April 2019

Last Days of Skiing and Spring Awakening

Dear Journalists,

Thanks to the snowfall at the start of the month and the high-altitude ski areas, skiing is still possible in Valais until the end of April and, at the end of the season, events await visitors at several destinations. If you don’t want to be in the snow any more, there are many other activities in Valais. Discover the biggest action sports centre in Switzerland, local and seasonal products, cultural sites and much more. The new press kit for the summer of 2019 also provides further information and ideas for the warmer half of the year in Valais.

Would you like to find out more about Valais? Don’t hesitate to contact us: we would be delighted to provide you with further information or organise interviews.

End of Season in the Ski Resorts

A last day of skiing on the Valais slopes, accompanied by a glass of wine in the sun or entertainment at the end-of-season events: for example, there will be a waterslide contest and DJ concerts in Nendaz on 20 April 2019. In Verbier, the end of the season will have a 1970s theme and will be celebrated on 27 April 2019, with a dual banked slalom and a concert at the snowpark de la Chaux. Also on 27 April 2019, Saas-Fee will be ending the winter season with a big après-ski parade and lots of music.

Relaxation after a day of skiing, Après-ski, Verbier Valais Wallis Schweiz Suisse

Opening of Alaïa Chalet

The new infrastructure in Lens, near Crans-Montana, is a real playground for all fans of action sports. With an area of more than 5,000 square metres, the Alaïa Chalet is the biggest action sports centre in Switzerland. Trampolines and two skate parks - indoor and outdoor - are good ways to let off steam. A bar, a sports shop, a music studio, a multimedia room and a co-working area round off the offer.

Alaia Chalet, Lens, Crans-Montana Valais Wallis Schweiz Suisse

Asparagus Season in Valais

The start of spring in Valais means asparagus season. The white or green vegetable grows best in the sandy soils between Martigny, Fully and Saxon and is available from early April to mid-June. In this region, more precisely in Saillon, the Tyrolean Sylvia Theiner has also taken up residence and grows asparagus in her own organic market garden. Not to be missed: in mid-May, the asparagus is celebrated in Saillon in a special festival.

Spargeln Asperges auf einem Teller

PALP Festival

This innovative festival offers more than just music and takes place in unique locations. The PALP features a host of surprises with masked balls, walks with music and culinary delights, a brunch on a chairlift, the Electroclette and Rocklette which combine electro/rock music with Valais Raclette and many other events. The first events will take place in May. The festival lasts until September 2019.

Chateau de Tourbillon, brunch at the castle, Palp Festival, Valais Wallis Schweiz Suisse

Sea of Tulips in Grengiols

Every year in spring up to 3,500 Grengiols tulips, wild flowers which bloom only in Grengiols, transform a rye field above the village into a natural spectacle. The flowering period lasts about two weeks. In the middle of May there is also a festival in honour of these unique tulips.

Tulips (yellow and red) in the fields, spring Valais Wallis Schweiz Suisse

Our suggestions

  • Tip 1

    Restaurants «Saveurs du Valais»

    In Valais, eight products, including Raclette, rye bread and dried meat, are produced with the AOP or IGP quality labels. These indicate a close relationship to their region of origin and traditional recipes. The 73 restaurants with the «Saveurs du Valais» label are ideal for discovering and enjoying Valais specialities.

    Further information

  • Tip 2

    Thermal spa resorts

    Nowhere will guests feel as close to the towering Alpine peaks and their majestic glaciers as in Valais. The blissful tranquillity of the mountains refreshes body and soul. Visitors can enjoy the beneficiall effects of alpine water at the 6 thermal spa destinations of Valais: Breiten, Brigerbad, Leukerbad, Ovronnaz, Saillon and Val-d’Illiez. Holidaymakers experience the pure energy of the Alps in a uniquely uplifting setting.

    Further information

  • Tip 3

    Walk in the footsteps of the ancient Romans

    From 800 BC, Roman settlements were established in Valais. It is still possible to see Gallo-Roman remains at many locations. In St-Maurice, the Abbey complex includes a church dating from the 4th Century. In Martigny, the amphitheatre, the remains of the domus and the forum, the mithraeum and the tepidarium bear witness to the importance of the town at the time.

    Further information

  • Tip 4

    Bisses

    Although there is still snow at higher altitudes, hiking enthusiasts can enjoy their first hikes in the Rhone Valley and on its edges. The «bisses» are especially inviting at the moment and are typical of Valais.

    Further information

  • Tip 5

    Valais Museums

    In Valais, there are museums on various themes waiting to be discovered. In the Fondation Gianadda in Martigny and the Fondation Opale in Lens, for example, there are changing art exhibitions to marvel at and the Musée des Bisses in Ayent reveals the secrets of the «bisses», the historical irrigation channels characteristic of the Valais landscape.

    Further information

Spring in Valais in figures

  • 29 ski areas with more than 2,000 kilometres of pistes
  • 15% of Swiss asparagus come from Valais
  • 8 products with an AOP or IGP label
  • 73 restaurants «Saveurs du Valais»
  • 6 thermal resorts
  • More than 100 bisses
  • More than 4,000 animal species
Lac Fenetre Val Ferret La Fouly Valais Wallis Schweiz Suisse

Press kits

Full press kit on activities and new developments in Valais

Flowers in the Val Ferret Valais Wallis Schweiz Suisse

Media trips in Valais

We offer themed press trips to various destinations in Valais.

Landscape with stones and fir trees in the Vallon de Réchy Valais Wallis Schweiz Suisse

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