Tour du Val d’Anniviers: Pontis - Chandolin - St-Luc (Stage 1)
Vercorin
-3/4°
Panoramic hike above the Val d’Anniviers between Chandolin and St-Luc, two of the most charming villages in the valley.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
9.33 kmDuration
4:00 h
Description
This beautiful hike runs along wooded slopes at the entrance to the Val d’Anniviers and passes through some historic hamlets and villages. Whether you end this stage in Chandolin or continue on to St-Luc, both places are well connected by post bus.
The drive to the starting point at the hamlet Les Pontis is already adventurous. The road climbs over 150 meters in a very short distance via hairpin bends and crosses a gorge before you reach Les Pontis. From the starting point at the bus stop, the path climbs steeply through the wooded slopes up to the hamlet Soussillon, where the view becomes increasingly spectacular.
Once you reach Chandolin, the path goes slightly downhill on the second half of the hike along the panoramic path to St-Luc. Both villages have their own charm:
Chandolin, with its sunny south exposure at 1956 meters above sea level, is one of the highest year-round inhabited villages in Europe. The pioneer photographer, writer and journalist Ella Maillart spent her last years there – a former church dedicates an exhibition to her.
St-Luc is known for its clear sky – witness to this is the astronomical observatory near the upper station of the funicular, which is open to the public. Other attractions include the planetarium, historic water mills, and the themed path "Chemin du Pain," which is dedicated to rye bread. For centuries, rye was cultivated to produce bread, which was baked three to four times a year in communal ovens into rye bread. Today, workshops are offered in which you can make your own Valais rye bread in the traditional way.
Highlights of the route
- Diverse landscapes – from dramatic gorges, cooling forests, and over the panoramic path to St-Luc.
- Chandolin – one of the highest year-round inhabited villages in Europe.
- St-Luc – the picturesque village with historic hiking trails, water mills, and planetarium.
Turn-by-turn directions
The route starts at the remote bus stop in the hamlet of Les Pontis. From the starting point at 1001 m above sea level, the path zigzags steeply uphill to the hamlet of Soussillon at 1388 m above sea level, which is reached after about an hour. The ascent continues further up to Chandolin at 1956 m above sea level.
The hiking trail now goes through the lower part of the village before gradually descending southwards via Le chemin historique to St-Luc at 1655 m above sea level.
If you want to shorten the hike, you can take the post bus from Chandolin to St-Luc.
Start
Bus stop Les Pontis (1000m)
Destination
St-Luc (or Chandolin) (1677m)
Author's recommendation
Technical information
Altitude
1921m
1001m
Ascent
+943m
Descent
-267m
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
