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83-651: Vallis (plural Valles) is Latin for valley, vale; it may refer to the following : Places and jurisdictions on Earth the Swiss canton Wallis Vallis (see) , an ancient city, former bishopric and Latin Catholic titular see in Africa Proconsularis Vallis Vale in Somerset Astronomy Vallis (planetary geology) Vallis Alpes on

166-507: 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 in the rest of Switzerland . While locations at high elevations are highly exposed to rainfall and snowfall, average rainfall per year

249-522: A 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 under construction. All inhabited side valleys are accessible to motorized transport since the 1960s; the high-elevation reservoirs built during those years, notably

332-476: 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

415-478: 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 , 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 , 2.2% spoke Italian and 6.6% spoke other languages. Only 114 people reported speaking Romansh . The canton

498-405: Is a large aluminium processing plant. Other metal products and chemicals are produced around Visp and Sierre , including Swiss Diamond International aluminum cookware. Valais has a long touristic tradition. Hoteliers were at the base of the development of Valais Tourism. Many of them, such as César Ritz , spent time and money to satisfy a clientele from around the world. The canton is nowadays

581-575: Is a major part of it. The line between Lausanne and Vallorbe is sometimes considered to form part of the line, making it 233 km (145 mi) long. Together with the Lötschberg Railway to its north, it forms the second most important trans- Alpine railway line in Switzerland after the Gotthard Railway , which lies to its east and is about 240 km (150 mi) long. ETCS level 2

664-619: Is a metre-gauge railway owned by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn , which ultimately leads to Disentis and Chur , from Zermatt via Visp and Brig . The main railway goes through the Furka Base Tunnel in the extreme east of the canton, with the older Furka Summit Tunnel being popular for its highly scenic sections as well. The Glacier Express directly connects Zermatt with St. Moritz , using both Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and Rhaetian Railway network. The canton comprehends

747-547: Is a one-track connection to the line to Bern and can also function as a bypass of Lausanne for the Simplon Railway, but it is rarely used as such. In addition, the narrow-gauge Vevey–Les Pléiades railway line runs from here to Les Pléiades . The line reaches Montreux via La Tour-de-Peilz , Burier , and Clarens (which is within the Montreux municipal boundary); it is the only Swiss station with three different gauges. Here,

830-505: Is a terminal for the carriage of cars through the tunnel. This is followed by the 1.7 km-long Trasquera Tunnel and the 3.0 km-long Varzo Spiral Tunnel. The line reaches Domodossola via the halts of Varzo and Preglia. The catenary of the section on Italian territory is built to the Italian overhead line standards—but it is charged at 15 kV / 16.7 Hz AC. The signals comply with SBB standards. The trains continue from Domodossola over

913-531: 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

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996-564: Is called the Sonderbund War . Under General Henri 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 the exploration of the High Alps , the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 marking the end of the golden age of alpinism . The boom of tourism followed in

1079-414: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Valais Valais is situated in the southwestern part of the country. It borders the cantons of Vaud and Bern to the north, the cantons of Uri and Ticino to the east, as well as Italy to the south and France to the west. It is one of the three large southern Alpine cantons, along with Ticino and

1162-622: Is expected to be installed on the line between Lausanne and Brig before 2022. The Cossonay – Bussigny-près-Lausanne section was opened in 1855 by the Compagnie de l'Ouest-Suisse (West Switzerland Company, OS) as part of the construction of the Jura Foot Railway . The Bussigny– Lausanne connecting curve was opened in 1856. The Jougne-Eclépens Railway started work on the Cossonay– Vallorbe section in 1870. A cross-border connection to

1245-550: Is given in the following table: Wines and fruit brandies , such as Poire 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 , called bisses in French and Suonen in German , that transport water from the glaciers above. They also constitute popular hiking routes because of their low declivity. Vineyards are grown on terraces, typically on

1328-553: Is only about 600  mm in Sion, corresponding to 50% of that of Lucerne (north of the Alps) and 30% of that of Locarno (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

1411-462: Is sparsely populated. Its population (as of 31 December 2020) is 348,503. As of 2007 , the population included 57,061 foreigners, or about 19.1% of the total population. The largest towns are the capital Sion ( Sitten ), Monthey , Sierre , Martigny and Brig-Glis . There is no major city located in the canton. As of 2017, 77% of total population was Roman Catholic , while only 6% were members of Swiss Reformed Church . The historical population

1494-590: Is the junction to the Vallorbe–Le Brassus railway line to Le Brassus . Between the stations of La Sarraz and Cossonay , the Jura Foot Railway from Olten connects with the line. The two routes run together to Bussigny , where there is connection to the line to Geneva at a wye junction . This allows trains running between the Jura Foot Railway and Geneva to avoid reversing at Lausanne . The line reaches Lausanne via Renens . After Lausanne station,

1577-597: 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 Vaud , although the western banks remain in Valais, down to Le Bouveret , on

1660-540: Is the only truly large lake in the canton, although only a small fraction of it (about 10  km ) 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 , Mattmarksee , lac de Salanfe , Lac de Moiry and Lac de Tseuzier (see list of mountain lakes of Switzerland for

1743-555: Is via the banks of Lake Geneva , which have several railways and highways leading towards Martigny , Sion , and the rest of the canton. The major axis is on the north side of the lake and passes via Lausanne and Vevey in the canton of Vaud . From there runs the A9 motorway and the Simplon Railway , ultimately leading to Italy via the Simplon Pass and Simplon Tunnel respectively. On

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1826-661: The Bernese 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 as Monte Rosa and the Finsteraarhorn . Although a major hydroelectricity producer, Valais is essentially renowned for its tourism industry and its numerous Alpine resort towns, notably Crans-Montana , Saas Fee , Verbier , and Zermatt . Overlooking

1909-533: 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 , Leuk , Raron , Visp , Brig and Conches ) were confirmed by the Emperor Charles IV . 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

1992-538: The Grande Dixence , 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

2075-859: The Great St. Bernard (Italy), and the Forclaz and the Morgins (France). Also notable are the historical and pedestrian passes of the Sanetsch , Rawil , Gemmi , and the Lötschberg , connecting Valais with the Swiss Plateau, through the Bernese Oberland . The Lötschberg, together with the Simplon, is one of the main north–south axes of Switzerland. The historical Lötschberg Railway opened in 1913. It connects directly Brig to

2158-625: 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 is essentially coextensive with the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva , separating the Pennine Alps from

2241-837: The Martigny–Châtelard Railway (serving the Trient Valley ) and the Visp-Zermatt railway . Above Zermatt , the Gornergrat Railway and the Klein 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 the CGN : St. Gingolph and Le Bouveret . The largest airport is located at Sion. The size and particular geographical situation of

2324-895: The Matterhorn and the Jungfrau , 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 . Other ranges situated partially in Valais are the Chablais Alps , the Mont Blanc Massif , the Uri Alps , the Gotthard Massif , and the Lepontine Alps . Lake Geneva

2407-689: The Montreux–Glion–Rochers-de-Naye railway line branches off to Rochers de Naye and the Montreux–Lenk im Simmental line to Lenk . After Montreux, the line runs past Chillon Castle and the former Hôtel Byron to Villeneuve . Three narrow gauge lines branch off in Aigle to Leysin , Les Diablerets and Champéry . In Bex , the narrow-gauge Bex–Villars–Bretaye Railway runs to the Col-de-Bretaye . The line from Saint-Gingolph connects with

2490-717: The Raron affair rebellion from 1414 to 1420, some cantons of the Swiss Confederation took sides in the conflict. Lucerne , Uri and Unterwalden 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

2573-428: The Rhône basin, more precisely in the wide Alpine Rhône Valley, above Lake Geneva . The main settlements are all along the Rhône or in its proximity, the largest city being Sion , followed by Martigny , Monthey , 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

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2656-828: The Romanshorn –Brig route and EuroCity services running on the Basel –Milan route use the section between the south portal in Visp and the north portal of the Simplon Tunnel in Brig. In the Rhone Valley Regional services run from Brig to Sion or Saint-Gingolph . In addition, five of the seven lines of the RéseauExpressVaudois run on sections of the Simplon railway between Lausanne and Renens. The S2 runs between Vallorbe and Lausanne,

2739-495: The Simplon Railway connected most of Valais with the cities of the Swiss Plateau . The canton was further opened up by the Lötschberg Railway in 1913. 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 . The Romans called the upper Rhône valley Vallis Poenina . The Vallis Poenina

2822-451: 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. With the election of Walther II. Supersaxo von der Fluhe (from Conches ) as bishop in 1457, the German-speaking part of the valley finally attained supremacy. At

2905-451: The line to Fribourg and Bern branches off to the left in the middle of the SBB rolling stock depot, while the Simplon line remains on the shore of Lake Geneva. Some Lavaux communities have stations on both lines, such as Pully ( Pully and Pully Nord ) or Lutry ( Lutry and La Conversion ). Vevey is reached via Pully, Lutry and Cully . The Vevey–Chexbres railway line , which ends here,

2988-547: The French rail network was opened in 1875 with the completion of the tunnel under the Col de Jougne. However, the trains from France to Switzerland had to make a zig zag turn until 1915, when the opening of the Mont d’Or Tunnel and the new line to Frasne created a direct route. The SNCF initially maintained the line to Pontarlier via the Tunnel de Jougne, but this suffered significant damage in

3071-526: 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

3154-546: 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 the Swiss Confederation . 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

3237-786: The Moon Vallis Rheita on the Moon Vallis Snellius on the Moon Valles Marineris on Mars See also [ edit ] Valles (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Vallis . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vallis&oldid=1178127985 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description

3320-420: 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 Ticino 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

3403-421: The Rhône are the Simplon Valley (Po basin) and two uninhabited areas north of the Sanetsch and the Gemmi Pass ( Rhine 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

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3486-434: The S1 between Cossonay and Villeneuve, the S3 between Renens and Villeneuve, the S4 between Renens and Lausanne and the S11 between Cossonay and Lausanne. Freight trains run on the line. The line includes the section from the border station of Vallorbe to its northern connection to the RFF line from Dijon . After crossing the Le Day Viaduct , the line reaches the station of the village of Le Day. Immediately afterwards

3569-481: The Second World War, including the blowing up of the Tunnel de Jougne by the French army, and it was not rebuilt. The first section of the line went in operation on 10 June 1857 when the Compagnie de l'Ouest Suisse opened the Villeneuve – Bex section. The line was completed by the OS, the Compagnie de la Ligne d'Italie ("Company of the Italian line") and the Compagnie du chemin de fer du Simplon ("Simplon Railway Company") in subsequent stages, ending with

3652-420: The Simplon line in Saint-Maurice. The line then reaches Martigny , where two lines branch off. Both are operated by the TMR , the narrow gauge Martigny–Châtelard Railway towards Chamonix and a standard gauge line to Orsières with a branch to Le Châble . A few kilometres later, the line reaches Sion and shortly later Sierre , before reaching the language border between French and German. The first stop in

3735-436: The Simplon tunnel was built between 1912 and 1921 and opened to traffic in 1922. In 1930, the route from Brig to Domodossola was electrified throughout with the standard Swiss system of 15 kV/16 2 ⁄ 3 Hz AC , which with its high voltage better suited the steep south ramp than the Italian 3,000 Volt DC system. The dispatcher at the nearby Italian south ramp ( Iselle –Domodossola) has worked under Swiss regulations since

3818-403: The Swiss Plateau across the Bernese Alps , via Spiez in the canton of Bern, through the high-elevation Lötschberg Tunnel . In 2007, the importance of that axis was further increased with the opening of the low-elevation Lötschberg 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

3901-500: The Upper Valais is Leuk . In Visp station there is a connection to the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB) from Zermatt and the Lötschberg Base Tunnel connects with the line. The MGB runs from Brig , where the Lötschberg Mountain Railway connects with the Simplon line towards the Upper Valais. After Brig, the line runs into the Simplon Tunnel , in the middle of which is the national border between Switzerland and Italy. The tunnel ends at Iselle di Trasquera where, as in Brig, there

3984-584: The austerity of ancestral mores, its customs, its naive legends, its rustic costumes, everything that today constitutes its character and originality. Many monuments dot the Valais landscape. The best known are the Valère Basilica , 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 , Saint-Maurice Castle , Stockalper Palace , La Bâtiaz Castle , Majorie Castle ,

4067-403: 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 of Vaud and Bern and to the east are the cantons of Uri and Ticino . The canton shares international borders as well: to the south are the Italian regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont and to

4150-447: 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. The people of Valais, from

4233-425: The canton. Valais counts more than 120 winter and summer destinations, including: The Matterhorn near Zermatt is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Swiss mountains, as is its sister valley immediately east Saas Fee . Other parts of the mountains of the canton further west are popular as well, such as the more French-speaking resorts near Verbier and the Evolene and Arolla region. The resorts on

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4316-427: The closing of the Leuk – Brig gap in 1878. The upgrade to two continuous tracks between Lausanne and Brig was completed in 2004. The construction of the Lötschberg Railway was completed in 1913 and, in preparation, Brig was upgraded to be a junction station. After 1919, the Sion–Brig section was electrified at 3000 Volt 16 Hertz three phase , but between 1923 and 1927 the line was electrified throughout at

4399-475: The closure of the Trans Europ Express service from Paris to Milan , only nightly passenger trains have run the full distance. These trains are operated by Trenitalia under the name of Thello and run on the Paris– Dijon –Milan– Venice route, which was also used by the former Venice-Simplon Orient Express . These services are operated with ETR 610 stock. Between Vallorbe and Lausanne long-distance TGV services run to/from Paris, which are extended in

4482-405: 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

4565-485: 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

4648-401: The establishment of the SBB. Until the electrification in 1930, the 2.5 percent grade on the section was worked by steam, using a large number of C 5/6 locomotives that had been reallocated to the Brig depot after the electrification of the Gotthard Railway . The section, which is equipped with the Swiss train protection system belongs to Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), which also provides

4731-431: The ground personnel. Even in the 21st century, with open access , the majority of traffic on the Italian section is hauled by Swiss locomotives. Since 1992, there has been a single-track link, electrified on the Swiss system, from Domodossola I station to the Domodossola II marshalling yard to provide access for Swiss locomotives. The marshalling yard mainly provides changes of traction for through freight trains. Since

4814-407: The highlights of competitions such as Tour de Suisse and the Rallye International du Valais . For a list of high-elevation paved roads, see list of highest paved roads in Switzerland . 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 Verbier ),

4897-403: The kingdom of Transjurane Burgundy, which fell to the Holy Roman Empire 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 gave all temporal rights and privileges to the Bishop of Sion , who was later styled praefect and count of Valais and is still a prince of

4980-403: The late 19th century. In 1878, the Simplon Railway connected Brig , the last town before the Simplon Pass , from Lausanne and Geneva and other major cities of the Swiss 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

5063-414: The latter town, the Matterhorn has become an iconic landmark of the canton. In 1529, Valais became an associate member of the Swiss Confederation . After having resisted the Protestant Reformation and remained faithful to the Roman Catholic Church , 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,

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5146-419: 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 Swiss Plateau to the north by the Bernese Alps and from

5229-439: 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 tithings ) 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

5312-403: 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 , the Val de Bagnes and the Val d'Entremont . On the north of the Rhône, in the Bernese Alps, the Lötschental

5395-408: The modern SBB standard single-phase 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC system. With the opening of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in 2007, Visp station became an interchange station between services from the Bern region to Zermatt and services towards Sion. Since then all trains to and from the Base Tunnel have run over the Simplon line between Visp and Domodossola. The first tube of the Simplon Tunnel

5478-431: 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 and Syngenta , in Monthey . In the town of Collombey-Muraz , there is an oil refinery . The Lonza Group has large factories in Visp. Near Visp there

5561-402: The mountains and dairy farming in the plains. The canton is notable for its cheese and dried meat production. The Hérens cattle are also used in organised cow fights. Europe's tallest gravity dam is located at Grande Dixence in the canton, closely followed by the Mauvoisin Dam . Hydroelectric power plants from the canton produce about a quarter of Swiss electricity. The west part and

5644-416: 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 Crans-Montana . The resorts in the Goms (district) are slightly less known, yet also receive attention during the summer hiking season and the winter ski season. The only natural low-elevation access to Valais

5727-530: 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 . 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

5810-622: 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 Zermatt and Saas Fee . Other popular resorts are Verbier , Les Marécottes , Champéry , Grimentz , Zinal , Anzère , Crans-Montana , Evolène , Leukerbad and Fiesch . All of them are tourist destination in both summer and winter seasons. The area of

5893-423: 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 4,634 metres (15,203 ft), and the Finsteraarhorn (most prominent), reaching 4,274 metres (14,022 ft). Other iconic mountains are

5976-653: 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 the Grimsel (towards the canton of Bern and the Swiss Plateau ), the Furka (Uri), the Nufenen (Ticino), the Simplon and

6059-419: 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. There are also a large number orchards in the area, among which are apricot trees. The apricot has become the emblematic fruit of the canton. In Mund , saffron is also gathered. Agriculture in Valais also consists of cattle breeding in

6142-468: 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

6225-476: 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

6308-399: The west is the French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes . 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: Central Valais: Lower Valais: There are 122 municipalities in the canton (as of January 2021). The western part of Valais (Central and Lower Valais)

6391-492: The winter season to Brig . Between Cossonay and Bussigny or Lausanne the route is still operated by ICN trains, which run over the Jura Foot Railway . Between Lausanne and Brig, InterRegio services run to and from Geneva Airport . Between Lausanne and Domodossola , EuroCity services run from Geneva to Milan or Venice . With the opening of the Lötschberg Base Tunnel in 2007, InterCity services running on

6474-638: 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

6557-450: Was completed after eight years of construction and, along with the continuation of the line to Domodossola , it was opened in 1906. The connection to Domodossola included the Varzo elicoidale , which was probably the longest spiral tunnel in the world. The Simplon tunnel was electrified with 3000 Volt 16 Hertz three-phase AC power from the beginning of operations until 1930. The second tube of

6640-614: Was conquered by the Romans after the Battle of Octodurus (now known as Martigny ) in 57 BC and became part of the Gallo-Roman cultural sphere. According to a tradition that can be traced back to the middle of the 8th century, the Theban legion was martyred at Agaunum (now Saint Maurice ) about 285 or 302. From 888 onwards the lands were part of the kingdom of Jurane Burgundy . Valais formed part of

6723-687: 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 as the departement of Simplon . The department was occupied by Austrian troops in late 1813; 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

6806-656: 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 recalls the Catholic tradition of the canton. Simplon Railway 140 km/h (87 mph) (Freight trains) The Simplon Railway is a line that links Lausanne in Switzerland and Domodossola in Italy, via Brig . The 20 km (12 mi)-long Simplon Tunnel (opened in 1906)

6889-484: Was the longest land tunnel in the world when opened, 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

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