most of the low-pressure weather systems and associated clouds to reach the region. Ground fog is unknown and the temperature vary from –5°C to +10°C in January to 25°C to 33°C in July and August. Some villages in the canton Valais get as much as 2300 hours of sunshine per year.