Sentier des Sens La Tzoumaz (Trail of the senses)
La Tzoumaz
2/7°
The "Sentier des Sens" (Trail of the senses) invites walkers of all ages to explore alpine nature through sound, smell and touch. A delightful waterside stroll starting at the fascinating “House of the Forest”.
Difficulty
EasyLength
5.5 kmDuration
1:30 h
Description
The "Sentier des Sens" (Trail of the senses) is a charming walk of 5,5 km (round trip) for nature-lovers of all ages, accessible also to pushchairs and wheelchairs. Developed in conjunction with a school for visually impaired children in Lausanne, the path invites visitors to explore nature with all their senses – and especially through touch, sound and smell.
Starting point is the "Maison de la Forêt" (House of the Forest): attractions include interactive exhibitions on local wildlife, observation towers on stilts, a botanical garden with medicinal plants, an adventure playground and café.
Here, visitors can pick up a copy of the “5 senses quiz” booklet, which features a series of puzzles and games at 5 stations around the Maison de la Forêt and a further 11 along the Sentier des Sens. The quiz is available in French, English and German; the panels along the way are also marked in braille.
Along the trail, visitors explore the sensations evoked by the flowers, trees and birdsong, the soil below their feet and the skies above. The route largely leads along a “bisse”, one of the irrigation channels characteristic of Valais, built by hand to carry precious alpine water to the fields and orchards. Created in in the 1850s, the Bisse de Saxon is the longest in Valais at 26 km, known as the “King of bisses”.
A picnic site at Le Marteau with tables and barbecue equipment is free for all to use.
NB The Maison de la Forêt is open from late May until the end of September, plus October weekends.
Highlights
- Maison de la Forêt – fun interactive exhibitions, adventure playground and café
- 5 Senses Quiz – games and puzzles along the walk
- Flat, pushchair/wheelchair-accessible trail – mostly along the water
- Picnic site – complete with tables and barbecue equipment
Turn-by-turn directions
Starting at the Maison de la Forêt, the trail leads through woodland, generally following the Bisse de Saxon irrigation channel. At Les Pontets, the path loops through subalpine forest and pasture before leading along the river La Fare back to the bisse.
The picnic site of Le Marteau is about 1 km before the start/end of the walk.
Start
La Tzoumaz, Maison de la Forêt (1682m)
Destination
La Tzoumaz, Maison de la Forêt (1682m)
Author's recommendation
At the Maison de la Forêt, pick up the drawing kit “The green pencil” and learn to look at nature with an artist’s eye.
Technical information
Altitude
1749m
1683m
Ascent
+66m
Descent
-66m
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
Public transport
Approach
Parking
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion