Nature and Culture throughthe bisses
and mountain pastures of the Valais
photos©c.antille
The Valais between Nature and Culture...
After having studied Nature through the training of mountain leader, I trained in Valaisan Heritage at the UNIL... Because, when one knows and appreciates the Valais, it seems difficult to separate Nature from Culture. It is true that nature was present long before man, but since he settled in our regions, culture has followed suit, and unless you climb very high to flirt with the summits, man's imprint is practically omnipresent in the Valaisan landscape.
The BISSES
Valais Nature & Culture will help you discover the bisses, the irrigation canals that brought water from the glaciers to the vineyards, orchards and pastures as early as the 14th century.
Although sometimes vertiginous, clinging to the rocky walls of the side valleys, they are well secured and easy to access.
For families with small children or those perhaps less keen on heights, there are a multitude of bisses that wind quietly through forests, meadows and vineyards.
A beautiful and refreshing experience in summer!
Bisse du Rho, Bisse d'Ayent, Bisse du Grand Lens....
The NATURE
For nature lovers, the Valais is a paradise on earth.
A rich and wild fauna that you can discover with discretion and patience....
The varied flora that evolves with the seasons enchants us...with certain knowledge, the picking of certain plants will enhance your dishes or your pharmacy.
The geology of our canton allows a multitude of grape varieties to flourish, it is part of the landscape and can be discovered at all altitudes...
Natural heritage....Excursion to the Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier tongue in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is easy and unforgettable.
CULTURE and Heritage
The Valais has a rich and varied culture.
Let's go on a guided tour of the villages and their different buildings. Mayens, "raccards" or "mazots", to each its function, to each its
its place...
Discovery of pagan or religious traditions, cow fights, costumes, dialect etc.
Urban art also takes its place in our pastures. I will accompany you on a stroll through the heights of Crans-Montana in search of the works proposed by the Vision Art Festival
During a walk along a bisse or an excursion in the alpine pastures, nature, although extraordinary, can hardly ignore the presence of man.
In the past, it imposed the "remuage", or change of altitude of the place of habitation with the passing of the seasons, and today it gives rhythm to the tourist economy of the canton.
I would like to help you discover the Valais as a whole, at every level, from the plain to the summit, nature is sublime and the history of man commands respect.
Man is a cultural being by nature because he is a natural being by culture.
Edgar Morin
