Val d’Anniviers

Val d’Anniviers

One of the last valleys in Valais, this area features highly vertical terrain, winding roads, and a variety of year-round athletic activities. French-speaking, proudly so. ***Saint Luc is a favorite on our ski list; *Grimentz/Zinal less so.

If you visit for the drive itself, Vissoie is a good turn-around point.

Saint-Luc

Saint-Luc is a hidden gem that seems largely off the radar. It’s the kind of town where everyone seems to know each others’ names, the bus driver greets the locals personally, the architecture is old and charming, and the children all start skiing at the age of 2. It has one of our favorite hotels in Switzerland – the Bella Tola – and a ski area that has persevered on our top 5.

The town was first mentioned in written records in 1267 as Lus (anecdotally from LOUC, a Celtic word meaning forest). This is an isolated, hard to reach spot, and I imagine the village had to be quite self-sufficient. Tourism came in relatively early, associated with the popularity of the Grand Tour – Val d’Anniviers is referred to in the second edition of the Baedeker guide in 1848. Five years later, the guidebook mentions accommodation, suggesting lodging with the parish priest in Vissoie. Around 1859 (or 1882; the reporting is inconsistent), the Hotel Bella-Tola was built (along with others up the valley). The Hotel Weisshorn, higher up, came in around 1883.

The ski resort started in 1959, and as mentioned, we love it. The area is very high, so it generally has good snow. Off piste is almost unlimited, and 90% above tree line. It’s not crowded, has lots of terrain, and a beautiful setting, including excellent views of the Matterhorn.

If driving in, the best parking is Parking du Funicular. From there, take a short walk to the funicular itself. The best runs are off T-bars and pomas, not the lifts. One of our favorite runs: go to Bella-Tola (the mountain), the highest point at 3026, and stay skiers left, taking runs 22 then 21, all the way down to Prilet. Have a drink or lunch at Le Prilet, then take the ski bus back to the funicular.

Where to eat and stay

***The Bella-Tola Hotel is wonderful. On the list of historic hotels of Switzerland, it gets everything just right: classic details with modern touches, excellent food, small but well-appointed spa and pool area, very well-trained and friendly staff. It’s quite high-end, relative to the other historic hotels we’ve stayed in. They have several other smaller buildings scattered throughout town that you can rent, as well as the larger Grand Chalet Favre. There are three restaurants of sorts (sharing adjacent spaces) – the fine dining section at the Bella-Tola, the Swiss more casual menu at Bella-Tola, and the same Swiss menu in the dining room at Grand Chalet Favre (so no major reason to go there, unless you want a change of scenery).
***Hotel Weisshorn: opened in 1883, the Weisshorn is one of the great original Alpine hotels, 2,337 meters up on the shoulder of the Val d’Anniviers. A fun overnight from Saint-Luc, no road access, accessible via the ski resort. Quite old/funky/charming. Shared bathrooms. It also makes for a great winter hike to lunch (about 2 hours each way from the Saint-Luc gondola.
**Le Prilet is a casual hotel/hostel with a very nice little restaurant inside. Great for lunch on a ski day, very good burgers.
**Le Tir’Bouch is a very local place with a limited, very Swiss menu. We found it charming, and the food was surprisingly tasty, a step up from the standard faire.

Chandolin is a small community connected to the same ski area. It’s not as charming, but there are several nice hotels if you have trouble getting a room at the Bella-Tola.

We liked **Chandolin Boutique Hotel. Very friendly staff, good spa, excellent food, cozy and recently redone rooms. An excellent get away.
**Cabane Illhorn du CAS de Sierre, on the piste, is cute, has very good service, and pretty tasty food – burgers, salads, rösti. Good lunch spot.