Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the

Swiss Confederation ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion. The flag of the canton is made of thirteen stars representing the districts, on a white-red background. Valais is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the cantons of

Vaud Vaud ( ; french: (Canton de) Vaud, ; german: (Kanton) Waadt, or ), more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts and its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat of arms b ...

and Bern to the north, the cantons of Uri and

Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

to the east, as well as

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

to the south and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

to the west. It is one of the three large southern Alpine cantons, along with Ticino and the Grisons, which encompass a vast diversity of ecosystems. 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 essentially coincides with the valley of the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

from its headwaters to

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial la ...

, essentially separating the Pennine Alps from the

Bernese Alps , topo_map= Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo , photo=BerneseAlps.jpg , photo_caption=The Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau , country= Switzerland , subdivision1_type= Cantons , subdivision1= , parent= Western Alps , borders_on= , ...

, 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 as Monte Rosa and the

Finsteraarhorn The Finsteraarhorn () is a mountain lying on the border between the cantons of Bern and Valais. It is the highest mountain of the Bernese Alps and the most prominent peak of Switzerland. The Finsteraarhorn is the ninth-highest mountain and thi ...

. Although a major hydroelectricity producer, Valais is essentially renowned for its tourism industry and its numerous Alpine resort towns, notably

Crans-Montana Crans-Montana is a municipality in the district of Sierre in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. On 1 January 2017 the former municipalities of Chermignon, Mollens, Montana and Randogne merged to form the new municipality of Crans-Montana. ...

Saas Fee Saas-Fee () is the main village in the Saastal, or the Saas Valley, and is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. The village is situated on a high mountain plateau at 1,800 meters (5,900 feet), surrounded ...

Verbier Verbier is a village located in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is a holiday resort and ski area in the Swiss Alps and is recognised as one of the premier off-piste resorts in the world. Some areas are covered with snow all ...

, and

Zermatt Zermatt () is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a year-round population of about 5,800 and is classified as a town by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) ...

. Overlooking the latter town, the

Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...

has become an iconic landmark of the canton. In 1529, Valais became an associate member of the

. After having resisted the Protestant Reformation and remained faithful to the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, it became a republic under the guidance of the prince-bishop of Sion in 1628. In 1815, Valais finally entered the Swiss Confederation as a canton. In 1878, the Simplon Railway connected most of Valais with the cities of the

Swiss Plateau The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau (german: Schweizer Mittelland; french: plateau suisse; it, altopiano svizzero) is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of ...

. The canton was further opened up by the

Lötschberg Railway The Lötschberg is an Alpine mountain massif and usually associated with a major, historically important transit axis of the Alps in Switzerland with, at its core, the Lötschen Pass (german: Lötschenpass, Swiss German: ''Lötschepass''). The mou ...

in 1913.

Name

The canton is also officially referred to by its long name ''République et canton du Valais'' (French) or ''Republik und Kanton Wallis'' (German). This translates into ''Republic and Canton of Valais''.

History

The Romans called the upper Rhône valley ''

Vallis Poenina The Alpes Graiae et Poeninae, later known as Alpes Atrectianae et Poeninae (officially Alpes Atrectianae et Vallis Poenina), were a small Alpine province of the Roman Empire created after the merging of the ''Alpes Poeninae'' (or ''Vallis Poenina' ...

''. The ''Vallis Poenina'' was conquered by the Romans after the Battle of Octodurus (now known as

Martigny Martigny (; german: Martinach, ; la, Octodurum) is the capital city of the district of Martigny, canton of Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 15000 inhabitants (''Martignerains'' or "Octoduriens ...

) in 57 BC and became part of the

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, language, morals and way of life in a uniquely Gaulish context ...

cultural sphere. According to a tradition that can be traced back to the middle of the 8th century, the

Theban legion The Theban Legion (also known as the Martyrs of Agaunum) figures in Christian hagiography as a Roman legion from Egypt—"six thousand six hundred and sixty-six men"—who converted en masse to Christianity and were martyred together in 286, a ...

was martyred at

Agaunum Agaunum was an outpost in Roman Switzerland, predecessor of the modern city of Saint-Maurice in the canton of Valais, southwestern Switzerland. It was used by the Roman Empire for the collection of the '' Quadragesima Galliarum''. In Christian tr ...

(now

Saint Maurice Saint Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, or Mauritius; ) was an Egyptian military leader who headed the legendary Theban Legion of Rome in the 3rd century, and is one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that martyred group. He is the ...

) about 285 or 302. From 888 onwards the lands were part of the kingdom of Jurane Burgundy. ValereCastleSionMavicAir

Valais formed part of the kingdom of Transjurane Burgundy, which fell to the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

in 1032. It became part of the duchy of Burgundia Minor, which was held by the emperors by the house of Zähringen (which became extinct in 1218). In 999, King

Rudolph III of Burgundy Rudolph III (french: Rodolphe, german: Rudolf; – 6 September 1032), called the Idle or the Pious, was the king of Burgundy from 993 until his death. He was the last ruler of an independent Kingdom of Burgundy, and the last male member of the Bu ...

gave all temporal rights and privileges to the

Bishop of Sion The Diocese of Sion ( la, Dioecesis Sedunensis, french: Diocèse de Sion, german: Bistum Sitten) is a Catholic ecclesiastical territory in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is the oldest bishopric in the country and one of the oldest north o ...

, who was later styled ''praefect 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 of Savoy, 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 of Sion (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. About the middle of the 13th century, the large communities (Zenden or

tithing A tithing or tything was a historic English legal, administrative or territorial unit, originally ten hides (and hence, one tenth of a hundred). Tithings later came to be seen as subdivisions of a manor or civil parish. The tithing's leader or ...

s) began to develop independence and grow in power. The name ''Zenden'' 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 the Canton of Bern. The locals became German-speaking, though many Romance local names remain. In 1354 the liberties of several of the seven ''Zenden'' ( Sion, Sierre,

Visp Visp (french: Viège) is the capital of the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Geography Visp lies in the Rhône valley, at the confluence of the Vispa and the Rhône, west of Brig-Glis. Visp has an area, , of . Of ...

, Brig and Conches) were confirmed by the

Emperor Charles IV Charles IV ( cs, Karel IV.; german: Karl IV.; la, Carolus IV; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charle ...

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. The German-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 the

Raron affair The Raron affair (German: ''Raronhandel'') was a 15th-century rebellion in the Valais (the prince-bishopric of Sion) against the power of a local noble family, the Raron family. The rebellion brought several cantons of the Swiss Confederation int ...

rebellion from 1414 to 1420, some cantons of the

took sides in the conflict. Lucerne, Uri and

Unterwalden Unterwalden, translated from the Latin ''inter silvas''(''between the forests''), is the old name of a forest-canton of the Old Swiss Confederacy in central Switzerland, south of Lake Lucerne, consisting of two valleys or '' Talschaften'', no ...

supported the Upper Valais rebels, while Bern supported the noble Raron family. The uprising was successful in driving out the Rarons and almost brought the Confederation to civil war. Following the Raron affair, the canton was the location of the Valais 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. Karte Wallis 1545

With the election of Walther von Supersax of Conches as bishop in 1457, the German-speaking part of the valley finally attained supremacy. At the outbreak of the Burgundian 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 of Grandson, they advanced and captured St Maurice, Évian, Thonon and

Monthey Monthey (; frp, Montê) is the capital of the district of Monthey in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. History The castle in the town center was built in 950 on a hill, the first houses of Monthey surrounded it. Monthey is first mention ...

. 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 March 12, 1529, Valais became an associate member (''Zugewandter Ort'') of the

. 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 federal Republic of the Seven Tithings under the rule of a '' Landeshauptmann''. 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. During the French invasion of the Swiss Confederacy in the same year, Valais was incorporated into the Helvetic Republic until 1802 when it became the separate Rhodanic Republic. In 1810 the Rhodanic Republic was annexed by the

First French Empire The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental E ...

as the departement of Simplon. The department was occupied by Austrian troops in late 1813, and 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 the

Sonderbund War The Sonderbund War (german: Sonderbundskrieg, fr , Guerre du Sonderbund, it , Guerra del Sonderbund) of November 1847 was a civil war in Switzerland, then still a relatively loose confederacy of cantons. It ensued after seven Catholic canton ...

. 99,000 Swiss Federal troops under General

Henri Dufour Guillaume Henri Dufour (15 September 178714 July 1875) was a Swiss military officer, structural engineer and topographer. He served under Napoleon I and held the Swiss office of General four times in his career, firstly in 1847 when he led the ...

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 the

exploration of the High Alps The higher region of the Alps were long left to the exclusive attention of the inhabitants of the adjoining valleys, even when Alpine travellers (as distinguished from Alpine climbers) began to visit these valleys. It is reckoned that about 20 gla ...

, the

first ascent of the Matterhorn The first ascent of the Matterhorn was a mountaineering expedition made by Edward Whymper, Lord Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow, Michel Croz, and two Zermatt guides, Peter Taugwalder and his son of the same name, on 14 July 18 ...

in 1865 marking the end of the golden age of alpinism. The boom of tourism followed in the late 19th century. In 1878, the Simplon Railway connected Brig, the last town before the

Simplon Pass The Simplon Pass (french: Col du Simplon; german: Simplonpass; it, Passo del Sempione, Lombard: ''Pass del Sempiün'') () is a high mountain pass between the Pennine Alps and the Lepontine Alps in Switzerland. It connects Brig in the canto ...

, from

Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...

and

Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...

and other major cities of the

Geography

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 the

basin, more precisely in the wide Alpine Rhône Valley, above

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial la ...

. The main settlements are all along the Rhône or in its proximity, the largest city being Sion, followed by

, Sierre, and Brig-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 are French-speaking, Upper Valais is German-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 the

to the north by the

and from the Po plains to the south by the Valais Alps, respectively north and south of the Rhône. Valais is also one of the three large southern cantons lying partially in the Po basin, therefore south of the Alps, along with

and the Grisons. 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 the Simplon Valley (Po basin) and two uninhabited areas north of the Sanetsch and the

Gemmi Pass Gemmi Pass is a high mountain pass across the Bernese Alps connecting Leukerbad (on the south) in the canton of Valais with Kandersteg (on the north) in the canton of Bern. The pass itself lies within the canton of Valais, at a height of above s ...

(

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

basin).

Valais is the highest 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): the Mattertal (including the Saastal), the Val d'Anniviers, the

Val d'Hérens Val d'Hérens is an alpine valley in the Valais canton of Switzerland. It was formed by the Hérens glacier, which retreated at the end of the last ice age. It is now the valley of the ''Borgne'' river, a tributary of the Rhone (confluence abov ...

, the

Val de Bagnes Val de Bagnes, also called the Vallée de Bagnes (German: Bangital or Baniental) is a valley located in the Entremont District in the Canton of Valais of Switzerland. Geography Val de Bagnes is traversed by the Drance de Bagnes. In the upper p ...

and the Val d'Entremont. On the north of the Rhône, in the Bernese Alps, the Lötschental is the only large valley. East of Brig is the valley of Goms, the highest section of the Rhône Valley. The Rhône itself flows in the main valley from east to west from the Rhône Glacier down to Martigny, then at a right angle north to its mouth in Lake Geneva. After the town of Saint-Maurice, the eastern banks of the river belong to the canton of

, although the western banks remain in Valais, down to Le 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 include Monte Rosa (highest), reaching , and the

(most prominent), reaching . Other iconic mountains are the

and the

Jungfrau The Jungfrau ( "maiden, virgin"), at is one of the main summits of the Bernese Alps, located between the northern canton of Bern and the southern canton of Valais, halfway between Interlaken and Fiesch. Together with the Eiger and Mönch, the Ju ...

, for a complete list, see list of mountains of Valais. Located there are numerous glaciers including several of the largest in the Alps, such as the Aletsch Glacier and the

Gorner Glacier The Gorner Glacier (german: Gornergletscher) is a valley glacier found on the west side of the Monte Rosa massif close to Zermatt in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is about long (2014) and wide. The entire glacial area of the glacier rela ...

. Other ranges situated partially in Valais are the

Chablais Alps The Chablais Alps are a mountain range in the western Alps. They are situated between Lake Geneva and the Mont Blanc Massif. The Col des Montets separates them from the Mont Blanc Massif in the south, and the Rhône valley separates them from the ...

, the Mont Blanc Massif, the

Uri Alps The Uri Alps (also known as ''Urner Alps'', german: Urner Alpen) are a mountain range in Central Switzerland and part of the Western Alps. They extend into the cantons of Obwalden, Valais, Bern, Uri and Nidwalden and are bordered by the Bernese A ...

, the Gotthard Massif, and the Lepontine 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 is Lac des Dix, closely followed by the Lac d'Emosson. Other large high-elevation lakes are

Lac de Mauvoisin __NOTOC__ Lac de Mauvoisin is a reservoir in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. The reservoir is formed by the Mauvoisin Dam, which is high. The dam is the 11th highest in the world, and the 6th highest arch dam. It was built in 1951–1957, and ...

, Mattmarksee, lac de Salanfe, Lac de Moiry and Lac de Tseuzier (see list 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. Alps

Due to the high mountains surrounding the plains of the Rhône, the climate of central Valais is particularly dry, much drier than in the 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 of Lucerne (north of the Alps) and 30% of that of

Locarno , neighboring_municipalities= Ascona, Avegno, Cadenazzo, Cugnasco, Gerra (Verzasca), Gambarogno, Gordola, Lavertezzo, Losone, Minusio, Muralto, Orselina, Tegna, Tenero-Contra , twintowns =* Gagra, Georgia * Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic ...

(south of the Alps). Officially, the driest location in Valais and Switzerland is Stalden, with 545 mm of rainfall per year. Valais is often described as "semi-arid", although it is not in the climatic sense of the term. Therefore, in some areas, such as Les Follatères, are found plants that are uncommon or absent in the rest of Switzerland, such as cactuses. 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 are

and

. Other popular resorts are

, Les Marécottes, Champéry,

Grimentz Grimentz is a village in the district of Sierre in the Swiss canton of Valais. An independent municipality before, it merged on 1 January 2009 with neighboring Ayer, Chandolin, Saint Jean, Saint-Luc and Vissoie to form the municipality of Anniv ...

, Zinal, Anzère,

Evolène Evolène is a municipality in the district of Hérens in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It includes the villages of Evolène, Les Haudères, La Sage, Villa, La Forclaz, and Arolla, the hamlets of Lannaz and La Tour, and the hollow of F ...

Leukerbad Leukerbad (french: Loèche-les-Bains, Walliser German: ''Leiggerbad'', although locally known as ''Baadu'') is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. History The story of Leukerbad dates back to the 4t ...

and Fiesch. All of them are tourist destination in both summer and winter seasons. The area of the canton is and only about half of the total area is considered productive. Valais shares borders with four other cantons: to the north are the cantons of

and Bern and to the east are the cantons of Uri and

. The canton shares international borders as well: to the south are the Italian regions of

Aosta Valley , Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = Official languages , population_blank1 = Italian French ...

and

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

and to the west is the French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Political subdivisions

Districts

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 capital Münster-Geschinen * Östlich Raron (half-district) with capital Mörel-Filet * Brig with capital Brig-Glis *

with capital

* Westlich Raron (half-district) with capital Raron *

Leuk Leuk (french: Loèche-Ville) is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. On 1 January 2013, the former municipality of Erschmatt merged into the municipality of Leuk.Leuk Leuk (french: Loèche-Ville) is a municipality in the district of Leuk in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. On 1 January 2013, the former municipality of Erschmatt merged into the municipality of Leuk.Sierre with capital Sierre * Hérens with capital Vex * Sion with capital Sion * Conthey with capital Conthey Lower Valais: * Entremont with capital Sembrancher *

with capital

* Saint-Maurice with capital Saint-Maurice *

with capital

Municipalities

There are 143 municipalities in the canton ().

Demographics

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 of Sierre and Salgesch and follows the mountain ridge including

Bella Tola The Bella Tola is a mountain of the Swiss Pennine Alps, overlooking Saint-Luc in the canton of Valais. With an elevation of 3,025 metres above sea level, it is the highest summit of the subrange north of the Meidpass (2,790 m). The Bella Tola l ...

, Weisshorn, and Dent Blanche. At the 2000 census, 62.8% of the population of Valais spoke French or Arpitan, 28.4% spoke German or

Walser German Walser German (german: Walserdeutsch) and Walliser German (, locally ) are a group of Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in parts of Switzerland (Valais, Ticino, Grisons), Italy (Piedmont, Aosta Valley), Liechtenstein (Triesenberg, Planken), and ...

, 2.2% spoke

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and 6.6% spoke other languages. Only 114 people reported speaking Romansh. The canton is sparsely populated. Its population (as of ) is . , the population included 57,061 foreigners, or about 19.1% of the total population. The largest towns are the capital Sion (''Sitten''),

, Sierre,

and Brig-Glis. There is no major city located in the canton. As of 2017, 77% of total population was

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, while only 6% were members of Swiss Reformed Church.

Historical population

The historical population is given in the following table:

Politics

Federal election results

: FDP before 2009, FDP.The Liberals after 2009 : "*" indicates that the party was not on the ballot in this canton.

Economy

Primary sector

Wines and fruit brandies, e.g. " Williamine" and "Abricotine" are some of the main production of the canton. Agriculture is often irrigated, notably through small open-air wooden canals bringing the water from the glaciers above. These are called ''bisses'' in French and ''Suonen'' in German. 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 Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

industry of the canton is the largest in Switzerland. There are also a large number

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...

s in the area, among which apricot trees. The apricot has become the emblematic fruit of the canton. In Mund,

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent in ...

is also gathered. Agriculture in Valais also consists of

cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

breeding in the mountains and

dairy farming Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history th ...

in the plains. The canton is notable for its cheese and dried meat production. The Hérens cattle are also used in organised cow fights.

Secondary sector

Europe's tallest gravity dam is located at

Grande Dixence __NOTOC__ The Grande Dixence Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Dixence at the head of the Val d'Hérémence in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. At high, it is the tallest gravity dam in the world, sixth tallest dam overall, and the tall ...

in the canton, closely followed by the

Mauvoisin Dam Mauvoisin Dam is a concrete variable radius arch dam across the Val de Bagnes on the Dranse de Bagnes stream, in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. Initial construction on the dam commenced in 1951 and was completed in 1957, with the reservoir fi ...

. 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 called Chablais. 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 of

Novartis Novartis AG is a Swiss-American multinational pharmaceutical corporation based in Basel, Switzerland and Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States (global research).name="novartis.com">https://www.novartis.com/research-development/research-loc ...

and Syngenta, in

. In the town of

Collombey-Muraz Collombey-Muraz is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Monthey (district), Monthey in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Valais in Switzerland. There was an oil refinery in the town. History Collombey is first men ...

, there is an

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...

. The Lonza Group has large factories in Visp. Near

there is a large

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

processing plant. Other metal products and chemicals are produced around Visp and Sierre, including Swiss Diamond International aluminum cookware.

Tertiary sector

Valais has a long touristic tradition. Hoteliers were at the base of the development of Valais Tourism. Many of them, such as

César Ritz César Ritz (23 February 1850 – 24 October 1918) was a Swiss hotelier and founder of several hotels, most famously the Hôtel Ritz in Paris and the Ritz and Carlton Hotels in London (the forerunners of the modern Ritz-Carlton Hotel Compan ...

, spent time and money to satisfy a clientele from around the world. 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. Climbing and mountaineering can be practised year-round, with the highest mountains of western Europe surrounding Valais. Many of the huts owned by the Swiss Alpine Club are located in the canton. Valais counts more than 120 winter and summer destinations, including: *

Goms (district) Goms (french: District de Conches) is a district of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It covers a larger area than its geographical counterpart, the geographical region of Goms, namely the upper most part of the Rhône valley between its source ...

: Fiesch- Eggishorn, Bellwald,

Binn Binn (Walser German: ''Bìi'') is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. The Binn Valley is known for its rich mineral deposits, some types of which are unique to the area. The notable Lengenbach Quar ...

, Ernen, Obergoms,

Oberwald Oberwald is a village in the municipality of Obergoms in Goms District in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is situated at an elevation of 1,377 m and had a population of 277 in December 2007. It is located at the end of the Goms, direct ...

Aletsch The Aletsch Glacier (german: Aletschgletscher, ) or Great Aletsch Glacier () is the largest glacier in the Alps. It has a length of about (2014), has about a volume of (2011), and covers about (2011) in the eastern Bernese Alps in the Swiss can ...

(UNESCO World Heritage): Bettmeralp, Fiescheralp, Riederalp * Brig-Glis and surrounding area: Blatten, Belalp, Mund, Termen, Birgisch *

and surrounding area: Visperterminen, Bürchen,

Eischoll Eischoll is a municipality in the district of Raron in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. History Eischoll is first mentioned in 1250 as ''Oiselz''. In 1336 it was mentioned as ''Oysol'' and in 1418 as ''Eysoll''. Geography Eischoll has an a ...

, Stalden,

Törbel Törbel is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. The highest point is the peak of the Augstbordhorns at . History Törbel is first mentioned in 1034 as ''Dorbia''. Geography Törbel has an area, , of . O ...

, Unterbäch *

with

and the largest summer ski area of Switzerland, on the southern slopes of Breithorn reachable from the cable car station of the Klein Matterhorn * Saas Valley:

Saas-Fee Saas-Fee () is the main village in the Saastal, or the Saas Valley, and is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. The village is situated on a high mountain plateau at 1,800 meters (5,900 feet), surrounded ...

Saas-Almagell Saas-Almagell is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. History Saas-Almagell is first mentioned in 1291 as ''Armenzello''. In 1307 it was mentioned as ''Almenkel''. The settlement, at the upper end of ...

, Saas-Grund with Fee Glacier, the second largest summer ski area in Switzerland *

* Sierre, Salquenen and Anniviers, Chandolin, St. Luc,

Vercorin Vercorin is a village in the Swiss Alps, located in the canton of Valais. The village is situated in the central part of the canton near Sierre, at a height of , on a plateau overlooking the Rhone valley. It belongs to the municipality of Chalai ...

, Zinal *

* Sion and surrounding area: Anzère,

, Arolla, Euseigne,

Hérémence Hérémence is a municipality in the district of Hérens in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. History Hérémence is first mentioned in 1195 as ''Aremens''. Geography Hérémence has an area, , of . Of this area, 18.0% is used for agricu ...

Mase Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his mononym Mase (formerly Murda Mase and stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper and minister. In the late 1990s, he recorded on the Bad Boy Records label alongside its founder Sean ...

, Saint-Martin * 4 Vallées ski area: Nendaz,

, Veysonnaz, Thyon-Les Collons, Mayens-de-Riddes/La Tzoumaz * Chablais and Portes du Soleil, Champéry,

Champoussin Champoussin is a village in the Swiss Alps, located in the canton of Valais. The village is situated in the western part of the canton, near Champéry, in the municipality of Val-d'Illiez. Champoussin lies at a height of 1,597 metres above sea le ...

Morgins Morgins is a village in the municipality of Troistorrents in the district of Monthey in the canton of Valais in southern Switzerland. It is noted for skiing and is part of the Portes du Soleil ski resort. It is located at 1333 m in the Val de Mo ...

Les Crosets Les Crosets is a village and ski resort in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is part of the Val-d'Illiez municipality, and Portes du Soleil ski area. Location and access At , Les Crosets is the highest altitude of any resort of the Swiss ...

, Torgon, Val-d'Illiez, Le Bouveret, Saint-Maurice,

, Evionnaz, St. Gingolph * St. Bernard Region: Les Marécottes, Bruson, La Fouly, Champex, Vichères-Liddes The

near

is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Swiss mountains, as is its sister valley immediately east

. Other parts of the mountains of the canton further west are popular as well, such as the more French-speaking resorts near

and the Evolene and Arolla region. The resorts on the north side of the main Rhône valley are popular, looking out southwards towards the Peninne Alps and still part of the southern slope of the Bernese Alps, such as the family-oriented resort of

. The resorts in the

are slightly less known, yet also receive attention during the summer hiking season and the winter

ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...

season.

Transport

The only natural low-elevation access to Valais is via the banks of

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial la ...

, which have several railways and highways leading towards

, Sion, and the rest of the canton. The major axis is on the north side of the lake and passes via

and

Vevey Vevey (; frp, Vevê; german: label=former German, Vivis) is a town in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne. The German name Vivis is no longer commonly used. It was the seat of the district of ...

in the canton of

. From there runs the A9 motorway and the Simplon Railway, ultimately leading to Italy via the

and Simplon Tunnel respectively. On the south side of Lake Geneva, from the French border, is only a highway and the historical Tonkin Railway, now operating in Valais only. The canton is surrounded by high mountains, but some major mountain passes connect it with the rest of Europe. The main road passes are those of the Grimsel (towards the canton of Bern and the

), the Furka (Uri), the

Nufenen Nufenen (Italian: ''Novena'', Romansh: ''Nueinas'') is a former municipality in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2019 the former municipalities of Hinterrhein, Nufenen and Splügen merged to form the new muni ...

(Ticino), the Simplon and the Great St. Bernard (Italy), and the Forclaz and the

(France). Also notable are the historical and pedestrian passes of the Sanetsch, Rawil,

Gemmi Gemmi Pass is a high mountain pass across the Bernese Alps connecting Leukerbad (on the south) in the canton of Valais with Kandersteg (on the north) in the canton of Bern. The pass itself lies within the canton of Valais, at a height of above se ...

, and the Lötschberg, connecting Valais with the Swiss Plateau, through the

Bernese Oberland The Bernese Oberland ( en, Bernese Highlands, german: Berner Oberland; gsw, Bärner Oberland; french: Oberland bernois), the highest and southernmost part of the canton of Bern, is one of the canton's five administrative regions (in which context ...

The Lötschberg, together with the Simplon, is one of the main north-south axes of Switzerland. The historical

opened in 1913. It connects directly Brig to the Swiss Plateau across the

, via

Spiez Spiez is a town and municipality on the shore of Lake Thun in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss canton of Bern. It is part of the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district. Besides the town of Spiez, the municipality also includes ...

in the canton of Bern, through the high-elevation

Lötschberg Tunnel , line = Lötschberg Line , location = Circumventing the Lötschen Pass in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland(Canton of Bern, canton of Valais) , coordinates = – , system = BLS, SBB CFF FFS , status = , st ...

. In 2007, the importance of that axis was further increased with the opening of the low-elevation

Lötschberg Base Tunnel , line = Lötschberg Line , location = Traversing the Bernese Alps in Switzerland , coordinates = – , system = BLS, SBB CFF FFS , status = , start = Frutigen, canton of Bern, , end = Raro ...

, 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, and seen as a revolution, finally opening up Valais to northern Switzerland. 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. Another railway axis connects Valais with central and eastern Switzerland. This is a metre-gauge railway owned by the

Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn is a narrow gauge railway line and a railway company (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn AG, MGB) in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO) and BVZ Zermatt- ...

, which ultimately leads to

Disentis Disentis (German) or Mustér (, Romansh), with its official name Disentis/Mustér is a village and a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The skiing and summer tourism resort high up in the Rhine valley is the ...

and

Chur , neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers , twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxe ...

, from

via

and Brig. The main railway goes through the Furka Base Tunnel in the extreme east of the canton, with the older

Furka Summit Tunnel The Furka Summit Tunnel (german: Furka-Scheiteltunnel) is a long railway tunnel in southern Switzerland. It lies at an altitude of . The summit tunnel was completed in 1925, and first opened on 3 July 1926. It links the Furka railway station, in ...

being popular for its highly scenic sections as well. The

Glacier Express The Glacier Express (GEX) is a direct train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of Zermatt and St. Moritz via Andermatt in the central Swiss Alps. The train is not an "express" in the sense of being a high-speed train ...

connects directly

with St. Moritz, using both Mattherhorn Gotthard Bahn and

Rhaetian Railway The Rhaetian Railway (german: Rhätische Bahn; it, Ferrovia retica; rm, Viafier retica), abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the Rh ...

network.

Postauto, Haltestelle Simplon Hospiz, Hospiz

The canton comprehends a very extensive road network, with elevations ranging from that of Lake Geneva at Le Bouveret to that of the Nufenen Pass, the highest paved road in Valais. The A9, the only motorway, serves the valley up to Sierre, the extension towards Brig being currently built. All inhabited side valleys are accessible to motorized transport since the 1960s; the high-elevation reservoirs built during those years, notably the

, necessitating paved roads as well. As in most other cantons, localities are essentially served by PostBus 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 as

Tour de Suisse The Tour de Suisse ( en, Tour of Switzerland) is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France ...

and the Rallye International du Valais. For a list of high-elevation paved roads, see

list of highest paved roads in Switzerland This is a list of the highest paved roads in Switzerland. It includes paved roads in the Alps that are over long and whose culminating point is over above sea level. This height approximately corresponds to that of the highest major settlements ...

. Because of tourism, there are many railways and cable cars in the mountains. Railways serving side valleys are the Aigle–Ollon–Monthey–Champéry railway, the Martigny–Orsières Railway (notably serving

), the Martigny–Châtelard Railway (serving the Trient Valley) and the Visp-Zermatt railway. Above

, the Gornergrat Railway and the Klein Matterhorn cable car are respectively the highest open-air railway and highest public transport in Europe. In Valais are two ports on Lake Geneva served by the CGN: St. Gingolph and Le Bouveret. The largest airport is located at Sion.

Culture

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.

Monuments

Many monuments dot the Valais landscape. The best known are the

Valère Basilica The Valère basilica (french: Basilique de Valère), also called Valère castle (french: Château de Valère), is a fortified church situated in Sion in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is situated on a hill and faces the Château de Tourbi ...

, where the oldest organ in the world still playable is found, and the territorial Abbey of Saint-Maurice, which dates from the 6th century. Valais has several castles of historical importance, frequently built-in formerly strategic locations:

Tourbillon Castle Tourbillon Castle ( French: ''Château de Tourbillon'') is a castle in Sion in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is situated on a hill and faces the Basilique de Valère, located on the opposite hill. It was built at the end of the 1 ...

, Saint-Maurice Castle, Stockalper Palace, La Bâtiaz Castle, Majorie Castle, the episcopal Leuk 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 between Sion and the Goms valley: Saint-Théodule church in Sion, the church of Raron and church of Ernen. 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: the Great St. Bernard Hospice and the Simplon Hospice. There are also interesting Roman remains, such as the amphitheater in Martigny. Sion is also a major site of European prehistory. In particular, are the dolmens of Le 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 the Gueuroz Bridge which was once the highest bridge in Europe, and the Ganter Bridge, on the Simplon road. Visible from central Valais, the statue of Christ the King in

Lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements ...

recalls the Catholic tradition of the canton. Among the most important museums in the canton, the Gianadda 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 in Salgesch and the Museum of Traditions and Boats of Lake Geneva in St. Gingolph.

Gastronomy

Traditional food products of Valais are wines, cheeses,

dried meat Dried meat is a feature of many cuisines around the world. Examples include: *Kulen Slanina Pečenica *Aliya, sun-dried meat from Kenya * Bakkwa or rougan, Chinese salty-sweet dried meat sheets. * Biltong, a cured meat that originated in Sout ...

, and rye 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 are Fendant, Petite Arvine, Humagne Blanche, Syrah and Pinot Noir. The numerous cheeses notably include

raclette Raclette (, ) is a Swiss dish, also popular in the other Alpine countries, based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes. Raclette cheese is historically a dish originating from the canton o ...

, which is both a variety of cheese and a dish. Along with fondue, the latter has become an emblematic dish associated with mountain culture. Other dishes of Valais include the Cholera, a pastry containing various ingredients, and the , 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.

Notes

References

External links

Cantonal government

Official information from Valais/Wallis Promotion
{{Authority control Cantons of Switzerland Cantons of the Helvetic Republic Wine regions of Switzerland Arpitania 1815 establishments in Switzerland States and territories established in 1815

Name

History

Geography

Political subdivisions

Districts

Municipalities

Demographics

Historical population

Politics

Federal election results

Economy

Primary sector

Secondary sector

Tertiary sector

Transport

Culture

Monuments

Gastronomy

See also

Notes

References

External links