Valais (UK:/ˈvæleɪ/VAL-ay,US:/væˈleɪ/val-AY;French:[valɛ]^ⓘ),^[a] more formally, theCanton of Valais orWallis,^[b] is one of the26 cantons forming theSwiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city isSion.

Canton of Valais Canton du Valais (French) Kanton Wallis
Canton
Flag Coat of arms Brandmark
Anthem:Notre Valais/Wallis, unser Heimatland ("Our Valais/Wallis, our homeland")
Location in Switzerland Map of Valais
Coordinates:46°16′30″N7°30′00″E / 46.275°N 7.500°E /46.275; 7.500
Capital	Sion
Subdivisions	122 municipalities,13 districts
Government
• Executive	State Council (5)
• Legislative	Grand Council (130)
Area [1]
• Total	5,224.49 km2 (2,017.19 sq mi)
Population  (December 2020)[2]
• Total	348,503
• Density	67/km2 (170/sq mi)
GDP [3]
• Total	CHF 19.194 billion (2020)
• Per capita	CHF 55,313 (2020)
ISO 3166 code	CH-VS
Highest point	4,634 m (15,203 ft):Monte Rosa
Lowest point	372 m (1,220 ft):Lake Geneva
Joined	1815
Languages	French, German
Website	www.vs.ch

Valais is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the cantons ofVaud andBern to the north, the cantons ofUri andTicino to the east, as well as Italy to the south and France to the west. It is one of the three large southernAlpine cantons, along with Ticino andGrisons. It is a bilingual canton, French and German being its two official languages. Traditionally, the canton is divided into Lower, Central, and Upper Valais, the latter region constituting the German-speaking minority.

Valais is essentially coextensive with the valley of theRhône from its headwaters toLake Geneva, separating thePennine Alps from theBernese Alps, the two largest mountain ranges of the canton. A major wine region, the canton is simultaneously one of the driest regions of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley and among the wettest, having large amounts of snow and rain upon the highest peaks found in Switzerland, such asMonte Rosa and theFinsteraarhorn. Although a major hydroelectricity producer, Valais is essentially renowned for its tourism industry and its numerous Alpine resort towns, notablyCrans-Montana,Saas Fee,Verbier, andZermatt. Overlooking the latter town, theMatterhorn has become an iconic landmark of the canton.

In 1529, Valais became an associate member of theSwiss Confederation. After having resisted the Protestant Reformation and remained faithful to theRoman Catholic Church, it became a republic under the guidance of theprince-bishop of Sion in 1628. In 1815, Valais finally entered the Swiss Confederation as a canton. In 1878, theSimplon Railway connected most of Valais with the cities of theSwiss Plateau. The canton was further opened up by theLötschberg Railway in 1913.

The canton is also officially referred to by its long nameRépublique et canton du Valais (French) orRepublik und Kanton Wallis (German).^[4] This translates intoRepublic and Canton of Valais.^[5]

The Romans called the upper Rhône valleyVallis Poenina. TheVallis Poenina was conquered by the Romans after theBattle of Octodurus (now known asMartigny) in 57 BC and became part of theGallo-Roman cultural sphere. According to a tradition that can be traced back to the middle of the 8th century, theTheban legion was martyred atAgaunum (nowSaint Maurice) about 285 or 302. From 888 onwards the lands were part of the kingdom ofJurane Burgundy.^[6]

Valais formed part of the kingdom of Transjurane Burgundy, which fell to theHoly Roman Empire in 1032. It became part of the duchy of Burgundia Minor, which was held by the emperors by thehouse of Zähringen (which became extinct in 1218). In 999, KingRudolph III of Burgundy gave all temporal rights and privileges to theBishop of Sion, who was later styledpraefect and count of Valais and is still a prince of the Holy Roman Empire. The count-bishops then struggled to defend their area against the Zähringer and then the dukes ofSavoy, so that the medieval history of Valais is inextricably linked with that of the diocese of Sion. The Dukes of Savoy, however, succeeded in winning most of the land west ofSion (Lower Valais), while in the upper part of the valley (Upper Valais) there were many feudal lords, such as the lords of Raron, those of La Tour-Châtillon, and the counts of Visp.^[6]

About the middle of the 13th century, the large communities (Zenden ortithings) began to develop independence and grow in power. The nameZenden or tithings probably came from a very ancient division of the bishop's manors for administrative and judicial purposes. In the same century the upper part of the valley was colonized by Germans from Hasli (de) in theCanton of Bern. The locals becameGerman-speaking, though many Romance local names remain. In 1354 the liberties of several of thesevenZenden (Sion,Sierre,Leuk,Raron,Visp,Brig andConches) were confirmed by theEmperor Charles IV.^[6]

By the late 14th century, the counts of Savoy acquired the bishopric of Sion. The Zenden resisted his attempts to gather both spiritual and secular power in the valley. In 1375–76, Zenden forces defeated the army of the house of La Tour-Chatillon, and in 1388 routed the forces of the bishop, the count, and his nobles at Visp. TheGerman-speaking Zenden spread further into the valley. Starting in 1384 the Morge stream (a little below Sion) was recognized as the boundary between Savoyard,French-speaking Lower Valais and German-speaking episcopal Upper Valais.

During theRaron affair rebellion from 1414 to 1420, some cantons of theSwiss Confederation took sides in the conflict.Lucerne,Uri andUnterwalden supported the Upper Valais rebels, whileBern supported the noble Raron family. The uprising was successful in driving out the Rarons and almost brought the Confederation to civil war.^[7]

Following the Raron affair, the canton was the location of theValais witch trials between 1428 and 1447 in which at least 367 men and women were put to death. This event marks one of the earliest witch scares in late medieval Europe. The phenomenon later spread to other parts of the continent.

With the election of Walther II. Supersaxo von der Fluhe (fromConches) as bishop in 1457, the German-speaking part of the valley finally attained supremacy. At the outbreak of theBurgundian Wars in 1475, the bishop of Sion and the Zenden made a treaty with Bern. In November of the same year, they seized all Lower or Savoyard Valais up to Martigny. In March 1476, after the victory ofGrandson, they advanced and captured St Maurice,Évian,Thonon andMonthey. They had to give up the last three districts in 1477 but won them again in 1536. In the treaty of Thonon in 1569, Monthey, Val-d'llliez, and Le Bouveret were permanently annexed to Valais. These conquered districts in the Lower Valais were ruled as subject lands by the bishop and the Tithings of the Upper Valais until 1798. On 12 March 1529, Valais became an associate member (Zugewandter Ort) of theSwiss Confederation.^[6]

In the early 17th century, the aristocratic governors of the districts in the Upper Valais pressured the prince-bishop of Sion to abdicate secular power, which was achieved temporarily in 1613 and then permanently in 1634, when the country became the federalRepublic of the Seven Tithings under the rule of aLandeshauptmann.^[8] The republic in its original form existed until 1798, when the districts of the Lower Valais, until then ruled as subjects, successfully revolted against the Seven Tithings and achieved equal status within the republic.^[9] During theFrench invasion of the Swiss Confederacy in the same year, Valais was incorporated into theHelvetic Republic until 1802 when it became the separateRhodanic Republic.

In 1810, the Rhodanic Republic was annexed by theFirst French Empire as thedepartement ofSimplon. The department was occupied byAustrian troops in late 1813;^[10] on 4 August 1815, Valais finally entered the Swiss Confederation as a canton. In 1845, Valais joined the Catholic separatist league (Sonderbund) which led to what is called theSonderbund War. Under GeneralHenri Dufour, 99,000 Swiss Federal troops were faced by 79,000 Separatists, but in the end, Valais chose not to fight.

The beginning of the modern history of Valais essentially coincides with theexploration of the High Alps, thefirst ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 marking the end of thegolden age of alpinism. The boom of tourism followed in the late 19th century. In 1878, theSimplon Railway connectedBrig, the last town before theSimplon Pass, fromLausanne andGeneva and other major cities of theSwiss Plateau.

Valais is the third largest canton of Switzerland by area. It is also one of its westernmost and southernmost cantons while being adjacent to central Switzerland. With a few exceptions, it lies almost entirely in theRhône basin, more precisely in the wide Alpine Rhône Valley, aboveLake Geneva. The main settlements are all along the Rhône or in its proximity, the largest city beingSion, followed byMartigny,Monthey,Sierre, andBrig-Glis. The canton is traditionally divided into three regions: Lower Valais (French:Bas-Valais), Central Valais (French:Valais central), and Upper Valais (German:Oberwallis), with the linguistic border of the canton being at Pfynwald, between the two latter regions. While the more populous Lower and Central Valais areFrench-speaking, Upper Valais isGerman-speaking.

The Rhône Valley is a central Alpine valley, i.e. it lies well within the Alps and is shut off from both northern and southern plains. Valais is separated from theSwiss Plateau to the north by theBernese Alps and from the Po plains to the south by theValais Alps, respectively north and south of the Rhône. Valais is also one of the three large southern cantons lying partially in thePo basin, therefore south of the Alps, along withTicino and theGrisons. However, contrary to those two cantons, very few settlements are on the south side of the Alps, and they are all well above the plains. The largest regions not drained by the Rhône are theSimplon Valley (Po basin) and two uninhabited areas north of theSanetsch and theGemmi Pass (Rhine basin).

Valais is thehighest canton in terms of absolute, relative, and mean elevation. Therefore, its topography is extremely rugged, with the notable exception of the wide, glacial, Rhône valley. The latter valley dominates the geography of the canton. Many side valleys are branching off the main valley, often perpendicularly. These vary from narrow and remote to reasonably populous. On the south side of the Rhône, in the Valais Alps, some of the largest side valleys are (from east to west): theMattertal (including the Saastal), theVal d'Anniviers, theVal d'Hérens, theVal de Bagnes and theVal d'Entremont. On the north of the Rhône, in the Bernese Alps, theLötschental is the only large valley. East of Brig is the valley ofGoms, the highest section of the Rhône Valley. The Rhône itself flows in the main valley from east to west from theRhône Glacier down to Martigny, then at a right angle north to its mouth in Lake Geneva. After the town ofSaint-Maurice, the eastern banks of the river belong to the canton ofVaud, although the western banks remain in Valais, down toLe Bouveret, on the shores of Lake Geneva. The main valley is bounded by the Bernese Alps in the north and the Valais Alps in the south, both ranges including numerous over 4,000 metre-high mountains, which are the highest in the country. Notables mountains includeMonte Rosa (highest), reaching 4,634 metres (15,203 ft), and theFinsteraarhorn (most prominent), reaching 4,274 metres (14,022 ft). Other iconic mountains are theMatterhorn and theJungfrau, for a complete list, seelist of mountains of Valais. Located there arenumerous glaciers including several of the largest in the Alps, such as theAletsch Glacier and theGorner Glacier. Other ranges situated partially in Valais are theChablais Alps, theMont Blanc Massif, theUri Alps, theGotthard Massif, and theLepontine Alps.

Lake Geneva is the only truly large lake in the canton, although only a small fraction of it (about 10  km²) is in Valais, the plain of the Rhône comprehending only small lakes. There are however numerous sizable lakes in the high Alps, mostly artificial. The largest isLac des Dix, closely followed by theLac d'Emosson. Other large high-elevation lakes areLac de Mauvoisin,Mattmarksee,lac de Salanfe,Lac de Moiry andLac de Tseuzier (seelist of mountain lakes of Switzerland for a more complete list). All these lakes are used for hydroelectricity production, but they are also popular for their scenic views over the Alps.

Due to the high mountains surrounding the plains of the Rhône, the climate of central Valais is particularly dry, much drier than inthe rest of Switzerland. While locations at high elevations are highly exposed to rainfall and snowfall, average rainfall per year is only about 600  mm in Sion, corresponding to 50% of that ofLucerne (north of the Alps) and 30% of that ofLocarno (south of the Alps). Officially, the driest location in Valais and Switzerland isStalden, with 545  mm of rainfall per year.^[11] Valais is often described as "semi-arid",^[12][13] although it is not in the climatic sense of the term.^[14] Therefore, in some areas, such asLes Follatères, are found plants that are uncommon or absent in the rest of Switzerland, such as cactuses.^[15] On the lower south-facing slopes of the Bernese Alps, numerous vineyards are cultivated, between Fully and Leuk. Unlike in the rest of the country,irrigated agriculture is common in Valais.

The canton is renowned for its numerous towns and villages in the high Alps. In the Mattertal and adjoining Saastal areZermatt andSaas Fee. Other popular resorts areVerbier,Les Marécottes,Champéry,Grimentz,Zinal,Anzère,Crans-Montana,Evolène,Leukerbad andFiesch. All of them are tourist destination in both summer and winter seasons.

The area of the canton is 5,224 square kilometres (2,017 sq mi) and only about half of the total area is considered productive. Valais shares borders with four other cantons: to the north are the cantons ofVaud andBern and to the east are the cantons ofUri andTicino. The canton shares international borders as well: to the south are the Italian regions ofAosta Valley andPiedmont and to the west is the French region ofAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes.^[16]

Valais is divided into 13 districts, with the district of Raron being further divided into two half-districts. The districts are listed here in geographical order:

Upper Valais:

• Goms with capitalMünster-Geschinen
• Östlich Raron (half-district) with capitalMörel-Filet
• Brig with capitalBrig-Glis
• Visp with capitalVisp
• Westlich Raron (half-district) with capitalRaron
• Leuk with capitalLeuk

Central Valais:

• Sierre with capitalSierre
• Hérens with capitalVex
• Sion with capitalSion
• Conthey with capitalConthey

Lower Valais:

• Entremont with capitalSembrancher
• Martigny with capitalMartigny
• Saint-Maurice with capitalSaint-Maurice
• Monthey with capitalMonthey

There are 122municipalities in the canton (as of January 2021).^[17]

The western part of Valais (Central and Lower Valais) is French-speaking, while the eastern part (Upper Valais) is German-speaking. The language border crosses the Rhône between the towns ofSierre andSalgesch and follows the mountain ridge includingBella Tola,Weisshorn, andDent Blanche. At the 2000 census, 62.8% of the population of Valais spoke French orArpitan, 28.4% spoke German orWalser German, 2.2% spoke Italian and 6.6% spoke other languages. Only 114 people reported speakingRomansh.^[18]

The canton is sparsely populated. Its population (as of 31 December 2020) is 348,503.^[2] As of 2007^[update], the population included 57,061 foreigners, or about 19.1% of the total population.^[19] The largest towns are the capitalSion (Sitten),Monthey,Sierre,Martigny andBrig-Glis. There is no major city located in the canton. As of 2017, 77% of total population wasRoman Catholic, while only 6% were members ofSwiss Reformed Church.^[20]

The historical population is given in the following table:

^a FDP before 2009, FDP.The Liberals after 2009

^b "*" indicates that the party was not on the ballot in this canton.

Wines andfruit brandies, such asPoire Williams, are some of the main production of the canton. This form of agriculture is often irrigated through the use of small open-air wooden canals_, calledbisses in French andSuonen in German, that transport water from the glaciers above.^[23] They also constitute popular hiking routes because of their low declivity. Vineyards are grown on terraces, typically on the south-facing slopes overlooking the Rhône Valley, where they have become an integral part of the landscape. The wine industry of the canton is the largest in Switzerland.^[24] There are also a large numberorchards in the area, among which are apricot trees. The apricot has become the emblematic fruit of the canton.^[25] InMund,saffron is also gathered.

Agriculture in Valais also consists of cattle breeding in the mountains anddairy farming in the plains. The canton is notable for its cheese and dried meat production. TheHérens cattle are also used in organised cow fights.

Europe's tallestgravity dam is located atGrande Dixence in the canton, closely followed by theMauvoisin Dam.Hydroelectric power plants from the canton produce about a quarter of Swiss electricity.

The west part and the most industrial region of the canton is calledChablais. The area is very important for the economy. The lands from Lake Geneva to the town of St-Maurice are located in the Chablais. There are a lot of factories, the most important are the subsidiaries ofNovartis andSyngenta, inMonthey. In the town ofCollombey-Muraz, there is anoil refinery.

TheLonza Group has large factories in Visp. NearVisp there is a large aluminium processing plant. Other metal products and chemicals are produced around Visp andSierre, includingSwiss Diamond International aluminum cookware.

Valais has a long touristic tradition.^{[citation needed]} Hoteliers were at the base of the development of Valais Tourism. Many of them, such asCésar Ritz, spent time and money to satisfy a clientele from around the world.^{[citation needed]} The canton is nowadays a year-round destination, renowned for its wild landscapes and numerous tourist facilities. In winter, skiing and other snow-related sports are the most popular activities. In summer, hiking and trekking are particularly popular.^[26] Climbing and mountaineering can be practised year-round, with the highest mountains of western Europe surrounding Valais. Many of the huts owned by theSwiss Alpine Club are located in the canton.

Valais counts more than 120 winter and summer destinations, including:

• Goms (district):Fiesch-Eggishorn,Bellwald,Binn,Ernen, Obergoms,Oberwald
• Aletsch (UNESCO World Heritage):Bettmeralp, Fiescheralp,Riederalp
• Brig-Glis and surrounding area:Blatten,Belalp,Mund,Termen,Birgisch
• Visp and surrounding area:Visperterminen,Bürchen,Eischoll,Stalden,Törbel,Unterbäch
• Zermatt withMatterhorn and the largest summer ski area of Switzerland, on the southern slopes ofBreithorn reachable from the cable car station of theKlein Matterhorn
• Saas Valley:Saas-Fee,Saas-Almagell,Saas-Grund withFee Glacier, the second largest summer ski area in Switzerland
• Leukerbad
• Sierre,Salquenen andAnniviers,Chandolin,St. Luc,Grimentz,Vercorin,Zinal
• Crans-Montana
• Sion and surrounding area:Anzère,Val d'Hérens,Arolla,Euseigne,Evolène,Hérémence,Mase,Saint-Martin
• 4 Vallées ski area:Nendaz,Verbier,Veysonnaz, Thyon-Les Collons, Mayens-de-Riddes/La Tzoumaz
• Chablais andPortes du Soleil,Champéry,Champoussin,Morgins,Les Crosets,Torgon,Val-d'Illiez,Le Bouveret,Saint-Maurice,Monthey,Evionnaz,St. Gingolph
• St. Bernard Region:Les Marécottes, Bruson,La Fouly, Champex, Vichères-Liddes

TheMatterhorn nearZermatt is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Swiss mountains, as is its sister valley immediately eastSaas Fee. Other parts of the mountains of the canton further west are popular as well,^{[citation needed]} such as the more French-speaking resorts nearVerbier and theEvolene andArolla region. The resorts on the north side of the main Rhône valley are popular, looking out southwards towards thePeninne Alps and still part of the southern slope of the Bernese Alps, such as the family-oriented resort ofCrans-Montana. The resorts in theGoms (district) are slightly less known, yet also receive attention during the summer hiking season and the winterski season.^{[citation needed]}

The only natural low-elevation access to Valais is via the banks ofLake Geneva, which have several railways and highways leading towardsMartigny,Sion, and the rest of the canton. The major axis is on the north side of the lake and passes viaLausanne andVevey in the canton ofVaud. From there runs theA9 motorway and theSimplon Railway, ultimately leading to Italy via theSimplon Pass andSimplon Tunnel respectively. On the south side of Lake Geneva, from the French border, is only a highway and the historicalTonkin Railway, now operating in Valais only.^{[citation needed]}

The canton is surrounded by high mountains, but some major mountain passes connect it with the rest of Europe. The main road passes are theGrimsel (towards the canton ofBern and theSwiss Plateau), theFurka (Uri), theNufenen (Ticino), theSimplon and theGreat St. Bernard (Italy), and theForclaz and theMorgins (France). Also notable are the historical and pedestrian passes of theSanetsch,Rawil,Gemmi, and theLötschberg, connecting Valais with the Swiss Plateau, through theBernese Oberland.

The Lötschberg, together with the Simplon, is one of the main north–south axes of Switzerland. The historicalLötschberg Railway opened in 1913. It connects directlyBrig to the Swiss Plateau across theBernese Alps, viaSpiez in the canton of Bern, through the high-elevationLötschberg Tunnel. In 2007, the importance of that axis was further increased with the opening of the low-elevationLötschberg Base Tunnel, the first high-speed railway connecting Valais to Bern, following essentially the same route, but at the level of the plains. The Lötschberg Base Tunnel was the longest land tunnel in the world when opened, finally opening up Valais to northern Switzerland.^{[citation needed]} The summit railway, through the historical tunnel, is still used for regional traffic and car transportation across the Lötschberg. The old train line is popular for its highly scenic sections in both cantons on either side of the old tunnel.^{[citation needed]}

Another railway axis connects Valais with central and eastern Switzerland. This is a metre-gauge railway owned by theMatterhorn Gotthard Bahn, which ultimately leads toDisentis andChur, fromZermatt viaVisp andBrig. The main railway goes through theFurka Base Tunnel in the extreme east of the canton, with the olderFurka Summit Tunnel being popular for its highly scenic sections as well. TheGlacier Express directly connectsZermatt withSt. Moritz, using both Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn andRhaetian Railway network.

The canton comprehends a road network, with elevations ranging from that of Lake Geneva atLe Bouveret to that of theNufenen Pass, the highest paved road in Valais. The A9, the only motorway, serves the valley up toSierre, the extension towardsBrig being currently^[when?] under construction. All inhabited side valleys are accessible to motorized transport since the 1960s; the high-elevation reservoirs built during those years, notably theGrande Dixence, necessitating paved roads as well. As in most other cantons, localities are essentially served byPostBus Switzerland, which also operates numerous tourist lines on the Alpine passes and to the high-elevation lakes. Martigny, Sion, Sierre and Brig are hubs of public transportation. The winding mountain roads of Valais are very popular with drivers, bikers, and cyclists for their spectacular scenery and are the highlights of competitions such asTour de Suisse and theRallye International du Valais. For a list of high-elevation paved roads, seelist of highest paved roads in Switzerland.

Because of tourism, there are many railways and cable cars in the mountains. Railways serving side valleys are theAigle–Ollon–Monthey–Champéry railway, theMartigny–Orsières Railway (notably servingVerbier), theMartigny–Châtelard Railway (serving theTrient Valley) and theVisp-Zermatt railway. AboveZermatt, theGornergrat Railway and theKlein Matterhorn cable car are respectively the highest open-air railway and highest public transport in Europe.

The Valais has two ports on Lake Geneva served by theCGN:St. Gingolph andLe Bouveret. The largest airport is located at Sion.

The size and particular geographical situation of the canton within the Alps helped Valais develop a culture that is distinct from that of the cantons of the Swiss Plateau and the northern Alpine foothills. As a bilingual canton, Valais itself includes some cultural diversity as well. The most common denominator is a strong mountain culture, symbolized by the archetypal tenacious and austere mountain dweller facing the difficult conditions and dangers of nature.^[27][28]

The people of Valais, from the warlike races that originally inhabited it, are strong and vigorous; they were able, with their remarkable endurance, to make the most of natural resources, the possession of which today assures them an honorable place as much as they deserve among the other better-off peoples of ancient Helvetia. Through its economic development and its commendable progress in all areas of human activity, Valais, faithful to its traditions as well as to its faith, has managed to keep the austerity of ancestral mores, its customs, its naive legends, its rustic costumes, everything that today constitutes its character and originality.^[29]

— Solandieu

Many monuments dot the Valais landscape. The best known are theValère Basilica, where the oldest organ in the world still playable is found, and the territorialAbbey of Saint-Maurice, which dates from the 6th century. Valais has several castles of historical importance, frequently built in formerly strategic locations:Tourbillon Castle,Saint-Maurice Castle,Stockalper Palace,La Bâtiaz Castle,Majorie Castle, the episcopalLeuk Castle etc. Amongst religious buildings are several churches that present quality architecture, in particular, those due to the architect Ulrich Ruffiner (16th century) who left many buildings betweenSion and theGoms valley:Saint-Théodule church in Sion, the church ofRaron and church ofErnen. In the valley of Goms, are also several notable baroque churches. Contemporary religious architecture has also given rise to interesting buildings, such as the works of the Genevan architect Jean-Marie Ellenberger (1913-1988) in Sierre (Sainte-Croix church) or Verbier.

In the civil architecture, two hospices, each located at one of the passes leading to Italy, formerly provided food for pilgrims who went to Rome and travelers in general: theGreat St. Bernard Hospice and theSimplon Hospice. There are also interesting Roman remains, such as the amphitheater in Martigny. Sion is also a major site of European prehistory.^[30] In particular, are the dolmens ofLe Petit-Chasseur, a group of large collective burials dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. Bridges are also an important element of the Valais-built landscape. Due to its mountainous terrain which requires crossing many natural obstacles, the canton has several bridges, old or modern, often daring, including theGueuroz Bridge which was once the highest bridge in Europe, and theGanter Bridge, on the Simplon road.

Visible from central Valais, the statue of Christ the King inLens recalls the Catholic tradition of the canton.

Among the most important museums in the canton, theGianadda Foundation in Martigny attracts many visitors from all over Switzerland and neighboring countries. The canton also owns several large museums in Sion, the Cantonal Museum of Fine Arts, the Cantonal History Museum, and the Cantonal Museum of Natural History. Other museums owned by the canton are the Vine and Wine Museum inSalgesch and the Museum of Traditions and Boats of Lake Geneva inSt. Gingolph.

Traditional food products of Valais are wines, cheeses,dried meat, andrye bread. Wines are essentially produced in the Rhone Valley, but also in the lateral valleys, up to Visperterminen, which has the highest vineyards in the canton. Wines are typically white. Some of the most popular areFendant,Petite Arvine,Humagne Blanche,Syrah andPinot Noir. The numerous cheeses notably includeraclette, which is both a variety of cheese and a dish. Along withfondue, the latter has become an emblematic dish associated with mountain culture. Other dishes of Valais include theCholera, a pastry containing various ingredients, and theBrisolée [fr], a simple dish consisting of roasted chestnuts eaten along with various local cheeses and charcuterie. The latter is often served in autumn near the chestnut groves of the canton.

• Le Nouvelliste
• Franco-Provençal language
• List of mountains of Valais

• Cantonal government(in French and German)
• Official information from Valais/Wallis Promotion
• Official statistics