The name Valais (French) or Wallis (German) is derived from the Latin word valles (valley). During the conquest of what is now Switzerland between 15 and 13 BC (Geneva, inhabited by the Celtic Allobroges under the name Genava, had already been conquered in 120 BC), four Celtic tribes lived in Wallis: the Nantuates, Veragri, Seduni, and Uberi. Present-day place names still sometimes refer to the Celtic and Roman past of this region.

Evolène

Evolène

The village of Evolène, for example, owes its name to the Celtic word evo or aua (water) and the Latin word lenis (calm): “calm water.” This phenomenon of a combined Celtic-Roman culture can be observed throughout Switzerland under the name Gallo-Roman culture (acculturation). Only Romansh in Graubünden (also conquered by Rome around 13 BC) and Roman culture in Ticino (conquered by Rome in the 2nd century BC) form exceptions.

The phrase nomen est omen applies to Wallis. Not only does the Rhône carve its way, surrounded by mountains, from the Furka Pass to Lake Geneva, but on both sides, there are also numerous valleys, sometimes surrounded by 4000+ meter peaks.

The Rhône

Val d’Hérens

The Val d’Hérens, located near the old episcopal city of Sion (Sitten in German), is home not only to Evolène but also to Hérémence and its famous Saint-Nicolas church, built in 1971.

Much older, however, are the Pyramides d’Euseigne. These “pyramids” are even older than the famous Egyptian pyramids and, moreover, shaped by nature.

A few kilometres from Hérémence lies a creation of humankind: the Grande Dixence dam. At 285 meters high, this gigantic concrete structure, along with the 1961 reservoir and hydroelectric plant, is among the largest of its kind.

Arolla and the bishop

Arolla, the last village before the Italian border in the Val d’Hérens, is famous not only for the Notre-Dame des Hauts d’Arolla, but also for its glaciers, Mont Collon, and the Grand Hôtel & Kurhaus d’Arolla. The main street in Arolla is called Rue de l’Évêque.

Grand Hôtel & Kurhaus d’Arolla

It is no coincidence. The name refers not only to Mount L’Évêque but also to the proximity of the Bishop of Sion. This powerful prelate, with his religious and secular buildings, was for centuries one of the most important landowners and rulers in Wallis.

In 1474, in collaboration with the seven Zehnden (tithings) of Upper Valais, he conquered Lower Valais from the Duke of Savoy. As a result, this duchy could not come to the aid of its ally, the Duke of Burgundy, during the Burgundian Wars (1474–1477). The German-speaking Upper Valais then governed the French-speaking Lower Valais as a subject territory until 1798.

 

Lac bleu

Lac d’Arbey

Nature

The flora, fauna, streams, valleys, meadows, mountain lakes, and forests of the Val d’Hérens are impressive not only for their diversity but also as encounters with nature at its finest: from alpine roses and alpine newts (Triton alpestre) in mountain pools to Hérens cows and breathtaking landscapes.

The cow fights, where the reine des vaches (queen of the cows) emerges as the winner, are annual events in Wallis with a relatively animal-friendly character. They establish a natural hierarchy among the cows. Each valley organises such events in spring that hold a status similar to the Alpaufzug or désalpe in September.

Mankind

Over the centuries, humans have also left their mark. Today, Wallis and its valleys are easily accessible, but this was not the case before the rise of tourism in the 19th century.

Though beautiful, nature was also a source of drought, failed harvests, cold, heat, avalanches, and floods until then. Ingenious inhabitants adapted to these conditions: through suonen or bisses (irrigation canals), barns for storing grain and crops, and houses built of stone on the mountainside for protection against avalanches and wood on the other side.

Marie Métrailler

Within this environment, people not only lived but also created. Almost every Swiss village has a notable personality or cultural heritage. This is true in the neighbouring Val d’Anniviers as well as in Val d’Hérens. One remarkable figure is Marie Métrailler (1901–1979).

She came from a family of teachers in Evolène, with a dogmatic and severe Catholic mother and a liberal father. Her father supported and encouraged her intellectual development, but the spirit of the times and family responsibilities made further education impossible.

She worked as a weaver and founded her weaving workshop in 1938, which by around 1950 employed approximately 250 women! At that time, a female entrepreneur in a village in Wallis was exceptional.

Her business success enabled her intellectual development, her critical stance toward the Church, and her battle against the discrimination of women. She sold her products not only in Wallis and other cantons but also exported them to nearby Italy.

She interacted with tourists and the European elite of the time. She became well known—Marguerite Yourcenar (1903–1987), among others, visited and admired her.

Evolène honours its most famous resident with the Fondation Atelier de Marie Métrailler and a circular route in the village. Shortly after her death, her life story was published in 1980 as La poudre de sourire / Die Reise der Seele, recorded by Marie-Magdeleine Brumagne. This biography offers insight into the life of a woman in a Valais valley in the early 20th century and the possibilities for personal and social development.

Apart from this figure and her atelier, the village offers traditional Valais houses, welcoming hotels, views of the Dent Blanche, and many hiking opportunities. In largely Catholic Wallis, chapels and churches are never far away, and a dona nobis pacem remains an inspiring moment. Villages worth visiting include Les Haudères, La Sage, Villaz, La Forclaz, Euseigne, Saint-Martin, Luette, and Vex.

Lannaz

Evolène

Euseigne

Les Haudères

La Sage, Saint-Christophe

La Sage

Saint-Martin

 Ossona

Ossona deserves special mention. Around 2005, this village was deserted. With financial support from federal and cantonal authorities, it has since been revived through sustainable agriculture, an inn, and a few permanent residents.

The two two suspension bridges

 Passerelle des Gorges de la Borgne, 76 m.

Passerelle de la Grande Combe. 133 m.

Its earlier abandonment is not surprising. It lies on a slope above the deep gorge of the wild Borgne River. Today, two suspension bridges connect it to Euseigne, and a sandy road provides another link to the outside world. The experiment appears successful, and the village now even has a playground again.

Conclusion

The warm, dry summer climate creates conditions for Mediterranean flora and fauna in Wallis. Winters, however, used to be cold, snowy, and long. The influence of the bishop and the Catholic Church was—and still is, to a lesser extent—strong. For example, the construction of the large Saint-Nicolas church in Hérémence did not require municipal approval, nor resident consultation. In retrospect, fortunately so, as it is an extraordinary church.

Vex

It is partly thanks to individuals like Marie Métrailler that change becomes possible—often beginning on a small, personal level in the Swiss bottom-up model, which differs from that of the European Union.

This is especially true for respect for nature, climate, and the environment. In this regard, Wallis, like much of Switzerland, demonstrates the right mindset at a local level: organic herb gardens, information boards, guidelines, protected areas, and beehouses are everywhere.

La Sage

Although Hérens cows are ultimately raised for human consumption, it is no exaggeration to say that a Swiss cow (perhaps with the exception of the Indian cow) enjoys one of the highest qualities of life.

This valley in Wallis also reflects a distinct Swiss quality: engagement and innovation, combined with the preservation of valuable traditions and structures.

(Source and further information: Val d’Hérens)

Impressions from Val d’Hérens