SUMMER PRESSKIT 2019 - NATURE
NATURE - GET AWAY FROM IT ALL
The purest air in Switzerland, extensive sunshine and breathtaking views create the perfect atmosphere to enjoy the natural treasures on offer in Crans-Montana. Here, nature’s beauty is revealed in all its diversity; a rich variety of forests, numerous lakes, the Plaine Morte Glacier, which rises to 3000m, green alpine pastures and beautiful vineyards. There are endless possibilities for walking, whether along a typical irrigation canal or “bisse”, or around a lake in the heart of the mountains. The landscape changes naturally with the passage of the seasons, and takes on new colours, a different type of light, bewitching scents, and new sounds, creating a unique atmosphere. Nature will extend to you its finest welcome in Crans-Montana – whatever the time of year.
GRANDEUR NATURE
The Grandeur Nature space welcomes visitors looking for peace and quiet and revitalisation in the heart of untamed nature, looking out onto an exceptional panorama of mountain peaks and forests. Along an irrigation canal, in the forest or in an open alpine pasture, a network of trails is available for hikers and mountain bikers. From July to August, Grandeur Nature also offers a programme of organised activities that are free for everyone, including initiation and advanced trail hiking, a wood craftshop, construction of a mountain cabin, cheese making, the gathering and tasting of wild plants, yoga walks and horse trail rides. Sunny restaurant terraces and mountain huts in the region are ideal for enjoying delicious local specialities in an idyllic setting. As for culture, you will enjoy discovering the Colombire Ecomuseum, which offers an insight into life in the Alps as it was many years ago.
www.crans-montana.ch/en/grandeur_nature
LES BISSES
Discover the region while roaming along one of its five bisses, genuine historical monuments in the Valais landscape dating back to the 14th century. Back in the day, the construction of these irrigation channels meant water could be transported from a spring located far away from cultivated land. Today, these bisses make for fantastic walks on a gentle gradient which allow you to discover nature in all its glory and exceptional views. Walking along the Rho bisse, a lovely walk suitable for the whole family, you’ll find yourself alongside one of the vertiginous rockfaces which make this irrigation system all the more impressive. Information boards along the way explain how the channels were constructed and renovated over the centuries – sometimes at the risk of workers’ lives.
The Tsittoret Bisse will take you from Vermala to the source of the Tièche. Despite the beginning of the route being quite demanding on your calf muscles, this walk remains accessible to everyone. Over a dozen kilometres, exceptional views of the Alps invite the walker to admire some of the 4,000m+ summits. On the way, you must stop at Colombire, where the ecomuseum invites you to dive into the world of our ancestors as you discover exact reconstructions of their life, furniture and tools. The route continues from here, still running alongside the bisse, through woods which are rich in flora. A short break in one of the huts will allow you a chance to try some of the excellent local produce, including the famous cheese from the alp. Arriving at the Tièche Valley is the ultimate reward after this day’s walk.
HIKING
The Crans-Montana region stretches from the Rhone valley to the Plaine Morte Glacier at 3,000 metres in altitude. From picturesque vineyards to green meadows irrigated by the bisses, from proudly traditional villages to small settlements on mountain pastures, from clear mountain lakes to the permanent snow of the glaciers. 280 kilometres of marked hiking paths can be found at every altitude, crossing through a wide variety of natural landscapes, all of which have one thing in common: abundant sunshine and a stunning panorama. Discover the different walking routes.